Spanish Courses & Volunteering
in Peru
If you want to see South America from a beautiful and “original” site, go to Peru! Volunteering in Peru is a unique opportunity to experience the country, culture and local people at close range.
Spanish Courses and Volunteering in Peru
This programme combines Spanish lessons and voluntary work in social institutions. Volunteering offers a unique possibility to experience the country, its culture and population from the inside while doing a meaningful job. Volunteers must be independent, open-minded and minimum 18 years old. The school has three locations, in Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. You can switch from one country to another at any time, depending on vacancies. After your Spanish course you can choose to volunteer in any of these three countries.
You can of course also choose to follow Spanish lessons without volunteering.
The International Language School
The school occupies a beautiful 19th century colonial building on a small plaza right behind one of the most important sites from pre-Colombian Cusco, the Qorikancha (Temple of the Sun).
There are 17 classrooms on two floors with a sunny indoor patio, video room, auditorium for fifty students, entertainment room, cafeteria, and wireless Internet access for students. The school is conveniently located next to the main post office, internet cafes, banks, currency exchange, restaurants and historical buildings.
It is about four blocks from the main square, the Plaza de Armas, a great place to people-watch and observe Cusco’s city life. Your host family will show you the way to school on your first day, always a Monday. You will receive a briefing about school facilities, home stay, language program, cultural information, dos and don’ts and a city tour of Cusco.
Our projects in Peru
Volunteering in Peru
As with EXIS’ programmes in Costa Rica, Bolivia, Ecuador and Guatemala, it is possible to combine a language course in Peru with different kinds of voluntary work. Voluntary work is arranged in kindergartens, nursing homes, local schools, children’s homes, Zoo etc.
A description of the different possibilities follows. Volunteers must be in good physical condition and be willing to lend a hand wherever they are stationed. The work demands flexibility, initiative, maturity and drive.
The language and voluntary work program consists of a minimum 2 weeks intensive language lessons with afternoon activities. Four weeks of lessons are compulsory for beginners or low level speakers before starting social volunteer work. You can state your choice of voluntary work project or institution on your enrolment form. The coordinator is responsible for ensuring that your work will be a rewarding and instructive experience for you and for the organisation or project that you choose to work for.
You will normally live with your Peruvian host family during the language course and volunteer work, depending on the area.
A language and voluntary work stay in Peru not only gives you the chance to use the language every day. You will gain insight and experience as you contribute to the development of a country with great problems and even greater potential.
The volunteer program is for people interested in learning about sustainable solutions to poverty. This unique program offers exciting hands-on work opportunities, cultural immersion and practical Spanish. All volunteers will work in partnership with local people in a variety of community-based projects like the one below:
Orphanage
This organisation started to operate in Cusco in 1997. Their aim is to protect the rights and interests of children in need. Boys and girls, who have been abandoned or who are at risk are provided with a safe home at a centre where staffs take on a family role to provide a caring environment for them. Wherever possible, the organisation tries to reintegrate the children with their families, however, when this is not possible, they also seek adoptive families for them. The children’s ages are from newborn up to ten years. Due to the young age of the children at the home, you will be extremely busy throughout the day!
Activities will include some or all of the following:
- Bathing, changing and clothing the babies and children
- Feeding babies and helping at meal times
- Playing with the babies to provide an early stimulation and learning
- Arranging fun activities such as arts and crafts with the slightly older ones
- Taking the children for walks
- Provide love and affection
Working hours are from 7.30 am to 12.30 am and from 2.30 pm to 7 pm.
Shelter for girls and boys
Working in homes for children who have all ready been through a lot in life despite their tender age, is all about bringing happiness and fun. Coming up with new activities for the children and youths and watching their confidence grow.
Sadly in Peru, many children find themselves with nowhere to live after either being abandoned by their families or running away from home. The centres in Cusco with which we work were set up in 1997 and provide a safe haven for such children who would otherwise risk the dangers of life on the streets. The homes aim to provide education and vocational training to the children, as well as a stable environment. Each centre is home to up to 65 children, whose ages range from 6 to 20 years. Please let us know on your enrolment form, which age group you prefer to work with.
