The English Opens Doors Program (Programa Inglés Abre Puertas) was created in 2003 by the Chilean Ministry of Education. Supported by the United Nations Development Programme – Chile, English Opens Doors works to improve English-language education throughout the Chilean public school system by providing teacher training, instructional materials, language competitions, English immersion camps, and study abroad scholarships for university students. English Opens Doors seeks to foster a new generation of Chilean students equipped with the tools and abilities they will need to succeed in an increasingly globalized world.

Since 2004, English Opens Doors’ flagship initiative has been its Volunteer Program, which recruits native and near-native English speakers to come to Chile and work as teaching assistants in Chilean classrooms. Volunteers teach and encourage the study of English while living with Chilean host families and interacting with members of the local community. Since the program’s start, more than 1,500 volunteers have participated in English Opens Doors’ full and part time volunteer programs, with the number of volunteers enrolling each year increasing steadily.

In 2009, the English Opens Doors became part of the expanded Languages Open Doors Program. Now, in addition to the study of English, the Ministry of Education has set its sights on extending French, German, and Mandarin Chinese language education to the students of Chile. Already native Mandarin and German speakers have begun volunteering throughout the country, and Languages Opens Doors hopes to continue expanding and building on its successes into the coming years.

Apply Now!