Cultural Exchange and Indigenous Communities

location
3 - 4 weeks  ·  Age 18 - 50+

rating  Brilliant 4.7  · 
  Verified by Volunteer World
  Very high response rate

Highlights

  • Support Guna children from vulnerable backgrounds develop and grow in a good environment
  • Discover, explore, and put into practice your passion for education
  • Practise your Spanish and learn more about Panama's culture by being all the time around locals

Highlights

  • Support Guna children from vulnerable backgrounds develop and grow in a good environment
  • Discover, explore, and put into practice your passion for education
  • Practise your Spanish and learn more about Panama's culture by being all the time around locals
  • Be exposed to a different reality than your own in a meaningful journey.
  • Enjoy some of the interesting and beautiful things Panama has to offer: tropical beaches, beautiful landscapes, a very rich and unique culture...


  • Especially good for

    Age 18+
    Singles
    Couples
    Families
    Groups
    50+

    About the program

    Promote participation and learning through spaces for effective participation in the community, contributing to a sense of personal fulfillment and social responsibility.

    The children and youth of the indigenous community face major barriers to success: poverty, reduced access to education, little investment in the area and, as we have noted, loss of attachment to their roots. These factors have incredibly affected their social, psychological and personal ...

    About the program

    The children and youth of the indigenous community face major barriers to success: poverty, reduced access to education, little investment in the area and, as we have noted, loss of attachment to their roots. These factors have incredibly affected their social, psychological and personal development. 

    As a volunteer in this community, you can help reduce the impacts of all these problems in the lives of these indigenous children: through school review and reading/writing comprehension classes, you can help them strengthen their academic skills, while maintaining a cultural exchange. and by sharing your own culture with them, you can help strengthen the children's unique culture, which in turn makes these children feel more interested and attached to it. It is important for all children to know that their own culture and language are a valuable and beautiful part of their identity. 

    In our center you will work with approximately fifty children (but not all at once!), performing tasks such as school review (in subjects like Math, Science, Spanish, Reading, English or Singing), conducting cultural empowerment workshops, helping with literacy. work (the language of the people), giving workshops on interpersonal relationships and self-esteem, and helping to organize leisure activities for the children. You can also contribute by helping to record audiobooks in Spanish and your language, tell stories to local children in either language, and help children learn to read and write. * No special prior knowledge of the local language is required.



    Typical day

    Volunteers work on weekdays (Monday to Friday) from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Always keep in mind that the distance between the project and the place where the volunteers stay is between twenty and thirty minutes, which influences the scheduling of your day. There is very affordable and recurrent internal ...

    Typical day

    Volunteers work on weekdays (Monday to Friday) from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Always keep in mind that the distance between the project and the place where the volunteers stay is between twenty and thirty minutes, which influences the scheduling of your day. There is very affordable and recurrent internal transportation available.

    Free-time activities

    A rich cultural heritage, beautiful mountains, tropical beaches, historical monuments, and a bustling capital city —Panama has it all, directly within your reach to discover while you volunteer in this exciting country. Panama is a rather small country with a high density of remarkable and ...

    Free-time activities

    A rich cultural heritage, beautiful mountains, tropical beaches, historical monuments, and a bustling capital city —Panama has it all, directly within your reach to discover while you volunteer in this exciting country. Panama is a rather small country with a high density of remarkable and memorable locations, which is something you can completely take advantage of, through cheap and accessible transportation, ease of visiting, and a welcoming people. 

    Some of the sites most enjoyed by our volunteers are: 
    • Panama city: a modern and bustling city, it's a city that may offer you both big malls and modern architecture, as well as the scenic old city (in Casco Viejo), old monuments (such as the Panamá Viejo colonial area), a natural park filled with sloths and ñeques in the middle of the city (Parque Metropolitano), plenty of museums and seaside spots (such as the Amador area). In the city you can also go visit and discover first-hand how the Panama Canal works. 
    • Portobelo: a city in the Colón province, it has history that dates centuries back to the colonial era, some very picturesque traditions such as the yearly Cristo Negro festival, and it has direct access to beautiful Caribbean beaches and tropical islands (most famous is Isla Grande). 
    • Bocas del Toro: A province in the northwest of Panama, near Costa Rica; its archipelagos and beaches are very famous among tourists, as they provide near pristine sands, near transparent water, a lot of wildlife you can see in some of its islands, and activities such as partying, scuba, or just swimming in the beach.
    • Guna Yala: An indigenous region, it has 365 islands which all have a fair share of white sand and crystal clear water. The Guna people that inhabit this region have a culture that is very tied in to the Ocean and to life in these islands, so coming here will not only allow you to enjoy the beautiful and picturesque beaches on these islands (each island having something particular, such as Isla Estrella, an island filled with Sea Stars or Isla Perro, an island filled with corals and fish), but also to appreciate a unique culture tied to life in these islands.
    • Valle de Antón: A very famous valley with cool weather and lots of nature, you can go hike the famous mountain of La India Dormida (the sleeping indian woman, tied to a well-known local legend), see lots of native flora and fauna, and also enjoy the beautiful scenery.
    • Boquete: Located in the Chiriquí province and known as the "Switzerland of America", it's a small yet very beautiful city in the middle of the mountain, known for its tasty coffee, colourful yearly flower festival (although flowers are an important part of the city any time of year), scenic trekking routes, and all the nature around the city.


