Översikt
- Do volunteer work with children in Mexico and help promote early childhood development. You’ll work in disadvantaged care centres and kindergartens and support local teachers and carers. You’ll gain practical childcare experience for your CV, and give back to the community at the same time.
- In Mexico, we work with children who come from difficult backgrounds or have special needs. Their parents work during the day and can’t afford to pay much for childcare. The centres we partner with get no funding from the government for extra staff, so we rely on the help of volunteers like you. Your focus will be on early childhood development. A child’s early years are very important, and there are a lot of skills they need to learn. You’ll spend your time doing activities that stimulate their physical, cognitive, and social development.
- You will live with a host family and work in Guadalajara. Here you can spend your free time exploring the local culture. You’re bound to have the time of your life!
Is volunteering in childcare in Mexico right for me?
This project is perfect for anyone who loves working with children. It's also a great option if you're interested in studying childcare or early childhood development, and want practical experience.
It will also help you develop important life skills such as teamwork, leadership, and planning. You can apply these skills to any career you pursue.
You don’t need previous experience to join. You'll support local staff and caregivers and Projects Abroad staff will be there to guide you. We also run regular workshops for all Childcare and Teaching volunteers, and our online resources is a great facility for you to draw from.
You can join this project at any time throughout the year. We encourage you to stay as long as possible, so you can have a bigger impact on the children you work with.
What will I do on this project?
Your main role in Mexico is to support local teachers and caregivers. Your work will cover the following areas:
- Support early childhood development through fun games and lessons
- Make educational resources like flashcards and posters
- Participate in workshops surrounding local childcare and educational practices
Your work will focus on the following areas:
Improve children’s learning and development through play
You can help improve early childhood development by teaching them educational songs, doing arts and crafts, and playing organised games outdoors. These activities will include coming up with creative ways for them to learn, while making sure they have fun and remain engaged.
Improve the children’s learning environment
Childcare volunteering in Mexico also focuses on preparing resources for educational lessons. These include posters, flashcards, and any other materials you think could be useful. As a result, future volunteers and teachers can build on your work and use it to teach kids long after you've left.
Learn about childcare and educational practices
Projects Abroad staff run regular workshops for volunteers. These workshops offer up great insight into the Mexican childcare system and the background of your placement. It will be a great source of information for you regarding your work. You can also use this time to exchange ideas and discuss challenges you’re facing.
Where in Mexico will I work?
Guadalajara
Guadalajara has winding cobblestone streets, gorgeous colonial architecture, and a serene urban area. Many of the images characterised as ‘Mexican’ have their roots here. The modernisation of the city allows volunteers to experience both old and new, all within the cities’ confines.
The care centres in Guadalajara where you’ll work vary in size. The children come have various different backgrounds.
What is a typical day on this Childcare Project like?
Each day in Mexico starts with breakfast at your host family’s home. Then, you’ll head to your placement using public transport, or walking if you’re close enough. We’ll show you how to get there on your first day.
Your workday will start at 9am and finish around 5pm, Monday through Friday. It will be filled with lots of running around and activity, and it will undoubtedly go by in a flash!
The majority of your day will revolve around hosting the next lesson, overseeing play time, or conducting activities. These activities will aim to help with physical advancement and cognitive development. Play-dough, arts and crafts, and colouring are all great activities that help refine the children’s motor skills.
Your evenings, however, will be much more laidback. You will get the opportunity to spend your free time with your fellow volunteers, and explore the city.
What are the aims of this project?
The aim of this project is to improve early childhood development in Mexico. Our volunteers play a vital role in helping children reach the developmental milestones typical for their age.
Mexico is still recognised as a developing country, and this is reflected in its education system in which imbalances still remain. The country also suffers from economic inequality, and many families continue to rely on the struggling public school system.
Today, there is an increasing amount of evidence pointing towards the importance of early years education. The care centres we work with are overcrowded and understaffed, and we need your help to make sure each child gets the education they need. Projects Abroad has elected not to work with children in orphanages in Mexico, but rather focus on community-based programmes that allow children to remain within their families.
