Volunteers from around the world live with us in a shared house above Ipanema. In return for a small daily contribution, they teach English, coach sports, or mentor local entrepreneurs alongside our permanent local staff.
This is truly a volunteering experience, as opposed to a working experience, with plenty of time to explore the city and shift into vacation-mode. You will not be expected to do any class prep or admin work outside of class hours. We employ two long-term teachers (including a now-fluent former student), who know all our students well, providing much needed continuity to our classes. By teaching in our classes, you allow us to bring down student:teacher ratios (1:3 is our goal), speeding up our students' progress by making the lesson more student-focused. While there is no pressure to design classes yourself, we greatly value the ideas that come from the 10-15 volunteers who stay with us each month from all over the world, and we are always excited to improve our curriculum. Our classes are 100% free for all favela residents.
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It was an excellent experience, I connected a lot with the local culture. The Favela Inc project is fantastic. The weeks I spent at the project was one in a lifetime experience, Having the opportunity to teach and learn at the same time in a cultural exchange with the locals which is also a big chance to learn the language.
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FAQs
Get answers to all the most common questions about Escola Casa do Mar.
You’ll share a volunteer house in Vidigal, living in community with other travelers in a space surrounded by ocean views and rainforest.
you walk through the neighborhood to class, teach in small groups, and spend the rest of the day enjoying the area — beach time, hikes, or community activities in Rio de Janeiro.
The program is an NGO run by volunteers. The contribution helps cover school materials, transport to teaching sites, housing, administration, and a lead teacher so the classes remain 100% free for students.
It’s not just volunteering — it’s full cultural immersion. You live, teach, and connect the community every day, building real relationships while making a tangible impact.
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