Teaching English—Volunteer in Guatemala!

I had an amazing time working with the children and teaching English. Maximo Nivel was awesome at organizing and communicating! I felt like I was able to make a real difference interacting with the kids even for only one week.

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Maximo was great and the staff was very friendly and helpful! I was part of the volunteer teaching program and the students I worked with were so amazing. They were patient when we came across small language barriers and I rarely ever saw anyone without a smile on their faces. Along with this Guatemala is a beautiful place to visit and is filled with so many great things to do and a plethora of lovely and friendly people. Through Maximo I met such great people and formed friendships that I know will last a lifetime!

This was my first experience as a volunteer abroad so I wasn´t certain what to expect. I was thrilled to be assigned to teach English twice a week at Lumanires, a home for 15 teenage girls, located near Antigua. The girls attend a local school, so these classes are for enrichment purposes. They are very kind and helpful in addition to being a lot of fun. The biggest challenge for me (a certified TEFL instructor with no practical teaching experience) was the girls are at various levels on the English speaking scale, from very little English to high basic. I tried to encourage them to work in groups and help each other. The Lumanaires staff also want to learn English so I taught them three mornings a week. Ofcourse, their maturity made this a different experience from teaching teenagers! They all are very appreciative and take the opportunity to learn English seriously.

I had the pleasure of teaching English lessons to children between the ages of nine to fifteen years old and adults! The coordinators at Mountains of Grace were very genuine, friendly and always have such a positive attitude! I would highly recommend this placement to anyone is open to living an authentic experience! :)

Currently completing one month in the the Teaching English project in Antigua, and i'm so sad to be leaving! The Staff at Maximo were always so helpful and inviting and the directors and kids at Mountains of Grace will always hold a special place in my heart! Anybody who is considering volunteering here; do it! This is one experience that will enrich the rest of my life!

Teaching English in Duenas was a great experience. The kids really appreciate any interaction with them and they are able to always put a smile to your face. There was no point during my stay where I felt uncomfortable or scared. in total, it was a live changing enrichment and I definitely will have to come back!

I volunteered through Maximo Nivel for 11 weeks in total teaching English. Originally for nine, but I loved it so much that I came back to take the TEFL course and volunteer for another two. I signed up for volunteering teaching English and was placed with a program in San Antonio called Creating Opportunities for Guatemalans (COG). My role was creating and teaching English lessons everyday for three different classes that were split up by age/level (6-18 years old). It was a little stressful at first because I’d never taught before, but Maximo Nivel offered some resources and suggestions, and a project manager stopped in a few times a week to make sure I was doing alright/everything was running smoothly. It didn’t take long to get into a rhythm, and develop strong relationships with my students. Some of them still message me on Facebook from time to time (months after I left). Volunteering with COG was easily one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had; I’ve returned once already and am sure that I’ll be back again at some point. The kids there are so incredibly sweet, curious, energetic, and intelligent. They have so much potential to do wonderful things, and I’m so grateful to have gotten to contribute some to their education. Many people I met at Maximo Nivel had similar experiences at their various projects, so my only warning would be that the people you meet and the experiences you have will make it very hard to leave.

As a voluntary service, I teach English to the police. I’m a primary school teacher at home, I’ve been teaching for 3 years before I started travelling. Maximo Nivel provided me with a detailed curriculum and two student books that I can use to get copies done. Also my project manager showed my the project location on my first day and comes to visit me from time to time. Other than that I didn’t get too many instructions. To me this wad fine but I imagine people without any teaching experience could be struggling with that kind of situation. I absolutely love teaching English to the police. This definitely is a once in a lifetime experience. I can learn so much teaching ESL and also work with adults instead of kids. So far, I enjoyed every single day of teaching! There’s only one thing I really do not like about my voluntary work. I wasn’t and am still not really informed where the money went, that I paid to be in this project. I was thinking that the money I paid would help my project, for example to buy student’s books (they only have notebooks and the copies I get them). Apparently the money goes to a fund and then Maximo Guatemala decides which project is in need of money and then spends the money there. Since I spent quite a bit of money on my volunteer project, I think I would deserve to know EXACTLY where my money goes. For the future, I will not book a voluntary work anymore, where I don’t know exactly where my money will go. Maximo really needs to be more transparent about their programme fees in order to avoid discomposure and angry costumers who do not want to return!

This has been one of the best places Ive been firstly because its beautiful and second because the people have been incredibly accepting and patient whether its been with helping me with my Spanish or with just making new friends. From the kids in the school to the ladies who keep the house everyone has made my stay beyond incredible. I wish there is more that i could say besides thank you to all the people at Maximo who make this possible.

The in country staff are amazing and so helpful (with everything!!)!! Every question I had they answered! The placements were wonderful and you can see the real impact Maximo is having! I did the holiday program and was able to see a little bit of everything as they have you in a few placements due to different organizations availability over the holidays. I highly recommend it!

