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Childcare Volunteer Program in Colombia - Bogota
This project is currently not accepting applications.
Check out this similar project in Quito

Childcare Volunteer Program in Colombia - Bogota

Excited to try Childcare volunteering in Colombia - Bogotá? International Volunteer HQ’s Childcare project is based in early childhood centres in and around the city. The children often come from overcrowded living situations where they get little individual attention. Volunteers will gain experience in childcare and teaching while the children will benefit from the time, energy and interaction volunteers can give. Local teachers are also better placed to give high quality care when volunteers are there to lend a hand.

Highlights:
  • Programs start on the second and fourth Monday of each month
  • Affordable fees from AU$424 for 1 week
  • Includes accommodation, meals (monday to friday), airport pick up, orientation and 24/7 support
  • Give care and attention to disadvantaged children

  • Discover Colombia’s amazing biodiversity

  • Stay with othe volunteers in the safe neighborhood of El Quirinal, Bogotá

Key information

Provide a safe space for children to learn
Placements across Bogotá
Dormitory-style volunteer accommodation
Volunteers aged 18+
Fully hosted experience from AU$424 for 1 week
Durations from 1 - 24 weeks
Spanish language lessons available
Up to 5 hours volunteering a day

This program is ideal for:

Volunteers with plenty of energy and patience who like interacting with and caring for children. Experience or qualifications in early childhood education will be an advantage but these are not required as you’ll be teamed up with local staff.
Who is this program suited to?

What to expect and how you'll make an impact

Childcare volunteers are in high demand in Colombia to ease the workload of local staff who care for children who often come from overcrowded and disadvantaged living situations. By assisting in childcare centres, volunteers help busy local workers to provide more personalised care and attention, which fosters positive development and results in happy, fulfilling days for the children.

As a Childcare volunteer your help with the day-to-day tasks of looking after and entertaining those in your care means children get better access to individual attention from staff members.

Childcare volunteer work varies, but largely consists of:

  • Preparing and serving food
  • Organising games
  • Setting up activities, arts and crafts
  • Talking, playing and singing with children
  • Cleaning up after meal times
Contributes to United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal #4: Quality Education

Contributes to United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal #4: Quality Education

More than half of all children and teens do not meet minimum proficiency standards in reading and mathematics. Quality education provides an opportunity to learn and grow in a safe environment and is key to preventing poverty, securing long-term employment and improving quality of life.

Why do Childcare volunteering in Bogota with IVHQ?

While volunteering with children in Bogotá, you’ll be adding value to the local community, while also developing personally and professionally by:

  • Giving care and attention to local children
  • Helping students develop life skills in a safe place
  • Giving overworked local teachers a hand
  • Developing your communication skills
  • Gaining childcare experience
  • Immersing yourself fully in Colombian culture
  • Discovering Bogotá, Colombia’s exciting capital city

Volunteer requirements

  • Volunteers need to be 18 years or over to participate in this program. If you are under the age of 18, IVHQ offers alternative volunteer opportunities for teens. Visit our High School Volunteer Abroad page to learn more.
  • All volunteers are required to speak fluent English, have adequate volunteer travel insurance and provide a criminal background check to IVHQ before departure.

This project is currently not accepting applications.

Check out this similar project in Quito, Ecuador


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”Passing time with, learning from, and working with volunteers that come from all over the world was an unforgettable experience and opportunity for me. Being immersed in culture and community very different than my own and contributing to people who are outside of my immediate home or familiarity was also so enriching to me as an individual and world citizen...read more

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Volunteer Abroad in Colombia, Bogotá with IVHQ

Location

Bogotá is Colombia’s capital, its biggest city and home to several IVHQ projects.The sprawling metropolis is a hive of activity where you can find an interesting mixture of nature, history, culture and modern convenience. There are plenty of museums, markets and mountains to be seen and vibrant nightlife, shopping and delicacies to try.

Some projects are set in Bogotá’s surrounding neighborhoods rather than the central city.

Arrival and orientation

The program orientation begins on the second and fourth Monday of every month. Volunteers need to arrive in Bogotá the day before orientation.

After you have registered for the program, please book your flights to arrive at the El Dorado International Airport (BOG). Your airport pick-up is included in your Program Fee.

When you arrive, you will be greeted at the airport by a member of the local team and taken to the volunteer accommodation in Bogotá. Your accommodation is covered by your Program Fee and includes the night before your program orientation.

If you are travelling in Bogotá prior to your volunteer program, you will need to make your own way to the volunteer accommodation and the local team will provide guidance on this.

Orientation is taken by our Colombia team at the volunteer apartment in Bogotá. Orientation is held on your chosen start date and covers everything you need to know for your volunteer program in Colombia – an introduction to Colombia, Colombian customs, language training details, rules and expectations, safety, travel opportunities in Colombia, and an introduction to your project and placement. The orientation will also give you a chance to meet other volunteers and swap contact details for weekend travel and socialising.

Volunteer schedule example

First Day

On your first day of volunteering, you will be escorted to your placement by a local coordinator and introduced to the placement staff you will be working with.

Weekdays

Volunteers typically work in morning and afternoon shifts, but work hours are dependent on the project and placement. Volunteers on the Bogotá program can easily take part in a range of the projects if they would like to, this can be arranged with the local coordinators. A typical volunteer day is as follows:

7:30 AM Breakfast at the volunteer accommodation.
8:00 AM Volunteers leave home and travel to their placements.
8:30 AM - 1:00 PM Volunteer work and a lunch break.
1:00 PM - 3:30 PM Spanish lessons and volunteer work.
6:30 PM Dinner at the volunteer house.

