I decided to volunteer in Spain for two weeks with GoEco at the Education and Development in Valencia project. Before…
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Please note: This volunteer program is on hold. In the following links you can check out our open Volunteer Programs in Spain:
Experience Spanish culture first-hand by volunteering in Valencia at local community centers for various causes!
Program Highlights:
Your Schedule at a Glance (Minimum three-week commitment):
Arrival Day, Sunday: Arrive at Valencia Airport (VLC). You will be picked up at the airport and taken to your new home in Valencia. Take the time to settle in and get to know your fellow volunteers or your host family if you have chosen to upgrade.
Day 1, Monday: Your first day will begin with an orientation of the project, where you will meet your placement coordinators as well as learn more about the tasks that you will be doing during your stay. In the afternoon you will get a tour of Valencia where you will see its famous landmarks as well as learn more about living in Spain.
Days 2-5, Tuesday-Friday: You will volunteer four-five hours in the morning or afternoon and can spend your free time enjoying Valencia, its beaches or improving your Spanish with some classes (option to add on Spanish lessons is available for an extra fee). Depending on your chosen project, your tasks may include tutoring children, participating in afterschool programs, helping with social activities and volunteering at a soup kitchen.
Please note that the schools will be closed over summer break so all volunteers joining in the summertime will work in the soup kitchen.
Days 6-7, Saturday-Sunday: The weekend is free for you to rest, sunbathe or explore all that Valencia and Spain have to offer. * Volunteers who choose to work in the soup kitchen Monday-Saturday, however, have shorter working hours.
Remaining Weeks: The remaining weeks will follow a similar schedule of volunteering Monday-Friday and having Saturday-Sunday off. Valencia is perfectly located in Spain for you to use the weekend to explore the country. Departures are on a Saturday.
What’s Included
What’s not Included
Flights, visas (if required), travel health insurance, meals (optional half-board at homestay, upon request), return airport transfer, public transportation during project (10-15 EUR per week), personal expenses
Valencia, located on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, is Spain’s third largest city behind Madrid and Barcelona. It is a city with deep historic roots and no shortage of sites to see and places to visit. Valencia is known internationally for the Falles (Las Fallas), a local festival held in March, the birthplace of paella, traditional Valencian ceramics, intricate traditional dress and the architecture of the ultra-modern City of Arts and Sciences, designed by Santiago Calatrava and Félix Candela. Participants on this program will live in an apartment in downtown Valencia and will have plenty of opportunities to explore the city and its beautiful surrounding areas.
There are two social projects that participants may choose to volunteer with in the city of Valencia, Spain. One program is focused on working closely with children while the other is assisting in a local soup kitchen. You may select to work at one of the following projects:
Working with Children
This social project is designed to assist children from disadvantaged backgrounds by tutoring them and assisting in after-school programs at a community center. These children have many difficulties in school and may not receive as much individual attention as they need from their teachers, parents, or relatives. Main tasks include helping children with homework, planning fun and educational activities and playing with the children.
Volunteers work 3:00-6:00 PM, five days per week; after school during the school year and in the mornings during the summer. This project runs from October to July. *This project has a three-week minimum.
Important: Because the project is held at a school, specific volunteer tasks vary throughout the year based on the school and holiday schedules. During June and July, normal classes will not be in session but volunteers may participate in summer school activities.
On certain public holidays, school will be fully closed. On these short holidays, Working with Children is not available and volunteers who sign up can only participate in the Soup Kitchen project.
Soup Kitchen
Volunteers will be working to help those facing food insecurities. Volunteer tasks include serving meals, cleaning the center, collecting food from providers, sorting and storing food, organizing local activities and assisting with anything else that is needed. Volunteer work is from 12:00-3:00 PM, five days per week.
Please take note of this project’s minimum requirements:
Learning Spanish in Valencia (Not Included):
Participants who don’t know Spanish or wish to brush up on their language skills have the opportunity to sign up for a Spanish course, before or after your volunteer project. You also have the option to take private lessons.
Volunteers working in the children’s program can join Spanish lessons during their placement (except in July, when volunteer hours overlap with the class schedule).
It is possible to request these options following registration. Please note there is an additional cost for this.
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