HELPEnglish
Opening doors in a town that runs on tourism, one playful lesson at a time.
The REC, local schools and Huanchaco library
The need
English is on the curriculum, but not in the classroom
WhereThe REC, local schools and Huanchaco library
English is part of Peru's national school curriculum, and schools are expected to teach it. In practice, many schools in our area are neglected and have neither the resources nor the teachers to do so.
Children at private schools meet English from a young age, but those schools are out of reach for the families we work with. In a town that welcomes visitors from all over the world, that gap limits the jobs and opportunities open to local children as they grow up.
Our approach
What we do
Learning through play
Games, songs and hands-on activities help children absorb the language without it ever feeling like a chore.
All four skills
Our lessons build listening, reading, comprehension and writing, planned around each child's level.
Small, personal groups
A hands-on, personalised approach means children get the encouragement they need to make faster progress.
Support for local schools
Our volunteers teach inside partner schools, giving pupils English lessons their school couldn't otherwise offer.
Where we teach
A day in HELP English
Morning
School partnerships
Local schools in Huanchaco
We deliver daily English classes within the curriculum of a local school in Huanchaco and teach at María del Socorro primary school. Pupils look forward to seeing our volunteers each morning.
Our partnership with Colegio PitágorasAfternoon
Rec Centre classes
The REC, Cerrito de la Virgen
A weekly two-hour class for children from the community, with a curriculum written and updated by our HELP English Coordinator and a team of supporting volunteers.
Also
Library and city classes
Huanchaco library and Trujillo
Volunteers also teach English classes at the library in Huanchaco and at the American School in nearby Trujillo.
In pictures
HELP English in action
Lesson time at the REC 
Every child gets one-to-one attention 
HELP English at a glance
- Weekly English class at the REC, planned by our coordinator
- 2 hrs
- English lessons at a partner school in Huanchaco during term
- Daily
- Kinds of setting where our volunteers teach English
- 4
Volunteer on this project
Join the HELP English team
Lead the programme as HELP English Coordinator, planning the curriculum and a weekly class, or join as a multi-project volunteer. TEFL training helps but isn't essential.
- HELP English Coordinator
- Multi-Project Volunteer
Fund this project
£10one-off
An educational workshop
Covers the running cost of one educational workshop for 40 children in Cerrito de la Virgen.
Your gift keeps our classes running, from workbooks and pens to the snacks that help children concentrate.
Keep exploring
Explore our other projects
HELP projectHELP Environment
Environmental education, the monthly Yo Cuido Mi Playa beach clean, and community and hydroponic gardens at our Rec Centre.
HELP projectHELP Literacy
LitClubs that help children aged 10–15 fall in love with reading, writing and storytelling, and Spanish literacy for younger children.
HELP projectHELP Youth
From a skate ramp to a full youth programme: skateboarding, football, arts and crafts and healthy lifestyles in a safe, supervised space.
HELP projectHELP Swim
Swimming and water-safety lessons that save lives, paired with water stewardship classes. Supported by the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation.
Partner projectGlobal Glow
GLOW Clubs run by local mentors give almost 150 girls across four communities a safe space to build agency, voice and power.
Partner projectColegio Pitágoras
Our volunteers support the English programme at one of Huanchaco's biggest primary and secondary schools.
Being restructuredHELP Women
A safe space for women in Huanchaco to learn and develop new skills. We're currently redesigning the project around what women in the community need today.