Mexico Community Internship (long-term)
Gain practical work experience in education and sustainable development in the Mexican context. Work at an international charity organisation. Practice your conversational Spanish and develop your leadership capabilities.
PROGRAM FOCUS
During the first phase of this internship, you will work at a local centre run by international non-profit, Save the Children. Here you will work with local staff members to run educational activities. These might include educational games to help facilitate literacy and numeracy skills or crafts and sports activities to assist children with reaching developmental milestones. Throughout this time you will develop your leadership capabilities, teaching techniques, and Spanish language skills.
If you aren’t fluent in Spanish be sure to speak to one of our enrolment managers about booking in-country Spanish language lessons. Those who are not fluent will require a minimum of 20 hours of lessons.
After successful completion of the training phase, interns will be assigned a work placement. Depending on the needs of our local partners at the time, interns might be placed at one of their facilities or work as a GVI staff member assisting with our community development projects in Mexico.
LOCATION
GVI’s base camp is in the town of Puerto Morelos, situated on a stretch of the Carribean coastline known as the Riviera Maya. Puerto Morelos is the oldest town on the Mexican Carribean coast. The Riviera Maya is a top tourist destination, and there are many spots for snorkelling and diving in this area.
While the biggest industry in Puerto Morelos is tourism, fishing comes in a close-second. The fishing trade is essential to the economic well-being of this Mexican community. Volunteer work in Puerto Morelos focuses on
community development and
marine conservation. Volunteers assist the local community in planning and implementing sustainable practices aimed at making a positive impact in Puerto Morelos.
This may mean assisting the local community with beach cleans, to reduce environmental pollution. It could also involve volunteers contributing to marine conservation by running environmental awareness workshops with school children and the broader community. Another way that sustainability is promoted is through programs focused on the conservation of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, and other marine life.
These programs look to find the balance between the usage and maintenance of natural resources in Puerto Morelos. Volunteer work in Mexico that’s focused on marine conservation has an immediate effect on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, as well as on the well-being of other marine life in the Riviera Maya.
By contributing to sustainable development efforts on land and in the sea, this volunteer work in Mexico can go a long way in contributing to the sustainability of the Puerto Morelos community.
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
- Gain experience in teaching and international development.
- Learn how to raise funds are for non-profits.
- Earn your GVI ILM Leadership Development certificate, a qualification recognised by the Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM).
- Earn your ILM Endorsed Leadership Certificate.
- Practice your conversational Spanish.
- Experience the beaches, reefs, and culture of the Mexican Caribbean.
- Live and work with other GVI participants from all around the world.
If applying for this program to obtain credit from an institution, GVI can supply learning outcomes and support in the application.
For more information, check out our video
https://youtu.be/vKuzdAOzQDg