Teen Connections: Volunteer Teaching For Teens

By Mae Hart

A new free English language school is opening. The project began after careful planning with Coco and Nancy Hoch (owners of Geek&Coffee), who helped set up the program and are hosting the school. The goal is to provide free English classes for local children and to create a space where learning is accessible to families from different backgrounds. With their support, the program now has an accredited English teacher who is officially trained and also paid for the work. Along with the teacher, a group of teenage volunteers, mostly from Victoria’s School, is participating to help run activities, organize materials, and support the younger kids. The volunteers are involved in different ways depending on what each class needs.

Any child can participate regardless of where they come from or how much English they already know. The organizers want the space to be open to everyone who wants to learn. The learning style focuses on interactive activities instead of traditional textbook-only lessons. The plan includes games, songs, and hands-on tasks to help students understand new words and phrases. Many of the activities involve teamwork or movement so the children stay engaged. This method is meant to make English less intimidating and give kids a chance to practice naturally.

The classes will take place twice each week at Geek&Coffee. During each session, children will participate in several different activities, depending on the day’s lesson plan. Some sessions include learning through music, where students repeat or sing simple English lyrics. Other sessions may use board games, group challenges, matching cards, or storytelling tasks to help students practice vocabulary. There may also be arts-and-crafts-based lessons where students label objects or follow English instructions while working on a creative project.

The teenage volunteers help with guiding the students, passing out supplies, demonstrating activities, and keeping the environment organized. Their assistance also helps the lead teacher give more attention to students who need extra help. The combination of structured teaching and activity-based learning is designed to help children stay involved throughout the sessions. Families in the community have shown interest in the program because free English lessons can create opportunities for children in school and later in life. Since purchasing private English classes is not affordable for every household, having a no-cost option makes it easier for more children to participate. The program does not require students to bring special materials besides basic items like notebooks, which helps keep the barrier to entry low.

Geek&Coffee provides a familiar environment for many families, so holding the classes there can make children feel more comfortable. The space already acts as a gathering point for the community, and adding an English program builds on its role as a place for learning and development. The organizers have stated that they plan to continue improving the program as it grows. The structure may adjust depending on how many students attend, what activities work best, and what support the volunteers and teachers need moving forward. The goal is to maintain a welcoming and organized learning environment even as more children join.

The English school’s opening is seen as the beginning of a longer project aimed at expanding language education in the community. With the help of Coco in the preparation stages, the accredited teacher leading the lessons, and the group of volunteers supporting each class, the program has several components working together to create a functioning system. Each week of classes will provide more information on how the program can develop and what adjustments might make it even more efficient.

The opening of this English school represents a new opportunity for local families and a resource that was not available before. With support from volunteers, the accredited teacher, and Geek&Coffee, the community now has a free program focused on language learning for children. The project is ready to begin and will continue developing through each class session as more students take part. For teenagers who would like to participate, go to Geek&Coffee (behind Fábrica La Aurora – past the ‘duck pond’) and ask for information from Coco or Nancy Hoch.

Mae Hart is a thirteen-year-old student and attends Victoria Roberts School and enjoys writing, sharing information and living in San Miguel.