GUATEMALA

Cultural Immersion and Community Involvement in Ciudad Vieja and Antigua

How about offering your students the opportunity to increase their knowledge and develop new skills in the context of a cross-cultural experience abroad that is stimulating and enriching?

In collaboration with our Guatemalan partner, this project allows young people to live in a traditional community located 10 minutes away from the colonial town of Antigua. Host families will accommodate groups of two students each. Participants will take morning Spanish courses in Antigua and participate in cultural and community activities in the afternoon. Please note that this experience caters to the needs and goals of student groups that have limited or no knowledge of Spanish, but who are highly enthusiastic about learning a new language.

Furthermore, this project is intended for participants who want to share an experience with people in need while discovering this Central American country, known as the most exotic in the region due to its important indigenous population. HorizonCosmopolite offers you a two week awareness-raising visit to the village of Ciudad Vieja near Antigua, Guatemala.

This program includes:

• 28 hours a week of private Spanish lessons (one teacher per student) at a school in Antigua;
• Volunteer work for community organizations such as schools, hospitals, youth centers and orphanages. By participating in the volunteer work, you will not necessarily change Guatemalan civilization, however, the volunteers will have a better understanding of this developing country and they will discover the local living conditions and the services which are available to people in need;
• In collaboration with its Guatemalan partner, HorizonCosmopolite has organized a special program where groups of volunteers can assist with construction projects in disadvantaged villages. The construction site is selected based on the village’s needs and the interests of the group. If your group decides to participate in this program, we ask that you donate $500 to the community in order to purchase the construction materials;
• Food and accommodation in a pre-selected host family in the village of Ciudad Vieja (two students per family);
• All in-country transportation;
• Supervision and support from our Guatemalan partner during your stay;
• Cultural activities :
  • Salsa and meringue classes;
  • Guided tour of Antigua;
  • Trips to cultural museums;
  • Workshops on local cuisine and indigenous customs;
  • Visit a macadamia nut plantation;
  • Climb a volcano;
  • Visit a typical local market (and several other options).

For more information or to receive a quote adapted to your needs, please contact Marie-Pierre Fortin at 514-935-8436 or at our toll-free number 1-866-935-8436.

HONDURAS

Cultural Immersion and Community Involvement in Copán Ruinas

Through our projects in Honduras,we offer your students the opportunity to live an enriching experience, both on a personal and professional level. The goal of this project is to provide the participant with the opportunity to experience a way of life that is different from his / her own, to learn a new language and acquire other useful skills.

HorizonCosmopolite, in collaboration with its Honduran partner, offers participants the chance to live with a Honduran host family in the small town of Copán Ruinas. The program includes private Spanish classes every morning and volunteer activities in the afternoon. This program is unique in the sense that it provides participants with the opportunity to live in direct and continuous contact with the local population while being immersed in a Spanish speaking environment during the entire trip. By living with a host family, taking Spanish classes and doing volunteer work, the participant will discover the daily life realities of a people whose rich traditional customs are still very much alive. Along with cultivating new knowledge and skills, such an experience also fosters personal growth from which can emerge a sense of civic responsibility and a better understanding of the realities linked to globalization.

This program includes:

• 20 hours a week of private Spanish lessons (one teacher per student) at a school which is located in the center of Copán. All necessary school materials will be provided;
• Volunteer work for community organizations that are related to your field of interest such as schools, daycares, community centers, agricultural work, reforestation etc. Volunteers are encouraged to work with several different organizations and assist with their daily tasks;
• Host family accommodation in the village of Copán Ruinas. This also includes three meals a day;
• All in-country transportation;
• Supervision and support from our Honduran partner during your stay;
• Cultural activities:
• Guided tours of the town;
• Visits to museums and the Copán ruins;
• Horseback riding excursions in the local mountain villages;
• Salsa classes;
• Workshop on traditional cuisine;
• Visit a coffee plantation;
• Visit thermal springs;
• Visit a bird sanctuary;
• Mountain treks and visits to indigenous villages.

