Volunteer Teaching English in Costa Rica

I did the teaching project in a community center for two weeks and it was an incredibly memorable experience; the people in San José are so lovely and I got to immerse in a lively culture through the students and the host family. Absolutely recommend this project!

You learn a lot about different cultures here and also get to experience it! This program helped open me up to different experiences/opportunities and it’s so much fun. You meet different people from all over the world and create extraordinary connections and unforgettable experiences:

My experience here was so incredible! From living with a local family to volunteering, I got the chance to be exposed to a whole different kind of life. The Maximo institute facilitated the experience the whole way and was very helpful with questions and concerns. Their Spanish teachers are also amazing!

I couldn’t have enjoyed this experience more. Maximo made every aspect of this a smooth transition. My setup at my host house was comfortable and provided everything I needed. I loved teaching at the church, these people truly changed me. Maximo Nivel, especially Viviana and Matt went above and beyond to make sure I was supported and able to get the most of my time here. It is very likely I will volunteer through Maximo Nivel again. My only complaint is I didn’t sign up to volunteer longer!

If you are looking to do something extraordinary and immerse yourself in a new culture I would highly recommend this program. Teaching has been fun, engaging, humbling and I’ve made some wonderful connections with my students. They are so happy to receive your help and I think I learned as much from them as they did from me.

I had a fantastic time teaching english in San Jose! I met so many awesome volunteers from around the world and worked with lots of kids from kindergarten to 6th grade. The teachers let me help out in any ways that I could and there were fun activities to do in my free time after work.

I volunteered to teach English with my best friend for two weeks. We loved the kids and teachers, and also had a kind host family. We got to practice Spanish a lot and explore San Jose in our free time. Definitely exercise caution, as it can be a little dangerous here but we were fortunate not to have any bad encounters. Our host family was not walking distance from Maximo and the school was far away, but luckily Uber is cheap and we would recommend!

I really enjoyed this program as it gave me so many opportunities to be independent and to immerse myself in the Spanish language. I thought San Jose was great but to an extent as we ran out of things to do by 4th or 5th day. Otherwise, the people were great, the host family was really nice, and I felt like I grew immensely from the experience!

When I signed up to teach English in San José, I thought it would be a fun way to practice my Spanish, learn about a different culture, and take a break from my usual routines, all while helping someone else learn (or strengthen) a useful skill. Little did I know how much the experience would change my life and teach me new skills. And I never dreamed that I would meet people who would become like family to me after only a few weeks! Working with an intercity before/after school organization that focuses on extending learning opportunities for under-priveliged children has been truly inspiring! Máximo Nivel is a well-organized, very professional organization and I highly endorse their programs. I will be volunteering with them again for sure!

Máximo Nivel is an incredible organization whose priority is clearly serving the local community. I felt like I was wholly welcomed into the existing life there and was given the opportunity to serve where my personal talents would be most useful. All the worries I had before coming here completely melted away once I met the awesome people at Máximo and the school I ended up volunteering in. I made so many new friends, young and old, but the kids I taught are who I'll miss most. If you come with nothing, don't worry, Máximo has an incredible support system and resources for all their projects and volunteers. All I can say is I wish I were staying longer!

My experience at Maximo Nivel has been some of the best weeks of my life! I have enjoyed every minute from volunteering at Casa Amor, our house accommodations at Marisol’s, staff and activities at Maximo, and meeting everyone from all over the world! All the locals here in Costa Rica has been so friendly and nice especially after a car accident that we encountered. I can’t recommend Maximo enough for other volunteers looking to gain real world experience and make meaningful memories! ¡Gracias por todo!

This experience opened my eyes to education in a different light. I have now started to explore this for a future endeavor and it has motivated me to starting learning Spanish again. I am very grateful to the teachers of Escuela 15 de Agosto, Máximo Nivel, and IVHQ. It was an experience I will never forget.

Truthfully the most beautiful country I have ever visited. They live by the motto pura vida and that just is amazing. The students and teachers we interacted with could not have been better! This experience was so amazing and worth every moment! I really felt connected to the people and got to see some amazing things on this trip!

I had fun , loved the students. It was very confusing with knowing who and what grades we were teaching each day. Love the weather, love the workers, love Hazel and Miguel. love Anastasia. It was a life changing experience

It was beautiful working with the kids and emerging myself in the culture. Everyone here was so kind and the country was one of a kind. I am beyond grateful for this experience it was wonderful all around.

In Costa Rica, I had a very nice time working with the kids and staff! If I had to change something, I wish there was more structure provided in the classroom that helping English teachers, but overall the experience was great!

I had such an amazing time here. I was so nervous to come here but enjoyed every second. I love Anastasia, the host family, and all that Costa Rica stands for! The kids were wonderful and I loved the atmosphere they created. Pura vida!

The students were so doting, kind, and excited to learn! I was happy to learn more Spanish and be immersed in the classroom and culture. We had so many opportunities to take over the class and really share our teaching styles the way we wanted to!

I am so grateful I was able to practice teaching English as a second language and to see how it made a difference in each students way of talking and writing in English. They really loved the games and lessons. I came with my own lessons, but Maximo also had a lot of support and lessons to provide, which were all great lessons as well. Thank you for the support, Maximo Nivel!

I really enjoyed the program and my experience overall! Maximo Nivel and its employees are perfect and amazing to work with. The host family and house are so great and comfortable. The program was advertised as teaching English though, and I have done none of that. I don’t have a program with day care work, but it should be advertised as so since I did sign up TO teach English not to take care of kids. Still love the program and the kids though, don’t worry! I will definitely be coming back to Maximo Nivel :)