As a volunteer, you will usually work mornings or afternoons, however, since the children live full time in the homes, there is always plenty to do, so any additional time you can dedicate will be appreciated.
Your days will be busy and varied and volunteer work may include some or all of the following:
- Singing
- Playing games
- Organizing creative activities such as arts and crafts
- Assisting teachers with educational lessons in maths and languages
- Helping with vocational workshops such as sewing, knitting and ceramics
- Organizing and teaching sports
- Teaching basic reading and writing
- Cooking and tidying
Despite their tender age, many of the children have experienced very difficult upbringings, and it’s important that you are patient with the children and able to listen and talk to them about their backgrounds should they wish.
Kindergarten in rural community
The kindergarten provides a safe place for around 35 children, aged 3 to 5, and has very little resources. Therefore you will need to be creative and invent activities that do not require too much material! The children simply love the attention you can give so prepared to be patient and busy! Your tasks will include some or all of the following:
- Playing games
- Singing songs
- Dancing and music
- Arts and crafts
- Sports
- Organizing parties
- Assisting with educational lessons
- Helping at meal times
- Teaching personal hygiene
- Supervising during breaks
- Helping with homework
You will usually work in the mornings, Monday to Friday, with weekends off. The kindergarten can be reached by bus. The holiday periods are January and February and mid-March, mid-December and last week of July and first week of August.
Rehabilitation home
This social reinsertion home is for young people aged 12 to 20, who have been in trouble with the law. The aim is to get these young people back on the right track, allowing them to get success in future and lead them away from crime. The home provides educational and vocational activities as well as support to these young people for whom often the most important thing is the realization that someone cares about them.
As a volunteer you will work together with the staff and provide support and assistance. Many workshops are held, including those focused on personal development and issues that have affected many of the youngsters such as alcoholism, drug addiction, sexual health and personal values. Vocational workshops are also important and currently include shoe making, sewing and agriculture. Supplying these young people with new skills and knowledge, will help them secure a better future through legal paid work. Educational classes are also provided, covering topics such as health, environment, cultural identity and computing. Finally, the home organizes fun activities, such as sports, crafts and performing arts. You will be involved in some or all of these activities.
You will work Monday to Friday, either from 8am to 1pm, or from 2pm to 5pm. Weekends off. Minimum stay is 4 weeks.
Nursery and Primary School
This nursery and primary school was created by the international Language School and is attended by children from poor families. The children are aged from 4 to 13. The educational structure is based on grade levels. There are currently over 55 children attending, although numbers are constantly growing.
Volunteers work from Monday to Friday from 8.30 am to 12.30 pm. It’s important that volunteers joining this project are motivated and creative and able to use their own initiative. Duties will vary and may include some or all of the following:
- Preparing breakfast and keeping the kitchen clean
- Teaching the older children
- Helping the children with their homework
- Checking and correcting homework
- Playing with the children
- Organizing fun and educational activities
Medical Volunteers
This is about lending a hand to understaffed, under resourced medical centres and knowing you are making a real difference and gaining medical experience in an environment very different to your home country. The health care in Peru is one of the most underfunded in South America. Lack of resources and funds, poor management of resources and lack of medical knowledge makes it all worse. We are working with a number of clinics, which aim is to provide medical care to underprivileged children and adults. These people cannot afford to pay for private health care and their medical conditions would go untreated if it weren’t for these clinics. The two medical clinics provide the following services:
General medicine, Obstetrics, Gynaecology, Physiotherapy, Rehabilitation, Psychology, Ophthalmology, Andean Medicine, Dentistry, X-ray, Clinical Laboratory, Pharmacy and a Kindergarten.