I absolutely loved my time in Antigua, Guatemala. It was such an incredible experience for numerous reasons. Firstly, I think as a nurse I was able to be very helpful in the clinic where I was placed. The people were lovely, and I think the work I did was really appreciated and helpful. Not only was my placement wonderful, but I met the most incredible people while volunteering. They are friends that I will have for a lifetime. I also still had time to explore many places in Guatemala and just enjoy life in Antigua. I loved my experience and Maximo Nivel and their staff were a big part of that. Thank you so much for everything! I highly recommend this program to anyone interested in having a unique volunteer experience.

My experience was absolutely wonderful! My six months volunteering in Guatemala changed me for the better! I could not have asked for a better project, better Spanish lessons, or a better staff there to support me during my time! I hope to go back someday and I highly recommend going to anyone who is thinking about it:)

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1Peter 4:10 "As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace." I cannot even begin to put into words this life changing as adventure! The first day, I was all alone in a different country, with no friends, no Spanish background, and very limited WiFi!?! It was scary and intimidating but literally by day three, I adapted rather quickly and felt like I had been there for months!! It truly, truly changed my life. My first week was consumed by Spanish classes, in which my "Spanglish" improved enough for me to get by, and was introduced to my students. The students I taught came to a one room building in a community member's backyard and was properly dubbed "The Backyard School." Those little angels have changed me for the better and humbled me so very, very much so! Their eagerness to learn, gratitude for EVERYTHING and just overall joy was abounding and infectious!!! I will FOREVER be connected to that developing school. They taught me more than I could have ever hoped to teach them! I also was afforded the most magnificent cultural experiences, my favorite being climbing a volcano and taking in absolutely breath taking views. I made friends from all over the globe and had THE BEST housemates AND host family I could have ever imagined!! The Backyard school family, community and students include some of the most amazing people I have ever met and I truly want to continue to help them create the vision they have for their students. If you are interested in positively impacting the lives of many children, please volunteer and request this program. I guarantee it will change your life!

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I will start by saying Guatemala is a beautiful country with beautiful people. This is the second time I have gone to Central America through IVHQ and Maximo Nivel, and I have felt safe, well advised, and supported through these organizations. I loved my teaching English experience at the Rosa De Amor Orphanage in Guatemala. The children and staff were absolutely wonderful. They appreciate and love the time and creativity you bring to their site. I would absolutely go through Maximo Nivel again, and would highly recommend going to Guatemala. <3333

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You won't want to leave! I was only in Antigua for two weeks teaching English to a wide range of students from the ages of 9 to about 14 but the the teachers and director of the school were very welcoming and made the experience even better. Learning English is highly valued in Guatemala since it offers the locals more employment opportunities so you will find students who are eager to learn whatever it is that you would have to offer. With that being said, I would recommend at least learning some basic Spanish phrases to communicate with the locals and really make the most out of the experience. Aside from teaching, Antigua is a beautiful town with plenty of cute restaurants, vendors, and travel companies for weekend trips.

I volunteered in Antigua, Guatemala for three weeks and stayed in a volunteer house with many other volunteers around the world. I am so grateful that I was able to go and teach children - English! I taught English to kids in a public school from grades 1-6, this was a great learning and teaching experience for me! Maximo Nivel provided a great orientation and TEFL crash course. The staff at Maximo Nivel were always very nice, always had a smile on their faces, and always said hi or asked how you were doing. I definitely recommend teaching English in Guatemala. It was an unforgettable, life changing experience.

The support from Maximo during the duration of your stay is amazing. There´s great food everywhere in Antigua and as long as your cautious of what you are doing you will never feel unsafe. Getting to know the kids while teaching English was so much fun, and they are all very welcoming and friendly. Don´t worry if you don´t speak Spanish, language barriers become very easy to deal with after you get to know the people you are trying to communicate with.

I chose to start this visit with a mini adventure week. It was well planned but, as I was the only one in most activities, it felt a little isolated. With a lot of down time in El Salvador and at Tikal, I had to learn to relax even when it was quite warm. Would have liked a little more structure and social contact, although sites and guides were great. The subsequent three weeks of volunteering out of Antigua have been lots of fun. Tomorrow I get to see the kite flying in Sonango, which will be great too. At my project in San Antonio Aguascalientes I was able to work with very warm and beautiful children ranging from four to 13 years of age, they were very loving. I'll miss them. The peace and beauty of Lake Atlitlan made an awesome weekend trip. My home stay has been a great social experience with a wonderful host mom and revolving cast of housemates. It's great to go on a vacation and be involved in the community you are visiting. Guatemala is a wonderful country rich in history and culture that one gain learn more and more about.