Get Involved

The multi-disciplinary nature of The Quito Project has allowed us to employ the skills and talents of a wide variety of volunteers, from medical professionals, to social workers, to film students.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:

Social Work/Public Health Programs:
 
Note: Volunteers must speak Spanish and have experience working in community settings. Projects will occur May-August, 2008.  If interested, please contact Julie Maslowsky at jmaslow[at]umich.edu


1. Comprehensive Community Needs Assessment
•   Aim: To determine and document the specific needs related to health, social, and educational programs in San Martin, Quito, Ecuador.

•  Method: Students will primarily employ quantitative, door-to-door survey methods to ascertain the needs of the community as expressed by the community members themselves. In addition, focus groups and individual interviews will be conducted to gain more in-depth information. Results of this assessment will be used to develop evidence-based programs in the future that directly address the interests of community members.

2. Health Resources Assessment and Guide
•  Aim: To assemble a comprehensive guide of health, social, and educational resources in Quito. This includes specialty medical care, social service agencies, educational service agencies, and non-profit organization. This guide will help our organization promote and make use
of existing resources in the community and establish partnerships with them. In addition, this guide will be used by The Quito Project and our partner agency in Quito as a source of referrals for specialty services needed by community members.

•  Method: Building on information from past years’ programs, students will begin with online and phone research to locate agencies and resources. In Quito, students will visit agencies to assess their services, accessibility, cost, and feasibility of use by members of the San Martin community. Students will compile an easy-to-use referral guide for use by The Quito Project and our partner organization in our educational, social, and medical programs.

3. Community Participatory Workshops
•   Aim: To educate and empower adult community members and to build social support among a cohesive group of community participants.

•  Method: Students will continue and expand a series of ongoing weekly workshops on themes related to health, familial well-being, education. A primary goal will be to engage community participants in the planning and leadership of workshops in order to make the program more sustainable and participant-driven.

Medical Clinic:
Note: This position are only open to current medical students (M.D. or D.O.).  If interested, please contact Bina Valsangkar at bvalsang[at]umich.edu.

1. Medical clinic director
The Quito Project is seeking current medical students to establish a Quito Project international elective rotation at their medical school.

The current model is as follows: 4th year medical students at Wayne State and the University of Michigan can select The Quito Project as a fourth-year international elective and rotate through the clinic for one month, while earning credit.  We are looking for students to lead the initiation of a one-month clinical rotation in Quito.  A student of any level can work on the establishment of the 4th year elective.  The job will involve recruiting students and faculty, working with faculty and medical departments to establish a 4th year clerkship, and leading organization of the clinic (fundraising, organizing medicine inventories, training clinic staff in the electronic medical record system, etc)  UM students that have served as clinic directors in the past will provide training and support to the new medical clinic director.  If the student is not a fourth-year medical student and will not be able to participlate in teh rotation they establish, they wil be welcome to join The Quito Project medical clinic during one of their school breaks (summer or winter)

Requirements:
1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year students welcome
Travel to Quito highly recommended, but not required.  

 

Education

Note: Volunteers must be proficient in Spanish language and have experience working with children.  If interested, please contact Alison Smith at alisoni[at]umich.edu

1. Tutor

Aim: to provide academic support for children of all ages in an impoverished community in San Martin, Quito, Ecuador.  Our priority is to help these children academically succeed while also providing a supportive and caring environment. 

Method: through assisting in local classrooms and providing academic support in an after-school tutoring site, tutors will work with children in improving their reading, writing, critical thinking and math skills.  

Additional Information:

Duration: May-August

Costs: Airfare: $600-$800
         Room and Board: $12/night
         Immunizations
         Travel (weekends)
         Miscellaneous Expenses

Housing: Home-stay with the Oñas (our Education partners in Ecuador).  All
tutors live together.

Additional Requirements: Weekly meetings, Minimum one month stay in Quito 

Grant-Writing

Note: Prior experience in grant-writing is necessary.  If interested, please contact Bina Valsangkar at bvalsang[at]umich.edu

1. Grant Researcher/Grant-Writer
We are looking for a volunteer with prior experience in grant research and grant writing to help The Quito Project apply for project grants.  Travel to Quito is not necessary, and the work can be done from any location.