Every Share Helps!

Want to volunteer in Costa Rica? Below are four great organizations working to improve and empower communities all across the country!

AIDE Abroad

AIDE offers placements worldwide, but their programs in Costa Rica work in Alajuela, Heredia, Flamingo Beach, La Fortuna, La Guacima, Monteverde, Montezuma, and Tres Rios. Volunteers teach children in local classrooms, assist with environmental conservation, and provide healthcare to the communities in which they’re placed. Programs start year-round and last from two to 12 weeks; some require a minimum of three weeks’ stay.

Volunteering with AIDE starts from $995, and participants are housed with a host family, in a lodge, or in a dormitory. Applicants must be 18 or older, and Spanish language ability may be required for certain placements.

More information: www.aideabroad.org

English Volunteers for Change

This Costa Rican organization places volunteers in the Puntarenas, Central Valley, Guanacaste, and Limon regions. Participants spend three months to one year teaching English to adult learners in rural communities.

Programs start from $1,250 for the first three months, and volunteers stay with host families. Applicants must have a TESOL/TEFL certificate and/or teaching experience. A university degree and Spanish language ability also are preferred.

More information: www.evolc.org

Reserva Playa Tortuga

Volunteers with Reserva Playa Tortuga work in Ojochal de Osa, on the Pacific coast of the country. Projects focus on sea turtle monitoring, research, environmental conservation, flora and fauna inventory, mapping, and more. Volunteers are accepted year-round, and may stay one week or longer, with no maximum time commitment.

Programs start from $350 for the first week, and volunteers are accommodated in a shared house. Applicants must be 18 or older, or 13 or older with adult accompaniment.

More information: www.reservaplayatortuga.org

SEE Turtles

Like AIDE Abroad, SEE Turtles places volunteers in various countries. Those working in Costa Rica will stay along the Caribbean coast either in Gandoca, Parismina, or Las Tortugas. Projects focus on sea turtle conservation and monitoring, which includes patrolling beaches for nesting turtles, collecting and relocating eggs to a hatchery, and recording data on nesting turtles. Programs last year-round, though some sites are open only during certain seasons.

Fees range from $20 to $50 per day—though research assistants and long-term volunteers staying longer than two months may exchange service for living expenses. Accommodations are provided in a cabin, shared house, or with a host family. While there are no specific requirements for volunteers, research assistants must have a background in biology or similar.

More information: www.seeturtles.org

Have you volunteered in Costa Rica? Know of a fantastic group doing great work there? Tell us your story below!

Images courtesy of AIDE Abroad, Ardyiii, and SEE Turtles.