Volunteering in Costa Rica

Activity Holidays

Do you want to do something different and significant this year for your holidays?

Would you like to help building a world where people value other cultures different from their own? Would you try to make a positive change, bringing awareness of the global situation in developing countries?

Volunteering is not only a noble act but in the busy business world that we live in, we often forget that there are people out there, who need our help. We are used to all commodities of the quotidian life and somehow we are not aware that by just making a small effort we can contribute a lot for a positive change in the life of other people.

Are we too selfish or simply too lazy? Can we move away for a while from the comfortable coach on from the TV, where we see daily on the news disasters happening around the world and the only words we can say are: "Oh, poor people.., I wish I could help them..." Well, if you only leave for a while the remote control, gather your thoughts, think about your skills are or which skills you would like to develop, than YES! You can help this poor children get some education and teach them a skill. You can help rescue animals. If you care about the environment, there is a programme you can participate in too. 

Contact us for more information at info@parlito.com

What are the Values?

GENERAL VALUES

• We strive to foster responsibility, purpose, respect, integrity, openness, community and diversity.
• We encourage independence and social growth, and support the achievements of our participants’ education and own goals.
• We believe all people have the capacity to make changes in their own and others lives, organizations and communities. We respect individuals and value their cultures.
• We believe in being responsible, prudent, selfless, and exercising good judgment.
• We care about an accessible and professional relationship among students, volunteers, instructors, employees and the communities we serve.
• We encourage an environment that supports independent thinking, acting creatively, and being resourceful.
• We believe in adaptability to continually meet the changing needs of a dynamic society.
• We value integrity of purpose and action, and believe it is essential to all of our affairs.

Types of Programmes

Picture
  • Spanish and Volunteering
  • Mini Adventure
  • Seasonal Breaks
  • Challengers
  • Escapes
  • Camps

Standard programs: Teaching, Children, Health, and Community

Special programs: Ecology, Environmental, Animal Care, Animals Rescue and other programs

Included in the programmes

All programs include:

  1. Arrivals every Friday, Saturday or Sunday.
  2. Departures Saturdays or Sundays (if programmed for another day, the participant has to pay the extra night fee)
  3. Pick up at the international airport in San Jose & transfer to the accommodation.
  4. Additional nights due earlier arrival of the client will be paid by the client to the contractor directly.
  5. Orientation on arrival. Spanish Placement test. Information session in the afternoon.
  6. Accommodation in a host family with 3 meals a day incl. laundry service once a week according to the schedule of the house.
  7. Transportation to the project the first day in private (Santa Bárbara – San Jose) and public bus (San Jose – Project).
  8. In some projects (e.g. National Parks) the clients are accommodated in the project including 3 meals a day –laundry service is not included.
  9. Spanish lessons (group lessons) 20h à 50 min per week.
  10. Coordination of a work placement (social care, medicine, environmental programs, wildlife, national park projects and internship programs).
  11. Free internet access in the school’s computers lab and free internet wireless all around the school.
  12. 3 extracurricular activities (Latino Dancing Lessons, Costa Rica Cooking Lesson and Tropical Fruits Lesson*). 
  • *Fruits and Cooking lessons are held ONLY for the new participants every week.

About Costa Rica

Costa Rica is a country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west, and the Caribbean Sea to the east.

Costa Rica, which means "Rich Coast", constitutionally abolished its army permanently in 1949. It is the only Latin American country included in the list of the world's 22 older democracies. 

Costa Rica has consistently been among the top Latin American countries in the Human Development Index (HDI), ranked 69th in the world in 2011. Also was cited by the UNDP in 2010 as one of the countries that have attained much higher human development than other countries at the same income levels, and in 2011 was highlighted by UNDP for being a good performer on environmental sustainability, and better record on human development and inequality than the median of their region. 

It was also the only country to meet all five criteria established to measure environmental sustainability. The country is ranked fifth in the world, and first among the Americas, in terms of the 2012 Environmental Performance Index.

source: Wikipedia

Costa Rica on the map

Other Programmes

Standard Programme (STP) - Teaching, Children, Health, and Community
4 weeks (STP) - (1 wk Spanish + 3 wks Volunteering) - US$ 1,073
8 weeks (STP) - (4 wks Spanish + 4 wks Volunteering) - US$ 1,850
Special Programme (SPP) - Ecology, Environmental, Animal Care, Animals Rescue, all other programs

4 weeks (SPP) - (1 wk Spanish + 3 wks Volunteering) - US$ 1,273
8 weeks (SPP) - (4 wks Spanish + 4 wks Volunteering) - US$ 1,980 


What is ncluded in STP and SPP programmes?

  • Arrivals every Friday, Saturday or Sunday.
  • Departures Saturdays or Sundays (if programmed for another day, the participant has to pay the extra night fee).
  • If the Spanish lessons are at the beach, first night at a host family and transportation in public bus service is included. An Arrival Package is available for people that is going to the beach and want to stay the first night at a hostel, and shuttle semi-private transportation to the school. This package has a cost of US$ 85.
  • Pick up at the international airport in San Jose & transfer to the accommodation.
  • Additional nights due earlier arrival of the client will be paid by the client to Amistad directly.
  • Orientation on arrival. Spanish Placement test. Information session in the afternoon.
  • Accommodation in a host family with 3 meals a day incl. laundry service once a week according to the schedule of the house. 
  • Transportation to the project the first day in private (Santa Bárbara – San Jose) and public bus (San Jose – Project).
  • In some projects (e.g. National Parks) the clients are accommodated in the project including 3 meals a day –laundry service is not included.
  • Spanish lessons (group lessons) 20 hours per week, with 15 minutes break every day. 
  • Coordination of a volunteer placement (social care, medicine, environmental programs, wildlife, national park projects and internship programs). When paid.
  • Free internet access in the school’s computers lab and free internet wireless all around the school.
  • 3 extracurricular activities (Latino Dancing Lessons, Costa Rica Cooking Lesson and Tropical Fruits Lesson). Fruits and Cooking lessons are held ONLY for the new participants every week.

Please be aware that participants cannot just cut their program once in Costa Rica, participants who depart the Program early forfeit the program fee for the time not spent in the Program.