According to what students say, volunteering is one of the most rewarding and intense experiences during their trip to Bariloche. It is a different way of practising the language and share locals’ customs while helping others with your effort and work.

All the organizations that BSL offers for volunteering are NGO and focus on diverse objectives: educational, social and ecological.

Requirements to apply for the Volunteer Programs organized by BSL:

- Taking a minimum of 6 hours / week of Spanish Lessons while volunteering.

- Paying a monthly operative fee of $18us.

If you are keen on volunteering, please contact us so we can organize it according to your interests.

ALDEA INFANTIL
Aldea Infantil is a NOG founded by a group of housewives, headed by Mrs. Nelly. In the 90’s they decided to build a Public School for the children of a poor neighbourhood called Barrio Vivero, in the outskirts of Bariloche. This school does not receive any financial help from national nor local government. Nevertheless, it has grown due to the solidarity of private companies and people that donate their time and money.

People working at Aldea Infantil, friendly welcome volunteers, share with them daily experiences and thank for new ideas to the benefit of both the children and the project.

Available Volunteer Work at Aldea Infantil:
This NGO does not offer accommodation nor meals. Volunteering is free of charge.

English teacher for children and teenagers: This position requires some spanish, lot of patience and some teaching experience. Volunteers have lot of contact with both teachers and children.

Period: from March to November
stay: 4 weeks
Hours per day: 3 (twice or three times a week)
Minimum Spanish level: Intermediate.
Activities run from Monday to Friday, volunteers schedule is set according to school needs.

Recreational activities Organizer / Assistant: during summer –December, January and February, children are on holidays. Alda Infantil organizes diverse activities for that children from the neighbourhood have fun and go on learning. Volunteers will assist or organize games, artistic activities, football matches and other recreational activities for children.

Period: from December to February
Minimum stay: not required
Hours per day: 3 (once or twice a week)
Minimum Spanish level: Intermediate (for organizers) – Initial (for assistants)

Assistant to collect fruits and make jams: In the school backyard there are more than 100 fruit trees. During February fruits are collected to make jams. Later, jams are sold to gain money for the School. This is a nice opportunity to spend time with locals working at the Aldea and to learn how to cook regional jams.
Period: February
Minimum stay: not required
Minimum Spanish level: not required

Greenhouse Assistant: Aldea Infantil has a greenhouse where teachers and children grow vegetables and some fruits. Volunteers can work at the garden all year round. Some of the jobs are planting, collecting, weeding and preparing new areas to plant. This is a nice opportunity to spend time with some school organizers and teachers as well as to learn how to grow your own garden.

Period: all year round
Minimum stay: not required
Minimun Spanish level: not required

SEMBRAR - Volunteering
Native Andean-Patagonian Forest Restoration Project
The Civil Partnership “Sembrar” promotes environmental value, particularly the native forest. In order of that, it works with two objectives: Andean Forest recovery and environmental education.

“Sembrar” reproduces native species and conducts research on their propagation and growth, increasing year by year the number of species.
In its forestall greenhouse, “Sembrar counts with 50.000 native plants of more than 30 different species.

“Sembrar” offers the possibility of developing a volunteer in its forestall greenhouse performing all the maintenance, care and native plants classification work and its tasks with renewable energy that are taking place in its own greenhouse.

Period: All the year
Minimal time: it doesn’t require
Required Spanish level: it doesn’t require

NATIONAL PARK – Volunteering
Nahuel Huapi National Park Organization provides volunteers with training, accommodation and transportation FREE of charge but does not provide meals.

Volunteer programs at National Parks are available all year round but much help is required during January and February.

Applicants’ Spanish level must be Advanced. They need to fill out a form, hand in some documents and accept the rules. Therefore, if you are interested in applying for volunteering, we recommend you start this paperwork in advance.

Volunteers will assist visitors, patrol and help with the maintenance of the tracks, detect problems, take care of the historial museum, help with animals maintenance, etc. During their stay, they live with argentinean “guardaparques” and other local volunteers who are training to be park rangers.

Period: all year round, especially from December to February
Minimum stay: 30 days
Hours per day: from 4 to 8
Minimum Spanish level: Advance