For more information or to receive a quote adapted to your needs, please contact Marie-Pierre Fortin at 514-935-8436 or at our toll-free number 1-866-935-8436.

ECUADOR

Cultural Immersion and Community Involvement at an Organic Farm

HorizonCosmopolite offers you the opportunity to work in an agricultural cooperative with its local partner organization, located on the Pacific coast of Ecuador. The organic farm is located in the heart of a small valley which sustains the livelihood of several small indigenous communities. The organic farm welcomes volunteers with open arms. The farm is located 30km away from the town of Bahia de Caraquez. People in the community lead a simple life based on tradition and without access to most 21st century Western commodities. For instance, this community only gained access to electricity 3 years ago.

This project is designed for groups who wish to immerse themselves in a cross-cultural and enriching experience in a remote environment. In order to facilitate the participants’ cultural adaptation process, Spanish lessons can be arranged on the farm for small groups. The rest of the time is dedicated to volunteer work and socio-cultural activities in the area with members of the community. The participants will live in small groups in the huts adjacent to the main pavilion located on the farm. A host family lives on the farm on a full-time basis and will be there to prepare meals, supervise and assist the participants in their experience, and to ensure their needs are met. The participants will have the chance to visit the city of Quito which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In terms of altitude, Quito is the second most elevated capital in the world. The young participants will also have the opportunity to take a bus ride across the Andean Cordillera. On well maintained roads, they will climb to ridges nearing 4000 feet in elevation. Unforgettable moments await them.

This program includes:

• Room and board in a host family for the entire group (participants will stay in groups of 4-5 in small traditional huts on the farm);
• All meals during the trip;
• 15 hours of Spanish language courses in small groups at the farm (optional);
• Supervised agricultural work placement: banana plantations, vegetable and fruit farms (maize, passion fruit, cashew nuts etc.), tree planting and reforestation, fishing organic shrimp;
• Visits and meetings with the students in the valley’s primary school;
• Other activities are offered, such as making utensils, plates, and traditional baskets from plant-based materials; making chocolate; making shampoo from aloe; making cheese; coffee production (from picking the crop to tasting the final product); horseback expeditions; visit to a waterfall; observing monkeys…;
• All in-country transportation;
• Visit to the cities of Quito and Bahia Caraquez Ciudad Ecologica;
• Supervision and support from our Ecuadorian partner during the entirety of your trip;
• Day at the beach with pizza and Internet access.

For more information or to receive a quote adapted to your needs, please contact Marie-Pierre Fortin at 514-935-8436 or at our toll-free number 1-866-935-8436.

MEXICO

Cultural Immersion and Community Involvement in Huatusco, Veracruz

Visitors will be charmed by Mexico, a country of culture, colors, music and contrasts. Local community members of Huatusco welcome volunteers with open arms. Huatusco is a small town that is located within the state of Veracruz which is two hours from the Caribbean coast. The snow cap of the highest volcano in Mexico, the Orizaba peak, overlooks this beautiful town of 50, 000 residents. Huatusco is located in the heart of a region which produces coffee and sugar cane.

In addition to taking part in Spanish classes, your group will become involved in different volunteer projects in Huatusco. Depending on the timing of your visit and the interests of your group, volunteers may work with children at a day camp (July), in a coffee plantation (winter), on a reforestation project or with abandoned girl children. At all times, volunteers will be supervised by our Quebecois-Mexican partner who now lives in Mexico. You will benefit from our partner’s knowledge of both cultures and it will prepare you for the many experiences during your stay.

Accommodation is available with host families or in groups at the community center. Regardless of the type of volunteer work you participate in or the type of accommodation you choose, expect to be in close contact with locals from Huatusco!

