The Spirit of Teaching
10-Day Program in Chimbote
(August 15 - 24, 2008)

Is the spirit in YOU? ... Perhaps you have already had the opportunity to try out your teaching skills. Or, maybe you're a first-timer as head of the classroom. This project is for both new and experienced teachers, ages 18 and up, who are looking for a teaching environment challenge that can only be found by going abroad.

LOCATION: Chimbote | here |

COMMUNITY PROJECT: You will work with the students from Mi Segundo Hogar, a small, independent school in the neighborhood of Chimbote called Miraflores Bajo. Mi Segundo Hogar is proud to offer low-cost education for neighborhood families for about 200 children ages 3 through 17. From Monday through Friday, you and your fellow volunteers will work in pairs to provide afterschool enrichment courses for the Mi Segundo Hogar students and their families. Each volunteer pair will lead 2 different groups, one group that is made up of a specific age group of children, and the other group that is made up of adult family members from the neighborhood. The children's courses will be built around games, songs, and activities in English. The adults' courses will focus on the participants' questions regarding the English language and US culture. Each morning, we will meet together for about an hour to create flexible lesson plans for the afternoon courses. Basic materials such as paper, pencils, scissors, tape, and chalk will be provided.

LANGUAGE STUDY: Whether you are a beginner or advanced speaker of Spanish, you will be able to put your language skills to use beginning with your arrival to the airport in Lima. You will have 10 full days of reading, writing, speaking, and listening to Spanish during meals with your host family, free time with your neighbors, and with your students. There is no better way to learn! In addition, each evening, you and your fellow volunteers will divide into small groups for Spanish classes taught by the staff of Mi Segundo Hogar. This is your chance to ask questions about vocabulary, grammar, expressions, and general etiquette that you have come into contact with during the day. Additional personal instruction is available upon request for about $7/hour.

CULTURAL ACTIVITIES: Cerro de la Paz, a small mountain in Chimbote, is the home of a very special chapel for the locals. As a group, we will have a half-day hike to visit this unique place from where there is a panoramic view of Chimbote's harbor.
Also during the week we'll board a typical fishing boat to explore "Isla Blanca", a rocky island 25 minutes from shore which is covered by an "strange" white layer.
On the weekend we'll visit the temple ruins of Sechin, which consists of an outer wall clad with ninety monolithic slabs engraved with representations of warriors along with prisoners of war. In addition, we'll vist Sechin Bajo, the oldest archeological site of the new world, discovered in February 2008. This ceremonial structure dates back to around 3500 B.C.