Community English Initiative Volunteer Intern
Daily Tasks
Life as a volunteer at EcoSwell is busy but incredibly rewarding! As an intern on this programme, you will be helping our organisation address inequities in English language outcomes in Lobitos, all while experiencing sustainable living at the EcoSwell house. Your daily activities may include but are not limited to:
Teacher Training: We’ve partnered with ICPNA (Instituto Cultural Peruano Norteamericano), a non-profit organisation, to strengthen English language services in local public schools. When possible, volunteers will spend two days each week at ICPNA’s Talara institute, learning teaching methodologies accredited by the University of Michigan. In addition, EcoSwell collaborates with experienced English language professionals in Lobitos, who will provide training in effective teaching practices.
Delivering English Education: From Wednesday to Friday, you will step directly into Lobitos’ classrooms, turning your training into meaningful, hands-on impact. Under our current arrangement, you will be helping to deliver 1.5 hour English lessons to students aged 10-17 under the following schedule:
Wednesday
Secondary Grade 3 (ages 14-15)
Secondary Grade 4 (ages 15-16)
Secondary Grade 5 (ages 16-17)
Thursday
Secondary Grade 2 (ages 13-14)
Primary Grade 5 (ages 10-11)
Friday
Secondary Grade 1 (ages 12-13)
Primary Grade 6 (ages 11-12)
Community Engagement: Learning a second language improves communication skills, cultural exchange, and economic opportunities. As a volunteer, you will be tasked with improving the ways in which the community learns English, through running events, workshops, and afterschool activities. By finding new ways to increase English proficiency, you will be helping to create opportunities for young people within Lobitos’ tourism economy.
Online program (replace)
You can take part in this position through our online program as well at a discounted financial contribution.. The online activities for this project may include (but are not limited to):
Feasibility studies
Research into new sustainability solutions
Data monitoring and/or analysis
Report and/or grant/fund writing
In addition, you’ll be able to take part in the following online educational seminars, given by our Directors:
- NGO/Social enterprise creation and management
- Outreach and Business Development
- Marketing (digital and promotional)
- Sustainability perspectives from a local "on the ground" development organisation
- International environmental and social sustainability standards
Benefits of joining this program
We need hard-working volunteers with a strong motivation to engage with young people to come and support us on this new project, The benefits of taking part in this volunteer internship are:
Enhance your CV and gain professional experience in a school environment, which also offers an opportunity to immerse yourself in social events and activities.
Opportunity to learn English teaching techniques at ICPNA’s institute in Talara, or from professionals with experience of teaching English in Lobitos, ideal for those looking to start an impactful career in education.
Meet & engage with local communities, and a passionate group of volunteers from diverse academic and personal backgrounds.
Live & work in different settings in North Peru, including the surfing paradise of Lobitos. Travel between different areas as part of your volunteer work is covered by your financial contribution.
Requirements
This volunteer internship is open to all disciplines. It’s ideal for those interested in pedagogy, teaching, languages, geography, and sustainable development. Undergraduates, postgraduates, PhDs and/or professionals are all welcome. However, we do ask for:
Academic/professional background, or a personal motivation rooted in making a positive difference in the lives of young people.
Minimum age 18.
Basic experience or strong motivation to work as part of a team away from home.
An understanding of community development as a reciprocal process - be prepared to grow culturally yourself.
However, the most important thing is that you have an open mind, positive attitude and willingness to learn!
Before applying, please ensure that you have familiarized yourself with the information in regards to the financial contribution required for the volunteer internship. We look forward to hearing from you!
FOR EVERY VOLUNTEER INTERN THAT JOINS US, A local family will plant and care for a native TREE IN THE VOLUNTEER INTERNS NAME.
If you'd like to get in touch with our former volunteer interns to hear about their experiences with us, get in touch and we'd be happy to connect you.
“IT WAS A PRIVILEGE TO MEET AND WORK WITH AN INSPIRING GROUP OF YOUNG PERUVIANS AND THEIR TEACHERS”
In October 2025 I spent two months in Lobitos with EcoSwell as an NGO Management intern, where I conducted research into local educational needs. In Peru, English is very influential when securing a job and is a major prerequisite for higher education programs. By improving English proficiency in Lobitos, which is currently very low, the community’s economy can continue to grow sustainably (SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth).
This volunteer-internship programme was therefore put forward as a way of delivering best teaching practices to school children where access to quality resources are limited. The programme also has a strong mutual benefit by providing volunteer interns with the opportunity to learn valuable teaching techniques in cross-linguistic settings. Over the two months, myself and interns across different programmes travelled to the nearby city of Talara to participate in weekly conversation classes at the English teaching institute – Instituto Cultural Peruano Norteamericano (ICPNA). These classes provided an excellent opportunity for Peruvian students aged 12-18 to improve their English speaking and pronunciation skills by engaging with fluent English speakers from around the world. Equally, in the spirit of cultural exchange, I was able to learn more about Peruvian culture and life in Northern Peru, which was an honour.
