Plan an epic trip to help good causes in the Central America region. From working with local NGO’s, contributing to wildlife conservation, community development and teaching – there are so many worthwhile projects available to join all year round.
Best Volunteer Programs in Central America
Destinations
Popular places to work in Central America include:
• Belize
• Costa Rica
• El Salvador
• Guatemala
• Honduras
• Nicaragua
• Panama
How You Can Help
Volunteers provide assistance to disadvantaged socio-economic groups within communities, focusing primarily on orphaned children, rural communities and school children. You can also help wildlife and the environment.
Wildlife Conservation
Volunteers on turtle conservation programs are able to work with the endangered Leatherback (Baula) and Olive Ridley turtles along the unrivalled stretch of gorgeous Pacific and Caribbean beaches.
Community Development
Depending on your interests you can also contribute to building projects in impoverished communities, or in a coffee plantation project. You will also provide education, inter-cultural exchange and understanding in communities.
Orphanages
As a volunteer you can provide education and support to orphaned children. You will help to improve education in schools ensuring children learn and flourish. As a volunteer you can practice and teach preventative healthcare, and HIV care.
Education
Rural schools in Central America face significant challenges providing students with a quality education to help break the cycles of poverty. Some schools lack critical resources, even textbooks, while struggling to keep students attending past the sixth grade. With poverty rates at nearly 60% in some countries, students are being pulled from schools to support family farming or to work for wealthier families in cities as housekeepers. With your involvement, we can provide engaging lessons and activities to young children in primary schools, giving them the individual attention and resources to be successful. Your work reflects the importance of education for all children in the community, which encourages increased attendance and improves the chances of students continuing to secondary school.
Teach English
A lot of organizations were founded decades ago and in addition to international volunteer programs they also offer TEFL/TESOL Certification programs, and offer English and Spanish courses. Their aim is for volunteers to experience Central America’s beautiful surroundings and build their proficiency in Spanish while at the same time helping an impoverished region of the country.
Healthcare
With an underfunded health system and impoverished conditions, people are in need of a number of public health services to improve their overall well being. Some local and international organizations focus on vision, dental and sanitation projects in primary schools to improve child outcomes. Vision clinics are conducted to provide much-needed eye assessments and to distribute glasses to children who would not be able to afford them otherwise. Dental care and dental hygiene campaigns are implemented as children often lose teeth at early ages due to improper care and diet. In schools lacking adequate hygiene facilities, volunteers can construct hand washing stations and deliver workshops to prevent the spread of disease. Overall, volunteer support to health programs creates tangible, long-lasting positive impact in the health and success of communities.
FAQ
What language do I need to know to participate?
International volunteers need to be able to converse in English, with basic Spanish also a requirement for the turtle program, as you will be working with local staff who speak very little English. For those volunteering in the healthcare programs, volunteers will need to have a reasonable level of Spanish. We recommend volunteers try and learn at least a little Spanish before traveling to Central America, however lessons can be provided.
Visa
Most nationalities are eligible for tourists visas on arrival. If you do need a visa you can apply and get this prior to departing.