The BECA Volunteer Experience - Teaching and Learning
Are you:
- Looking to make a tangible difference in the lives of children?
- Open to learning more about yourself & challenging your assumptions about the world?
- A teacher who wants to better understand the needs of your Hispanic students?
- Committed to working as a team member in a very challenging environment?
- Flexible and able to live with only basic amenities?
- Seeking a life-altering adventure?
- A team player?
If so, then BECA wants to speak with you.We are recruiting volunteers for the following positions: (click any position name for information about that particular position or just keep scrolling down)
- Program Administrator (14 month commitment, May '09 - June '10)
- Elementary and Middle School Teachers (1 year commitment, July '09 - June '10)
- Teaching Assistants (preferably a 1 year commitment, July '09 - June '10)
- Summer Camp Counselors (six week commitment, June 22, '09 - August 3, '09)
The above dates are approximate and subject to change. There is also some flexibility on start dates, though a firm 1 year commitment is required of the Program Administrator and all Teachers.
First round applications for the Summer and the 2009-2010 academic year are due no later than Sunday, February 1, 2009, but applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, so we encourage you to apply early.
Basic Information
We currently have 185 students in grades K - 9, and we anticipate an enrollment of approximately 200 students for the 2009-10 school year. In order to provide stability for our students and for our teachers, we ask our teachers to make a minimum commitment of one school year. We provide shared food and living accommodation as well as access to high speed internet. Teachers are responsible for their own transportation costs to/from Honduras. The Program Administrator receives a modest monthly stipend, in addition to food/lodging, in acknowledgement of his significant management responsibility.
We are expanding our orientation this year in order to more fully prepare our teachers to succeed in both the classroom and the community. Orientation will include both teacher training elements and Spanish language classes.
Experience teaching and a knowledge of Spanish are both desirable, and each year's team has a minimum of two qualified teachers. However, we are most interested in individuals who are flexible, able to deal with significant challenge and willing to learn along with us. In the past, our volunteers have ranged in age from 21 - 50 and have come from a variety of professional backgrounds including everything from education to international development. The most important qualities we look for in our volunteers are a genuine commitment to service and the ability to be a team player. BECA retains the right to dismiss a volunteer if it is in the best interest of the children or the program.
Accommodation and Food
Our volunteers share two homes (two people to each bedroom) close to the center of Cofradia and about a fifteen minute walk from the school. The house is situated in an elevated part of Cofradia and has a picturesque view of the Merendon mountains from the airy back terrace (as well as an internet connection - both much appreciated amenities in a hot Latin American pueblo) ! Much of the time there is running water and a modern flush toilet. Occasionally there is no actual running water. When this happens, we use the water that is collected outside the house in a large cement trough called a "pila." This water is used to flush the toilet, shower and wash dishes and clothes. Electricity is relatively reliable, but can go out without warning for several hours at a time - especially during the rainy season.
In addition to accommodation and shared internet access, BECA provides an ample food budget for the volunteers. Lunch is prepared at school for the volunteers on school days. A few pictures of the volunteer houses can be found at the bottom of this page.
Teachers' Responsibilities
Please note that life in Honduras can be unpredictable. Sometimes our teachers are called upon to do things that fall outside the scope of the activities listed here.
General Responsibilities- Facilitate relationships with parents and other community members.
- Lesson-plan (to be done in a timely manner and submitted for review).
- Foster a safe and productive classroom environment for students.
- Serve as a Lunch/Recreo monitor at least once a week.
- Support your fellow teachers in school and at home.
- Serve as an ambassador for BECA by helping to spread the word about our work to your families and friends.
- Ask for help when you need it!
- Maintain attendance records for all students in your homeroom.
- File a copy of your weekly lesson plans on the agreed upon schedule.
- Provide administration with a copy of your weekly class schedule before the week begins.
- Sign 'Libro de asistencia' upon entering and leaving school each day (required by law).
- Ensure classroom is open and ready for students at beginning and end of school day.
- Attend all teacher meetings.
- Keep the office informed of any problems (disciplinary or otherwise) you are having with students or concerns you have about students.
- Keep student files updated with the information outlined in Student Files section.
- Keep the office informed of extended absences of students.
- Grade exams
- Collect performance grades from other teachers and prepare Bimester report cards
- Fill out hard-copy of grading spreadsheet.
- Fill out electronic version of grading sheet - kept on a computer accessible for all.
- Fill out "Libreta de Calificaciones"
- Organize Libros Y Familias workshops
- Plan group's trip to Discovery School Conference
- Plan and organize extracurricular activities for students
- Attend Parents' Asociacion Meetings (at discretion of Administrator)
- Participate in fundraising efforts to support BECA's program costs
- Innovate!
Administrator's Responsibilities
The Program Administrator is an in-country team member who leads BECA's volunteer-driven education program. She is a creative and flexible person with proven management experience whose responsibilities include:
Information ManagementThe Program Administrator facilitates the daily interactions of the BECA team. He manages the team budget and pays all bills related to room, board, visa renewals, as well as other program costs. He is also responsible for tracking important pedagogical and administrative information in a manner that will allow subsequent year's teams to transition into their positions without difficulty.
Local LiaisonThe Program Administrator serves as liaison between BECA and the local community - most specifically the Asociacion de Padres Proeducacion (our Honduran partner organization).
Scholarship Program AdministrationThe Program Administrator directs the Scholarship Program at the school. He/she is responsible for promoting the scholarship program. He/she will review applications and interview potential/current scholarship families in March/April to fill new spaces/assess current recipient's need prior to the next school year. Based on these interviews he/she will make recommendations regarding which children should receive the available scholarships. He/she seeks to empower scholarship students' families to actively participate in the school by facilitating their involvement. He/she monitors the behavior and academic performance of children receiving financial assistance in order to ensure they remain eligible.
