Project Overview:
In Peru, as all over the world, it is widely appreciated that speaking English is very important to open doors and broaden horizons in today's world - to get a scholarship for study abroad, to work in tourism or even to work abroad generally requires at least a basic command of English. For privileged Peruvian children whose parents can afford to send them to a private school to become familiar with English at an early stage, that's certainly not an issue. However, state-run schools and their students are not as lucky as the government does not have enough money or skilled teachers to offer the same service and the same advantages.
Our volunteers believe in the power of change and at the end of 2006 OCN created HELP English to give poor children in and around Huanchaco the same opportunities that their more privileged counterparts enjoy. HELP English promotes the English language as a tool for development in children from low-income families and also as a means to create employment opportunities and make money.
In 2006, HELP English began with English classes in Huanchaco Library. Since then, the project has expanded to include the neighbouring communities of El Trópico, Ramón Castilla, Las Lomas and Cerrito de la Virgen, as adolescents and young adults alike continue to be willing to learn to benefit themselves and expand their horizons.
Volunteer Roles/ Working Hours
The main chore of volunteers is teaching English and also organizing extra activities to reinforce classes. It goes right with:
- Giving English lessons to children using proper methods.
- Planning a syllabus or study program, considering what’s been done in the past and what can be improved now.
- Guaranteeing that all the students are learning and moving forward.
- Setting-up extra activities and afterschool sessions related to listening, reading and writing skills.
Classes are held 2 or 3 times a week, each session lasting 2 hours. Please ask us for a more detailed schedule of the classes for each of the HELP English locations.
Volunteer Requirements
- Spanish Level to Start Project: Basic to Intermediate Spanish
- Native English speaker or very advanced level of English
- Time Commitment: Minimum 1 month
- Able to deal with 30 streetwise children in one classroom
- Patient, Responsible and Strong personality
- Relevant teaching experience and/or degree in teaching English (CELTA, TEFL, etc)
- Some previous experience working with children
