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Teaching and Childcare in Cochabamba, Bolivia

Duration

1 - 24 weeks

Language requirements

Spanish or English (depending on the institution)

Availability

All year

Age

18+

Price starts with

540 EUR 

Type of program

Volunteering or Internship

In Cochabamba, Bolivia, we offer volunteering and internship opportunities in education and teaching at various institutions in the education sector, such as schools, kindergartens, after-school programs, and community centers. All facilities cater to children from socially disadvantaged backgrounds.
Description

Educational institutions for children in Cochabamba

Volunteering and supervised internships in childcare, education and psychology are available at various facilities in Cochabamba, which are detailed below:

Nuevo Conocer – School, After-School Program, and Youth Work

The Nuevo Conocer Education and Youth Center is a school with an after-school program for about 200 children from disadvantaged families. It includes formal school classes that provide a comprehensive education in all standard school subjects. Additionally, the center aims to support the children in their personal development and instill Christian and ethical values.

In the mornings, you assist local teachers as a teaching assistant and provide support to children struggling with learning or needing extra attention. Some of the children have physical or mental disabilities and require individualized care.

Depending on your interests, after an orientation period, you may also conduct your own lessons, such as in English, drawing/painting, sports, or music, or lead sports or art groups.

In the afternoons, after a one-hour lunch break, until about 4 or 5 PM, you help with the after-school program by organizing recreational activities such as games, singing, painting, and sports. You also assist the children with their homework and can contribute to the planning and execution of projects and events (e.g., kids' camps, excursions, or projects).

Outside school hours, volunteers and interns can, if interested, support the organization’s Christian-protestant youth work to offer children and teenagers an alternative to life on the streets. Volunteers also help maintain and organize the facilities, equipment, and teaching materials of the center and can support the school administratively.

The facility is closed during school holidays from mid-December to the end of January.


Possible activities for volunteers/interns:

  • Co-teacher for formal school lessons or teaching on your own.
  • Providing educational support to individual children.
  • Homework support.
  • Conducting leisure activities such as games, singing, painting, sports.
  • If interested: administrative tasks, maintenance of rooms and playground equipment, religious work.
  • House of Friendship – Children Whose Parents Are in Prison

    The "House of Friendship" provides day care for children and teenagers whose parents are in prison. They usually live in state-sponsored households with foster mothers.

    Volunteer activities in the House of Friendship include childcare, education, teaching, and support for children and teenagers. The facility is located near the men’s and women’s prisons in Cochabamba.

    Approximately 150 children and teenagers between the ages of 4 and 18 are cared for from Monday to Friday between 8 AM and 5 PM and receive three regular meals daily. Care is organized by age groups: Young children (4 to 6 years old, about 20 children) receive preschool lessons in the morning, with playtime and activities in the afternoon. Primary school-aged children (6 to about 10 years old, about 60 children) and older children (around 10 to 18 years old) attend public school either in the morning or afternoon and come to the facility for homework help, learning, and playtime.

    The facility, staffed by about ten professionals, was founded in 1994 to provide stability and support for children and teenagers in challenging life situations.


    Possible volunteer activities:

  • Assisting with preschool lessons: learning letters and numbers.
  • Learning support.
  • Homework assistance.
  • Organizing recreational activities like games, singing, painting, and sports.
  • Implementing creative and playful learning tasks.
  • Incorporating health, hygiene, and nutrition knowledge (for volunteers with relevant experience).

  • Supervised internships are not possible at this facility.

    The facility is closed in December, January, and the first two weeks of July.

    Fundación Esperanza – Homes for Children and Teenagers

    Fundación Esperanza operates three homes for orphaned, abandoned, and neglected children and teenagers: one for girls aged 7 to 18, one for boys aged 5 to 12, and one for boys aged 13 to 18.

    We organize volunteer activities in childcare and education. Supervised internships in psychology and social work are also available. Participants support staff in structuring daily routines, playing with children and teenagers, and organizing their leisure time.

    The facility, with about ten employees, was founded in 1994 and has the objective of enabling growth and healthy upbringing for the children and adolescents in their otherwise difficult life.

    Mornings are particularly busy from 6:30 to 9 AM, before the first group of children and teenagers head to school. Bolivian schools have morning and afternoon shifts, so some children remain at the home during the morning and attend school in the afternoon, ensuring children are present all day.

    Participants can play, paint, craft, read aloud, listen to music, or sing with younger children. They also assist older kids and teenagers with homework, leisure activities, or simply spend quality time together.


    Possible activities for volunteering or internships:

  • Supporting children and teenagers in daily tasks and routines, from waking up to bedtime.
  • Assisting with daily chores like meal preparation and cleanup.
  • Childcare.
  • Organizing creative activities like crafts, painting, singing.
  • Conducting creative and playful learning activities.
  • Accompanying the social worker or psychologist during tasks (internships).
  • Bolivia Digna – Community Center

    Bolivia Digna operates community centers in two slum neighborhoods on the outskirts of Cochabamba, offering diverse activities for children and teenagers from Monday to Friday.


    Preschool (Kindergarten): Volunteers assist staff with 2-to-6-year-old children, playing with them and engaging in creative and educational activities (e.g., simple number games, storytelling).


    English teaching: English lessons are held twice weekly in the community centers to introduce children to another language in a playful way. Volunteers can create creative English learning games and assist teachers.


    Homework Help: In the afternoons, children attend the community centers for homework assistance. As a volunteer, you motivate the kids to learn by accompanying them while they work on their homework and assisting with questions.


