Teaching German - School in La Paz

Internships and volunteering from a duration of three months are possible at the Ave Maria School in La Paz, which is operated by Bavarian nuns. You can teach German, crafts lessons and sports along with local teachers.

Project Details

The Ave Maria School of La Paz has been existing since 1964 and today counts 3800 students from pre-school (Pre-escolar) to primary school (Primario 1-5; primary 6-8) to Secondary level (Secundario 1-4). There are 100 teachers. The boarding school of Ave Maria accommodates around 300 children.

The school is run by German Catholic sisters and defines itself as a school for children from poorer classes of society. The current director is Sister Christina Gruber from Bavaria/Germany.

Volunteers and interns can teach German and English, handcrafts, vocational skills (carpentry, metalwork, electric work, tailoring, cooking, handcrafts), sports and ballet/dance.

The school participates at the trilingual program PASCH, teaching in Spanish, German and English. Interns/volunteers support the local teachers, particularly in pronunciation and conversation. Interns/volunteers will teach at several age levels, which makes for a full time work. There are around 40-50 students in each class.

The school has several teaching workshops where internships and volunteering options are possible in the subject areas of carpentry, metal work, electric work, tailoring, cooking and handcrafts. The school is currently trying to get accreditation for technical A-levels. Handcraft skills are taught from primary level with small project works using wood, fabrics and other materials.

Since 1994, the school runs a folkloristic ballet which is accompanied by the live music group NINA CHAQUIS. The ballet has won several prizes and has even travelled to Europe for presentations.

The former production hall of a match factory is being used as sports venue. There are several teams, particularly for basketball and volleyball.

Volunteers with relevant skills in ballet and sports can teach at the school.

Classes are held Monday to Friday from 8.00 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. and from 2.00 p.m. to 6.15 p.m. There are 3 weeks of holidays from end of June to July, and a further 2 weeks in November. The minimum duration is 3 months; basic Spanish skills are expected.

The school runs a farm in Achocalla, around 30 km outside the city, where volunteers can assist with the cultivation of vegetables, fruits, chicken farming, and making cheese. The food being produced at the farm is used to feed the 300 children staying at the boarding school. The farm is further used for celebrations and excursions.

Info Box

Location: La Paz, Bolivia
Availability: All year, Start date flexible
Minimum Duration: 3 Months

Maximum Duration: 6 Months
Language Requirements: Basic Spanish
Accommodation:
Shared Accommodation, Room with Host Family

Supervision Possible: Yes
Qualification Of Supervisor: Teacher
Minimum Qualification Of Intern:
Relevant studies or experience
Further Contribution To Project: None

Volunteering Possible: Yes
Required Qualification Of Volunteer: Experience in teaching
Further Contribution To Project: None
Expectations:
Professional Conduct, Do you have the "right" attitude?

More Info

Accommodation

Accommodation in La Paz

Shared Accommodation in La Paz

The apartment is located in Sopocachi, in the city center of La Paz. The district Sopocachi is located between the historic neighborhood of La Paz and the southern part of the city (La Zona Sur). The area is a popular living, working and entertainment district. The accommodation for volunteers and interns can be reached via a steep staircase, at the end of two houses opposite each other, separated by a green courtyard. In both houses, there are a total of eight rooms for trainees, volunteers and travelers from all over the world. The view is stunning; both of La Paz and the enchanting snow-capped Illimani, which is considered to be the highest elevation of the Cordillera Real, and a symbol of La Paz. The view can be enjoyed from the front porch of the rear house; where there is seating for socializing. The room available is a single room. Depending on the size and amenities of the room, the monthly rental costs differ. In general, there is a bed, a storage space for clothes, a small table and a chair. In both houses, there is one kitchen and bathroom to be shared. There is also Internet.

Host Families in La Paz

Accommodation in La Paz is with host families, where you have a separate room of average standards. You have either a private bathroom or one shared with the family. In general, both parents work and therefore, offer breakfast only. You can use the kitchen or purchase cheap food in the city.

