Volunteer in Mexico

List of Volunteer and Internship Fields Available in Mexico

• Archaeology

  Volunteers in this sector tend to work with government entities, not private sector entities, as there is mostly reconstruction and renovation work needed.  There are so many archaeological sites in and around Oaxaca, the Government institutes that take our volunteers will decide which one and where. International internship placement is based upon past experience, length of time and time of year in the program.  Volunteers will work on the preservation, restoration and organization of archaeological sites and museums of Oaxaca.

• Arts

  Art Galleries: Art Consulting, Expositions, Marketing works of art (local and foreign artists)
  Requirements: international internships in the arts require field of study, ability to present in front of groups, continuing education

• Business

  Accounting:  Future CPAs this is the international internship placement for you! Think Audits, P&L statements, Controller jobs, shadowing and learning how this sector works in Europe.  Candidates are also taught routine duties related to accounting: databases, inputting expenses and payments (A/R), billing, banking, financial procedures, budgeting in accordance with Plan Nacional Contable in Spain. Work with firms that provide legal and tax advice.  Intern in the Accounting Department of a company or for an Accounting / Financial firm that provides these services to its exterior clients.

  Banking / Financial Sector: Interns are taught and work within European finance functions, finance departments, administration, account management and financial consulting.  Smaller investment firms take our interns too, work with stock market & bonds analysis, individual investment planning and more. Requirements- Field of study at the university level, strong language skills, strong computer skills, past finance internship helpful, desire to have a career in this field.

  Consulting: This international internship will require studies in the field of Law, Economics, Political Science or similar and a minimum intermediate level of Spanish. Duties related to corporate strategies: consulting regarding changes or bettering corporate culture to ensure productivity, helping to set “benchmarks” and make sure they are met, testing of corporate culture, “coaching.” Duties related to corporate Organization: organizational design, analysis, diagnosis and implementing then tracking of procedures. Duties related to Marketing: marketing plans, research, relational marketing, and satisfaction studies of existing clients. Duties are related to investments: auditing, financial advice, fiscal and labor issues.

  Import / Export or Exterior Commerce: From Arabian textiles (importing them for sale in Mexico) to wine (exporting Spanish wine for sale abroad), interns work in small to medium-sized firms in the import/export industry. Lots of entrepreneurial placements in this sector – startup Spanish companies, new products.  

• Culinary

  Culinary international internships in Oaxaca options:

  Food: Companies in the food industry: wine, ice cream, confection, juices, kids nutrition, supermarkets, beer, cheese, chocolate, etc.
  Requirements: Marketing, computer skills, good language skills, extroverted.

  Catering: Foodservice industry, schools, airlines, weddings, conferences, private catering companies or larger food service departments
  Requirements: experience in the industry, language skills.

• Ecology

  ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE / ECOLOGY: Work with an established organization that focuses on water issues for the Central Valleys of Oaxaca – how to find renewable secure sources of good water for the population of this region.

  Volunteer duties include:

  •  Regeneration                                                        
  •  Water management
  •  Revegetation
  •  Alternative construction
  •  Alternative technologies
  •  Geographic information system
  •  Support training workshops
  •  Translations Spanish/ English
  •  Revegetation
  •  Soil Conservation
  
  A main goal with this international internship is to merge modern knowledge and technology with the social structure and wisdom of traditional communities.  Offices are located in downtown Oaxaca and projects are available for all levels of Spanish. Interns must be self-motivated, mature, and able to work independently as well as in a group. Placements are available year round.

  ** 2 month minimum.

• Education

  Who wants to Volunteer as a Teacher in Oaxaca? So many options with this international internship!  Help in a government office for social assistance, and cultural activities for the youth of Oaxaca.  Or assist giving courses on cultural, academic and sport activities for the general public within that same government funded office.

  TEACHING ENGLISH volunteers wanted to:

  • at a Public elementary school
  • teaching employees of a Government office for human rights
  • working with low risk boys at a juvenile hall
  • or with street kids as an afternoon class in a group home in down town Oaxaca

• Graphic Design

  COMPUTER – DIGITAL ART

  • work at an alternative university program focusing on education of community based social development and research groups – all need website design and assistance in research with this international internship.
  • Developing, designing, and/or translating web pages and logos for low income NGO’s, local artisans, and small family businesses, within a network of Graphic Design Studios in Oaxaca City.

