Volunteer and Working Holiday Program Details
Program Overview
The Volunteer Program is for individuals and groups to work on a project that contributes to a rural community.
The Working Holiday Program is for families and groups to take a vacation that combines tourism with volunteer service to a community or organization in Ecuador.
Both programs offer a variety of unique projects and customized opportunities. Working with communities and local organizations you see more and you understand more. People take you into their homes and share their rich culture, history, and vibrant customs. You become a partner in their daily struggles and triumphs and contribute to helping them become more self-reliant. In the process you make a meaningful contribution and have opportunities to share your culture, history, and customs. It is an opportunity to see and learn about development first hand.
Our programs provide you with:
- Opportunities to make a real contribution
- Two-way cultural learning experiences
- A way to improve your Spanish
- The experience of a lifetime!
Programs Available
We cooperate with non-profit organizations in Ecuador. Through their on-going projects volunteer and working holiday opportunities are possible in the following areas:
- Subsistence and Small Scale Agriculture, Aquaculture and Animal Husbandry
- Ecotourism and Agro tourism
- Community Development
- Wildlife and Habitat Management
- Forest Management and Conservation
- Environmental Education
- Youth Leadership
Volunteers - Individuals, Families, and Groups
- Programs can last from 3 weeks to 12 months.
- Projects are chosen based on the volunteer's interests and community needs.
- Long-term volunteers/groups may split time between two projects.
Working Holidays - Small groups only (no less than 10 people)
- Programs last from 2 to 5 weeks with a minimum of one week work followed by travel.
- The work project is selected to match both group interests with community needs.
- The travel portion is customized for each group.
Who Can Apply?
- Individuals & Families
- Individuals must be over the age of 18.
- Youth between the ages of 12 and 18 must be accompanied by an adult family member or legal guardian.
- Groups
- Professional organizations
- Post secondary vocational, college, and university groups
- Secondary school groups accompanied by parents and/or teachers
- Minimum group size is 10
Program Dates
- Volunteer Program: year-round
- Working Holiday Program: year-round but generally in the summer
Language Requirement
- Individual volunteers must speak basic conversational Spanish.
- Groups and Working Holiday Participants do not necessarily need conversation Spanish as they will be accompanied by a bi-lingual EI staff representative.
Services Provided by EI
- Prompt and timely response to your calls and emails.
- Pre-departure fact sheets that cover travel, safety, cultural information, and many tips that will make you're planning easier.
- Placement in a quality project.
- Assistance with visa process if needed (for volunteer programs over 3 months).
- Information and arrangements for accommodation and meals.
- Airport greeting by our local representative.
- Guidance and support of a local project coordinator.
- Initial orientation/briefing on arrival by our local representative.
- Transportation to project site and introduction to local staff and community members with whom you will be working.
- Departure transfer by our local representative.
- In cases of internship for credit, coordination with your school advisor to assure evaluation and documentation of internship.
- Assistance in arranging intensive Spanish language classes.
- Assistance in arranging travel insurance.
Accommodation and Meals
Volunteer Program
- Volunteers are provided options in Quito for their stay on arrival and departure. Options include hotels, guest houses, and home stays. These options and the price are agreed upon prior to departure. Same with meals while in Quito.
- In the project site, accommodation and meals vary greatly. In some cases both are provided. In others, the initial week is provided free then charged on a daily or weekly basis.
Working Holidays
- Groups participating in a working holiday have all accommodations and meals included.
- Accommodations will vary depending on the group's preferences (hotel, hostel, guest house, home stay, etc).
- While in the project, accommodations and meals are provided and vary depending on the community and location of the project.
- While touring Ecuador, the group will make selections according to their budget.
What does it Cost?
Program cost will vary depending on many factors as each program is customized to the individual or group's preferences and to the length of the program.
Sample Program Fees
- Individual Volunteer Program Lasting 3 weeks
- $100 Non-refundable deposit with application
- $1400 program fee ($300 goes directly into commnity fund for future projects/$1100 covers all in-country support, lodging and most meals at the project site + two days on arrival and one day prior to departure in Quito)
- Additional weeks are charged only the cost of addommodation and meals. In general, one should budget up to $15/day while in the project.
- Group Volunteer Program lasting 3 weeks
- Deposit and program fee is the same as individual volunteer program
- Additional weeks are charged only the cost of accommodation and meals. In general, one should budget up to $15/day/person while in the project.
- Discounts are given for families, children under the age of 13, and groups larger than 10
- Working Holidays for Groups - 2 weeks for a group of 10 or more
- A 2 week program includes one week of voluntary service and one week traveling
- $100 per person non-refundable deposit
- $500 per person project fee ($300 goes to the commnity/project)
- $1500 per person for one week of customized travel itinerary to cover transportation, hotels, and meals.
- Not included in either the Volunteer or Working Holiday Program
- Airfare and travel expenses: passports, entry/customs requirements, all applicable visa fees, airport departure taxes, travel medical insurance, items of personal nature (such as laundry, medicine, email/phone calls)
Our Partners and Programs
- Click here to see one of our partners organizations, Fundación Altropico
- Click here to see a sample 3-week volunteer program (Playa de Oro)
- Click here to see a sample 2-week Working Holiday program (Mascarilla)
How to Apply - It's Easy!
Just send us an email and we'll contact you to discuss your options. Please include:
- Name and contact information
- Brief description of what you're looking for
- Dates and length of program requested
- Individual volunteers should send a CV/Resume
- Groups should send a brief description of the group