By supporting early childhood development, you’ll give young children the skills they need to cope with the demands of first year when they start school. In line with this, we’ve identified four long-term, sustainable goals to work toward in Mexico:
- Promote early childhood development
- Improve hygiene
- Improve English
- Improve the level of stimulation each child receives
Volunteer with children in Mexico and help us achieve these goals.
Projekthandlingsplaner
Vi har utarbetat långsiktiga mål för våra projekt och dokumenterat målen i våra projekthandlingsplaner. Våra projekthandlingsplaner används också för att planera ditt arbete. Tack vare våra projekthandlingsplaner kan du vara säker på att du arbetar mot ett långsiktigt mål och vi kan kontinuerligt utvärdera och förbättra vårt arbete. Våra projekthandlingsplaner säkerställer att vi gör en verklig skillnad.
Läs mer om våra projekthandlingsplaner.
Vi mäter resultatet av vårt arbete varje år
Vi arbetar mot långsiktigt mål med årliga delmål. Varje volontär och praktikant som deltar på ett av våra projekt hjälper oss att nå dessa långsiktiga mål. På så sätt kan även de som volontärarbetar eller praktiserar en kortare tid göra verklig skillnad. Varje person bygger på arbetet som tidigare volontärer och praktikanter gjort. Varje år utvärderar vi resultatet av vårt arbete. Du kan hitta en sammanställning av vad vi uppnått under året i vår Global Impact Report.
För mer information om vilken insats våra volontärer, praktikanter och personal gjort under året, läs vår senaste rapport.
Mat och boende
Du kommer bo hos en värdfamilj i Guadalajara. Din värdfamilj kommer välkomna dig som en familjemedlem till deras hem. De kommer lära dig mer om deras traditioner och om den lokala kulturen. Vi tror att det här är det bästa sättet att verkligen lära känna kulturen i ett nytt land. Du kommer få en unik upplevelse av Mexiko.
Vi försöker alltid placera dig så att du bor med en annan Projects Abroad volontär eller praktikant. Ditt rum kommer vara enkelt men bekvämt, rent och säkert.
Din projektavgift inkluderar tre måltider om dagen.
Läs mer om våra boenden.
Fritidsaktiviteter när du är ledig
Du kommer ha massor av roliga saker att välja mellan på din fritid i Mexiko. Med sina vackra stränder, fängslande konstgallerier och livliga restauranger har Mexiko något för alla.
Det är något speciellt med att gå på rundtur i gamla byggnader. Om du gillar neo-gotisk arkitektur, ta tillvara på din tid i Mexiko och åk på en resa till Templo Expiatorio del Santisisimo Sacramento. Katedralen är ett sant konstverk med sina snirkliga kyrkspiror och glimmande färggranna glasfönster. Det finns också många museum vilket gör att du kan lära dig mer om Mexikos fascinerande historia.
Vill du göra något helt annorlunda? Varför inte tillbringa en dag i den lummiga växtligheten i Las Peñas Ecological Park och spana efter vilda djur.
Ingen resa till Mexiko är komplett innan du smakat på mängder av goda mexikanska rätter. Tillbringa dina kvällar med att njuta av pozole eller tamales på en lokal restaurang, samtidigt som du ser solen gå ner över horisonten.
Vi har många volontärer som åker till Mexiko, så du kommer garanterat lära känna nya vänner och reskompisar. Det gör att du kan välja att utforska Mexiko självständigt eller i grupp.
Säkerhet och personalstöd
Din säkerhet är vår första prioritet. Vi har många processer och system på plats för att se till att du har all hjälp och support som du behöver. För oss är det viktigt att du ska känna dig trygg när du reser med oss. Vår egen Projects Abroad personal finns tillgänglig för hjälp och stöd 24h om dygnet. De kommer se till att du trivs i ditt boende och känner dig hemma på din projektplacering. Om du skulle stöta på något problem, finns vår personal alltid där för att hjälpa dig.
Läs mer om support och säkerhet.
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