Volunteer Role & Benefits

English Opens Doors Program is a fee-free program serving Chile’s youth. EODP volunteers make a lasting impact on the lives of their students, motivating them to improve their English and participate in cross cultural exchange.

The English Opens Doors Program is seeking committed volunteer teachers who wish to make a significant impact on the English language level of their students in a short period of time. The English Opens Doors Program is not seeking volunteers whose primary motivations are to travel or learn Spanish. While volunteers will most likely learn a great deal of Spanish, we encourage volunteers to travel in Chile after their program ends. A volunteer’s primary focus must be 100% on teaching and supporting their students.

What do volunteers do?

Volunteers teach independent classes under the supervision of a Chilean head teacher in public schools. Volunteers are placed throughout Chile and work with students ranging from 5th grade(10-11 years old) to 12th grade (17-18 years old). The volunteer’s main responsibilities are to:

• Motivate students to learn English.
• Help students improve their speaking and listening skills.
• Share their own culture with students, thus broadening their worldview.
• Spend 24 hours a week in the classroom, 7 hours a week lesson planning, and 4 hours a week leading an extracurricular activity. Each volunteer has the flexibility to determine what specific extracurricular activity they’d like to lead with their students.
• Participate in English Camps, Public Speaking competitions, Spelling Bee competitions, and any other initiatives carried out by the English Opens Doors Program.

Each EODP volunteer is expected to:

• Act as an ambassador for his or her home country and for the Chilean Ministry of Education. As such, he or she is responsible for his or her personal conduct and behavior as well as his or her level of professionalism at all times.
• Support and facilitate your students’ learning by:
  • Creating an atmosphere and class style that allows students to feel more comfortable and expressive in an all-English environment.
  • Making the subject of English entertaining by planning and carrying out didactic classes and activities focused on stimulating students’ “speaking and listening” abilities.
  • Providing your students with the opportunity to learn about your culture thereby promoting the English language as a gateway to other cultures.
• Be proactive and independent, and to take initiative in regards to his or her personal health, safety and well-being.
• Regard his or her students, colleagues, host family, and fellow volunteers with an attitude of mutual learning, cooperation, and respect.
• Read, understand, and abide by the 2016 Terms of Participation.
• Maintain a superior level of communication with the National Volunteer Center and Regional Representatives. More details on the communication protocols will be given during volunteer orientation.
• Generally maintain their volunteer work and role in their school community as their primary focus and priority, over travel and recreation.

Applicants must:

• Be a native or near-native English speaker.
• Have completed a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university and be between 21 and 35 years old.
• Be mentally and physically capable of teaching children.
• Be willing to dedicate their energy and time to teaching and to make students their priority.
• Have experience living or travelling in another country.
• Have an interest in Chilean culture and living in a developing country.
• Be highly committed, responsible, and flexible.
• Have access to sufficient funds in order to cover personal expenditures throughout the duration of the program.
• Assume the associated costs (transportation to consulate, cost of obtaining documents) of obtaining a Temporary Residence Visa before arriving in Chile. Direct visa fees from the consulate will be waived.
• Assume the cost of international transportation to Santiago according to the program start date.

Volunteers receive:

• TEFL training specific to the volunteer context during a week-long orientation (food and accommodations provided).
• Online Spanish course.
• A volunteer allowance of CLP 70,000 per month served (equivalent to CLP 2,333 per day) to reimburse local transportation or other costs related to teaching.
• Facilitation of a basic Chilean bank account.
• Accommodations and meals with a host family.
• Health insurance (in-country).
• Pre-departure information and support.
• Airport transfers to accommodations upon arrival for volunteers who arrive on designated dates.
• Assistance registering the visa and obtaining a Chilean I.D. card.
• Round-trip transportation from Santiago to the regional placement site.
• In-country support from the National Volunteer Center as well as the Regional English Opens Doors Representative.
• Year-long volunteers receive a week of paid vacation, in addition to regular holidays.

Important: EODP does not charge volunteers a fee for participation. In addition, temporary residence visa fees are waived for EODP volunteers.