• Law/Legal Internships

  This is tricky as our volunteers will be working within the legal sector, however for non profits, not law firms.  One setting is a small one person Judicial Center that provides mediation services. This center helps employees to effectively communicate with their employers regarding labor matters and employee rights. The center provides mediation in the beginning and where required, they assist the employee to sue the employer. The office is a local office part of the government’s Justice Secretary and mostly helps people that do not have enough money to go to a lawyer with this international internship.

  Another setting is a non profit that assists women in all matters relating to divorce proceedings.  From assistance to filing for divorce to helping to secure what was legally promised after a divorce proceeding.  Think single moms with children trying to get a dead beat dad to provide alimony and other assistance after a divorce.

• Medical/Nursing

  This international internship is one of our favorite placements in Oaxaca.  Candidates will work at a Red Cross hospital serving the public that cannot afford a doctor.  Volunteers will be trained and have a fixed NP or Physician to shadow (they even have to wear a white lab coat!).  Within this Hospital in downtown Oaxaca there are these Departments that accept our Volunteers:  

  • Very low cost general medical clinic
  • Emergency ambulance and paramedic for large non-profit
  • Dental and medical clinic
  • Alternative medicine including floral baths, herbs and acupuncture

• Non-Profits/Associations

  Our non-profit international internship programs in Oaxaca offer a host of work for non-profit organizations in fields like environmental/ecology, business development, medical/health, social and economic development, social work, women’s studies and health, etc.!

• Psychology & Social Work

  PSYCHOLOGY: Judicial center to provide an alternative of mediation to the public of Oaxaca including counseling in this international internship placement.

  SOCIAL WORK:

  • Organizing, publicizing and teaching workshops in communities to teach basic human rights.
  • Judicial center to provide alternative of mediation to public of Oaxaca.
  • Center to assist Oaxacan’s that plan to immigrate to the US
  • Low risk boys juvenile hall.
  • Children’s center providing daily free lunch, preschool, computer and other classes, hygiene care, school uniforms, homework help for Oaxacan’s “street” children.
  • Civil association that promotes a woman’s right to vote and equal participation in the government.
  • Non-profit organization that provides research and works on particular projects that relate to women and families and in particular reproductive health and provides low cost counseling and gynecological exams.
  • Young women’s dormitory and center for indigenous girls from local villages that provides housing during high school, university and emotional assistance and workshops.
  • Providing basic medical and health education, as well as helping children with their homework, at the primary school level within Oaxaca City. Same site, preparing and serving food to children at the primary school level within Oaxaca City.

• Teaching English

  TEACHING ENGLISH There are a number of options with this international internship placement in Oaxaca including:

  • Public primary school
  • Government office for human rights, teaching employees
  • Low risk boys juvenile hall
  • Government office for social assistance, academic and cultural activities for the youth of Oaxaca.
  • Teaching English to Artisans dedicated to the creation of wood carving figures and help with the marketing of their works.

• Theatre

  THEATRE: Theatre group that presents plays in indigenous communities. The group prepares plays and goes out to towns and presents them in schools (primary or secondary ones), and main plazas of indigenous communities. They are usually plays for kids and sometimes for adults. The themes vary, for example, health, environment, etc. The group also works on their costumes, sets and props with this international internship in Oaxaca.

• Women's Studies and Health

  WOMENS’ STUDIES AND HEALTH:

  • Young women’s dormitory and center for indigenous girls from local villages that provides housing during high school, university and emotional assistance and workshops in Oaxaca.
  • Non-profit organization that provides research and works on particular projects that relate to women and families and in particular reproductive health projects, provide low cost counseling and gynecological exams
  • Civil association that promotes a woman’s right to vote and equal participation in the government with this international internship

• Work With Children

  WORKING WITH CHILDREN:

  • Children’s center providing daily free lunch, preschool, computer an other classes, hygiene care, school uniforms, homework help for Oaxacan’s “street” children.
  • International internship working with low risk boys juvenile hall.
  • Young women’s dormitory and center for indigenous girls from local villages that provides housing during high school, university and emotional assistance and workshops.
  • Courses of cultural, academic and sport activities for the general public.
  • Orphanage for children and young adults coming from indigenous communities.

• Other Fields

  Our field placements are not limited to the above list, we can work with you in finding the right fit! We’ve placed past candidates in other fields such as Auto Industry, Zoology, Photography, etc. Contact us and inquire about other placement opportunities! We’ll do our best to work for and with you in finding your desired placement.

  All international internship work assignments must be confirmed in advance as space depends on availability and candidates experience and interests. Other Volunteer opportunities in different fields – ask us, they may be available on request.