The Location
Located about 330 miles southeast of Mexico City, the city of Oaxaca is known for its colonial architecture, unique cuisine and arts-and-crafts villages. At 5,000 feet above sea level, the semi-tropical city is surrounded by lush countryside that is nestled amidst the foothills of the Mexican Sierra. The town itself is one of Mexico’s foremost indigenous communities, with archeology and rich cultural traditions that date back nearly 3,000 years. Oaxaca is a city of continual parades and festivals, with ancient culture and heritage around every corner.

The Situation
Until the mid 1980s and early 1990s, few newsrooms in Mexico produced views that challenged those of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). As citizens began speaking out, a civic-focused journalism emerged, which better monitored the government’s actions. As a volunteer, you will have the unique opportunity to watch Mexican journalists strive to hold their government accountable to the public. You will work alongside Mexican journalists and see how their work today affects the future of Mexican politics.

Airport Pickup and Orientation:
You will be picked up at the Oaxaca Airport and taken to your hostel or host family. The following morning, you will begin your Volunteer Adventure with an extensive orientation. During this time, you will learn about living and working in Oaxaca, using public transportation, and volunteering at your program site. You will meet your program coordinator to discuss the details of your work and your responsibilities as a volunteer.

Transportation:
In the morning, you will walk from your host family or hostel to the language classes at a school in Oaxaca City. This walk should take about 15 to 30 minutes. During volunteering, you will also be able to walk to the program site. If you do not wish to walk, you can take the bus.


Language Classes:
All volunteers will be required to take at least two weeks of Spanish language classes at a school in Oaxaca City. You may take more hours depending on your volunteer package. For more efficient placement upon your arrival, we ask that you take our Online Spanish Placement Test to determine your language proficiency. If this is not possible, we will test you upon arrival at the school. You will be placed according to your language level in a group of other students and learn conversational Spanish for about three hours a day, Monday through Friday.


Accommodations:
Basic: You will be staying at a hostel with breakfast included.
Standard and Complete: You will be staying with a Mexican host family. Our host families are carefully screened and must meet stringent requirements before being accepted as a host family. You will be given a key to your host family's home to come and go as you please. The family will provide a private room and two meals per day (breakfast and a late lunch).

Meals:
Basic: Hostel serves breakfast only.                                                          
Standard and Complete: Host family provides 2 meals a day.

In-Country Support:
We work directly with our in-country volunteer coordinator to provide support during your time in Oaxaca. You can expect help from program coordinators, field guides, fellow volunteers and other staff. We provide a 24-hour cell phone number for emergencies.

Additional Activities and Excursions:
Your volunteer experience will include a number of complimentary activities such as cooking and salsa classes, Spanish movies, social cafés and student conversation exchanges. For an extra fee, volunteers can take daylong excursions to the Monte Alban ruins, Mezcal distilleries, churches and convents, the waterfall “Hierve el Agua” and the 2,000-year-old tree, "el Tule," which is believed to be the world’s widest tree. There are also opportunities for rock climbing, horseback riding, paragliding and hiking.