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Location
  • Honduras
    • El Porvenir
Length
6 to 52 weeks
Project Types
Arts Childcare Community Development Building Projects Youth Education Teaching ESL Computer Literacy Health Education

Program Details

Language
Spanish
Age Min.
19
Age Max
99
Timeframe
Short Term Spring Break Summer Winter Year Round
Housing
Guesthouse
Groups
Small Group (1-15)
Travel Type
Budget

Pricing

Starting Price
42
Price Details
Upon acceptance to the program, there is a one-time 'confirmation donation' of $160 USD. The only other cost is housing and this is $42 USD per week for the first 6 weeks and then it drops to $35 USD per week moving forward. Note that if you are accepted as an intern or if you are able to stay longer than 6 months, your housing cost can be further reduced.
What's Included
Accommodation Wifi
What's Not Included
Airfare Domestic Airfare Airport Transfers Meals Travel Insurance Visa
Apr 22, 2021
Jul 13, 2023
Wish List
16 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

The Porvenir Enrichment Program (PEP+) teaches English, computers, nutrition, Spanish literacy, art, sports, social skills and more! For children in grades 1-6, this program has 3 designated classrooms within the community. All are walking distance to the volunteer houses. HCA's international volunteers and ‘ayudantes’ (Honduran interns) run classes in teams. We have an excellent curriculum but there is plenty of room for creativity in how you choose to work with your groups. You are encouraged to teach with songs, movement, games and other fun activities. It is not necessary to be fluent in Spanish to work within this program. The activities are planned in advance and you will find that your Spanish quickly improves as you prepare for classes and as you work with the children. PEP+ operates year-round including an extended program in November, December, and January when the children are on school vacation.

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Video and Photos

Play Video
Excitement about PEP+ classes!
Beautiful 'Playa Porvenir'! El Porvenir is the first town on the mainland of Honduras to ban single-use plastics and our beach is looking great!
Reach out to change a life, including your own!
Computers are an essential skill.
Planting seeds for the garden . . .
Sunset in El Porvenir
Circle time
Using 'correctbooks' in the classroom to avoid wasting paper.
HCA 'Selfie'
Geography

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Program Highlights

  • Diverse working team (international volunteers plus Honduran interns)
  • Well-supported and well organized by in-country managers
  • Walking distance to all classrooms
  • Beautiful tropical environment with beach and mountains
  • Creative, progressive, inclusive environment for all!

Program Impact

The most valuable aspect of your work is that it actually fulfills an otherwise unmet need. Honduras Child Alliance educational volunteers provide small group instruction and attention to help children gain the essential skills (English, computers, etc.) that allow them to access opportunities with Honduras.

Volunteering makes a difference to the people you work with, but it also makes a difference to YOU. HCA volunteers always have natural opportunities to connect with the local children and adults, even outside of volunteering. While our housing includes full kitchens so that volunteers can prepare their own meals, we often arrange group dinners in the homes of our community friends or at local restaurants. Volunteer housing is integrated within the community where we work. This helps to support the local economy, as well as give volunteers a more connected experience within the country. As you become part of the community, you will find that in addition to your tangible project, you will also build genuine connections to the people who live in this hard-working and vibrant town.

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Program Reviews

5.00 Rating
based on 13 reviews
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  • Impact 4.7
  • Support 4.95
  • Fun 4.95
  • Value 4.85
  • Safety 4.95
Good for Students, Solo Travelers, Groups
Showing 9 - 13 of 13 reviews
Default avatar
Victoria
27
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

My time with HCA

Jul 3, 2019

My time with Honduras Child Alliance was the best experience of my college career. I went the summer before my senior year of college as part of an internship and it was incredible. My favorite part about the work we did itself was the fact that every day was different. Some days you would be teaching kindergarten, youth, and adult English classes and other days you would be out in the community handing out flyers about our classes. Or working on constructing a baño for a family in the community. But no matter what you were doing you were always surrounded by the incredible friends you made with other volunteers and community members! Nights were filled with family dinners with volunteers or long conversations with friends in the community, and sometimes even a quick lesson on how to dance bachata or how to make a good tortilla. You really feel like a part of the community with HCA and that makes the whole experience that much more incredible. I loved it so much I’ve decided to return for a year!