Your duties will vary depending upon your medical experience, but we welcome both medically and non-medically trained volunteers. You will observe and assist doctors and nurses in the above-mentioned medical areas, getting hands on practical experience if you are qualified. You will also be able to help in the pharmacy with classifying and sorting medicines, as well as learning about and assisting with Andean medicine made from plants and herbs.
Parochial Health Center in Wimpillay
Et katolsk sogn arbejder fra samme bygning med sundhedskampagner og lægebesøg, sammen med frivillige. Sundhedscentret tilbyder tandlægebehandlinger og fødselshjælp.
Patienterne modtager gratis medicin eller betaler en meget lille pris. Medicinen fås enten i form af gratisprøver fra industrien eller bliver betalt med donationer. Laboratoriet har et røntgenapparat og basal udstyr til blod- og urin analyser.
Arbejdstider er fra kl.08.00 til 13.00 og fra 15.00 til 19.30, mandag til fredag. Frivilliges aktiviteter er afhængige af færdigheder og spansk niveau. Du hjælper centrets ansatte i deres daglige aktiviteter og tilbyder assistance i nogle af de følgende områder:
- Gynækologiske sygdomme
- Odontologi
- Psykologisk obstetrik
- Rehabilitering
- Fysioterapi
- Ultralydsscanninger
- Oftalmologi
- Klinisk laboratorium
- Apotek
- ”Andes-medicin”
Andre opgaver kan være at hjælpe børnene med deres lektier på biblioteket fra 15.30 til 18.30 eller at hjælpe i haven. Minimum arbejdsperiode er 4 uger. Arbejdstiden er fra mandag – fredag fra 8 til 12 eller fra 14.30 til 18.30. Det tager bussen 20 minutter at komme fra Cusco til Wimpillay.
Health Center Huancarani
The rural village of Huancarcani is located in one of six districts of Paucartambo province, at two hours drive through winding cliffs to the elevated and isolated village at 3,800 feet. The village’s economy is one of the poorest of the 1,831 municipalities in Peru. The parents of the children survive with $30 a month. The medical staff are doctors, nurses and midwifes, that come from Cusco every week.
There is one ambulance and two pickup trucks for transportation of patients or medical staff to the communities. It is a home and clinic, built similar to the homes in the communities as indigenous women are afraid of hospitals. The women stay a few weeks before they give birth to their children. Some women spend at least 2 weeks in the home-clinic and take their little children and animals along because they don’t have a place to leave them. On the second floor there is a small apartment with kitchen, dining room, 2 bedrooms for the medical and volunteer staff that need to stay overnight. Some cook themselves; some prefer to eat that restaurant in the village. A complete meal costs approx. $5. There is a place to rest and shower with cold water for volunteers at the “centro de Salud”. There is a lot of work for volunteers and interns at this health center as mothers and children also come to have their monthly medical control. The medical staff also organizes health campaigns while visiting the communities. They promote birth control, the use of condoms and birth control pills.
Working days are from Monday to Friday 8 am. to 6 pm. with 1 hour lunch break. During weekends you can return to Cusco, which is 2 hours away buy public bus. Volunteers can have a more flexible schedule, like working 4 days at the center and then stay 3 days in Cusco. This is a great project for medical Interns!
Disabled Children and Adults
This is about providing support and attention to a group of people who are often forgotten in the Peruvian society.
You can get involved in a variety of activities from teaching, to assisting with physical therapy.
There are two centres that provide assistance to children and adults with mental and physical disabilities. Unfortunately, in Peru, as in many other developing countries, people with such illnesses are often forgotten as their families do not have the resources or knowledge to provide the care that is needed. The staffs work hard to allow these people to become integrated into society.
One of the centres cares only for children and here, one of the most important activities taking place is education and vocational workshops. You will assist in these classes and by providing the children with new skills. It will improve their future prospects and enable them to earn money through employment. Without the help of the project, this would be impossible for these children as there is very little alternative help available.
