Mente Argentina: International Volunteer Programs

My experience with Mente was wonderful, especially as someone who is mid-career--they helped to arrange my trip to accommodate this fact so that not only did it run smoothly but I had plenty of opportunities to meet others in the program during the weekly cultural events, which were a highlight for me. It was also nice to be able to adapt my Spanish lessons, and the availability of the program coordinators helped me to feel truly taken care of. Thank you, Mente, for making my experience in Buenos Aires!

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I joined Mente Argentina for a two month volunteer program combined with Spanish lessons, and I can confidently say it was truly an amazing opportunity. For starters, Mili and Sam, both of whom got me set up when I first got to Buenos Aires, were kind, welcoming, responsive, and made sure that I had everything I needed throughout the duration of the program. They both put in so much work every day to make these programs fun, interesting, and eye-opening for everyone involved. Mente additionally puts on weekly activities for all of its participants, where individuals can get to know one another and create community. I would strongly recommend that everyone go to as many of these as possible, as it is a great way to meet new people and explore areas of the city that you aren’t as knowledgeable about. Through these events, I was able to visit a theatre, museums, restaurants, the Japanese Garden, and many more. The volunteer work that I did focused around a home for children, and I was able to play with and develop connections with kids ages 0-12. Every day, I would travel to this home for a few hours, bring games and art for the kids, and sometimes help them with a meal as well. It was both a great way to practice Spanish, as well as an amazing opportunity to learn more about what life is like for a young student in the city. I felt like my time here was very well-spent, and I came out of this position with a much better understanding of the schooling and healthcare systems in Argentina as well. For my housing, I was able to stay in a residence for students attending university in Buenos Aires. I had three roommates for the majority of my stay, two of which were from Ecuador and one who was from Northern Argentina. I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to get to know them, and they made me feel welcomed from the moment I arrived. All in all, I would strongly recommend Mente Argentina for anyone looking for an immersive, independent experience in an urban city. The volunteer program and Spanish lessons work with your schedule, so you develop a sustainable routine while still having plenty of time to explore the city on your own. There are many fun day trips as well from the city center, such as taking the ferry to Colonia in Uruguay or going up to the delta Tigre in a nearby province. I am so appreciative for everyone that I met during my time with Mente and I hope to return to Buenos Aires someday soon! Below are a few photos from my stay-

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Mente gave me a warm welcome in Argentina, they organised my arrival and already prepared a sim and metro card. The apartment was wonderful and had a rooftop terrace, could not wish for something better.

My name is Patricia, I’m from Ireland, a very small town in rural Ireland, and I came to Buenos Aires to learn some Spanish and to do a little bit of volunteer work under the wing of Mente Argentina with David, Pia, Sofia, and all of his team. I’ve had a wonderful experience, I wouldn’t have been able to do it without them, they were caring and minding me all the way and made everything very easy so I got to know the city. I love Buenos Aires, I thought it was the most beautiful city, and I will be back. My Spanish has improved even though I am now writing in English. I also had wonderful experiences visiting Salta, Jujuy, Mendoza, and Iguazú. So I certainly would like to thank Mente Argentina, they couldn’t have been better.

Hi, my name is Madeleine, I go to Boston College and I went to do the Mente Spanish program and also some volunteering in a hospital. My favorite part of Mente has just been the community that I’ve had since I’ve been here, getting to know the administrators and all of the students who come through Mente’s programs, it’s been incredible. There are about two organized activities a week and all of them have been fun. Last week we all had a snack together at a famous Buenos Aires café and we went to Fuerza Bruta, which is an incredible show. So I have really enjoyed the community, like my wonderful host family, they are so loving, and they have really helped me with my Spanish. Being able to travel around Argentina with the other people that I have met, having a lot of amazing adventures and exploring the city, in general, has been great.

Hi, I’m Amanda and I am with the Mente Argentina Volunteer Program. It was a great program because my best friend from home and I wanted to come to Argentina and volunteer and practice our Spanish speaking skills. Mente was great because they set us up to work at a hospital to volunteer in were we got to practice Spanish and interact with kids and overall amazing people and through Mente we got to meet even more people, they had a lot of excursions and social activities planned for us to not feel alone here and It was just an amazing experience. I loved the people, the culture, the food, the shopping here, the subte how can you get anywhere on the subway or the bus for nothing. Our host family was awesome; they were great at finding us the perfect match. I’m sad to leave.

I am from Kentucky, USA, and I came to Buenos Aires through Mente Argentina because it was highly recommended by my advisors at my school, and I am super happy I did it. During the two months that I was there volunteering, they connected with me the whole way. There are always events you can go to on their Facebook website and they are always more than happy to answer all the questions that you have. I volunteered because more than anything I wanted to practice the language, Castellano and I already spoke Spanish pretty well. The volunteering program was also super awesome because I was able to work with kids and people from the outside of everyday Buenos Aires city life, so I was able to see a completely different side of the city that usually you wouldn’t be able to see. I am very happy I came through Mente; they got me through in every step of the way. I got to know multiple areas inside Buenos Aires and todos son buena onda.