We offer many different projects. In our application form volunteers can choose between different categories such are:
Children Teenagers Youth Homeless Children Homeless Teenagers Children in Social Risk Women Rural Development Mentally disabled people Physically disabled people Elderly people Homeless Alcohol or Drugs Addicts Hospital Indigenous Other....
You can choose one of these categories, and we will look for the project that better fits with your choice. As much information you give us, much easier will be for us give you the kind of project you want.
Specific Projects
In principle ACI Costa Rica offers an unlimited variety of social projects. Volunteers apply for the kind of project they wish, and we look for different projects in Costa Rica that better fits with their choices.
But we also have few “usual” projects to which volunteers can apply for:
1- Hospicio de Huérfanos en San José:
This project is divided in two areas, a children kindergarten, and a girls teenagers home.
The Children (from 2 to 6 years old) don’t sleep at the place. They spend the day but return home every night. The work with them consist on taking care of them, helping with food, playing, etc. they are children in poverty, but not orphans.
The girls live in the place. They are orphans or in social risk. The work with them is mostly in the afternoons, and consist in help them with the homework, and another tasks into their home.
In this project you must be at least for one month. This is a good option for volunteers who like children and young people.
2- Hospicio de Huérfanos de Vista del Mar:
Same institution as above (the past project), but located in a different location. It also has different children. In this case, all the population of the place lives into the project.
Volunteers can work with small children (babies), with children, or with boys teenagers (In this case the project prefer male volunteers). The tasks are mostly the same that in the past project.
The minimal stay is one month. This is a good option for volunteers who like children.
3- CEN CINAE de Zapote
This is a governmental kinder garden which belongs to the PANI (children and orphans national and official organization), they normally receive children from poor families when both parents need to work and they do not money to pay a private place. The Children (from 2 to 6 years old) don’t sleep at the place. They spend the day but return home every night. The work with them consists on taking care of them, helping with food, playing, etc. they are children in poverty, but not orphans.
This project is a good option for volunteers who like to be with children and can manage this.
This placement is located in the south east site of San José.
4- CEN CINAE de Curridabat
Same information as above. The placement is located in the east site of San José.
5- CEN CINAE de Ipis de Guadalupe
Same information as above. The placement is located in the north east site of San José.
6- CEN CINAE de Moravia
Same information as above. The placement is located in the north east site of San José.
7- Asociación IXACAVA en San Francisco
This is an association which is working with indigenous people, trying to faith for their legal rights. Indigenous are considered a minority group in Costa Rica.
The work consists in support the people in charge with occasional visits to the reserves, but mostly the work will be done in the office located in San José, where volunteers will be doing office work, helping with several documentation.
This project is a good option for volunteers who like to visit a very different situation and work for human rights.
8- Escuela Ciudadela de Fátima en Tirrases
This is a small public primary school located in the south east part of San José, a low middle class and poor area. They have a small kinder garden also, where they receive children like 5 or 6 years old, at the school they have children from 7 to 13 years old.
The work consist in support the teachers with activities and classes, many volunteers help in the administration office but also in the kinder garden because they can do a lot of different non formal activities with the younger kids.
This project is a good option for volunteers who like to be with children and want to learn about the educational system of Costa Rica.
9- Escuela de Santa Elena en Monteverde
This is a primary school located in Santa Elena, main town in the region of the Eco tourist spot of Monteverde, in the mountains in the north of the country. This middle size public school works with children from the whole area and all the different social economic levels. They have children from 7 to 13 years old.
The work consists in support the teachers with activities and classes, many volunteers help in the administration office too. The work has to be mostly define together with the people from the placement.
This project is a good option for volunteers who like to be with children and want to learn about the educational system of Costa Rica. But also for people who is interested to visit one of the most famous areas of cloud forest in Costa Rica, that gives a lot of opportunities for outdoor activities.
10- Clínica del Seguro de Santa Elena de Monteverde
This is a clinic from the National Health Care Insurance System that works with all the people of the whole region of Monteverde. It has an Emergency place and Medical assistance in all the ways. They work with all the ages.
The work consists in support the people in charge with different tasks that will be helping the professionals who work in the place to do their jobs, things about maintenance, cleaning, etc, will be asked to volunteers.
