Program Reviews

I taught English in Santa Maria for four months as part of my university Year Abroad, and I'd recommend the experience to anyone. You feel like you're making a real difference with your teaching, as Santa Maria is quite isolated so there isn't any other way that local people would learn what is becoming a very useful skill for job-hunting in Paraguay. Because the classes are every day you can really see the improvement in the students, and being able to plan and teach classes on your own from the get-go is a real confidence-builder for those who haven't taught before. It's also great fun to have the freedom to experiment with class structure and have fun with the students, as well as preparing them for exams. I'm still in touch with some of my students, and it's great to see that because of the continuing commitment of volunteers - as well as their own hard work - their English is still constantly improving. As regards to daily life I think Santa Maria is one of the best places you could do an overseas placement - it's such a small town that you don't have a choice but to be integrated into the community, and there are so few foreigners that your Spanish will improve enormously. I loved staying with a host family as well - it's the best way to settle in to a new place. This was by far the easiest of my Year Abroad placements in terms of logistics - SMEF will organise your accommodation and host family for you, and provide extensive guidance and support in the run up to and during the placement. It's also a really safe area, as it's so small and everyone knows each other. I was initially worried that I'd get bored in a small rural town, but my spare time quickly filled up with getting to know my students and host family, exploring the surrounding villages, learning the Paraguayan harp and a bit of Guaraní, learning to make local dishes and sewing with the women in the local Artisan workshop. SMEF was also kind enough to give me time off to visit some amazing tourist destinations nearby, like the Iguazú Falls and Buenos Aires.

I had a wonderful time in Paraguay on my Year Abroad, thanks to a combination of a worthwhile and effective teaching programme and a culturally rich and welcoming community.

What sets this apart from other volunteering programmes you may be looking at:
- You are provided with sensible teaching resources, but you have complete freedom as to how you teach the material. You are not tied to the textbook and can be as creative as you like.
- The students are intelligent and motivated, and classes are fairly small.
- Classes take place every day Monday-Friday, meaning real progress can be achieved.
- The students work towards (and regularly achieve) internationally recognised Cambridge English certificates.
- English is a relatively rare and therefore valuable and employable skill in Paraguay - so the classes genuinely open up opportunities for people in an area where unemployment is high.
- There are few fluent English-speakers in the community, which helps to improve your Spanish!
- Security is not an issue as Santa Maria is very safe (compared to eg. working in shanty town areas of Lima, where I wasn't allowed to live in the area or go out after dark for security reasons).

Santa Maria is a small town but there is plenty to do if you widen your interests to see what is there. The treasure is really the relationships you will build up with your host family, students and the local community - you can spend hours just sitting in people's gardens drinking terere, which is really an essential part of the cultural experience!

When I graduated college I knew I wanted to volunteer abroad in a Spanish speaking country and when I found SMEF I knew it would be a perfect fit for me! I stayed for 14 months and wish I could've stayed longer; I'm actually planning to go back and do fieldwork for my graduate thesis in Santa Maria because I miss it so much!!
Everything is lovely- the people, the town, the work. It's a small town so most everyone knows each other, which means my neighbors greet me as I walk to the Institute, the church, the grocery shop, or anywhere else, and I'd often stop to chat. Additionally, you live with a host family, which is a great way to practice your Spanish, learn some Guarani, and get to form meaningful relationships. You also get really close with your students; all of the volunteers teach a wide range of classes from beginners to advanced and will have one children's class too. I loved all of my classes for different reaaons- the kids are fun, energeti, and learn quickly and the adults are a joy to teach because they become your friends as well. They're also incredibly patient when you first begin and help you to feel comfortable in front of the class.
Since we teach in the morning and in the evening, there's lots of free time to go to the plaza and see the monkeys, spend time with friends, go for a swim in the river, or any number of other things. On the weekends I took harp lessons (and in the end bought a harp to bring home) and sang in the church choir (even though I'm not really a singer). You can also take weekend trips to amazing places like Iguazu falls,, or any number of natural wonders in Paraguay that aren't super touristy, which is nice; there are tons of rivers, little waterfalls, forests, etc. to explore if you're an outdoorsy person!
If you're religious, (or even if you're not) you can also take advantage of the different activities that the church has to offer. And if you're around in September for the fiesta patronal celebrating the virgin Mary or in the spring for Holy Week, there are all kinds of local festivities and events that draw in people from all around the region.
I could go on all day about the amazing time I had in Santa Maria- feel free to get in touch if you have questions.
You can also read an interview here that I did about my experience: https://www.lassosdsu.wordpress.com/2017/10/16/student-volunteer-spotlight-jen-beckner/amp/

If you do go, a couple quick tips: Pack layers!! In the winter it's warm but at night is super chilly, so you'll want a coat and some slippers. Also bring little things to share- my kids classes loved when I would put stickers on their assignments and my adults liked trying American snacks and baked goods.

I worked at the Santa Maria Education Fund for six months last year as part of my year abroad. My main goals when I decided to volunteer in South America were that I wanted to do something worthwhile with my time, speak a lot of Spanish, and have a good time. I can safely say that I did all of these things during my time in Paraguay. I didn't have any formal teaching training before starting at SMEF, but this was fine as I worked from useful course material, received advice and training from the organisation, and all of the students were lovely and welcoming to me as a first time English teacher. During my time I grew close to all of my classes and saw their English really improve (students ranged from 8 years old to 25 years old), and think I grew and improved as a teacher myself. Living with a host family in Santa Maria was a fantastic experience as I spoke Spanish whenever I was at home, and felt like I was a part of the community. Santa Maria is a quiet town, but if you want to there are countless things you can do to keep yourself entertained in your free time; I learned to play the Paraguayan harp! Would highly recommend this volunteering opportunity.