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experience@encounterlatinamerica.com

Why Volunteer

Why
volunteer

Volunteering is a way to travel with real meaning. Affordable, authentic and eye-opening, it helps to build bridges between communities from all across the world. You’ll meet incredibly inspiring people, experience completely new cultures and, little by little, help to make the world a better place. Not only will you be working to educate and empower people from all kinds of communities, you’ll learn a whole lot about yourself at the same time. You’ll visit incredible places, pick up new skills and feel part of something packed with heart. In this sense, volunteering is about learning as much as it is teaching. It connects people all across the planet, building tolerance and understanding between different cultures. That’s what makes it so special.

Everyone is completely different, which is one of the most wonderful things about our world. We’ll help you follow your own path by matching you to a project that reflects your own values and passions. Spend your days playing with kids in the favelas of Rio, nurse injured primates back to health in the tropical forests of Costa Rica, help to empower an isolated jungle community in Colombia or lend at hand at an urban eco-garden in Buenos Aires. The work can be tough and you may find yourself facing challenges situations, but each one will help you to grow. The rewards that you’ll reap will be worth your effort one million times over. You’ll come home looking at the planet with a new pair of eyes.

Experience is not what happens to you, it's what you do with what happens to you.

making a
difference

Make a difference in Latin America, changing the world one drop at a time.

  • Travel with meaning and give something back whilst following your own passions.
  • Bring hope to struggling communities and build bridges between cultures.
  • Become part of a real community, seeing beyond the surface of your location and getting a deeper understanding of the struggles faced by locals every day.
  • Little by little, your own personal contribution will help create a stepping stone towards a better tomorrow.
  • Help spark social change, working as part of an inspiring, unstoppable team.
  • Get some true perspective and appreciate just how lucky you are in your own life.
  • Learn as much from the local people as you teach.Come home with more global understanding and an open-minded world view.

Get off the
beaten track

Get off the beaten track and become part of a real community.

  • Leave the backpacker trail far behind you and a become part of something meaningful.
  • Immerse yourself in community life, getting to know the locals and understanding their struggles.
  • See beyond the tourist sugar-coating of cities to the true reality of daily life.
  • Spend time in smaller, traditional villages tucked away from the traveler route.
  • Feel the buzz of adventure whilst building brighter futures for the next generation.
  • Learn from inspiring, passionate project leaders and ever-optimistic, welcoming local people.
  • Feel part of a global family working towards social and environmental change.
  • Broaden your understanding of different cultures whilst broadening the horizons of others.
  • Travel in a way that makes a lasting, beautiful impact on the world.

personal &
professional growth

Take a big step towards personal and professional growth.

  • Pick up all kinds of transferable new skills.
  • Learn to adapt calmly to all sorts of new situations, environments and changes.
  • Meet and appreciate very different people by living and working in a real community with other volunteers.
  • Go way beyond your comfort zone, face new challenges and build your own confidence.
  • Come home with broader, deeper understanding of social struggles across the world.
  • Do something that touches your own heart, as well as the hearts of others.
  • Get a life-changing experience that will clear your perspective and help you figure out what comes next.
  • Prove you can thrive in unconventional setting, something that will shine through on your resume.
  • Learn a great deal about your own personal strengths and force of character.

learn
the language

Brush up on your Spanish or Portuguese – or learn the language from scratch!

  • Advance really quickly, talking to locals all day long and living in the community.
  • Communicate with people from all walks of life and learn about their unique experiences.
  • Take language classes around your volunteering hours, giving you the best of both worlds.
  • Completely immerse yourself in your new surroundings.
  • Come home with excellent new language skills that will stand out on your CV.

experiences we love sharing

Learning new skills while travelling or focusing on your passion in a foreign setting, not only makes for a great experience, it also benefits your CV. From community volunteering, working with conservation projects or brushing up on your Spanish, we have selected for you the top experiences in Latin America.