This program includes:

• 6 hours of Spanish classes in small groups with a focus on conversation;
• Volunteer work, depending on your interests and the community’s needs;
• HorizonCosmopolite’s Mexican partner is involved and integrated into the Huatusco community. A special project will be set up for your arrival and a supplemental donation will be requested. The type of project will be determined based on your interests and the community’s needs;
• Food and accommodation for the entire duration of your stay;
• All in-country transportation;
• Supervision and support from our local partner during your stay;
• Cultural activities:
• Salsa and meringue classes;
• Guided tours of Mexico City, Huatusco and Veracruz;
• Trips to the beach;
• Visit Teotihuacan, an archaeological site;
• Visit a cooperative which processes coffee;
• Visit a trapiche (a sugar cane mill);
• Workshops on different Mexican themes such as customs, the culture of coffee, the history and legends of Huatusco, the sugar cane process, indigenous communities etc.;
• Climb a volcano.

For more information or to receive a quote adapted to your needs, please contact Marie-Pierre Fortin at 514-935-8436 or at our toll-free number 1-866-935-8436.

BOLIVIA

Cultural Immersion and Community Involvement in a Rural Village

We invite you to immerse yourself in a cross-cultural experience in a small traditional village located in the heart of Bolivia. The indigenous Inca culture still holds a central role in people’s daily activities and has a significant influence on their way of life. Discover and get to know this hospitable population, their values and their customs.

Group members will live together in an ancestral village home and will volunteer daily for various projects. Depending on your interests and goals, you can help build or renovate local infrastructures, work with children in the local primary school or daycare, volunteer in the regional hospital, or work on environmental, agricultural, or reforestation projects. There are numerous possibilities; however they usually depend on the needs of the village at a given time.

You will also have the option of taking Spanish lessons in small groups in the village, going on horseback excursions, meeting with the local youth, and participating in a multitude of other activities that will allow you to better understand the realities of daily life in this developing country. Before and after your stay in the village, the group will go on various excursions, such as visiting La Paz, Sucre, Potosi, the salt flats, etc.

This program includes:

• Group accommodation in an ancestral house;
• All meals;
• Supervised physical and social work in the community;
• Discussions on themes concerning the realities of life in this Latin American country;
• Visits to La Paz, Sucre, and Potosi;
• All in-country transportation;
• Supervision and support from our Bolivian partner during the entirety of your trip;
• Possibility of taking Spanish courses in Sucre.

For more information or to receive a quote adapted to your needs, please contact Marie-Pierre Fortin at 514-935-8436 or at our toll-free number 1-866-935-8436.

PERU

Cultural Immersion in an Indigenous Inca Community

HorizonCosmopolite offers your group an opportunity to experience life in a small aboriginal Incan community in the northern mountains of Peru.

Upon arrival in Lima, you will be welcomed by a local organization that promotes volunteer work and mobilizes Peruvian youth across the country. You will receive a brief tour of the capital before heading north to the mountains. In order to prepare you for life within your host community, you will also take part in an orientation day. To fully experience the daily life of families within a small subsistence farming village, you will be involved in community activities especially with the local school children who will be thrilled to take part in any activities that you organize. Additionally, you will be invited to learn about the local culture by participating in activities including traditional bread making and field work. There is also the possibility of taking Spanish lessons and traditional dance classes.

During your stay, you will have the pleasure of participating in a day trip where you will visit an Incan community that continues to live a very traditional lifestyle. Another field trip includes the visit of a national park.

This program includes:

• Pickup upon arrival and accommodation in Lima;
• Orientation day in Huaraz before meeting the community;
• Accommodation with a host family;
• All meals during the trip;
• Volunteer work with the local community;
• Cultural activities (dance classes, music lessons, workshops on Peruvian culture, traditional bread making, …);
• Visit of a national reserve in Huascaran;
• All in-country transportation;
• Supervision and support from our Peruvian partner during your stay;
• The option to take Spanish lessons.

For more information or to receive a quote adapted to your needs, please contact Marie-Pierre Fortin at 514-935-8436 or at our toll-free number 1-866-935-8436.

