My experience volunteering in Costa Rica was amazing. I chose to do the 2 week program of Teaching and Social Work in San José project, with one week of Spanish classes and one week of volunteering. When I first arrived I was welcomed by a member of the Spanish school I was going to be attending. My host mom was wonderful. She took very good care of me while I was there and fed me well.
She only spoke Spanish so communicating was a little difficult but it made learning Spanish easier for me. She would help me with Spanish and I would help her with English. There were people from all over the world. We had an orientation, took an oral exam and then were assigned our class. The classes had 4-5 people in them for a better learning experience. In addition, the school offered dance class, cooking class, and extra conversation classes. They also had lists of tours all throughout Costa Rica that students could participate in (you had to pay for those that aren’t covered in your registration). I did a combo tour which consisted of a tour to the Doka coffee estate, Poas volcano and waterfall gardens. I also did a tour to Tortuga Island. Both tours were a lot of fun and a good way to see Costa Rica.
The project I volunteered at was an orphanage for children taken from abusive homes. Due to the organization not wanting the children’s location to be disclosed we weren’t allowed to take pictures. I would play with the kids and help with snack and lunch time. The kids were funny and had so much energy. I enjoyed my experience volunteering with them.
