Community Engagement in Valparaíso/Viña del Mar, Chile

Service learning with ISA was a life-changing experience and hands-down the most fun 2 months of my life. I had the opportunity to teach English to Chilean business professionals in a legitimate government institute called BestWork where I was given the responsibility of giving lectures to full classrooms and holding private tutor sessions. The volunteer work was amazing, and equally remarkable was life outside the office. ISA set me up with an incredibly loving family whose house immediately became a home away from home. Another huge perk of the program was the fact that ISA attracts students from all across America, so I made a ton of friends from Texas and California during the numerous social outings and tours organized by ISA. Saying goodbye to my host family and friends (and to my Chilean girlfriend!) was extremely difficult, but I remain in contact with them via Facebook because we formed lifelong relationships as a result of this very positive, quite unique shared experience abroad.

I can only think positive things about my experience in Valparaíso. Volunteering at Centro Bellavista, the Special Education Center, and working with the psychologist was such a great experience for me and so much fun. In the US, I have heard the statement, "The only disability in life is a bad attitude." Working at this placement allowed me to see the truth of that statement. Working with the students and helping them in their everyday school life was such a joy for me. The children always put a smile on my face no matter what. I loved the Chilean culture (especially the food), and my host family was SO caring and friendly. They made me feel like one of their own children. I still keep in touch with my host brothers on a regular basis. I really wish I could have stayed longer than a month so that I could have traveled more, but I will definitely have to return to Chile in my future. Overall, this was an amazing and valuable experience. I was able to immerse myself in the culture, strengthen my Spanish-skills, and gain life-changing skills that allowed me to grow in so many ways.

I chose AFS because I have friends from other countries that went on a AFS exchange program and said it was the best experience of their life. When I was abroad they helped me through my hard times.