    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.

    Education Requirements

    at High school level

    Criminal Background Check

    required

    Required Documents

    CV

    Nationality Restrictions

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

    Other Skills

    We ask our volunteers to be adaptative, creative (especially because of the lack of available learning resources), but especially to be passionate about the cause: empower children through education and culture.

    Time Commitment

    Your helping hand will be required on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday

    What's Included

    What's Included

    Services by Adventure Volunteer


    • Accommodation during your volunteer program
    • 3 meals during the course of your volunteer program.The volunteer will help the teacher to cook with the ingredients from Monday to Friday.
    • 24 hours a day, 7 days a week support from the adventure volunteer team.
    • Program monitoring and evaluation
    • Orientation and induction to the program
    • Certificate of weeks completed in your volunteer program
    • Accident insurance during your volunteering
    • Liability for your activity
    • Guidance, advice and management in the choice of the program

    Accommodation

    Volunteers will stay with a family from the community that is located in the indigenous population or in school.


    Food & Beverages

    Three meals a day are included, usually cooked in the local, creole style.


    What's NOT included?

    What's NOT included?

    Airport Pickup at Tocumen International Airport

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

    Internet Access

    Sorry, no access at the project site

    Flight Tickets

    The nearest airport is Tocumen International Airport (PTY) in Panama City. We assist you to find cheap flights to Panama. 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 Panama provides security and is a plus to have. GET A QUOTE

    Vaccines

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

    Details on arrival

    The project is open all year round, except for some holidays in Panama. But the activities are done with the community.

    That said, volunteers can arrive on the day of the week of their preference, although we recommend that volunteers arrive on Friday, Saturday or Sunday, as this facilitates their induction into the program. 

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

    Program fees

    3 weeks (min. stay) 530€
    4 weeks (max. stay) 707€
    Average fees 176€/week

    Program fees

    176€ per week 3 - 4 weeks Age 18 - 50+

    Payment methods

    Visa Master Card Maestro American Express PayPal

    NO CREDIT CARD FEES


    Duration

    3 - 4 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 Adventure Volunteer during the application process. Common solutions are either via bank transfer or a cash payment at the project site.


    Meet your organization

    Adventure Volunteer

    Brilliant 4.7 rating (42 reviews)

    Non-profit - founded in 2017

    Verified by Volunteer World

      Very high response rate

    Coordinated by

    Sergio

    Spoken languages: Spanish, English

    About the project

    Support in the cooperation and creation of social and environmental projects in communities at risk of social exclusion, through international volunteering.

    Meet your organization


    ADVENTURE VOLUNTEER is a non-profit organization, established in 2017. We collaborate in the social and environmental field through projects of conservation and protection of the environment and animals, as well as in the social part through projects of empowerment of women, community development, functional diversity, medical or teaching.


    Our team of collaborators has a deep experience in international volunteer programs.  We know all the realities of the areas where we are working, collaborating and where we have a presence. 


    Our projects offer volunteers the opportunity to meet, share and participate in social and environmental projects. These projects demand educational and recreational activities that benefit communities of different cultures and customs, communities with economic difficulties and different degrees of social exclusion.


    42 reviews · rating4.7

    Samantha Vick rating5

    2024 at Sea Turtle Conservation and Protection

    Milo and his family are beyond amazing! It was an experience that I absolutely loved. The only thing I did not like is that you could walk nearly an hour into town OR take a $10 taxi every time you wanted to go into town. There were days where we went into town twice! If we were to pay for a taxi ...
    My experience with Adventure Volunteer in Peru was a building adventure that left a lasting impression. Working side by side with the local community, erecting structures that will benefit future generations, was incredibly ...
    Working with local students, exchanging knowledge and learning about their culture was a unique experience. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to contribute to the educational growth of the Panamanian ...
    Contributing to sustainable development and sharing with local people allowed me to understand the importance of human connection. I highly recommend this experience to anyone looking to immerse themselves in the authenticity of Panama while creating a positive ...
    I experienced magical moments while releasing hatchlings into the ocean. I thank Adventure Volunteer for opening the doors to this corner of Panama full of life and ...
    My experience with Adventure Volunteer in Thailand, especially the elephant project, was a magical journey. Working closely with these majestic animals and contributing to their welfare was heartwarming. Adventure Volunteer's dedication to conservation and respect for animal life created an ...

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