Dream Center Bogota

Colombia
A project that gives a second chance to the local community of a marginal neighborhood…
This non-profit is an institution that works to improve the quality of life of the community of the Egypt neighborhood in Bogota; by fighting hunger, ending poverty, generating decent work and reducing inequalities.
Learn more

Turtle Rescue Center

Costa Rica
This non-profit organization is run by volunteers for volunteers, so it needs all the help it can get. Its sole mission is keeping the sea turtles safe and finding a way for the locals and turtles to live together in harmony. Poachers, fishing nets and pollution have led to a serious decline in the turtle population.
Learn more

Wildlife Rescue Center Carribean

Costa Rica
This animal rescue center is a temporary or permanent home for ill, injured, and orphaned animals. With a focus on monkeys, sloths, other mammals, birds and reptiles: the center provides veterinary services, round-the-clock care and comfort to animals that would otherwise be unable to survive in the Caribbean rainforest.
Learn more

Rainforest Conservation

Costa Rica
The biodiversity and the density of different species in Costa Rica are among the highest in the world. This program protects and studies a private reserve of 140 hectares of rainforest. Volunteers and students help with the protection of the rainforest and learn to live in harmony with nature.
Learn more

Wildlife Rescue Center Amazon

Ecuador
A unique experience in the jungle to taking care of injured animals, healing and feeding them until they are ready to return to nature. This project offers a unique opportunity for volunteers to work for and protect many wild animals whilst living in a beautiful part of the Amazon rainforest.
Learn more

Whale Conservation

Ecuador
The Humpback Whales – Ecuador project focuses on knowing the demography, population, behavior, and social grouping of the humpback whales that migrate each year. This is your opportunity to assist in the field, where you will watch the whales, learn from specialists and help and support research.
Learn more

Dream Center Intag

Ecuador
Be inspired by how-to live in harmony with nature and empowerment of women. Your support can make a big impact in yourself and this community! The cooperative of women in was founded with the objective to use the local resources in a sustainable way and to generate an alternative revenue for the families of the community.
Learn more

how to make sure
you have a great experience

What can you expect from us
An interview: based on your application we will schedule an interview with you. We will tell you more about the program you are interested in and ask you some questions. Together, we’ll talk through the programs and find a good fit for you.

4 weeks before your departure and after your final payment, you’ll receive pre-departure information that covers all the bases.

Soft landing: We’ll make sure your arrival goes smoothly and comfortably, getting you off on the right foot. We’ll meet you at the airport or bus station and take you directly to your project. In some cases, this even includes an overnight stay in a hostel before we take you to the project.

24 hour support and emergency line, so that you’ll feel secure at all times. There’s always someone on hand to help.

We have close contacts with excellent language schools for additional Spanish or Portuguese lessons, giving you the chance to pick up new skills while you travel.

What we expect from you
For most projects we require a minimum age of 18yrs, and for some projects this is 20yrs.

Spanish is the principle language in Latin America, although Brazil speaks Portuguese. If you sign up for a social project, you’ll need a good basis grasp of the local language and we generally recommend taking additional language courses, to benefit both you and your project.

We recommend to have at least some travel experience under your belt, so that you understand the nature of traveling to a faraway country and living in a culture that isn’t your own.

We look for truly committed volunteers who know what they are looking for and how much time they have to spare. Breaking your commitment has negative effects on the programs, local community and your co-volunteers, so this isn’t a risk that we want to take.

If you’re planning to work at one of our animal rescue centers, you’ll need a tuberculosis test, as the disease can spread easily amongst primates.

Police clearance certificate/criminal background check.

You’ll need to be open-minded and flexible. All of these programs are run in difficult places and sometimes things change at short notice, or with no notice at all. You’ll need to be prepared to face a few surprises along the way! You’ll need to be independent, as you’ll find your way around cities and between projects, often taking public transport. More than anything, you’ll need to be a hard-worker. Volunteering isn’t a holiday – it’s a real, working experience in inspiring but tough conditions. Expect a challenge and prepare to put in the hours.

