We consider volunteering as an exchange whereby the volunteer on a project offers his work and the organization (generally a NGO) offers a space to share experiences. Hosting a volunteer means integrating him into daily routines, allowing him to get to know the local way of life. Volunteering, for us, is not an act of charity. It is a way of getting to discover and to respect other cultures.
We work with many organizations and you will not be charged for our help in organizing your volunteer work, and of course working there is free, too. If the volunteer organization depends on donations, Academia Bariloche will make this contribution, not you.
In all cases we ask you to take a minimum of three weeks of regular Spanish classes at Academia Bariloche. Our program is for all students willing to commit energy and time for a period of at least 4 weeks on a concrete project. There is no age limit. There is no faster way to learn Spanish and live a complete cultural immersion.
Logistics of volunteering
When you contact us, you briefly explain what you are looking for, what kind of social work you would like to do and what your expectations are. With regard to Spanish classes, you can take our online test (plus an oral test when you come here) and will then be assigned a group of your skill level. You can also communicate your housing preferences, in case you require housing. Send us a mail to • info@academiabariloche.com or use the reservation form on this webpage.
Usually the volunteer program starts with a one-day introduction during which you will get to know the organization where you will work. You will then be given specific tasks based on what the organization needs, the duration of your stay, your skills, your Spanish level, your area of knowledge and obviously also on what you agreed upon in previous contacts with us.
What are the tasks usually given to volunteers? Obviously the answer to this question depends on the organization where we organized your volunteer experience. Here are examples: teaching english to children, animating groups of children and adults, distributing food in soup kitchens, working on environmental issues, etc. Take into account that the better your Spanish level, the more smoothly you will be able to communicate in your workplace and the easier you can switch between different tasks. That is true for all volunteer projects. We are looking forward to meeting you and to organize your volunteer experience in Argentina! Your help will be appreciated.