Evenings

To ensure the safety of our volunteers and respect of others in the volunteer apartment, a curfew of 11:00 PM has been put in place from Sunday to Thursday and a 2:00 AM curfew for Friday and Saturday.

Weekends

During the weekends, volunteers have free time to relax or take the opportunity to explore Bogotá and wider Colombia. You can ride the cable car to Cerro de Monserrate, boasting breathtaking views of all of Bogotá, or in the centre of the city, walk the cobblestone streets of La Candelaria as you explore the Botero Museum, Gold Museum and Emerald Museum. At the Usaquen Flea Market, pick up souvenirs for friends and family, listen to live music, and stroll down more cobblestone streets set amid colonial architecture. Further afield, explore the coastal paradise of the Caribbean, the numerous hiking adventures of the Andes, or the natural wonders of the Orinoquia region.

Accommodation and WiFi

You’ll stay in a volunteer house in the safe neighborhood of El Qurinal. Bedrooms have bunk beds and volunteers can expect to be sharing a room with up to six other volunteers of the same gender. Bedding is not provided, so you’ll need to bring your own sleeping bag and fitted single sheet, towels and toiletries.

Living is comfortable and the volunteer apartment has electricity, running water and western bathrooms, generally with hot water. For couples or those wanting more privacy, private rooms in the volunteer apartment are available for an additional AU$39 per night. Private rooms are subject to availability.

WiFi is available at the volunteer house, although this can glitch out at times. You can purchase a local SIM card with data for an unlocked mobile phone to keep connected.

Meals

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served at the volunteer apartment Monday through Friday.

Breakfast is varied and can include pancakes, fruit, eggs and arepas (corn bread). Lunch and dinner include a range of traditional dishes like Ajiaco - a chicken soup or stew - and Bandeja Paisa - a platter of various foods including beans, rice, meats, egg, avocado and lemon.

During the weekends, volunteers can prepare their own meals using the ingredients provided, or can eat out at one of Bogotá’s many restaurants.

Tea, coffee, fresh juices and toast are available in the volunteer apartment throughout the day. Purified water is available in the volunteer house, however it is recommended that volunteers buy bottled water for drinking at their placements.

If you have any special dietary requirements, please let us know when you apply for the program so we can make arrangements for you.

Pricing

Duration
1 week AU$424 Equivalent to AU$61/day
2 weeks AU$644 Equivalent to AU$46/day
3 weeks AU$848 Equivalent to AU$40/day
4 weeks AU$1037 Equivalent to AU$37/day
5 weeks AU$1225 Equivalent to AU$35/day
6 weeks AU$1414 Equivalent to AU$34/day
8 weeks AU$1870 Equivalent to AU$33/day
10 weeks AU$2325 Equivalent to AU$33/day
12 weeks AU$2797 Equivalent to AU$33/day
16 weeks AU$3740 Equivalent to AU$33/day
20 weeks AU$4683 Equivalent to AU$33/day
24 weeks AU$5626 Equivalent to AU$33/day
  • Accommodation
  • Meals (Monday to Friday)
  • 24/7 in-country support
  • In-country program orientation
  • Pre-departure support from your Program Manager
  • Airport pick-up
  • Personalised preparation tools, guides and check lists
  • Access to IVHQ’s preferred insurance and flights partners
  • Certificate of International Volunteer Service

Learn more about what's included in your IVHQ Registration Fee and Program Fee.

  • All programs attract a Registration Fee of US$329 (approximately AU$517) in addition to the Program Fee. This covers all pre-departure support services. IVHQ fees are priced in USD but you may elect to pay in AUD.
  • A 5% international banking fee is added at point of payment.

Spanish language lessons

Spanish language lessons are available for all volunteers regardless of their ability. IVHQ recommends these lessons for all volunteers unless they are fluent in Spanish. Volunteers with a basic level of Spanish should strongly consider these lessons to allow them to work and communicate more effectively during their program. These language lessons are organised upon your arrival in Bogotá during your program orientation. The language course is tailored to each volunteer’s current level of Spanish. The cost is very affordable and offered exclusively to IVHQ volunteers at US$15 per 90 minutes. There is also ample opportunity to participate in conversation exchanges if your Spanish is at a more advanced level.

Check what's required to visit Colombia

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Safety and support with IVHQ

Safety and support

IVHQ follows best practice and industry-leading health and safety procedures, which are regularly reviewed and optimized as part of the B Corporation recertification.

  • All volunteers encouraged to complete our interactive pre-departure training.
  • All local teams trained on best practice volunteer management & First Aid.
  • All IVHQ programs are required to adhere to IVHQ's Risk Management Policy.
  • All volunteers have access to 24/7 in-country support from our local team.
Learn more about IVHQ's safety

Essential country information

Capital Bogotá
Population 50.3 million
Languages Spanish
Currency Colombian Peso (KES)
Time zone UTC-5:00

Weather and climate

Given Colombia’s proximity to the equator, the country experiences little variation in temperature throughout the year. However, the climate does vary greatly with changes in altitude, creating various climactic zones from hot, coastal lowlands to freezing, mountainous peaks. Bogotá has a mild climate that is generally characterised by frequent cloudiness and occasional drizzling rains throughout the year. Days are cool (averaging 19°C/65°F) and nights can be cold, due to the altitude (average 5°C/40°F).

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How to get started

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Pay the Registration Fee to secure your place and upgrade your MyIVHQ account
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