Rate

I. World Unite! Service Package

Mobile/Cell Phone Users: If you don't see the rates for your desired duration of stay, hide other (shorter) durations of stay.

		up to 31 Days	32-60 Days	61-90 Days	91-120 Days	5 Months or longer
	1 Person	450 EUR	600 EUR	700 EUR	750 EUR	850 EUR
	2-4 Persons (Rate per Person)	400 EUR	500 EUR	600 EUR	650 EUR	700 EUR

Convert rates to USD, GBP, CAD, AUD and other currencies

The World Unite! Service Package includes:

Individual Consultation and Preparation prior to your arrival
Access to the World Unite! Online Resource Centre which has Preparation Materials including Intercultural Preparation, compiled particularly for your destination (PDFs, Videos)
Preparation Session via Skype, together with further participants
Assistance with visa extension in Bolivia or arrangement of visa (depending on duration of stay) and other official permits (if required), but not the official government fees for it/them
Pick-up and Transfers from/to La Paz/El Alto (LPB) on arrival and departure
Assistance with the booking of domestic connection flights within Bolivia if you arrive in Cochabamba or ViruViru
Personal support staff at your location and at our international office
Orientation and Introduction in La Paz
Accompanying you to your placement on your first day
24 Hours emergency support by local support team
50 USD Contribution to your project
Local SIM Card with 60 Bs. air time
Issuance of Confirmations/Certificates for your university, scholarship, insurance, etc. and filling out/signing Internship Contracts for your university

The Rates do NOT include:

Accommodation and Meals (see below)
Travel to/from Bolivia (you book it on your own; we can assist you)
Official fees for Visa (see below)
Insurance (Travel Health Insurance, Liability Insurance, Travel Cancellation insurance; you book it on your own, we can assist you)
Personal Expenses
Vaccinations
Local Transport (Estimated amounts see below)
Please note that for supervised/mentored internships, some organizations charge further contributions. You find this information in the "Info Box" below the respective internship description.

II. Accommodation Costs

You can choose between the following options:

Mobile/Cell Phone Users: If you don't see the rates for your desired duration of stay, hide other (shorter) durations of stay.

Some Rates in EUR/US-Dollar. Convert Currency		Short-time stay (1-31 Days)	Long-time stay (32-365 Days) (You pay proportionally per day)
Shared House or Hostel
House shared with other participants	1 Person (Single Room)	8 EUR/Day	150-190 EUR/Month*
House shared with other participants	2 Persons p.p. (Double/Twin Room)	5 EUR/Day	80-120 EUR/Month*

Host Family
Host Family of Middle Standard on Full Board	1 Person (Single Room)	15 USD/Day	300 USD/Month
Host Family of Middle Standard on Full Board	2 Persons p.p. (Double/Twin Room)	15 USD/Day	250 USD/Month

*Rate depending on Room Size. Incomplete months are charged proportionally per day.
In case of 3-4 person: Same rate as in case of 2 Persons. 5 or more persons: Contact us for group rates.

Overview of other costs:

For most citizens except US Citizens, no Visa fee for a stay of a maximum of 90 days per calendar year. Any time you stay in excess of 90 days within a calendar year, 20 Bs. fee per day. US Citizens pay currentyl 135 USD Visa fee.
If meals are not included: around 70-150 EUR /100-180 USD)/month
Small local expenses (e.g. Internet, local transport): around 30-50 USD/Month (Estimate)
Insurances around 30-50 USD/Month

How do I pay?

Once all your questions have been answered and you confirm that you want to participate, we will email you an invoice. You can pay it via bank transfer or via Paypal. You will pay a deposit of 200 EUR when the invoice is issued. One months prior to your arrival you will pay the remainder for your Service Package and for the first month of rent.

Rent from the 2nd month, possible further contributions to the NGO or for internship supervision (see info box of the respective project description), and costs for visa and possibly further official permits you pay directly at your destination (unless we inform you differently for certain placements). There are ATMs.

Extras

Other Projects That Might Interest You:

These projects are suggestions for alternatives that may interest you or those that could be chosen as COMBINATIONS. The combination of projects in different organizations is often possible and usually cheaper than two individual bookings. Please contact us to know more! Check out our other listings in the areas of "World Learner" and "Active Travel" at your travel destination to make your stay even more interesting.

Travel Health Insurance

We recommend the following travel insurance that is meant specifically for participants of internships, volunteering, language study, working holiday, and courses abroad. It is available for travelers of all nationalities and usable for all countries, except your home country. You can also add a journey liability insurance.

Just click on the link, fill in the form and you will get a confirmation email.

La Paz

La Paz is located at an altitude of around 3600 meters (11,600 feet) within the canyon of the Río Chokeyapue, deeply cutting into the surrounding Altiplano highland. On the highland west of La Paz, the city of El Alto has been built, which during the last years, with more than 1 million people, has grown larger than La Paz; in El Alto you find the international airport of La Paz-El Alto. The difference of altitude between the southern parts of La Paz, which are located further down the canyon, and the upper parts of the valley, is almost 1000 meters (3300 feet), resulting in spectacular views when driving down from El Alto into La Paz.

Coordinator in La Paz

Our coordinator in La Paz is Sandra, a housewife and mother.

Recreational Activities in La Paz

La Paz is a metropolis and offers similar recreational opportunities such as some European cities.