Visitors Program AdministrationThe Program Administrator coordinates logistics of visits of student and community groups who undertake short-term service projects with us. He/she also coordinates special BECA programs such as Libros Y Familias.
Daily School InvolvementThe Program Administrator works in collaboration with the School Director and Secretary to maintain effective discipline strategies at the school, but is not directly involved with the school's administration or financial management.
BECA Volunteer Support:The Program Administrator serves as a support figure for BECA's volunteer teaching team. He/she checks in with each teacher regularly to provide moral and psychological support; in doing so he/she strives to ensure teacher lesson plans are in line with BECA's curriculum and Honduran educational standards.
The Program Administrator is responsible for facilitating teachers' professional development. This includes planning and implementing the initial Volunteer Orientation in August, the annual trip to the Discovery School Conference in Tegucigalpa and ongoing opportunities throughout the year.
In addition, the Program Administrator serves as a substitute teacher in instances of illness and supports team members in the classroom in other ways.
Development SupportThe Program Administrator supports the board of directors in development activities. He/she will reach out to potential donors with board members' guidance, research grant opportunities, and assist with grant applications/reporting.
He/she will submit brief monthly reports that highlight school and community activities to assist the board in tracking BECA's growth and progress and he/she will provide information for newsletters targeted to donors and friends.
The Program Administrator receives a modest monthly stipend, in addition to food/lodging, in acknowledgement of his significant management responsibility.
Teacher Assistants' Responsibilities
Please note that life in Honduras can be unpredictable. Sometimes our teaching assistants are called upon to do things that fall outside the scope of the activities listed here. Furthermore, in the unlikely event that a teacher is unable to perform his/her duties, teaching assistants are expected to step into that role.
Our expectation is that teaching assistants will work just as hard as any other member of the team. The position offers tremendous opportunity to have a lasting impact on our students by supporting the daily work of teachers. Some days teaching assistants may be in a classroom with a teacher. At other times, teaching assistants may pull-out small groups of students or individual students so that the teacher can give more attention to another group. When working with individual students who need specific help, the teaching assistant will have significant responsibility for determining the best way to serve that student's needs.
General Responsibilities- Facilitate relationships with parents and other community members.
- Lesson-plan under direction of teachers (to be done in a timely manner and submitted for review).
- Foster a safe and productive classroom environment for students.
- Serve as a Lunch/Recreo monitor at least once a week.
- Support your fellow teachers and teaching assistants in school and at home.
- Serve as an ambassador for BECA by helping to spread the word about our work to your families and friends.
- Ask for help when you need it!
- Sign 'Libro de asistencia' upon entering and leaving school each day (required by law).
- Attend all teacher meetings.
- Keep the office informed of any problems (disciplinary or otherwise) you are having with students or concerns you have about students.
- Keep student files updated with the information outlined in Student Files section.
- Manage library and computer room organization and scheduling.
Summer Camp Counselors
We are looking for Camp Counselors for our fourth annual Summer Camp for children in grades 1-6. The camp is structured to provide our students with opportunities to remain immersed in the English language over the summer through fun games and activities - making the transition back to classes in August less difficult than it would be if they had no exposure to English during the summer.
Summer Camp Counselors live in BECA's volunteer housing in Cofradia and are responsible for planning, executing and documenting daily activities for students. The goal is to make summer camp a fun way for students to maintain/increase their English language ability. To this end, Counselors work together to plan activities across disciplines including art, reading and writing, and physical activity.
Ideal candidates have a strong record of working with children, are exceedingly responsible and creative, and are willing to navigate multiple obstacles to success. Candidates are not required to speak Spanish, but it is helpful.
The commitment is six weeks (June 22-August 3). The first 2 weeks include orientation activities, opportunities to get to know students and families, and significant time for planning camp activities. Camp runs Monday to Friday during the final 4 weeks.
Our relationship with the community in Cofradia is very well-developed. Therefore, this is an excellent program for people who want to truly experience life in a pueblo. It will not be a resort experience (although there will be weekend opportunities to visit the beach, a cloud forest, and/or Mayan ruins), but we assure you that due to our local partners' commitment to the program, it will be the most genuine hospitality on earth! If you really want to make a difference in the lives of Honduras' children and in your own life, we encourage you to contact us without delay!
The costs for this experience are minimal. $600 ($100/week) includes food, accommodation and a high speed internet connection. To apply, please respond to the questions found at the bottom of the volunteer application. Send your responses, along with a copy of your resume, to summer@becaschools.org . College students, please note that we have successfully assisted students in applying for on-campus grant monies to cover this expense and travel. We encourage you to explore what opportunities your college offers to subsidize summer experiences. Please contact us if you have any questions.
Expenses
Your expenses would be travel to/from Honduras and money for personal travel/amenities. Additionally, we strongly recommend that volunteers consider the issue of health insurance. Many of our "recent college graduate" volunteers have been lucky enough to remain covered by their parents' insurance for their year with us. For those who do not fall in this category, we can recommend several quality low-cost insurance providers.
Please note that many of our volunteers have offset their out of pocket expenses by teaching English to adults in the evenings. Not only is this a great way to earn a bit of pocket money, it's a wonderful way to interact in a meaningful way with Hondurans over three feet tall! Finally, we are able to assist our volunteers in the process of deferring student loan payments.
The Application Process
In order to begin the application process, please complete the BECA Volunteer Application online.
Volunteer Accommodation Photos
The volunteers' pila
The "living room"
Volunteers' back terrace
Outside the house
Front of volunteers' house