Call for applications: English-Language Teachers -- Nukanti Foundation | Destination: Colombia | Deadline: February 28, 2014

Call for applications: English Teaching Volunteer in Colombia
Organization: Nukanti Foundation
Position: English Teaching Volunteer
Worksite: Colombia, Risaralda Department
Type: Volunteer position (food, accommodation and internal travel costs will be covered)
Length of project: 13 months (includes three months of vacation in July, December and January)
Dates of project: April 1^st, 2014 – April 30^th, 2015 (shorter terms will also be considered)
Supervisor: Colombia Director

Founded in 2008, the Nukanti Foundation is an independent non-profit organization dedicated to leveraging sports and the arts as tools for engaging, educating, and empowering youth. Our programs offer skills development in critical thinking, conflict resolution, problem solving, personal wellness, cross-cultural communication, community building, and social entrepreneurship.

The 2013 recipient of Beyond Sport’s Sport for Conflict Resolution and a finalist for Peace and Sport’s 2013 NGO of the Year award, Nukanti operates chapters in Brazil, Colombia, Morocco, UK, and USA. We serve youth in communities working to address the social impacts of long-standing conflict, poverty, and human-rights violations.

Nukanti is looking for 24 volunteers that are willing to make a difference supporting an English education project in rural Colombia between April 2014 and April 2015. The local government of Risaralda will cover the costs of food, accommodation and internal work-related travels.

In this role, the volunteers will act as representatives of the Nukanti Foundation and the local government of Risaralda. The selected volunteers will represent the organization, so they will be expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times. The volunteers will be expected to respect and comply with local laws and customs as well as the Nukanti Foundation’s policies, procedures, and values at all times and at all in-country venues.

Position Description:
The selected volunteers will have the opportunity to acquire hands-on, on-the-ground experience in the education sector with one of the most dynamic and impactful organizations operating today.

• The volunteers will work with students and teachers in the rural areas of Colombia’s central Risaralda Department – assisting in classes and after-school activities in order to improve the English language skills of both students and local English teachers.
• The volunteers will be involved in revising English teaching curricula in cooperation with local education authorities.
• This way the volunteers will contribute to the project’s overall objective of enhancing local youth’s prospects of higher education and future employment in order for them to overcome typical socio-economic restrictions of rural Colombia.

Learning Objectives:
Engaging in this project, the volunteers will receive a broad learning experience that will enable them to develop a range of abilities critical to working in the sectors of Education and Development Cooperation:

• For volunteers considering a professional career in education/teaching this position offers an excellent chance to gain practical work experience abroad in a challenging but inspiring environment.
• Working with an international organization like Nukanti Foundation, the volunteers will learn how to interact in a multicultural and multilingual context, while improving their social skills and knowledge of foreign languages – crucial for working in non-government organizations, nonprofits, civil society institutions, and international positions in the public and private sectors.
• In addition, the volunteers will have the privilege of gaining an insight into Colombia’s fascinating culture and meet the country’s warm-hearted people.

Candidate Attributes:

• All volunteers are required to be English native speakers.
• Previous experiences in volunteer work abroad and/or education/teaching are beneficial but not necessarily required.
• Basic Spanish is beneficial but not necessarily required. It will make it easier for the volunteers to integrate in the local community.

Living Conditions:
The Risaralda department is part of Colombia’s beautiful Coffee Region, offering a pleasant climate and rich nature while being located in between the country’s cultural and economic centers -- the capital of Bogota and the second largest city of Medellin.

Colombia is working to resolve a long-standing civil conflict between the established government and the guerrilla rebel forces known for committing or funding extreme acts of violence. Despite this conflict, security has improved recently: the two sides are negotiating a peace treaty to end of violence and instability. Travel throughout the country is most easily done by bus or plane. Since the cost of living is low by US and European standards, it is possible to live comfortably on a low budget.


Volunteer Responsibilities:
The selected volunteers are responsible for covering all costs associated with:

• International travel (to and from Colombia).
• Visa requirements.
• Personal medical and life insurance.
• Vacation travel and entertainment expenses.

Project Details:
For the duration of the project, the volunteers will receive:

• Accommodation with a host family.
• Coverage of the costs of food and of internal travels they have to undertake while on the job.
• The organization will not cover the costs of food, accommodation and travels during the vacation months of July, December and January.

Application Process:
Please submit (in English) – by February 28, 2014 – your curriculum vitae and a letter (not to exceed 750 words) explaining why you want to be part of this project, how you can add value to it and how this will help advance your goals in terms of professional and personal development. Please also provide the names and contact details for at least one non-personal reference.

Please submit these materials via email – with the subject heading “Volunteer submission: English teacher in Colombia’s Coffee Region” to: info@nukantifoundation.org

You can also submit questions about this opportunity to the email provided above.