Teach English in primary schools

location
6 - 50 weeks  ·  Age 18 - 50+

rating  Excellent 4.8  · 
  Verified by Volunteer World
  Good response rate

Highlights

  • Volunteering with One, Two… Tree! is FREE, our volunteers only pay for their own expenses which go directly to the local families and businesses volunteers interact with.
  • This is a unique opportunity to learn and master new skills and discover all your potential while contributing to something bigger than yourself. We are keen to listen to your ideas!
  • You will immerse yourself into the Guatemalan culture, make new friends and learn more than you give in the end. Engage with locals and meet passionate volunteers from across the globe!
  • You will improve your teamwork, collaboration, and creative problem-solving skills as well as any other professional skill you would like to hone while staying here.
  • This will be a great experience too to master your Spanish and English as you will be working bilingually all day long.


Especially good for

Age 18+
Singles
Couples
50+

About the program

Our team is looking for enthusiastic individuals with a passion for teaching to join us in Guatemala

Our team is looking for enthusiastic individuals with a passion for teaching to join us in Guatemala. We are a non-profit organisation working on education in Central America. 

We aim to make English accessible as a tool for social empowerment and intercultural exchange. We teach in public schools, ...

About the program

Our team is looking for enthusiastic individuals with a passion for teaching to join us in Guatemala. We are a non-profit organisation working on education in Central America. 

We aim to make English accessible as a tool for social empowerment and intercultural exchange. We teach in public schools, collaborate with local organisations and offer English classes to those keen to learn. We share a vision of strong united communities and individuals in charge of their economies, ready to grasp and create the opportunities that work best for their future. 

English is our tool for this as it opens up new opportunities for our students to get their studies to the next level and have access to a wider range of jobs. As the tourism industry is one of the main sources of income in Atitlan, followed by goods production, English is a way too, to empower the local community to be in charge of their economy. 

In many non-English speaking countries, fluent English teachers are scarce, with the areas we work in being no exception.  Our volunteers support public schools and local organisations with English while these skills are slowly acquired by local teachers and the community. 

As a volunteer, you will be teaching English to primary-school children, teenagers and adults in Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala. You will receive our full support while at the post. We will provide basic training and teaching materials upon your arrival, weekly progress reviews, and regular assistance from our Volunteer Coordinator and the team of volunteers, that is our culture, we support each other as we work together towards our goals.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

No previous teaching experience is required but if you do have teaching experience, we would love to have you! Prospective volunteers are expected to have a good communicative English level and basic Spanish, to communicate effectively with your host family. One, Two... Tree! is unique in that we are all volunteers, which lets us not charge any fees. You will, however, be asked to cover your travel and accommodation costs. (They are quite affordable to start with, but if you are planning to stay for a year or longer, we can discuss how those can be reduced.) Accommodation - volunteers stay with local host families in Santiago Atitlan. This will help you get to know the local people and culture first-hand. All the families we work with have been pre-vetted and have previous experience in hosting international volunteers. The usual accommodation costs range from US$100 to US$300 per month.

Volunteering in Guatemala is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that will not only give you practical teaching skills, but also a more holistic outlook on education. You will have a chance to improve your Spanish, learn about Guatemalan culture, make new friends and learn more than you give in the end. On the weekends, enjoy all the beauty the country has to offer - from lake Atitlan at your doorstep all the way to the wonders of Tikal in the North. Get a chance to directly engage with locals and meet passionate volunteers from across the globe! You will improve your teamwork, collaboration, and creative problem-solving skills as well as any other professional skill you would like to hone while staying here. We love proactivity and self-development and will make sure to offer you opportunities to help you in your self and professional development journey.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    


Typical day

The average workload is 16 hours per week (you should add some preparation time for each lesson).  We will ask you for help on additional tasks such as organising events, showing other volunteers around, and other tasks aimed at improving our program. Please feel free to bring suggestions, we love ...

Typical day

The average workload is 16 hours per week (you should add some preparation time for each lesson).  We will ask you for help on additional tasks such as organising events, showing other volunteers around, and other tasks aimed at improving our program. Please feel free to bring suggestions, we love them!


