India: Volunteer Teaching Project

Intro.

Whether you are a teacher, or just enjoy working with children, you should consider including this project in your adventure plans.

Our teaching placements are designed to give people who are interested in pursuing a career in a specific field their first taste of what it might be like. We also want them to provide professionals who’ve already chosen their career path a unique experience that will help them to develop new skills, and present new opportunities.

The project is working with a number of schools across India; we can offer you the chance to teach children in Bangalore, Goa, the Himalayas, and Mysore.

You’re invited to teach English, and Special Education; which might include other subjects like arts and crafts, sports, athletics, and even computing. Our schools encourage a non-formal approach to teaching, so you can deliver lessons however you choose; the methods of teaching are less important to us than your attitude to working with children. Our aim is to motivate children to learn, and teach them about good social and moral behaviour.

You should have good levels of spoken and written English, and enjoy working with children. Previous teaching experience will be appreciated, but it’s not necessary to be involved with this project.

Some of our placements are only looking for unpaid volunteers, but the experiences that they offer are unique and invaluable to your career progression.

Intro. week

The aim of the Cultural Immersion week (optional) is to make you feel welcome, and to help you get to know a little more about the language, culture, and people of India. We want to do everything we can to make your trip rewarding, and exciting.

Below is a schedule intended to give you a taste of some of the activities that will be available to you during your first week. When you arrive at your destination, you’ll be given a detailed itinerary for your particular immersion week.

Schedule

You’ll arrive on Sunday, and we’ll arrange to collect you from the airport. There’ll be an opportunity for you to explore the city while we wait for other volunteers to arrive. Once we get back to the guesthouse, you’ll have a chance to relax, and meet some of the other visitors.

Monday
You’ll start with breakfast, and a briefing about the details of your trip. We’ll give you your schedule, and help answer any questions you might have.

In the afternoon, you’ll go on a walking tour of nearby villages, where you’ll stop for lunch. Your first day is dedicated to learning your way around the towns, and understanding where to go in cases of emergency. You’ll return to the guesthouse in the evening to relax, and have dinner.

Tuesday
If you’re staying in Goa, your second day will involve some cooking lessons, where you’ll try some local food, and learn some words to help you buy ingredients, and understand menus. There’ll be afternoon sessions on local customs, and appropriate behaviour during your stay. You’ll be free in the evening to relax, or explore.

Wednesday
Your day is likely to begin at dawn with a Yoga and meditation session. You’ll visit a Hindu temple and have a presentation about religion in Indian society. There’ll be a language class in the afternoon, where you’ll learn some important phrases to help you communicate with the people you’ll meet during your stay.

Thursday
If you stay in Mysore, you’ll be going on a day trip into Mysore Town. You’ll explore the beautiful grounds of the Mysore Palace; and visit a temple in the Chamundi hills, where the locals worship a statue of a bull. You can walk around the spectacular scenery, before returning to the guesthouse in the evening.

Friday
A day trip to the stunning Abbey waterfall is followed by a session on Indian history, and religion. We’ll spend the evening relaxing at the guesthouse, and watching a typical Bollywood movie. This will be a great chance to socialise with other adventurers, and have some fun.
You’ll be free to enjoy your weekend however you choose, and will start your volunteer placement on the following Monday.

Daily Life

We’ll arrange your schedule when you arrive at the school placement. You should expect to be teaching around 3 hours a day, from Monday to Friday. There’ll be plenty of time in your timetable to plan your lessons and resources, and evaluate the lessons you’ve delivered so far.

You’ll have free time during the weekends, which you can spend however you choose.

Travel

You’ll be staying in guesthouses during your stay, but the facilities each one provides might vary, depending on where your placement is. Typically, you’ll be sharing a room with two or three other adventurers, and have access to hot water 24 hours a day. All your meals will be provided during your trip, and will be local dishes.

Laundry facilities vary between our guesthouses, and you should expect to wash your clothes by hand during your stay. All our guest are expected to keep their rooms clean, and use resources like water, paper, and electricity sparingly.

Requirements

• Minimum age 18.
• No previous skills are necessary, however you will need to speak English at a native or near-native level.
• Minimum 2 weeks commitment
• Necessary vaccinations.
• Necessary flights & visas.
• Full travel & medical insurance.

Costs

€400 Euros per week

* Check the latest currency conversions with xe.com
** All payments incur a 5% bank transfer fee.
*** Placements are confirmed with a 1 week deposit, minimum 2 weeks booking

What’s Included:

Project Fee includes food, accommodation, airport pickup, orientation, in-country support and project activities.

Private rooms are available for an additional €100 per week.

What’s not included:

Flights, insurance, visas (if applicable) and vaccinations. Full assistance will be provided in getting all these arranged if you choose our Premium Support.

Premium Support Upgrade

We understand there’s a great deal to plan and organise for your trip. When booking a Placement, many of our participants choose to purchase our Premium Support Upgrade to benefit from the expertise, knowledge and experience of our Project Coordinators.

We can provide the personal advice you need to ensure your trip is organised with excellence and planned with efficiency; ensuring the very best experience possible. Read more about how we can help you.