VOLUNTEER IN
COSTA RICA 2026

Support Migrant and Local Entrepreneurs to Build Resilient Futures

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GET ALL THE DETAILS ON OUR 2026 PROGRAMS

Join global professionals to mentor migrant and local micro-entrepreneurs in Costa Rica through hands-on business training, digital strategy, and financial empowerment, alongside the University for Peace.

What You’ll Do as a Volunteer in San Jose

In-person
program

The Volunteer Alliance will take place in El Rodeo, San José, Costa Rica. Hosted by the University for Peace, a UN-affiliated academic institution, the program is rooted in principles of peacebuilding, migration equity, and economic inclusion, creating a powerful environment for entrepreneurial transformation.

Volunteer engagement

Each volunteer joins for one week of in-person mentorship and training, supported by virtual onboarding and pre-departure prep. This model enables busy professionals to have high-impact, time-bound engagement while supporting long-term outcomes for local and migrant entrepreneurs.

Participant structure

The program convenes a diverse group of migrant and local micro-entrepreneurs, many of whom are refugees or asylum seekers from Nicaragua, Venezuela, Cuba, and Colombia. Participants range from informal startup owners to small-scale entrepreneurs looking to formalize and grow their businesses

Curriculum & tools

Workshops and coaching sessions focus on foundational business skills, including budgeting, storytelling, digital marketing, customer engagement, financial planning, and the use of tools like Canva, Trello, ClickUp, and ChatGPT. Participants gain both technical know-how and confidence to apply what they’ve learned.

Strategic impact

This isn’t a one-time training, it’s about building the infrastructure for resilient, scalable entrepreneurship. By the end of the program, participants will leave with improved financial literacy, strengthened business plans, actionable digital strategies, and clear next steps to scale or formalize their ventures.

Expanding Economic Access for Migrant and Local Entrepreneurs

In Costa Rica, many migrants, especially refugees and asylum seekers, launch businesses out of necessity due to legal and employment barriers. But without access to financial tools, networks, and formal training, these micro-entrepreneurs often stay stuck at subsistence level. Even local entrepreneurs face difficulty growing their ventures due to limited digital skills, financial literacy, or connections to broader markets.

Through our partnership with the University for Peace (UPEACE) and its collaborators like UNHCR and Fundación Omar Dengo, this program helps bridge these gaps by offering inclusive, skill-building opportunities for sustainable growth.

Learn more about our partner

Human-Centered Volunteering.
Inclusive Economic Growth.

Human-centered Design

We start by listening. Every element of the Costa Rica program is co-designed with UPEACE and local community leaders to ensure it reflects the lived realities of migrant and local entrepreneurs. By grounding the experience in empathy and inclusion, we respond to real barriers with context-driven solutions—not outside assumptions.

Skilled-based Volunteering

Each week, 10–14 professionals from global companies bring their expertise in finance, digital tools, marketing, and business strategy. Volunteers lead interactive workshops and one-on-one mentorship sessions, translating technical skills into practical tools that participants can apply immediately to strengthen their ventures.

Peer Mentorship

This isn’t top-down training, it’s mutual exchange. Volunteers work side-by-side with entrepreneurs to co-build systems, improve digital visibility, and clarify business goals. For many participants, especially migrants navigating uncertainty, this mentoring creates confidence, agency, and a stronger vision for long-term growth.

Workshops with Impact

Every session is built for real-world use. We integrate tools like Canva, Trello, Google Workspace, ClickUp, and ChatGPT into workshops on branding, budgeting, customer engagement, and more. With embedded Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL), we track progress and ensure learning leads to lasting results.

Be Part of the Mission for 2026

In 2026, we’re launching our first program in Costa Rica, partnering with the University for Peace (UPEACE) and local leaders to empower migrant and local entrepreneurs with the tools to thrive. Over three weeks, we’ll deliver hands-on mentorship and co-designed workshops focused on business strategy, financial literacy, branding, and digital resilience.

By embedding technical expertise within a culturally responsive framework, we aim to equip grassroots changemakers with systems they can scale. This mission is about more than skills, it’s about creating pathways to dignity, sustainability, and self-reliance. Together with our local partners, we’re building a model for inclusive, community-led growth grounded in shared purpose and long-term solidarity.

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apply for your preferred dates

You can join for one of the following weeks:
(Each week hosts a new group of selected volunteers)

  • Week 1: Sun, April 12th - Sat, April 18th
  • Week 2: Sun, April 19th - Sat, April 25th
  • Week 3: Sun, April 26th - Sat, May 2nd

Volunteers commit to one full week. Spaces are limited per cohort.

You're in Great Company

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