Popular, but also dangerous are Mountain Bike Trips on the "road of death" in the Yungas, a narrow and unpaved mountain range with hundreds of deep chasms. An abstruse spectacle is the wrestling matches of Cholitas, the women who wrestle in traditional indigenous garments, in El Alto. In cooperation with the Center "Vive Bolivia", we offer a variety of courses and cultural activities.

Getting There

Getting To La Paz

You fly to La Paz El Alto (LPB), where you will be picked up and taken to your accommodation. Often, there are cheaper international flights to Santa Cruz de la Sierra (ViruViru Airport, VVI). In that case, you can fly there and then take a connecting flight to La Paz, booking separately with Aerosur or BoA. The tickets between these cities are quite low (30-50 EUR / 38-63 USD), but you cannot pay by credit card from overseas. We can buy you a ticket in Bolivia.

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Are there fixed start dates for the project, which I must adhere to?

No, you can arrive at any date and you can hence, plan your trip according to your availability and the prices of flights. We can pick you up from the Cochabamba airport even at night. You cannot start a project during certain holidays, of which, we will inform you in advance.

Can I stay longer at my accommodation after my volunteering/internship or arrive earlier?

Yes, this is possible and we will give you our best rates. Just let us know when you arrive and leave and we will let you know the costs.

During my stay, can I travel around the country?

Of course, you can do this - most of our participants do so. However, when the travel destination is too far away, it may not be possible over a weekend; these, we would recommend you keep for before the projects begins or after the completion. You could even plan these out during holidays (e.g. Semana Santa). We will notify you of the destinations and the recommended time to visit.

Is it safe to travel in Bolivia alone as a single female traveller?

About 80 percent of our participants are women and many of them 18 to 24 years old. Not a single instance of any serious security issue has been reported. Our supervisors on site will advise you on how you should conduct yourself in order to avoid problems - issues such as clothing style, carrying valuables, and in dealing with machismo and patriarchal societies. Our preparation material brings attention to these issues. It is very important to follow these basic rules, that are just as applicable to many other places, in order to reduce risk as much as possible.

Will I be the only volunteer/intern in the project or in Bolivia?

The total number of participants that participate simultaneously with an organization depends on the size and activity of the organization and responsibilities of volunteers/interns. We try to avoid too many volunteers/interns in an organization at the same time. It may be that you are alone in your work site, but usually there are, throughout the year, other participants in Cochabamba, who you can meet in your spare time, if you desire so. In addition, there are also many tourists on the road, whom you can easily meet at bars, shops, etc. You can also meet a lot of local and foreign students in the lively city of Cochabamba.

What vaccinations do I need?

Our Info - PDF that you get as a participant, gives detailed information on health care. Also refer to Recommended Vaccinations

Where will I live?

You can go through the housing options in the tab "Accommodation".

Can I choose my accommodation?

You can send us your preference and we will try our best to organise that for you. However, some Organizations provide accommodation, in which case, you can only opt for that.

How free or bound am I in my accommodation with the host family?

While you will have your privacy, in Bolivia, it is customary to let your host family know when you will leave or return to the house so that the doors can be unlocked, due to safety reasons. It is unacceptable to have casual acquaintances visit you. The level of closeness or privacy with the family can differ.

Does my accommodation have internet facilities?

The shared accommodations in Cochabamba and in Sopocachi, La Paz have internet, as does the hostel in Cochabamba. As for the host families, Internet is not always available, and the same applies to the boarding offered by some Organizations. You can find information about the availability of internet in the tabs "Accommodation". If there is no wifi internet, you can buy yourself a USB modem stick or surf the Internet with your smartphone.

How can I do my laundry?

In general, clothes are hand washed in Bolivia. Many households have someone employed for the purpose, while others have washing machines. There are also laundromats.

Can I cook in the accommodation?

Yes, the families allow the use of the kitchen, but may charge a small monthly fee for additional consumption of electricity and gas. The families also offer meals for you, if you want to eat with them. This, you can decide when you arrive. Details are in the tab "Accommodation".

I am a vegetarian. Can I get vegetarian food?

Yes, host families are familiar with vegetarian meals and allergies or food intolerances can be considered. It is also possible to buy vegetarian food.

What language skills do I need?

In Bolivia, Spanish, as well as indigenous languages such as Aymara or Quechua are spoken. If you have little or no knowledge of Spanish, we recommend that you begin your stay with a Spanish language course. We can also organize Skype Spanish lessons with a Bolivian language teacher. The majority of the volunteering/ internships expect basic to medium level of Spanish at the start of the activity. That is, you should be able to communicate and express yourself during your stay, at a basic level. Please let us know what you level of knowledge of Spanish is, so that we make sure we organise your stay/project accordingly.