What was your funniest moment?
One night to celebrate the end of a session of our adult class all of the volunteers and adult students put on crazy outfits and had a celebration! We played musical chairs, ate some snacks, and laughed A LOT. It was so much fun to just connect with some of our students, most of who were about the same age as me!
55 people found this review helpful.
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Adult class celebration!
Goofing off in our youth class!
My last day with one of my morning classes, we celebrated with chocolate cake!
Default avatar
Eddy
33
Australia
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Best experience of my life!

Jul 2, 2019

I first volunteered with HCA in 2016 and absolutely fell in love with El Porvenir and Honduras. The town is so friendly and it is perfectly located next to a larger city and also by the beach so it has the best of both worlds. The community in El Porvenir is what makes HCA so special, everyone is so welcoming. HCA works with the community, including employing a number of local interns. Volunteers are from all over the world which means that some of my closest friends are from Spain, Scotland, and America thanks to my time volunteering with HCA. The program works alongside the Honduran school system and classes have a strong emphasis on learning through play. HCA accepts many different types of volunteers, including medical, dental and university workgroups to construction projects. If you're looking for something different from your regular life and off the beaten track in Central America, I can't recommend HCA enough.

If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?
I would tell myself not to worry about making mistakes when speaking Spanish. All the community members that I spoke with were all understanding that I was learning Spanish and they helped me practice. I wish that I got over my fear to speak sooner because as soon as I started speaking Spanish, it was an incredible way to talk with the kids and community.
30 people found this review helpful.
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Me with some awesome kids that I miss everyday
A volunteer teaching a special English class with the elementary school kids
Workgroup outside PEP2
Default avatar
Lynda
31
United States
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A place to call my second home

Jul 2, 2019

I volunteered for Honduras Child Alliance and it was unlike any other experience I have had in Latin America because it was the only one where I felt like a part of the community and not just a visitor. HCA has done an amazing job integrating into the community and has become a foundational part of the lives of the kids in El Porvenir. People are welcoming and friendly and as soon as the kids learn your name they will be calling you every time you walk down the street.
You can expect a high energy, high creativity atmosphere with a bunch of really awesome volunteers to share the experience. My co-volunteers were from all sorts of countries and have developed to be lifelong friends. Being part of HCA was one of the best decisions I've made and leaving was one of the hardest.

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?
Baleadas ! I had never heard of them and now I cannot stop the craving !
31 people found this review helpful.
Helpful
Me teaching the kids yoga
Default avatar
Molly
24
United States
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

One of the best experiences of my life!

Jun 28, 2019

I arrived in Honduras in February of 2019 to become Honduras Child Alliance's Outreach Manager. I've been here for four months now and I have absolutely loved every single second of my time here. Before coming here I was very nervous about safety in Honduras because being from the United States all you hear is how dangerous Central America is, but there has not been a single time that I have felt unsafe here. The community of El Porvenir is so welcoming to all new volunteers, allowing everyone to make real connections and friendships in the community. I have learned so much from spending time with the children of the community about how to be a more compassionate and empathetic human just because of the fact that life here is so drastically different from the life most people live in the United States or any other developed country. This experience truly has changed my life thus far and I could not recommend volunteering with Honduas Child Alliance enough!

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
One of my pieces of advice would be to take advantage of every single opportunity to be a part of the wonderful community of El Porvenir, whether that be watching the soccer game at the local field, or getting food at the local restaurant and chatting with the owners, Iris and Montoya.
30 people found this review helpful.
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The beach right outside one of the volunteer houses!
In April HCA hosted an event for Good Deeds Day with the students in one of the neighborhoods of El Porvenir!
Default avatar
Domitille
27
France
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Amazing experience in Honduras

Jun 27, 2019

My experience at HCA is really amazing. I have the opportunity to help children of the community and it is very nice to see their happy smile when they learn something. I am currently organising a curriculum with nutrition and business so we can teach them so new notions.
Concerning the safety in Honduras, even if the current political situation is incertain and confusing, we are living in a village near the sea, El Porvenir, and I’ve always felt very safe here.
It is also wonderful to get to know the people in the communities. We have good relationships with people around the town, as the interns that are working with us.
The staff of HCA is also really nice and opened to new ideas, it is wonderful to work with them and I am thankful for this amazing experience!

