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Itinerary - Africa and Asia Venture

Itinerary

ARRIVING IN MEXICOPhotograph of AV with school children

The group flight departs from London Heathrow and will be seen off by one of the AV team. You will fly into Mexico City, where our Mexico AV representative will meet you on arrival. After your first tacos, you spend the night at a backpackers' hostel near the centre of the city. The next day you may visit the main square (the Zócalo) and market to get a feel for Mexico's capital city and its vibrant culture. Then a 2½-hour coach journey through the suburbs of the city to the pine-clad hills around Valle de Bravo...an altogether more restful scene.

BRIEFING AND ORIENTATION

A chance to settle in, unwind after the hectic few days leading to your departure and get to know your AV group. The orientation course is important for making sure you’re fully prepared when you arrive in your school. The hacienda, where you will spend the next 12 days, is a magnificent family manor farm, steeped in tradition and set in stunning countryside. Laura is our amazing Spanish language teacher and, besides improving your Spanish, you will cover:

  • Teaching techniques and tips
  • History, culture and customs of the Mexican people
  • Safety, health, security and risk assessmentPhotograph of AV teaching in classroom

     

During the week, you will visit Valle de Bravo and your villages. At the end of the orientation course you will be taken to your AV houses, ready to start your project for real. The AV representative will leave you to settle into your new home, but remember they’re never more than a phone call away if needed.

THE PROJECT

Most of the villages have their own primary and secondary schools. In your primary school, you will generally teach English from 8.30am until break and follow this with another couple of hours in the secondary school. These are generally well run, with fairly good facilities, but in desperate need of help with teaching English so you will be in great demand. Classes are of between 20-40 pupils. Photograph of AV playing with School children

Schools work from a syllabus but, as the English part is formal and outdated, many head teachers are keen to encourage spoken English. Ages range from 6-16 and the standard of English is generally poor. Games need some encouragement and you will find lots of Mexicans who are football mad. Every class seems to have a dance team so you won't be short of salsa moments!

There may well be opportunities to teach English to teachers and parents and, in return, learn extra Spanish or pick up some Mexican cooking tips. The teachers will be on hand to show you round and advise on where to shop, the nearest internet café etc. They will also be a good link into other work within the community, with the potential for helping at local medical clinics or community centres depending on where you are and how much you want to do outside of your responsibilities in the school.Photograph of AV volunteers horse riding - Gap Year Projects & Volunteering Opportunities in Mexico

Weekends can be spent relaxing, visiting other AV volunteers or sightseeing - there's a mass of things to do! The stunning lake in Valle de Bravo is particularly popular and old colonial towns, such as Puebla, are well worth a visit.

To find out what a typical day on project might be like take a look at our ‘Day in the life of an AV’ feature, written by AVs who have been there and done it themselves!

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