Volunteer in Oaxaca FAQ

Mexico Frequently Asked Questions

Find Volunteer in Oaxaca specific FAQs below

• What Happens After I Apply, Step By Step?

  Once you apply online, and there is no charge for this, we send you a link to our calendar to schedule an initial phone or Skype assessment interview. This takes about 30 minutes, and in it our Program Director determines if you are a good fit for the program, and you determine if what the program offers, you are wanting to do.  Once both parties have mutually assessed positively, then we send out a Letter of Acceptance (for those looking to receive credit for their time abroad, this is a good document to show any academic Advisor)  and a set up date for a second, longer  phone or Skype interview. Prior to this second meeting, you will be emailed a link to confirm your spot in the program via a $250 PayPal confirmation fee. For the second interview, bring all of your detailed questions and be ready to take a lot of notes! We then check two of your references. Next step is to send your file to our team – Director and Intern Advisor – in your program city abroad.  They begin presenting your file to our participating companies abroad, in your desired sector.  Once the best company for your specific program parameters chooses your file, we then contract you, with them, for your international internship. You will sign this contract, too.  Concurrently, we 1) coordinate the housing you have chosen (shared apartment usually, homestay in some cases); and, 2) enroll you in the two or three-week intensive language course/module you will take upon arrival.  We like to be done with the entire step-by-step process by no later than about 30 days prior to your program start date. So, candidates will know both where they are living and where they are interning long before they arrive abroad.

• Is housing included in the price of the program?

  Yes – You will have your own room in a shared apartment with other Adelante candidates/international students or you will have your own room in a shared Guesthouse (this option typically offers a better chance to have Mexican roommates, not other US students.) In both options, plan on doing your own food shopping and your own cooking, quite an eye-opener that first time in a Mexican grocery store! The apartments and shared Guesthouses are in central Oaxaca, in working neighborhoods, near to public transit, grocery stores, laundry mats, bars, cafes, etc. All apartments & shared Guesthouses are fully furnished, with bedding, fully equipped kitchens, sheets, towels, pots, pans are also included, as is Wi-Fi.  Some of our housing options have washing machines available, some do not.

• What Spanish language classes are included?

  For the first two weeks, you are enrolled in an Intensive Spanish Language course for 4 hours per day, 5 days per week (approximately 40 hours). This course takes place at a prestigious private language institute, in a great location, and your level is determined by a placement test.  Each level course is no more than 10 students.

• How much should I budget for living expenses per month, above and beyond what is included in the program fee?

  For Mexico, we suggest approximately $100 USD per week, and this covers normal expenses like groceries, bus money, some going out and one or two nearby excursions a month. The price goes up when you start going out at night more and when you begin to travel further away (which we do encourage!).

• Is there an Adelante contact in Mexico?

  Yes – Carlos Ortega, our director abroad and a Mexican national, will work to ensure that you have an educational and fun experience in Mexico. He is highly involved in the cultures, dialects and art forms of Oaxacan communities, both in the city and the outer lying indigenous areas. You will be meeting with Carlos during your first week of classes before your work assignment starts. Carlos is accustomed to working with groups from abroad, speaks English fluently and is an extremely good liaison between long-term visitors to Oaxaca and their new “home”.