Proyecto San Gerardo Volunteer Positions

I spent almost a year in San Gerardo and Herradura teaching English. I had a great time there and gained excellent experience both in teaching English and in speaking Spanish. Both of these skills have helped me in my later work and education.

While in Costa Rica, I lived with two host families, first in San Gerardo, then in Herradura. Both families were so welcoming and friendly. They were always feeding me great Costa Rican foods (I still miss Eneida's arroz con leche and Yeti's tres leches) and were happy to chat with me (in spite of my stumbling Spanish) and would include me in their outings and social events in the area.

Jenny was always very friendly and supportive, and Pedro was always around to make a joke and have a laugh. I miss drinking coffee with them in their kitchen (while simultaneously being attacked by their kittens).

Costa Rica is of course, incredibly beautiful. Having the Cloudbridge Nature Reserve just up the road was awesome. It provided both beautiful hikes and fun volunteers with whom I had a great time socializing with. Although, I admit, it took me a couple of months to find them... In addition, they have the hot springs nearby, and Uvita and Dominical are a couple of lovely beaches just a couple of hours away. Great options for a weekend trip!

I really learned how to teach in Costa Rica. Students were forgiving of my imperfect Spanish and my newly tried English teaching techniques. Many students were very enthusiastic about learning English (although there were certainly exceptions). Overall, I really enjoyed the small classes and informal setting.

I would definitely recommend Proyecto San Gerardo as a great place to volunteer if you're looking for a quiet, rural, mountainous location.

If you love mountains and rivers and natural beauty, it doesn't get any better than Canaan, Costa Rica. As a family, we spent 6 weeks working with the project. Miles (father and hubby) taught computer classes and worked on the website. I (mom and wife) taught Amigos Ingles. I am a teacher by occupation and it was so rewarding to work with adult students. I have formed lasting friendships with at least 4 students and we are having a ball on What'sApp now that I am in North Carolina. Our kids were a bit bored while there, as they do not speak Spanish. They had to learn to live without Internet! However, they came away with the life lessons we wanted to teach them about caring, volunteering, cultural diversity and adventure. We rented a house but I would recommend the homestay. We were able to meet a few of the homestay families and see their houses. They did not disappoint and the food was AMAZING. Bus system is great so we didn't even contemplate renting a car. There is little to do as far as socializing so college students might want to apply as a team. After dark (6 p.m.) there is nothing to do unless you want to go to a restaurant. This fit our lifestyle perfectly, but younger folks should be aware. Apply or talk to Jenny. Visit their website! Pura vida!