English Opens Doors Program
Focus: Community and Education.
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Project Description
The English Opens Doors Program (Programa Inglés Abre Puertas) is an initiative supported by the Chilean Ministry of Education. The Program was created in 2003 with the mission to improve the level of English for students between 5th grade and 12th grade throughout the Chilean public school system by providing teacher training, instructional materials, language competitions, English immersion camps, and semester abroad scholarships for university students.
The English Opens Doors Program seeks to foster a new generation of Chilean students equipped with the tools and abilities they will need to succeed in an increasingly globalized world.
The National Volunteer Center, which is a branch of the English Opens Doors Program and is supported by the United Nations Development Programme-Chile, recruits native and near-native English speakers to come to Chile and work as teaching assistants in Chilean classrooms, specifically to improve students’ listening and speaking skills.
Volunteers also assist with other initiatives of the English Opens Doors Program, such as debates, Public Speaking, Spelling Bee, and English Camps. Volunteers teach and encourage the study of English while living with Chilean host families and interacting with members of the local community.
Volunteer Information
Costs & Benefits
Requirements
Contact information
Project Summary
Volunteers teach alongside a Chilean head teacher in either municipal (public) or particular subvencionado (semi-private) schools. Volunteers are placed all throughout Chile, and work with students ranging from quinto básico (5th grade, approximately 10-11 years) to cuarto medio (12th grade, approximately 17-18 years). The volunteer’s main responsibilities are:
To focus on improving the students’ speaking and listening skills
To motivate the students to take an interest in learning English
To share their culture with the students, thus broadening their worldview
Volunteers should expect to spend 25 hours a week in the classroom and another 10 hours each week leading an extracurricular activity. Each volunteer has the flexibility to determine what specific extracurricular activity they’d like to lead with their students.
Additionally, volunteers participate in English Camps, Debates, Public Speaking Competitions, Spelling Bees, and other initiatives of the English Opens Doors Program.
Volunteers will receive:
A program completion bonus of CLP $60,000 per month served to offset teaching-related costs.
Pre-departure information and support.
In-country health insurance
Week-long TEFL and Chilean culture orientation (accommodations and meals provided)
Accommodations and meals with a host family.
Airport transfers to designated accommodations upon arrival for volunteers who arrive on official program start dates.
Assistance obtaining a Chilean I.D. card and Temporary Residence Visa
Round-trip transportation from Santiago to the regional placement site.
Volunteers are responsible for:
Transportation to and from Chile
Personal expenses (extra food, entertainment, vacations or personal travel)
All volunteers must:
Be a native or near-native English speaker.
Have completed a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university and be between 21 and 35 years old (applicants older than 35 will be considered)
Be mentally and physically capable of teaching children.
Have experience living or travelling in another country.
Have an interest in Chilean culture and living in a developing country.
Be highly committed, responsible, and flexible.
Have access to sufficient funds in order to cover personal expenditures throughout the duration of the program.
All volunteers must:
- Be a native or near-native English speaker.
- Have completed a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university and be between 21 and 35 years old (applicants older than 35 will be considered)
- Be mentally and physically capable of teaching children.
- Have experience living or travelling in another country.
- Have an interest in Chilean culture and living in a developing country.
- Be highly committed, responsible, and flexible.
- Have access to sufficient funds in order to cover personal expenditures throughout the duration of the program.
English Opens Doors Program
Avenida Libertador Bernardo O’Higgins 1146
Sector B, Oficina 604
Santiago
Chile
Tel: (56-2) 406-7193
Email: voluntarios@mineduc.cl
Website: www.centrodevoluntarios.cl
All volunteers must:
- Be a native or near-native English speaker.
- Have completed a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university and be between 21 and 35 years old (applicants older than 35 will be considered)
- Be mentally and physically capable of teaching children.
- Have experience living or travelling in another country.
- Have an interest in Chilean culture and living in a developing country.
- Be highly committed, responsible, and flexible.
- Have access to sufficient funds in order to cover personal expenditures throughout the duration of the program.
English Opens Doors Program
Avenida Libertador Bernardo O’Higgins 1146
Sector B, Oficina 604
Santiago
Chile
Tel: (56-2) 406-7193
Email: voluntarios@mineduc.cl
Website: www.centrodevoluntarios.cl
Location: Santiago, Chile
Average cost per day: $0
Focus: Community and Education
Skills needed: Volunteers must be at least 18 years old, see requirements
