Our program

As a tutor, you will work directly with the children of amaZOOnico staff members to deliver supplemental guidance for those enrolled in formal education at local schools and deliver a homeschool curriculum for children who are not enrolled. It is expected that you will work with 3 to 12 children (ages of 4 through 12). 

Apart from working with children to master the standard curriculum of their formal education, we encourage a “learning by living” philosophy where the children can gain practical skills and apply their learning to life situations. Supplemental training in foreign language skills (English and/or German) is also a priority as this provides local children with more livelihood opportunities and the ability to maintain strong, healthy communities into the future. You should also be comfortable directing free play and craft activities for younger children. Please note we discourage the use of learning materials that utilize electronic devices. 

What we expect from you

Formal teaching experience and training is not mandatory, but patience and a love for children is a must. You must be able to provide guidance in any subject area including math, language arts, natural sciences, and craft activities among others. In particular, you will focus on building critical thinking skills that help children learn to solve problems independently and become open-minded lifelong learners. Additionally, you must be fluent in English and have at least an intermediate understanding of Spanish. 

You are expected to keep an open mind, be respectful of cultural differences, and act with kindness and respect towards the natural environment and wildlife in the protected area. You will share dinner cooking duties with amaZOOnico volunteers. You will also take part in maintaining the cleanliness of the volunteer house, including personal and common areas.

Background information

amaZOOnico Wildlife Rescue Center is a conservation organization with over 30-years of experience fighting wildlife trafficking in the Ecuadorian Amazon. The tutoring program supports amaZOOnico by providing specialized education for the children of staff members. Given the remote and rural location of the rescue center, the children of staff members do not have access to high quality educational opportunities. Unfortunately, schools in the area receive very little support, are short staffed, and do not provide an optimal learning environment for students. Accordingly, many children do not receive adequate guidance during their learning journey.

The setting

amaZOOnico Wildlife Rescue Center is located within the Selva Viva Protected Forest in Napo, Ecuador, roughly a one hour drive from the nearest city, Tena. The site is only accessible by canoe via the Arajuno River. Most local children live on the opposite side of the river on Anaconda Island.

The tutor will stay in the vibrant volunteer house located at the center. This space is shared by volunteers (typically between 5 and 15) working to support the rescue center activities. The volunteer house consists of single, double, and triple rooms, bathrooms with modern plumbing and refreshing cold showers, and a large kitchen with an electric stove and refrigerator. Keep in mind all of this is located in the tropical rainforest, which means wild animals (monkeys, insects, snakes), heavy rain, high heat, and humidity will be a part of everyday life.