Volunteers are never alone and directly in charge of people, except if they have the supervision of somebody in charge. In this case also mostly the work will be defined together with the people from the place and according to their actual needs. .
This project is a good option for volunteers who like to help people and somebody who is interested to become a doctor or something related. But also for people who is interested to visit one of the most famous areas of cloud forest in Costa Rica, that gives a lot of opportunities for outdoor activities.
11- Hospital de Niños
This the hospital dedicated only to children in Costa Rica, located exactly in San José down town, This is actually one of the biggest hospitals in Costa Rica, it is class A.
The work consists in support the people in charge with different tasks that will be helping the professionals who work in the place to do their jobs, things about maintenance, cleaning, etc, will be asked to volunteers.
Volunteers are never alone and directly in charge of people, except if they have the supervision of somebody in charge. In this case also mostly the work will be defined together with the people from the place and according to their actual needs. .
This project is a good option for volunteers who like to help people and somebody who is interested to become a doctor or something related.
12- Dirección de Cultura de la Municipalidad de Escazú
This is a department of the City Hall of Escazú, a town located close to San José, where the people from the local government is trying to preserve the local traditions, customs and offer a space of artistic and cultural manifestations.
The work consists in support the people in charge with occasional activities, working also in the office and what they need day by day. Normally the different tasks will be defined once the volunteer is in the place.
This project is a good option for volunteers who like to be involved in artistic things and to get to know the culture of the country that they visit.
13- Casa de la Cultura de la Municipalidad de San Antonio de Belén
This is a department of the City Hall of San Antonio de Belén, a town located 30 minutes away from San José, where the people from the local government is trying to preserve the local traditions, customs and offer a space of artistic and cultural manifestations. Just like the past project above.
The work consists in support the people in charge with occasional activities, working also in the office and what they need day by day. Normally the different tasks will be defined once the volunteer is in the place.
This project is a good option for volunteers who like to be involved in artistic things and to get to know the culture of the country that they visit.
14- Asociación AGECO en San José
This is an association which is working with elderly people, located in the east site of San José, here the people from this project are trying to give chances and spaces to old people to stay active in our society. They organizes workshops for people where they can learn something or just being busy. They also visit communities to educate people about how to treat old persons.
The work consists in support the people in charge with occasional visits to communities, but also to help in the work shops and other tasks at the central office.
This project is a good option for volunteers who like to have an experience with elderly people.
15- Instituto Hellen Keller en San José
This is an association which is working with people with disabilities, (blind and deaf persons). They work with people from those sectors to help them to become part of our society, with persons from all the different ages.
The work consists in support the people in charge with occasional visits to other projects, being part of work shops, preparing materials needed for those activities, and like many of the other SOCIO CAMPS, the specific tasks will be defined during the process once the volunteer is at the site.
This project is a good option for volunteers who like to have an experience and help people with disabilities.
For all those placements and many others that we may offer like options for volunteers depending on what field they are asking for, we will always find a host family who will be located very close to the work project. All the past projects are located in San José or close to San José.
The only exceptions of projects outside of San José (in the country site), for the moment will be the projects number 7 and 8, located both in Monteverde, about 5 and a half hours away from San José. Then we will find a local family from that area. It means that the volunteer will receive the orientation in San José before entering Monteverde, means nights of hostel in the beginning, except if they go to the ILERI Language school first.
Important: All families for the Socio Camps will always cover (3 meals a day) but volunteers will need to cover the local transportation with city buses between their families and the work projects, like in San José, where normally volunteers will need to take at least ONE bus. Prices for city buses are cheap, normally between 150 Colones and 200 Colones for one way. US $ 1 = 483 Colones (Exchange Rate for August 2005).
When we enter volunteers to any of the work placements in San José, except the ones in Monteverde, we usually take them to a first interview and meeting when we talk and define things together with the people in charge of all those places. We also explain volunteers which bus and where they take it. Then the participants will start working the next day and moving by themselves.
If you have any question about this information, please don’t hesitate to contact us to: E-mail:
Fax: +506 283 99 30 Phone: +506 280 08 98