THAILAND

Cultural Immersion and Community Involvement in the Northern Regions of Thailand

Its history, culture, cuisine, landscapes, and temples are all elements that make Thailand a fascinating country to discover. Both modern and authentic, this country certainly is known for attracting tourists, but what is unknown to many travelers is the multitude of exotic locations that remain "off the beaten track". You will see that there is more to Thailand than just tourism. Welcome to the Kingdom of Siam, a country on the cutting edge of technology where it is still possible to ride around on elephants!

You will arrive in Thailand, "Land of Smiles", and will spend your first night in a Bangkok guest house. The next day you will take the night train to Chiang Mai, located in the northern part of the country. From there, you will take a bus to your final destination of Chiang Rai, a place surrounded by scenic landscapes that are simply breathtaking. At this point, you will be greeted by our Thai partner. The following day, a 4 hour trek will take you to your host community, Lahu tribal village in the hills, where each of you will stay with a host family. Over the next few days, you will learn the Lahu language, discover how to weave and build bamboo huts, organize activities with the local primary school, play with children, cook and savour Thai and Lahu food, relax with your host family, visit the town of Chiang Rai, work in a local secondary school, and explore the Thai and Lahu cultures.

This program includes:

• A guide from HorizonCosmopolite;
• Lodging with a host family in a Lahu village;
• All meals during the trip;
• All in-country transportation during the trip;
• Lahu language workshops;
• Traditional Thai and Lahu cuisine courses;
• Participation in sustainable development and community projects;
• Volunteer work with local children;
• Cultural activities such as trekking in the mountains for 3 days to visit the different villages in the region; visiting the town of Chiang Rai; visits to the opium museum, the Panak Temple, the local markets, the Golden Triangle, and much more…;
• Supervision and support from our Thai partner for the entirety of the trip.

For more information or to receive a quote adapted to your needs, please contact Marie-Pierre Fortin at 514-935-8436 or at our toll-free number 1-866-935-8436.

PHILIPPINES

Cultural Immersion and Community Involvement in Tacloban

In collaboration with its Filipino partner, HorizonCosmopolite invites you to experience a mix of Chinese, American, and Spanish culture in the heart of an archipelago of over 7000 islands, located between the Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea. This is what awaits you if your next travel destination is the community of Bliss, situated on the Island of Tacloban in the Republic of the Philippines!

You will live with a Filipino host family and you will become involved in various social and community projects benefiting the communities in the region. Depending on the group’s interests, these projects may vary from building houses, painting and cleaning dwellings in the host community, working in a primary school or working in an orphanage. Moreover, your group will go on excursions in the back country, visit fishing villages, learn to haggle at the local market, take part in community activities, and visit Manila, a capital city with a population of over 10 million.

A stay in the community of Bliss will allow participants to come into daily contact with the local culture.

This program includes:

• Accommodations for 15 days with a host family in the community of Bliss;
• All meals;
• Transportation to planned activities during your stay;
• Volunteer work in community organizations (schools and orphanages);
• Cultural activities: a picnic, excursion to a fishing village, visits to historical sites, a trip to Manila, etc.;
• Supervision and support from our Filipino partner during your stay.

For more information or to receive a quote adapted to your needs, please contact Marie-Pierre Fortin at 514-935-8436 or at our toll-free number 1-866-935-8436.

VIETAM

Cultural Immersion and Community Involvement in Vietnam

Vietnam is more than the typical stereotypes of rice paddy fields baking in the sun, bamboo bushes and conical hats. Vietnam represents an image of an eternal Asia, miraculously preserved, simple and rustic. A journey to Vietnam is an absolute adventure and you will notice that the infrastructure is often very basic. Do not expect a tranquil trip during your travels in the Ha Long Bay, the Mekong Delta, the city of Hanoi with unique colonial architecture and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), the large city in the south. Vietnam is making up for lost time and is a rapidly changing country. Without a doubt, Vietnam is entering a new era.