The second centre cares for around 80 children and adults who are living with conditions such as Downs Syndrome, autism and multiple disabilities. The institution does not receive any governmental support and is sustained through the dedication of the staff and from donations from the public and from volunteers. Help is needed with the following activities:
- Taking the patients for a walk
- Assisting medical staff with therapy, exercise and rehabilitation
- Helping with feeding at meal times
- Cooking and cleaning
- Working in the vegetable garden
You will usually work either in the mornings or the afternoons, but any extra time you can dedicate to the projects will be appreciated. You will have weekends free.
Home for the Elderly
There is a home for senior citizens established in 1981 after a Peruvian citizen donated her house for this cause. Elderly people are no longer able to look after themselves and sadly neither are their families.
Volunteers choosing to work at the home for senior citizens will be involved in some or all of the following:
- Organizing entertainment, such as singing and dancing
- Accompanying the elderly people on walks
- Assisting the nursing staff with basic medical duties such as taking blood pressure
- Motivating the patients to participate in stimulating activities such as games and discussions
- Helping with therapy and massage
- Supporting the staff with the cleaning and up-keep of the centre, including gardening
Your hours will vary depending upon at which placement you are based, however you will work either mornings or afternoons Monday to Friday, and have weekends free to spend as you wish.
Wildlife/Zoo
Just like in Ecuador, EXIS now also offers the possibility to work or to become an intern in a zoo in Cusco, where you can work directly with native Peruvian species. This is a perfect way to gain experience in wildlife, zoological and environmental management. The zoo in Cusco is dedicated to the maintenance and conservation of more than 220 mammals, like wolves, bears, turtles, lions, several species of monkeys and birds and reptiles.
You will become a member of the zoo’s staff and work together with other volunteers, students and zookeepers and make sure the animals are well taken care of.
You will work in all areas of the zoo, including sanitation and hygiene, alimentation and guiding visitors. This is a unique opportunity to work with animals and gain experience in zoo management.
The zoo is only at a 15-minutes walk from the language school and you will be accommodated with the same host family as during the preliminary Spanish lessons. Minimum work period is 4 weeks.
Community Outreach
There are a number of projects that are dedicated to providing support to disadvantaged communities. One of the massive challenges the projects are trying to overcome is breaking the intergenerational transference of poverty. The initiatives aim to promote and provide access to services of quality education, health, nutrition and identity.
One of the projects with which we work provides a small monetary contribution through sponsorship to homes with pregnant mothers, widowed fathers, elderly people and foster parents who have children below the age of 14 under their care. The project works hard to help educate parents, for example ensuring their children attend school, ensuring they attend medical clinics once a month with children under the age of 3 years, teaching them how to provide a decent standards of living, and showing them how to register their children so they are recognized as Peruvian citizens.
One of the other projects is heavily focused on a reading initiative and has street libraries that provide teaching and knowledge to some of the poorest children in the area. Our third project reaches out to children and teenagers and provides a safe place for them to go during the day, as well as snacks, psychological support for children (and parents), and technical training for young high school graduates.
Your role as a volunteer will include some or all of the following:
- Accompanying coordinators to assess whether parents are taking their children to school, getting them registered as citizens, attending health clinics and providing a safe and hygienic standard of living
- Playing with children
- Checking homework
- Reading with children
- Organizing creative activities
Volunteers must be able to commit to at least 4 weeks at the project in order to build up a trusting relationship with the children and staff.
Football school
An exciting opportunity for active individuals with a smile and a love for children. Volunteers can now work with children, teaching soccer skills and the enjoyment of an active lifestyle! If soccer is your passion, these children are more than ready to share it with you! As a volunteer, you will be able to help run the soccer programs, teach physical education and run a training program for children aged 6 to 12. High energy, hands on, and highly rewarding.
During January and February, lessons are from 08.00 to 13.00 o’clock. During the rest of the year from 16.00 to 18.00 o’clock. You can combine soccer school with volunteering part time at other institutions.