What was your funniest moment?
The atmosphere between volunteers is very nice and we have a lot of funny moments.
24 people found this review helpful.
Helpful
Sunset on the beach of El Porvenir

Questions & Answers

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Liz Bender

Program
Volunteer to Teach English, Computers, Arts+ to children (grades 1-6)!
Job Title
Director of Programming and Curriculum
I began working with HCA in 2009 as a volunteer and just couldn't get enough! I came back 3 more times as a volunteer where I fell in love with the kids, the community, and the beautiful jungles and ocean. In 2015, I returned yet again but as the In-Country Program Manager. After that year, I was asked to join the Board of Directors in the capacity of Director of Programming and Curriculum. In this role, I am able to combine my background in education and health to create programming for all of the different classes that we offer.
Liz Bender

What is your favorite travel memory?

I have thousands of favorite memories, but what came to mind first was from one of the times I traveled down to Honduras this year (2019).

I had traveled from the San Pedro Sula Airport to the city of La Ceiba and decided to hop on our local chicken bus rather than taking a taxi. Tired and with my bags, I walked to where the bus to El Porvenir was parked, and on my way there, a woman who works at my favorite produce stand waved to me and said, "back again?!". Feeling pretty happy, I hopped on the bus and got comfortable. Not too long later the bus started the 30-minute drive into El Porvenir.

While I was staring out the window in a kind of content daze I heard honking and looked at the car next to us, which happened to be a pickup truck with one of our local firefighters sitting in the back with the cargo. He was waving at me while the driver (also a local firefighter) honked and waved!

I am constantly reminded and humbled at how warm, kind, and amazing the people in Honduras are! Having these friends and this sense of community fills my heart and I feel incredibly lucky to continue to be a part of it all!

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

Well, since I started at the age of 19, I would hope that I have changed and grown in that time!

Coming to Honduras at that age really helped me create a foundation of critical thinking, problem solving, and self-sufficiency! Traveling, in general, can give you the chance to learn how to adapt to new situations and gain a new perspective from what you see and who you meet. You just have to be willing to take it! I am happy to say that I have taken those chances and am much more aware, accepting, and have the utmost respect and gratitude for the community where we work.

What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

When I came back as the Program Manager in 2015, I was walking near the high school in my first month. I saw a youth (about 13 years old) and we made eye contact and he said, "hey, I know you!".

We chatted a little and discovered that he had been in HCA programs when he was in primary school and he recognized me from being a volunteer. He was in secondary school at that point and said to me "well, what about us now?". At that time, we didn't have programming for students after the age of 11 until they were old enough to go to our Adult Classes. I answered, "well, that's a good question". So we started Teen Class!

That same youth continued through school and reached a point where he was considering dropping out of school due not having the resources to continue with his studies, as well as not having the classes offered at the local secondary school. So we got this youth started as one of our first scholarship recipients!

He is now in his final year studying to be a mechanic and will graduate in November! And here's the real heart warmer...we found a video of him when he was about 8 years old taken by a previous volunteer in the class where they asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up. And do you know what he said? "When I grow up, I want to be a mechanic!"

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

I would choose to jump right into teaching PEP+ classes!! I love teaching and there is no better way to learn Spanish, practice leadership skills, and have a ton of fun!! Whether you are interested in teaching or youth work as a career or not, there are so many transferable skills that you can learn working with kids! Plus, they are super cute and fun!

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

There are so many things that I am proud of about HCA! I can say since I have been with the program since close to the beginning that we constantly strive to grow and adapt to meet the needs and wants of the community! I think what makes us unique is that we are a low-cost volunteer opportunity that offers a very organized and clear program.

We also see our program as mutually beneficial for our volunteers and our students and the community. In fact, I feel like volunteers end up learning more from the experience than anyone else! We are very dedicated to being a community-driven program and have a strengths-based and respectful approach to our presence.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

As I said above, I feel that we are successful because we are always looking to improve and better serve the community! We seek out regular feedback from students, parents, teachers, and other community stakeholders. We are a collaborative program who supports and accepts all volunteers, students, and interns to create a dynamic of equality and respect.

About Honduras Child Alliance

The Honduras Child Alliance helps children gain access to opportunities by developing essential skills and coordinating community-based programs to support educational enrichment and healthy living. The Porvenir Enrichment Program (PEP+) includes Spanish and English literacy, computer science, art, music, social skills, team-building, and more...

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