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Teaching English to the conservation community in Chiapas, México

Sumary

Theme: Teaching English for the specific purpose of improving marketing, communications and fundraising within the conservation community in Chiapas Placement Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, Mexico. Requeriments: This is an ideal program for individuals wishing to put to use their knowledge of NGO management and to gain firsthand experience working with Mexican NGOs. The volunteers’ primary responsibility is Teaching English as a Second Language with the goal of helping NGOs in the local conservation community with marketing, fundraising and communications with Englishspeaking partners. Project language: English primarily, working knowledge of Spanish preferred Highlights: In the last ten years, Ecobiosfera - a small, local nonprofit organization formed by conservation practitioners and scientific researchers - has been collaborating with the management of El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve as well with community groups to achieve conservation and local community development through tourism. Ecobiosfera’s birding trips to El Triunfo, with 400 species of birds, are well known among the international bird-watching community. Short description: The Ecobiosfera Project was designed to improve the skills of the Chiapas conservation community, specifically NGO leaders and staff. The training program uses immersion methods as well traditional classroom methods. Volunteers and students will invest at least nine weeks of intensive training on conversational English, fundraising and marketing for their nonprofit organizations.

Date of start June through August 2010, September through November 2010 Volunteers needed 4 Duration Minimum 11 weeks Prices (In US dollars) 11 weeks $ 3,400 Additional month $ 900 Book online    Other projects Biomonitoring at El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve Promoting fair trade of organic coffee at CESMACH

 

Detailed information

Long description

experts to support conservation efforts within natural protected areas in the State of Chiapas. In addition to managing a very popular tourism program in El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve, Ecobiosfera offers technical assistance to other NGOs as well to grassroots organizations and park managers. Past projects involved issues related to public use planning, the enforcement of park regulations and small business development for local tourism service providers.

As a way to strengthen conservation efforts in the State of Chiapas, Ecobiosfera has now designed a training program for NGO managers and staff in order to enhance their capacity to be effective communicators in English so as to improve their ability to fundraise for and market their organizations.

The volunteer program will start with a two-week introduction to Chiapas and the program, as well as an opportunity to prepare teaching materials. This will be followed by nine-week training program, targeting 6-8 students. The training will involve both regular classes during the week as well immersion sessions on the weekends. The training will take place at the Ecobiosfera headquarters in Tuxtla Gutierrez and in more remote areas appropriate for the immersion methodology. The students are working professionals focused on communication, fundraising and/or project management within the organizations from the local conservation community.