Ask questions
When choosing a volunteering project, be sure to ask all of your burning questions! You need to feel confident about your decision before arriving on the doorstep. Find out all about how your volunteer fee will be used and how you will contribute to the community. Double check that your work will be sustainable, ask about what your working day will look like, see how much time you’ll have to explore in your free time and work out what you can do if you don’t like your placement.
We have all of these answers and plenty more! Don’t be afraid to hit us with dozens of questions in advance. It’s important that you make the right choice and we’re here to help you do exactly that.
Learn the language and adapt to culture
Learning the local language will enrich your volunteering experience a thousand times over. You’ll be able to really talk to the community, learn about their lives and help them understand your own background. In doing so, you’ll be building bridges between totally different cultures and growing as a person at the same time.

Speaking the language will bring meaning to your experience, boost your confidence and help you really get to know everyone around you. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes! People will appreciate all of your efforts and mistakes are, without doubt, the best way to learn. Just dive right in! It’s easy to schedule classes around your volunteering hours and we can get everything arranged for you in advance.

Be truly flexible
Working with people, children and animals in struggling circumstances is something beautiful and highly unpredictable. You’ll need to approach your placement with a truly open mind, adapt to lat minute changes and be flexible about your work. During your volunteering stint, you’ll be faced with all kinds of surprises, challenges and tricky situations. These might not be easy to handle, but they will often be the most rewarding moments of your stay.

Keep a positive attitude, an understanding mindset and a sense of humor at all times. If you do, you’ll come home wiser, stronger and armed with new skills for the rest of your life. It’s a unique experience that will put you to the test and help you become an even better person.

Work hard and be proactive
Volunteering is not an easy ride, that’s for sure. You’ll be working hard during your stay, often doing full-time hours and learning a language around your placement. Be prepared to get stuck in, lend a hand wherever it’s needed and go the extra mile. The harder you work, the more rewarding your experience will be. And don’t worry! You’ll still have plenty of free time to get out and explore Latin America or swing in a hammock with a good book. Work hard, play hard, and make a real difference at the same time!

As a volunteer, you’ll need to be very independent and proactive. Often, you’ll need to make your own way to your placement by public transport and, when you arrive, you’ll need to be prepared to jump straight into all kinds of situations. It’s all about common sense and using your initiative to handle surprising scenarios that crop up. In doing so, you’ll discover that you’re more capable than you ever imagined! Offer an extra hand when it’s needed, take on tasks outside your own remit where necessary and help out fellow volunteers if you see them struggling with something. Every minute of your time will be really appreciated and contribute directly to improving the lives of others.

Be communicative to your local team leader
Your local team leader will be your mentor, your friend and your lifeline during your stay. Be sure to keep them updated about your feelings, relationships and struggles throughout your placement. That’s exactly what they are there for! Don’t hold back if you spot opportunities to help things run more smoothly at your placement or you’re struck by new, exciting ideas for the project. This is your chance to make a positive impact, so grab it with both hands!
Listen & Learn
Yes, you might be on a teaching placement, but you’re 100% guaranteed to learn just as much as you teach. Working with struggling or isolated communities, you’ll be immersed in a totally different culture with very different traditions and world views. Talk to the local people, learn about their lives, families, dreams and histories. Listen to the experiences of your project leaders and fellow volunteers. Soak up as much local culture as you possible can. In doing so, you’ll be deepening your understanding of the world, developing an open mind and building lasting relationships with inspiring people from all walks of life.
Adapt
Change happens fast on the ground while you’re volunteering, so you’ll need to adapt quickly, cheerfully and willingly. Your shifts might change, your role might develop, your tasks might switch and your fellow volunteers will come and go. You’ll need to take these transitions in your stride, be patient at your placement and always keep an open mind. Adaptability is one of the most valuable, essential life skills that you can pick up, so get ready for a crash course in coping with change! You’ll come out the other side as a stronger, calmer person. Trust us.

Where do you want to go?

ECUADOR

Galapagos

COSTA RICA

COLOMBIA

IS VOLUNTEERING A
PASSION OF YOURS?

We know our destinations, volunteer programs and language schools by heart. If you dream about experiencing Latin America the real way, helping and learning together and creating a positive impact, we can help you do that!
Be the change, Contact us