"Dolores Hidalgo " a Ciudad de Dolores Hidalgo Travel Page by JessieLang

I spent two weeks in Dolores Hidalgo (along with a dozen other people, none of whom I had met before) as a volunteer. We were with Global Volunteers, and here to assist the English teachers at the local University.

Our role was to engage the students in conversation. The students get to practice using the language, and listening to native English speakers who sound different than their teachers. The kids are very nice, polite, and appreciative. (Spanish isn't necessary to do this--in fact, not understanding it forces the students to use English, which is why we are here.)

We spent most of each day at UTNG during the week, going to 4-5 English classes per day. A small group of students sits with one or two volunteers and discusses a topic assigned by the teacher. On most days we have lunch in the college cafeteria.

We stayed at the Hotel Posada Las Campanas, and walked back and forth to UTNG (about a mile.)

The school, and the community appreciates the program. Members of the English faculty took us around the city in our free time, and the hotel manager threw a barbecue for us at the end of our stay.

We visited a pottery factory owned by a relative of one of the English teachers, and learned about sandal-making from a friend of another. We were invited to a faculty party and taught salsa steps. By the end of our stay, we knew some of the kids that performed in the plaza.