Symphony Orchestra
The orchestra consists of 40 musicians from Cusco. Performances are during the evenings in beautiful colonial churches, museums or plazas. The musicians practice about 3 hours every day, either in the morning or in the afternoon. If you are studying music and do you have reasonable good level or are you professional, you are welcome to join in.
This option can be easily combined with Spanish lessons.
Clínica Peruano Suiza
This is a Private Clinic that provides the opportunity to medical interns to share experiences and daily routines with Peruvian Professionals in the medical field. It is located in Cusco, about 40 minutes walking from the Academiaorin and 10 minutes with public transportation.
REQUIREMENTS:
- Medical professional or student
- Minimum 4 weeks of internship
- Be very responsible, flexible with schedules, tolerance and very respectful with and show courtesy and
- respect to colleagues and patients
- Spanish level required: High Intermediate level
DAILY VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES:
- Patient transfer support in both ambulances and their rooms
- Transfer of patients to X-rays or other rooms
- Support or help doctors and nurses when needed
- Make materials with the nurse
- Participate in the daily visits with doctors and nurses every morning or afternoon for daily reports
- Help patients to eat, change clothes, make beds, shower, etc.
- Help translate into Spanish when there are foreign patients
- Teach medical English to colleagues and administration during free time
Interns can work half time, mornings or afternoons or full time, depending on the number of hours required by your university. Schedules can be: From 8:00 a.m. to 13:00 p.m. and/or 16:00 to 20:00 p. m from Monday to Friday. Inters can also work on Saturdays.
Interns will always be with professionals and will never act alone in any case as they are not professional in the medical field. Some days will be very busy and others may not.
Bring warm clothes. Remember Cusco is at 3.400 meters above sea level. Rainy season from November to March. During summer warm days but chilly early morning and nights.
Internships
If you are interested in an internship feel free to send an e-mail to [email protected] and specify which kind of educational background you have and what kind of work you are looking for. Almost all possibilities are open! Please note, that there’s an USD 150 internship fee.
Language Courses in Peru
Teaching staff
All teaching staff are highly qualified and carefully selected by qualifications, their ability to listen, enthusiasm and patience, but most of all for their love of teaching Spanish to foreign students and experience in teaching Spanish as a foreign language. Some have Masters or Ph.D. Degrees in Spanish and literature, history or Latin American culture. They all know how to motivate, develop and support the students curiosity and interest in the Spanish language, Peruvian culture and social life. They also know that the learning process continues outside the classroom.
Books and materials
All books and materials are provided by the Academia. Textbooks and guidebooks published by the Academia are supplemented by others from universities around the world with emphasis on grammar and vocabulary. The library offers an extensive collection along with many audio visual material, newspapers, magazine articles and practical situations.
Tuition
On the first school day a placement test is taken and an evaluation made by the student and the school. Results of the test are taken into consideration along with the available time in Peru in order to create the most profitable customized program. Courses start each Monday, all year round and you may enrol for as many weeks as you wish.
Classes last 60 minutes, 4 hours a day, with a maximum of four students per class and an average of two.The teaching methods used are based upon the four language skills: listening, grammar, oral and written comprehension. No English should be used in class. You can choose between the following types of courses:
- Intensive Spanish and culture
This program consists of 20 Spanish lessons per week. Lessons take place during the morning. Students will find a daily schedule of cultural events in Cusco and surrounding areas, locations of theatres, museums and festivals. Home stay with a Peruvian host family makes language learning easier and also gives you an insight into a typical family’s daily routine. In this way the programme offers a mixture of language and culture that not only guarantees a solid language background but also an understanding and knowledge of the country’s culture, politics and social conditions. Students are in classes 4 hours a day, with a maximum of 5 students per class and an average of two. There is a weekly progress evaluation. The teaching methods are based on the four language skills: listening, grammar, oral and written comprehension. - Super intensive course
If you want to make quick progress, you can choose to add 10 individual lessons per week during the afternoon. These lessons will focus on your personal needs. - One to one tuition
This course is for students who cannot stay long and want to make quick progress. Choose between 20 or 30 individual lessons per week.