    Sports: To provide a balance to learning and as a pastime, Bolivia Digna organizes sports activities for children and teenagers several times a week, such as soccer. Sports not only serve as meaningful leisure activities that keep kids off the streets but also teach important values like teamwork, discipline, solidarity, and responsibility.


    Creative Projects: Children from disadvantaged backgrounds often lack opportunities to develop skills or talents unrelated to schoolwork. Bolivia Digna fills this gap with projects that inspire creativity, entertain, and motivate children. Volunteers are encouraged to bring their own ideas for creative activities.


    Health & Nutrition: Many children live in areas without clean drinking water, often have inadequate nutrition, and low hygiene standards at home. Bolivia Digna teaches children and teenagers about personal health and hygiene, helping them learn to care for themselves.


    Outreach Program: Beyond the community centers, Bolivia Digna supports local partner projects in Cochabamba that work for the benefit of the local community. As a volunteer, you can contribute to these initiatives, such as assisting teachers at two schools in poorer neighborhoods during morning classes and caring for children who need extra attention, helping children with homework and organizing their afternoon activities in a daycare for children whose parents are in prison, visiting children in hospitals, playing with them, reading stories, and distracting them from their illnesses in the mornings, fundraising for games, puzzles, and books for hospitalized children.

    Program details

    Rates

    Who can join

    Volunteering: Anyone can participate as a volunteer. No prior knowledge is required.

    Internships: If you wish to complete a supervised internship, you must study or have completed a relevant field such as social work, pedagogy/education, or psychology.

    Language Skills: The following language requirements apply:

    • English only possible: Volunteering at Fundación Esperanza
    • Basic Spanish skills required: Internships at Fundación Esperanza; placements at the House of Friendship and Bolivia Digna
    • Intermediate Spanish skills required: Placements at Nuevo Conocer

    Program start

    Flexible

    Getting there

    You book a flight to Cochabamba (CBB) and provide us with your flight details. We will pick you up in Cochabamba and take you to your accommodation.

    There are often cheaper international flights to Santa Cruz de la Sierra (ViruViru Airport, VVI) or to La Paz El Alto (LPB). You can fly there and separately book a flight from there to Cochabamba with BoA (Bolivia de Aviación) (40-50 EUR/USD).

    Visa

    For most citizens except US Citizens, no Visa fee applies for a stay of a maximum of 90 days per calendar year. You need to apply for your visa though beforehand. If you exceed 90 days within a calendar year, you simply need to pay a fee of 20 Bs. (approximately USD 3/EUR 2.80) per day upon departure for the extra days you stayed.

    For US citizens a visa fee of currently 160 USD applies.

    Accommodation Options

    Shared Accommodation

    The shared apartment is centrally located in Cochabamba, about one kilometer from the language school. It features two rooms for single or double occupancy, a shared bathroom, and a fully equipped kitchen. Additionally, there is a washing machine and Wi-Fi.

    Host Families

    A stay with a Bolivian family provides insight into their way of life and offers the opportunity to practice and improve your Spanish language skills. The rooms typically include a bed with a bedside table and lamp, storage space for clothes, and a desk with a chair. The family provides three meals a day (breakfast, lunch - the main meal in Bolivia, and dinner), takes care of room cleaning, and handles laundry. Please note that not every host family has WiFi available.

    Extras

    In Cochabamba, you can take Spanish language classes at our partner language school. The school has been using the communicative method for over 30 years, aiming to facilitate communication from the very beginning. The classes are direct, active, and require intensive participation. Instruction is available at all levels, from beginner to advanced, including all intermediate levels.

    Book or Send an Inquiry

    Selected program price
    Choose Base Package
    Choose Extension Time and Extras

    Extension 1 week incl. single room accommodation without meals

    + 90.00 €

    Extension 1 week incl. host family accommodation (single room) on full board

    + 140.00 €

    20 hours/week of Spanish one-to-one lessons

    + 320.00 €

    Additional hour of Spanish language lessons

    + 12.00 €
    Select start date
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    What is included?

    VM_WHAT_IS_INCLUDED?
    • Individual Consultation and Preparation prior to your arrival
    • Access to the World Unite! Knowledge Base which has preparation materials including intercultural preparation, compiled particularly for your destination (Videos)
    • Preparation Session via Zoom, 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 Cochabamba Airport (CBB) on arrival and departure
    • Assistance with the booking of domestic connection flights within Bolivia if you arrive in La Paz or ViruViru
    • Personal support staff at your location and at our international office
    • Orientation and Introduction in Cochabamba
    • 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
    • CO2 compensation of your long-haul flights: Costs for 10 seedlings of indigenous trees that we plant on the slopes of Kilimanjaro

    Not included?

    VM_WHAT_IS_NOT_INCLUDED?
    • Accommodation and Meals
    • Travel to/from Bolivia (you book it on your own; we can assist you)
    • Official fees for Visa
    • Insurance (Travel Health Insurance, Liability Insurance, Travel Cancellation insurance; you book it on your own, we can assist you)
    • Personal Expenses
    • Vaccinations
    • Local Transport

    INSIGHT

    5 REASONS why to join
    this program
     

    Diverse opportunities to actively contribute.

     

    Spanish lessons can be booked alongside the program. 

     

    Supervised internships available in pedagogy, psychology, and social work. 

     

    Numerous leisure and excursion options in Cochabamba and its surroundings.

     

    Some roles possible with English language skills only, or basic Spanish skills.

    contact nicole

    Questions?

    your consultant for this program is

    Nicole Hantzsche

    (she/her)

     

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    Did you know that you can earn academic credits by joining any of our volunteering abroad programs? Read more.