Volunteer Classroom Teacher

Deciding to volunteer abroad is no easy feat. Whether you’re feeling pressure from society or your family to get a job, looking for a break from the Western world, or just looking for a new place to call home, picking the right program is tough. We provide those with a desire to impact social change with the training and support to volunteer teach Honduran youth, connect to a local community, and make a global impact.

Why Should You Volunteer with BECA?

• One year of service (more is always welcome)
• Learn & practice Spanish
• Become a member of the Honduras community
• Strengthen your resume
• Gain international work experience
• You have a team to help support you
• Grow personally and professionally
• No teaching experience required––we train you!
• Travel throughout Honduras and Central America
• Immerse in another culture
• Make a true impact

With over 20 years of educating in Central America, BECA has placed over 250 individuals just like you in our partner schools as volunteer teachers. Our volunteers all come from different backgrounds. Sure, some are educators… but others are recent college grads, marketing professionals, lawyers, or even retired. Regardless of employment history, we all share the desire to make an impact in a place that truly needs it.

About BECA

BECA exists to provide quality, affordable bilingual education to the educationally disenfranchised while fostering meaningful cultural exchange. BECA’s model is more than an international teaching program; we distinguish ourselves by the breadth and depth of our community engagement, our dedication to fostering long-term relationships with our communities, and our commitment to ensuring that our BECA teachers are trained and supported to unleash the amazing potential of their students and to learn from them and their families.

Responsibilities

• Facilitate relationships with students’ parents and other community members
• Plan lessons and teach in English (all subjects with the exception of Social Studies and Spanish)
• Foster a safe and productive classroom environment for students
• Periodically serve as a Lunch/Recess monitor
• Collaborate with the teaching team (Honduran and International) on school projects, events, planning, and curriculum development
• Contribute to the collaborative and respectful group living experience
• Serve as an ambassador for BECA by helping to spread the word about our work to your families and friends
• Participate in professional development events, such as local education-based conferences, and BECA-lead efforts

Requirements

• A Bachelor’s degree by June 2024 (all majors welcome to apply!)
• Candidate with an Associate’s degree may be considered, and are encouraged to apply
• A commitment to BECA’s mission and a dedication to social justice
• Strong interpersonal and cross-cultural skills
• Capacity to manage multiple tasks simultaneously
• Willingness to operate in a low-resource environment under challenging living conditions

Preferred Qualifications

• Have experience with AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, or other international (or domestic!) teaching programs

Benefits

• A monthly food stipend
• Local transportation to/from the airport
• Housing (within a shared living accommodation)
• High-speed internet, and all utilities, provided by BECA
• Assistance in obtaining temporary residency status, or support with obtaining a temporary VISA, depending on volunteer need/local regulations
• Intensive summer training, and ongoing training and professional development throughout the academic year
• Immersion in a Spanish speaking community, with opportunities for Spanish-language acquisition

About the Role

BECA invites ~6 international volunteers to join our volunteer teaching team each year, supporting both elementary and middle school students at 2 local schools, San Jeronimo Bilingual School and Santa Monica Bilingual School. At a high level, each volunteer teacher is responsible for:

• Leading an English curriculum for students in grades PreK-9 in ELA, Science, Math, Art, PE and Computers (all classes are capped at 25 students, and most teachers take on one full curriculum for a grade level)
• Supporting fellow teachers in the classroom, getting to know your students and their families, and immersing oneself in Honduran culture

Prior to arrival, international volunteers will have 2-3 virtual onboarding calls to prepare for their time in-country. Our international team arrives in-country in June 2024, and are placed in a homestay with a local family upon arriving in Honduras before moving into BECA housing. The initial weeks in-country are spent embarking on a summer-long training program that teaches you: the BECA curriculum, classroom management, and so much more. Once the school year begins, BECA teachers receive ongoing professional development and training throughout the academic year.