Activities
Outings and activities are organised 2 or 3 times a week. This can be shorter trips in Cusco as well as longer trips outside Cusco. Trips outside town cost 10-25 US dollars per person and normally include bus transport and food. The activities organised at school can be tourist information, parties, cooking hours, games, video presentations etc.
Please note that you may need to pay “out-of-pocket” expenses (bus fare, entrance fees, etc.).
Host families/Home stays
Families belong to Peru’s middle class, but be aware that living standards in Peru are generally lower than in Europe or North America. Family homes are in neighbourhoods usually no more than 10 minutes by bus from school and families take a maximum of three students at a time. You will need to be flexible to adjust to the Peruvian customs and way of life with your host family.
You will receive two meals a day (breakfast and lunch). Please note that in Peru lunch is the main meal, whilst dinner is more of a light snack, for example coffee and crackers. You will share a bathroom and laundry service will be provided by your host family once a week. Extra home stay time is possible, although we would ask you to try to arrive on Sunday before classes start and leave on Saturday when they finish.
If you prefer to be the only student accommodated with your host family, please state this on your enrolment form. Your host family will pick you up from Cusco airport upon arrival and show you the way to school next Monday. Your first day at school the oral and written language test will decide in which class you will follow lessons. After the test there’s a city tour and briefing. There’s no teaching first Monday.
Spanish Courses
Intensive Spanish and culture with 20 lessons/week
Weeks | Fees |
---|---|
2 | €898 |
3 | €1250 |
4 | €1601 |
5 | €1953 |
6 | €2305 |
7 | €2657 |
8 | €3008 |
9 | €3360 |
10 | €3712 |
11 | €4064 |
12 | €4415 |
Super intensive course with 20 group lessons and 10 individual lessons/week
Weeks | Fees |
---|---|
2 | €1199 |
3 | €1702 |
4 | €2204 |
5 | €2707 |
6 | €3209 |
One to one tuition with 20 lessons/week
Weeks | Fees |
---|---|
1 | €667 |
2 | €1139 |
3 | €1611 |
4 | €2084 |
One to one tuition with 30 lessons/week
Weeks | Fees |
---|---|
1 | €817 |
2 | €1441 |
3 | €2064 |
4 | €2687 |
Voluntary Work and Spanish Courses
Language course with 20 lessons/week
Course Weeks | Work Weeks | Fees |
---|---|---|
2 | 4 | €1933 |
2 | 8 | €2636 |
2 | 10 | €2988 |
4 | 4 | €2466 |
4 | 8 | €3169 |
6 | 4 | €2998 |
6 | 6 | €3350 |
8 | 4 | €3531 |
Please note
If you decide to extend your stay after arrival, you can pay for extra food and accommodation to the schools coordinator. If you have followed Spanish lessons at one of the other schools in Ecuador or Bolivia and only want to volunteer in Peru, you will only have to pay for food and accommodation, pick-up and 140 USD administration fee and sponsorship to the project.
Holidays
The school is closed on the following official holidays:
2019: 18/4 – 19/4, 1/5, 20/6, 24/6, 29/7, 30/8, 8/10, 1/11, 8/12 and 25/12 2019 – 5/1 2020.
General information
Visa
Passport, Visa and other important documents. Peruvian immigration law changed in November 2008. All European citizens can now stay as tourists in the country for up to 3 months without applying for a visa from their home country. But you must request the length of time upon arrival to Lima Airport. This is crucial since no extensions will be allowed. If you do not know how long you intend to stay in the country, it’s better to ask for the maximum period.
All participants, students and volunteers should therefore request a permit for the entire period they want to stay in Peru (or longer) and mention to the immigration service in the airport that they are going to STUDY AND TRAVEL (not just studying). This way, you can get a permit to stay in Peru for the period you desire, without any problem.
If you would like to stay in the country for more than 3 months you have to apply for a visa at the embassy in your country prior to your travel.
