Volunteer Classroom Teacher

I first volunteered with BECA as a one-month summer camp counselor. I promised myself that as soon as my contractual obligations in the States were up, I would return. In July 2017, I did just that and began my full-year time as the San Jeronimo Bilingual School Middle School English Language Arts teacher. During my time with BECA, I hands-down got more out than I was able to put in. To be clear: this was one of (if not THE) most challenging experience in my life, but it was even more so rewarding. My living arrangements were comfortable. I had as consistent WiFi (barring the occasional power outage on a rainy day) as possible, a seemingly endless supply of clean drinking water, and easy access to affordable, fresh food. I had incredible views of the sunrise over the mountains right from my bedroom and kitchen windows. Yes, there were some adjustments to make: showers without hot water or air conditioning, for example. That said, BECA has made significant changes over the years to improve the volunteers' standards of living. There was a washer/dryer, personal bedroom fans, large toaster oven and microwave (split between two apartments), and years of donated kitchen equipment from former volunteers. My school had many basic supplies: a copier, paper, glue, markers, color printer, etc. I did provide many of my own supplies, but the BECA stipend helped cover some of those. I purchased much less for my classroom than I've had to as a full-time teacher in the U.S. The Honduran school faculty and staff were wonderful to work with, and my students (though certainly teenagers) were incredible young people with so much love and potential. Because most of the teachers from abroad do not have as much experience in the classroom, it is important to build relationships and learn from the local employees. There was flexibility in the curriculum, which I really liked. I had four previous years of teaching experience, which allowed me to modify the curriculum fairly smoothly to meet the needs of my students. That said, there was enough material left from previous teachers and built into the curriculum that I didn't feel totally left to my own devices. When traveling, I was cautious but I never encountered any trouble or precarious situations. I always traveled with a partner, kept all valuables out of sight, did not travel by foot often after dark, and arranged taxi rides ahead of time. Be prepared for last-minute changes and anticipate the unknown. Also, having a full winter and spring break was also exciting, as I had time to travel home or visit new cities/towns. All this said, I would never take back this year of my life with BECA and my school, SJBS. I still talk with my former students, and I can't wait to visit them again this summer. Relationships matter, and when you volunteer with BECA you are guaranteed to build powerful ones that you can choose to maintain for life.

If you are interested in deep volunteer work and real immersion in a Honduran community, this is the program for you. The teacher training was excellent (my friends tell me it is on par with, or even better than, their graduate-level coursework in education). The opportunity to not only have a classroom of students, but to get to know their families through frequent home visits, allows for a kind of cultural exchange I haven't experienced anywhere else. Cortes is beautiful--surrounded by mountains, with gorgeous flora. This is not a light, free-for-all year of partying abroad (though there are many opportunities for laughing and socializing with other volunteers and Hondurans!), but rather, a thoughtful and engaging year that taught me important skills for teaching, working in communities that are culturally different from the way I grew up, and speaking Spanish.

I happened across BECA in a Google search in 2009 when looking for a volunteer experience abroad. I began as a summer camp volunteer for the summer of 2009 and upon graduation in 2011 I decided to return to BECA as a year-long volunteer teacher. As life would have it, I ended up staying on as a 6th grade volunteer teacher for two years (2011-2013). Since then, I have remained strongly connected to the local community, returning several times, and engaged in BECA as I have served as a trainer in their teacher preparation program in 2018. When searching for service experiences abroad, one looks for factors such as authenticity of the program and impact in the local community, affordability to the volunteers and if one as a volunteer will "get something out of it". BECA's origins and history in the communities they serve is an exemplar of a sustainable program created with the local community to ensure long-term progress towards shared goals. As a volunteer, you can "get as much out of it" as you want. You can practice your Spanish a ton or not at all. You can interact with warm, welcoming families from school who will invite you over for dinner or not at all. BECA's active alumni community will welcome you with open arms during and after your service. For me, and most BECA volunteers I know, my time spent with BECA shaped my perspective and life in ways I could not have predicted. I highly recommend participating in BECA's year-long teacher program. One does not have to have a strong Spanish background or teaching background to be successful, although those characteristics will only be a plus.