OK program, but horrible support staff

The support staff aren't really there for the volunteers as they claim at the start of the program. Quite regularly they would respond to my emails late with very vague, broad, useless answers like some customer service reps trying to avoid responsibility. The worst of it was when I had to be hospitalized because of a very acute form of tonsilitis which required IV treatment. I had a really hard time dealing with the insurance company and because of that my condition got progressively worse and worse before I was finally admitted into the hospital. The support team did not help me. The disease repeated itself for me about a week later with same symptoms but on a Sunday when the clinic where the insurance company has an agreement is closed. I searched for urgent help from the program coordinators. Was told that they couldn't do anything about it until the next day. I was also advised to pay out of pocket at any medical facility and reassured I'd be reimbursed for my expenses later. Thankfully, I did not do it because the out-of-pocket transportation expenses I did make were not reimbursed. The reaction of the support staff was that they never told me that I could take a taxi and get reimbursed (which they did) and even went as far as making a scene and slamming money out of their own pocket on my table in the dining room of the hostel in Santiago.

The task at hand of teaching English is very challenging being at public schools where kids don't care about English at all. What is more, the English teachers often don't actually speak English.

Furthermore, Chile is cold and the food is bad. Perhaps the reason why I spent over a month sick and was even hospitalized. We did not have any heating neither at the school nor at my host family so the only place to find some body warmth is in bed. For 4 months. 90% of what we ate was bread. I practically did not see vegetables other than the occasional tomato for my entire stay. The idea of my host family of a good meal on a weekend was hot dogs.

The social scene was definitely lacking in the town of Los Angeles, but I managed to find some friends outside of the school and program's circles. Main activity of young people seems to be to go to the "campos" and drink, eat BBQ and talk.

To do anything fun outside the program, plenty of money is necessary. Chile is expensive and even mountains are private, so you can't just go on a hike, you have to pay for a company to take you.