Spanish Immersion Lessons + Volunteer La Serena Chile Programs

I chose to volunteer in Chile La Serena to help a primary school in there attempts to become a more bilingual population. I wanted to practice my Spanish as rigorously as I could and I had been informed that Chile is notorious for its Spanish being more complex. 
The host family was very nice and I found it very surprising how alike we were in terms of political and social views. I was able to have several discussions with them about how the politics in Chile were similar to those in the United States.
I recommend that other volunteers pack warmer clothes. Its usually 50F in Winter. The temperature doesn't change much throughout the week. During the weekends I would recommend going to places like Isla Damas, Elqui Valley, Tongoy. Volunteers should really take advantage of the days they have off.
My accommodations were very pleasing and I was very satisfied. Silvia, our host mom was a very good cook and I was always looking forward to what she had prepared for us. I loved her rice. I'm not a fan of fish, but Silvia made the best fried fish I have ever had. I never felt like I was in danger so I don't have anything to complain about when it comes to my security. My host family was amazing and I didn't miss my own family at home since I had them for company and they made me feel comfortable in my new home.
My local coordinator, Vilma was amazing. She made sure we had things to do on our days off. I didn't really feel the need to ask her for any assistance as everything was set, but I was confident that if I needed anything that I could depend on her.

I had a tremendously positive experience during my 6 weeks in La Serena. The school staff and students were all very welcoming and eager to have a native English speaker with them and they were all very friendly. The host accommodation far exceeded my expectations. Vilma the host mother had the perfect temperament for the job, offering a comfortable home with beautiful home cooked meals and time to talk and laugh in the evenings. The neighborhood of both the accommodation and the school were very safe and I would highly recommend this program to anyone, particularly with Vilma she is the coordinator of the program as you couldn’t ask for more hospitality or a more seamless transition into volunteering. It was my first experience volunteering and its an experience I’ll never forget.

I started my time in La Serena after having been in Chile for five weeks (four in Santiago and one in the Lakes Region). It was very exciting to see another facet of Chilean culture – particularly the striking red and white architecture. I was nervous to start work at Colegio, specifically with the language barrier, but this proved to not be an issue. The children were very outgoing and excited to talk to me, which put me at ease. Luckily, I was also able to go on tours of both Pisco Elqui and Isla Damas during my one weekend in La Serena. All in all, it was a fantastic experience that helped me see Chile from a point of view distinct from that of a tourist.