Thanks to HorizonCosmopolite and our local partner, this project provides the opportunity for youth to take part in a unique cultural experience in a South East Asian community. Depending on your group’s interests, you will have the chance to participate in volunteer work such as: teaching, orphan care, community gardening, reforestation, maintaining heritage sites or construction* etc. During the projects you will be partnered with local youth from the community youth centers and village schools. In order to improve your integration within the country, you will live with a host family within a small community in the Nam Dinh province. During your stay, you will also have the opportunity to visit the Ha Long Bay (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and you will have a day to explore the charming city of Hanoi.

* Please note that all projects related to construction and renovation will cost an additional $500 CAD for the group.

This program includes:

• A guide from HorizonCosmopolite;
• Food and accommodation for the duration of your stay, including snacks and safe drinking water;
• All in-country transportation during the trip;
• Supervision and support from our local partner and a Vietnamese guide;
• Trip to Hanoi city including a tour of the old town, museum, Ho Chi Minh memorial, colonial prison, puppet show etc.;
• Visit Ha Long Bay and take a boat tour;
• Cultural activities;
• Volunteer work;
• Support from our Vietnamese partner throughout your entire stay.

For more information or to receive a quote adapted to your needs, please contact Stéfane Charette at 514-935-8436 or at our toll-free number 1-866-935-8436.

BENIN AND BURKINA FASO

Cultural Immersion and Community Involvement

Come and discover West Africa by living in a village located in the middle of the African bush in the Republic of Benin or in Burkina Faso. These two countries are well recognized for their legendary hospitality. These West African countries are easy to visit and they have extremely interesting customs, history, music, natural reserves, people and cultural diversity. The traditional culture is rich and complex and the people continue to practice such beliefs as ancestral worship and voodoo. Regardless of the many dialects that are spoken throughout the small country, French is the official language.

Volunteers will live in the heart of a traditional village where there are few commodities and the importance of human relations takes precedence in all aspects of life. During your stay you will have the choice to stay with a host family or in a group home. In both situations, a family will prepare your meals for you and will look after you… in fact; the whole village will take care of you! You will experience a full cultural immersion and you will truly understand the significance of the word community.

Through different volunteer projects in the community, you will have the opportunity to experience the daily realities of village life and increase your understanding of the challenges that Africa faces today. By experiencing the daily life of the community, you will discover the riches of this fascinating culture.

Whether you travel to Benin or Burkina Faso, a whole new world awaits you!

This program includes:

• A guide from HorizonCosmopolite;
• Accommodation with a host family (2 volunteers per family) or in a group home;
• All meals during the trip;
• All in-country transportation;
• Volunteer work with various community organizations in the region;
• A visit to the country’s capital;
• Supervision and support from our local partner during your stay.

For more information or to receive a quote adapted to your needs, please contact Stéfane Charette at 514-935-8436 or at our toll-free number 1-866-935-8436.

GHANA

Cultural Immersion and Community Involvement

Ghana is an English speaking country in West Africa. There are many beautiful natural attractions in this country such as tropical forests and large bodies of water. The lush landscape is home to an incredible variety of animals and over 400 species of birds. Without a doubt, visitors will be charmed by Ghanaians’ warm hospitality.

By choosing this cultural immersion and community involvement project in Ghana, you will experience a new lifestyle, meet unforgettable people and learn about customs and values that are different from your own.Through these experiences, you will discover aspects of yourself that you would have never discovered otherwise.

We are offering your group the opportunity to work in primary schools, orphanages and other social projects. All the while, the group will be increasing their knowledge of the history and culture of Ghana. Volunteers will live with a local host family and they will have the chance to visit several tourist sites in Ghana.

This program includes:

• A guide from HorizonCosmopolite;
• Accommodation with a host family (2 volunteers per family);
• All meals during the trip;
• All in-country transportation;
• Volunteer work with various community organizations in the region;
• A trip with local families to visit agricultural farms;
• Workshops on the local languages (5 hours) and the history and culture of Ghana;
• Cultural activities;
• Supervision and support from our Ghanaian partner during your stay.

For more information or to receive a quote adapted to your needs, please contact Stéfane Charette at 514-935-8436 or at our toll-free number 1-866-935-8436.