Volunteering in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Study Abroad Program Supplement

Expanish offers the option of volunteer work to supplement any study abroad program of eight weeks or longer in Buenos Aires. Volunteering in Argentina is an excellent idea for students interested in improving their Spanish through direct interaction and giving back to the very community in which they are immersed. There is a small one time placement fee in order to volunteer in Buenos Aires.

Requirements

The following minimum requirements must be met for those who wish to volunteer in Buenos Aires with Expanish:

Eligibility: All students who are enrolled in an Expanish Spanish course for at least seven weeks are eligible for a volunteer placement.
Spanish Level: Volunteers must have a minimum Spanish level of lower-intermediate. There may be placements in Argentina for native English speakers who are beginners in Spanish upon request.
Age: The minimum age for our volunteer program is 18.
Time Commitment: The time commitment for volunteering in Argentina is minimum seven weeks, and a minimum of three hours per week.

How Placement Works

All students wishing to volunteer in Buenos Aires will be given a list of partner organizations from which they can choose their desired placement after the student’s arrival in Buenos Aires . Once the student has chosen an organization to work with, our Expanish s staff will coordinate and confirm an initial meeting for the student with the volunteer supervisor of the selected organization. Students will meet with their supervisor to discuss and coordinate their weekly hours and tasks, and students will be asked to fill out a volunteer log each time they visit the selected organization.

Current Partner Volunteer Organizations

Acorn International
Mission	To serve the local community in the neighborhoods of La Boca and Barrancas, and provide a safe educational environment, and to teach our students the value of communication, respect, and positive relations with themselves and others.
Locations	Centro Comunitario in the neighborhood of La Boca, Capital Federal
Volunteer’s Tasks	Participate in the preparation and development of classes for children, including scholastic support, English, computing, art (art therapy), theater, dance, nutrition, and physical education. Also to participate in games and projects that change from day to day, and Literacy and English classes for adults.
Approx. Time Commitment	Three hours per week.
Requirements	No requirements (tasks will be assigned at the initial meeting depending on the student’s level of Spanish).
Placements Available	Middle of February – beginning of December

Idealistas.org
Mission	Idealistas.org is an interactive site in Spanish, English and French where people and organizations can exchange resources and ideas, locate opportunities and supporters, and take steps toward building a world where all people can lead free and dignified lives.
Locations	The offices of Idealistas.org or Idealist.org, in the neighborhood of Tribunales, Capital Federal.
Volunteer’s Tasks	Participate in carrying out projects for Idealistas.org and Idealist.org through various administrative tasks, marketing, or programming, among other responsibilities. Tasks will be in line with the volunteer’s skills and knowledge.
Approx. Time Commitment	Twice a week over a two month period.
Requirements	Knowledge of the project areas the volunteer is going to carry out. With a high level of Spanish, the volunteer will work in Idealistas.org, and with a lower level in Idealist.org.
Placements Available	Middle of February – beginning of December

Buenos Aires English House
Mission	Becoming a cultural and linguistic resource for the English language through classroom instruction in an underserved area of Buenos Aires .
Locations	Neighborhood of Villa Lugano, Capital Federal
Volunteer’s Tasks	Classroom English facilitators / teaching assistants for classes of all ages, from 4 years old to 40. Students at this institute have for the most part never experienced English with native speaker, thus volunteers would be assisting teachers with their weekly lessons and helping students understand various native English accents.
Approx. Time Commitment	Five or six hours on weekends. Three or four hours a week.
Requirements	Native speaker of English.
Placements Available	March – beginning of December