Costa Rica seeks volunteers to teach English for sustainable tourism development

If you're looking for a way to support sustainable tourism development, have a background in English teaching, and have the ability to take off for three months to a year, here's a new volunteer opportunity worth looking into. The recently established Costa Rican English for Sustainable Tourism (CREST) program is seeking volunteer English teachers to help improve the international marketability of its tourism industry. Another goal is to provide Costa Ricans of all social classes and regional origins with the language skills to gain access to high-paying tourism jobs.

According to the CREST website, the program is part of "a government sponsored initiative that seeks to improve the country´s economic competitiveness by increasing the number of English-speaking professionals by 2017." CREST is coordinated by ALIARSE Foundation, which works to promote sustainable development and social responsibility in Costa Rica. Support for the program comes from the Ministry of the Presidency of Costa Rica, the Ministry of Tourism, public and private enterprises, and various local development associations.

Volunteers serve either as teaching assistants in technical high schools or as community leaders teaching employees from hotels, restaurants, and local ecotourism companies. Applicants are required to have a college degree and Teaching of English as a Foreign Language certification or the equivalent.

The program offers volunteers the opportunity to learn of improve their Spanish through immersion in a local community. Volunteers have a choice of living either with carefully selected Costa Rican host families or in international dormitories with other volunteers and a regional coordinator.

Volunteers choose between a full-year commitment, starting in January, or a six-month commitment, starting in January or July. For volunteers unable to commit to a long-term stay, CREST also offers a summer program beginning in June.

Although CREST does charge volunteers a fee, the charge is less than many that for many comparable programs. The current costs are:

• Full-year program: $1,750 plus $1,000 refundable deposit
• Half-year and summer programs: $1,250 plus $1,000 refundable deposit

All programs include transportation to and from the airport, lodging and three meals a day, support and 24-hour backup, teaching materials, professional and educational mentoring, and administrative costs. The full- and half-year programs also include a five-day induction program. The refundable deposit is required to cover the costs of getting a new volunteer if you leave early or are dismissed for misconduct.

CREST recommends applying to the program three months ahead of the desired start date in order to ensure sufficient time for paperwork processing and other preparations.