0n arrival: Welcome & orientation by the coordinator

Mon – Thu: 4h teaching in public schools & at the Learning Center

Afternoons: 1-2h Preparation of lesson plans and grading, admin work, or weekly team meetings

Fri – weekend: Free to travel and other team activities (optional)

Team activities examples: Hiking, swimming at the lake, cooking, visiting other villages around, cultural and environmental activities, etc. We actively collaborate with local organisations and have an ongoing activity calendar.



Free-time activities

We are located in Santiago Atitlán, one of the many villages around lake Atitlán (4h drive from Guatemala City and not far from Antigua). 

Surrounded by volcanoes and coffee plantations, Santiago is a Mayan Indigenous village with around 60,000 inhabitants. It is one of the most authentic villages ...

Free-time activities

We are located in Santiago Atitlán, one of the many villages around lake Atitlán (4h drive from Guatemala City and not far from Antigua). 

Surrounded by volcanoes and coffee plantations, Santiago is a Mayan Indigenous village with around 60,000 inhabitants. It is one of the most authentic villages in the area where tourism hasn’t transformed the village much. Art is lived throughout the village with murals and painters all around. Weaving and embroidery is big in the village as well. Kayak, hikes, camping are some of the many activities you will be able to experience in your free time.



Requirements

Requirements

Minimum Age: 18 years

In order to join the program you need to be at least 18 years old on the program start date. There might be exemptions if you can provide the permission of your legal guardian(s) or if your are accompanied by your parents.

Language Skills

You need to speak English (fluently) or Spanish (basic level)

Education Requirements

at High school level

Criminal Background Check

required

Required Documents

CV and Criminal record check

Nationality Restrictions

No restrictions. Helping hands from all over the world are welcome.

Other Skills

Volunteers should be open-minded, enthusiastic, flexible, and prepared to face challenges. It’s important to remember that in most cases you’ll be engaged with children from the age of 8 to 17 years old (approx.), so you’ll have to be patient while dealing with them, handle them with utmost love & care, and try to make a difference in their lives in the most beautiful manner. We are also teaching adults up to 68 being our current eldest student! This requires flexibility to adapt

Time Commitment

Your helping hand will be required on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 08:00 - 12:00

What's Included

What's Included

Internet Access

Good access at the project site

What's NOT included?

What's NOT included?

Airport Pickup at La Aurora International Airport

An airport pickup isn't included within the program fees either.

Accommodation

Please arrange your own accommodation.

Food & Beverages

Food, snacks or beverages are at extra costs.

Flight Tickets

The nearest airport is La Aurora International Airport (GUA) in Guatemala City. We assist you to find cheap flights to Guatemala. FIND CHEAP FLIGHTS

Travel Insurance

Going abroad is an adventure and it is always best to be prepared. Sudden illness or injury, cancellation or theft - a travel insurance for Guatemala provides security and is a plus to have. GET A QUOTE

Vaccines

If you are intending to volunteer in Guatemala you should seek medical advice before starting your social journey. Check your required vaccinations for Guatemala. VACCINE CHECKER

Details on arrival

Our program runs from the beginning of February to the end of October in line with Guatemalan school year. We are happy to receive volunteers any day of the week through that time with a minimum stay of six weeks to make the most out of the training received.

Our coordinating team will support you each stage of the process, planning for your stay with us and preparing for your teaching experience beforehand.

Volunteers receive instructions and academic materials upon their arrival. These materials are standard throughout our organisation.  All this work is organised and managed on the ground by our coordinating team who orrganises the arrival, accommodation, and teaching schedule of our volunteers in Guatemala.

Availability
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Program fees

6 weeks (min. stay) 0€
50 weeks (max. stay) 0€
Average fees 0€/week

Program fees

0€ per week 6 - 50 weeks Age 18 - 50+

Payment methods

Visa Master Card Maestro American Express PayPal

NO CREDIT CARD FEES


Duration

6 - 50 weeks

Deposit

The deposit is simply to reserve your volunteer placement. Payments are handled by PayPal, our trusted global payment provider. If you don't have a PayPal account, you can also pay using a credit card.


