Regular program schedule expected to resume in 2022. Call 651-407-6100 for updates.

Volunteer in Española, New Mexico

"As you can imagine, there are many needs here. I’m excited to have you at my school.”
- Diane Lund, principal at Hernandez Elementary School.

Be the Change. Be a Global Volunteer in Española, New Mexico

Volunteer in the Hispanic community of Española, New Mexico.

Meaningful one-week service opportunities await you in one of the most beautiful yet impoverished locations in the United States. 35% of the population live below the poverty line, more than two times higher than the national average of 13.4%. Of course, poverty affects children the most. Help K-6 grade students with literacy, basic math and science. Organize or paint a classroom. Repair a playground or assist with a school garden. Assist parents and teachers who are trying to ensure their children can reach their potential.

Get Started in New Mexico

Serve in the desert Southwest.

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Call: 651-407-6100

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Genuine development projects to help children thrive. Exceptional service-learning for families, groups and individuals.

Community Projects

Mentor. Tutor. Organize. Paint. Care.

Work with Pre-K – 6 grade children, assisting with literacy, basic math, and science. You may also be asked to provide general assistance to teachers.

Swing a hammer or paintbrush to spruce up and repair classrooms alongside the school district’s buildings and maintenance staff. Rehabilitate elementary school playgrounds or help install new equipment and facilities so students have safe places to play and enhance their learning opportunities.

Sort, catalog, organize, and recycle old school supplies and materials (textbooks, computers, art supplies, desks, tables, etc.). There are several on-campus garage-size buildings full of used materials that need attention.

Dates & Fees

Arrival and Departure

A short flight or drive away.

Plan your flight to arrive at Santa Fe, NM Airport (SAF) before 5:30 PM on Saturday and depart after 12:00 noon on the following Saturday. We will meet you and your teammates at the airport and transport you to Española, about a 35 minute ride, and return you to the airport at the end of the service program.

If you decide to drive independently to Española, either from home or the airport, please let us know. Whether you are driving or flying, if you are delayed, please contact us with your updated arrival plans. Global Volunteers’ service program officially begins with the Saturday evening meal and ends with breakfast on the following Saturday. Your volunteer orientation materials include directions to your team meeting place in Española, NM.

Food and Lodging

Good rest for a full day of volunteering.

Team lodging is at the Rodeway Inn, a comfortable 39 room hotel in Española. Each double occupancy room has a private bathroom, phone, television and mini fridge.

New Mexico cuisine is a fusion of Native American, Spanish and Mexican influences, particularly noted for its native red and green chilis. You may have the chance to try green chili stew or a stuffed sopapilla smothered with red chili sauce at one of the local restaurants. A breakfast of cereal, toast, fruit and yogurt is provided each morning at the hotel. Lunch is at the school cafeteria. Dinners are either at a local restaurant or takeout pizza or sandwiches.

Health and Safety

Your safety is our top priority.

Your lodging, food and transportation are provided with a mind to help you ensure your health, safety and security while at the work site and lodging facility. Your team leader is trained in CPR and First Aid. Read more about health and safety here.

Weather can be variable in New Mexico with average temps in the 90s in the summer and 40s in the winter. Please check the forecast and pack accordingly. Sunburn and dehydration can be risks, so we urge you to pack sunscreen, a wide-brimmed hat, and a water bottle. We strongly recommend you consult your own physician, public health clinic, and/or travel clinic for detailed travel health information. We also recommend you purchase trip cancellation insurance in the event you must cancel your participation on the service program. Your travel agent can refer you to travel insurance providers.

Team Leaders

Excellence in team management so you can focus on service.

Your team leader is a Global Volunteers staff member or alumni who has completed our comprehensive team leader training and is skilled in leading diverse groups of people. All team leaders are certified in CPR and First Aid, and have served on or led multiple service programs – some up to 50 times and more! Further, they’re evaluated by the volunteers on each service program, and must consistently achieve a high level of performance in order to continue leading Global Volunteers teams. All of our team leaders are exceptional and delightful people. You’ll receive background information on your team leader approximately four weeks before your service program begins.

Free Time

Time to explore and restore.

Located between Taos and Los Alamos, Española is a place of stunning rock formations, wide open skies and incredible light. Renowned photographer Ansel Adams shot some of his most famous works in the area. The home and studio of artist Georgia O’Keeffe is now a small museum in the nearby village of Abiquiu. Down the road lies the Puye Cliff Dwellings, ancestral home to the Santa Clara people. Numerous hiking trails dot the area. And of course, only half an hour away lies Santa Fe, New Mexico’s capital, famous for its Pueblo-style architecture and a hotbed of art galleries, museums and restaurants. Evenings are free time; although, you may want to extend your stay to enjoy the wonders of northern New Mexico.

Family Opportunities

The family that serves together, learns together.

Research shows that volunteering helps teens gain/improve new abilities including leadership, communication skills, dependability, time management, and decision making. Teens engaging in community service have been shown to have higher self-esteem and improved resilience. Moreover, working with people from different cultures and ethnicity, reinforces the lesson that people the world over share common hopes and interests – that we are all far more alike than different. In New Mexico, your daughter or son aged 13 and older can fully participate in work projects, team meetings, and free time activities.

Parents and guardians are expected to supervise their children and collaborate with our team leader and local partners to maximize the service experience for everyone. They likely will create life-long friendships with local youth who share their interests and experiences.

Group Opportunities

Imagine your group here!

Global Volunteers’ USA service-learning programs provide meaningful and stimulating volunteering opportunities for groups of students, professionals, educators, and like-minded people. Because of our on-going relationship with our community partners, every member of your group can fully engage their unique skills and interests in meaningful service. We work with you to customize your program to learn about each other in a non-traditional way as an intact volunteer team. With advanced preparation, you can be certain that your unique contributions on genuine development projects advance the futures of those you serve.

Some groups return year after year to our programs to further understand the local history, language, culture and modern life in a decidedly “non-tourist” manner.

Opportunities for high school and college groups

Read on for details on group volunteering

“To be sure, there’s lots to do. And, this group has what it takes to make a difference. When the notion surfaces that we’re only doing a minor part in this large project, we reassure each other that we are playing an important necessary role building this coalition of friendship and growth with the good folks of Espanola, New Mexico.”

Janet NicolettiNew Mexico Volunteer

“The school could hold at least three or four times as many students as the 75 who now inhabit it, so the halls feel empty – like being in a nearly abandoned building, though it is bright and clean, and there are lots of colorful murals and decorations. One hundred percent of the students, we learned, are in poverty, according to U.S. government measurements.”

Catherine WatsonNew Mexico Volunteer

“Our adventure has included unique foods, challenging students, extraordinary community members and new team friends. We feel fortunate to be part of Global Volunteers’ first program in Espanola, an amazing city filled with amazing people.”

Bonnie BurrowsNew Mexico Volunteer

Volunteer Voices: Read and Learn About Global Volunteers in New Mexico.

Partners Report School Opening Plans in a Post-COVID-19 World

March 29, 2020

Española, New Mexico Welcomes First Team of Volunteers

Be The Change.

Through important, full-day volunteer assignments and free-time activities, you learn about New Mexican culture and the significant ways you improve children’s and families’ lives. Our time-tested and proven philosophy of service ensures your efforts help advance the host community’s development vision and goals. You contribute to genuine community-based projects, and in doing so, you’re accepted as family. Our commitment to engage short-term volunteers on long-term community projects in partnership with local people enables you, in just a short time, to serve as a critical link in a chain of volunteer support spanning three decades.