Vaccinations
Consult your family doctor or insurance company prior to departure for Peru regarding vaccinations. If you wish to travel to other Latin American countries, it may be necessary to have other vaccinations – some countries insist on vaccinations against yellow fever.
Weather
For an up-to-date weather forecast, please take a look at the following link: http://www.wunderground.com/global/PR.html
Journey
The travel expenses are not included in the programme fees. The costs of plane tickets vary a lot. Most people choose to travel with the either: Continental airlines, KLM or Iberia
Responsibility
EXIS works exclusively as a representative for the school in Peru. Therefore, EXIS cannot be held responsible for any changes that could have been made after the editing date of this information.
Additional note
As much as we would like Peru to live up to European standards, we have to warn you that institutions do not prepare your arrival by organizing a weekly work schedule or other special instructions. It’s a big challenge to live and work in a poor Latin American country. It demands courage, some experience and the ability to adapt. It can be overwhelming, especially at first, to have to adjust to completely new conditions, communicate in a foreign language etc. Things are not as you are used to, the climate, the food, the atmosphere – everything is different.
During your work you will be faced, daily with a harsh social reality and experience things very differently than a tourist would.To take part in the voluntary work programme, maturity, flexibility, independence and the desire to do social work are demanded. At the same time it gives you the opportunity to do some meaningful work, and not to mention – an experience for life.
EXIS represents the international language school only and can not be held responsible for your stay in Peru nor for dismissal from work due to misconduct or other reasons. In case of any problem, please contact immediately the coordinator at school.
All “Voluntary Work and Spanish Courses” fees include
Voluntary Work in Peru
Accommodation with carefully chosen Peruvian host families including breakfast, lunch, dinner and a laundry service once a week
Intensive language lessons with well-trained, competent and very motivated teachers
Airport pick-up at Cusco airport on arrival
Books and teaching material
Initial test on arrival
Certificate and level assessment at the end of the course
Access to the school’s activity program during language course
Postafsendelse samt opbevaring af bagage og værdigenstande
Welcome orientation and Cusco city tour
Free use of all the schools facilities during language course
Volunteer work mediation by the work coordinator and assistance during your volunteer work
Fantastic service and atmosphere!
Manual upon enrolment
The following is not included in the fees:
- Flight to and from Peru
- Insurance
- A supplement of 100 USD will be invoiced, in case you want to volunteer at two different projects
- A supplement of 250 USD will be invoiced for Internships
All “Spanish Courses” fees include
Intensive language lessons with well-trained, competent and very motivated teachers
Accommodation with carefully chosen Peruvian host families including breakfast, lunch, dinner and a laundry service once a week
Books and teaching material
Initial test on arrival
Certificate and level assessment at the end of the course
Welcome orientation and Cusco city tour
Access to the school’s activity program
Free use of all the schools facilities
Manual upon enrolment
Fantastic service and atmosphere!
The Country
Bordering Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile and the Pacific Ocean, Peru has three distinct regions; a narrow coastal belt (along the Pacific Ocean), the wide Andean mountains and the Amazon rainforest. Although the coastal belt is a desert, it is where most of the population lives. Peru is known as the land of the Incas, but here many great pre-Columbian civilizations flourished. Visitors can see the ancient ruins of the Inca capital of Cusco; explore the lost city of Machu Picchu as well as ruins from a variety of other cultures including the Nazca and the Moche.
Cusco
Once the capital of the great Inca civilization, Cusco is also home to magnificent examples of colonial architecture. The stone foundations of Inca temples are still visible in the colonial buildings in and around the city. Many international tourists are attracted to Cusco for its proximity to the famous Machu Picchu ruins and the Inca Trail. Due to high altitude, it is cool at night and sunny but cool during the day year round. There are many market places selling beautiful woollen sweaters and textiles for which the country is renowned. Surrounded by the wealth of its Inca history and offering the comforts of an internationally known town, Cusco truly is an exciting place to learn Spanish.
Ready to go?
Reserve a spot to one of our projects in Peru