Teach English in Honduras (1-year Program; Living stipend included)

The Organization: Bilingual Education for Central America (BECA) was founded in 2001 to provide high quality education to low-income communities throughout Honduras. We typically recruit recent US college graduates (ages vary from 21 to 30) who are service-minded, enjoy working in team environments, and are curious about cultural exchange. Those teachers undergo an intensive 6-week teacher training in Honduras in July and August before being matched to one of our partner schools. Currently, we operate in conjunction with three K-through-9 schools just outside of the San Pedro Sula area, and as a requirement, each school has significant parent ownership and deep community involvement. Our model is built on partnership between Hondurans committed to high quality, progressive education and foreigners interested in a truly authentic cultural immersion.

Our Volunteers: BECA aims to provide its volunteers with a challenging, transformative experience that gives an in-depth understanding of grassroots international development, underserved Central American communities, bilingual teaching strategies, and community capacity building techniques. As a result, BECA teachers develop the skills and responsibilities to be effective teachers, communicators, and leaders. Afterwards, BECA teachers go on to become Fulbright scholars; microfinance specialists; US Foreign Service Officers; charter school teachers; World Bank employees; non-profit executives; law, business, and public policy students. Does this sound intriguing?

If so, BECA wants to hear from you. Every year, BECA assembles a team of committed volunteers who want to dedicate themselves to the difficult but rewarding work that we do in Honduras. We seek enthusiastic, curious, diverse, and thoughtful volunteers. For every application, we consider the applicant's volunteer service, international engagement, teaching experience, and academic record. BECA volunteer positions are competitive; our typical admissions rate hovers around 15 to 20%. Please note that applicants need not be certified teachers nor fluent Spanish speakers.

Living Stipend and Expenses: BECA is committed to a diverse team of teachers regardless of economic background, which is why we cover room and board for all of our volunteers. Any expenses you will incur include travel to/from Honduras and money for personal travel/amenities. Additionally, we strongly encourage that volunteers purchase their own health insurance as BECA does not provide any coverage. Many of our "recent college graduate" volunteers have been lucky enough to remain covered by their parents' insurance for their year with us. For those who do not fall in this category, we can suggest several low-cost insurance providers our volunteers have relied on in the past. Please note that many of our volunteers have offset their out of pocket expenses by teaching English to adults in the evenings. Finally, if student loans are a concern, many of our volunteers have successfully deferred payment for a year with our assistance.

Job responsibilities include (but are not limited to): • Planning lessons and teaching all subjects except Spanish and Honduran Social Studies; • Collaborating with the teaching team (Honduran and International) on school projects, events planning, curriculum development; • Providing consistent communication with parents and other community members; • Contributing to collaborative and respectful group living experience.

Job benefits include (but are not limited to): • The opportunity to participate in a true international development experience; •The opportunity to live & work with Spanish speaking colleagues & community members; • The opportunity to gain valuable teaching experience while learning more about yourself; • The opportunity to foster long-lasting friendships with Honduran families and other members of the volunteer team; • Career development assistance and access to BECA's growing network of successful alumni.

Health & Safety: Living abroad, particularly in a developing country, presents a number of risks that you may not face at home. We are committed to the health and safety of our volunteers in order to mitigate those risks to the extent possible through the implementation of thoughtful policies and procedures. Our interview process gives candidates a better sense of the risks associated with living and working in Honduras, and the precautions that we take as an organization to minimize those risks.