Final Payment

Your final payment will be agreed with One, Two... Tree! during the application process. Common solutions are either via bank transfer or a cash payment at the project site.


Meet your organization

One, Two... Tree!

Excellent 4.8 rating (11 reviews)

Non-profit - founded in 2013

Verified by Volunteer World

  Good response rate

Coordinated by

Candy

Spoken languages: Spanish, English

About the project

We aim to make English accessible in Central America as a tool for social empowerment and intercultural exchange.

Meet your organization

One, Two… Tree! is a non-profit organisation working on education in Central America. We aim to make English accessible as a tool for social empowerment and intercultural exchange.

We share a vision of strong united communities and individuals, in charge of their economies, ready to grasp and create the opportunities that work best for their future.

Presentation of the programme

We teach in public schools, collaborate with local organisations and offer English classes to those keen to learn.

The idea is simple:  We collaborate with local organisations to use their premises and introduce English classes through volunteer work. This allows us to get involved in local educational systems and local initiatives, reaching a large number of kids and adults through a sustainable and flexible cost model that can be scaled up or down in response to the community’s needs at any given moment.

How we work:

COLLABORATION

As volunteers, we work as a team as we know we go further together. Locally, we look to collaborate with other organisations to make the most of available resources, creating synergies and using each organisation’s expertise to best serve the local community. 

ADAPTABILITY

We adapt and are flexible to changing situations with the aim to best support the community in every given moment. We use our imagination, skills, and proactiveness to make things work in a sustainable way. We are grateful for feedback so we can continuously improve.

INITIATIVE

We create on the ground and use active listening as our most precious tool. The program is developed with and within the communities, truly understanding the context, needs, and priorities. We seize on opportunities as they come and ensure personal growth and passions are tapped into as the program evolves. We look for passionate volunteers, keen to lead and be responsible for positive change. You will be part of a proactive and supportive team where your ideas and thoughts will count in the day-to-day of the project.

RESPECT

We live and teach with utter respect. We learn from the local culture and support each other with kindness, curiosity, humility, and empathy.

11 reviews · rating4.8

Solange Lodomez rating5

2024 at Teach English in primary schools

Lake Atitlán is an incredibly beautiful place with lots of different towns around. The volcanos make it so special 😍 The people are very nice, friendly and welcoming. And the children.... full of love and gratitude 🥰🙏 Love them all 💖 Guatemala offers a lot of amazing places to ...
Silvia Marinoni rating5

2022 at ... .....

A challenging and unforgettable community experience in Santiago Atitlán. I've been in Santiago Atitlán for three months volunteering for OneTwoTree and it was simply unforgettable. I shared the experience with other five amazing volunteers and we worked hard to manage all the activities and ...
Ania Piwonski rating5

2022 at ... .....

My time with One, Two...Tree Guatemala provided me with an awesome opportunity to engage with and support the community in Santiago, Lake Atitlan. The organization has a big focus on integrating with, and understanding the needs of, the community and works with public schools in the local area to ...
Lily Porter rating4.8

2022 at ... .....

Volunteering as an English Teacher in Santiago Atitlán. I have thoroughly enjoyed my last three months volunteering with ‘One, Two…Tree!’. Despite being a very small charity, ‘One, Two..tree!’ Is brilliantly organised, culturally aware whilst being connected to local people and managed ...
May Ling Cassards rating4.6

2022 at ... .....

Be a Volunteer for One, Two, Tree is a wonderful experience! Santiago Atitlan is a lovely and beautiful town with warm-hearted people! Teaching English there is an incredible experience to share moments, discover Guatemalan culture, feel useful and make a lot of friends! One, Two, Tree is a ...
Tomás Rodríguez rating4.2

2021 at ... .....

The experience with One, two... tree! was great. They made it easy from the first moment and we had fluent communication with the responsibles of the NGO from the first ...

Location

Americas > Central America > Guatemala > Santiago Atitlán

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Contact Candy
  Good response rate
Spanish, English

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