Do you want
to interact with and teach young children in northern Thailand? Perhaps you have a
desire to work with children, learn about early education in another culture,
or just love being with kids. If this applies to you then this is the perfect programme! The abbott of one of our partner temples started this nursery and the
classrooms lie in its beautiful Buddhist temple grounds. These surroundings are
utterly unique and offer the perfect relaxing and inspiring setting for a volunteer
to spend their free time. It should also be noted that this nursery school has
a nationally-ranked hula hooping team!
Your
volunteer role: Volunteers
are placed at our partner temple’s nursery in northern Thailand. This is an
extremely fun and rewarding programme where volunteers partake in activities with
young children so as to give them an enjoyable and valuable introduction to
education. The added bonus of this programme is that volunteers have the
opportunity to conduct their work meters away from the main building of a
Buddhist temple, which can lead to all sorts of fascinating cultural encounters.
Upon
arrival at the Chiang Mai airport a member of our local project team will greet
you and pick you up. Our local team will give you an overview of Thai culture,
Thai language, Buddhism, and settle you into the volunteer house that you will
be staying in. You will also be provided with a schedule that will outline what
you will do during your stay in Thailand and the breakdown of your days. We
will also be with you at the nursery on your first few days to introduce you to
the students, teachers, and monks.
Volunteers
will be assisting in two main activities during the day, one in the morning and
one in the afternoon. These activities can involve the teaching of extremely
basic English, dance, singing songs, sports and arts and crafts. Volunteers
have the opportunity to take some activities by themselves but will also be
assisting the Thai staff at the nursery with the daily schedule. Beyond the
activities volunteers are encouraged to assist the staff in helping the
children get ready for assemblies, lunch and naps. We can provide teaching
materials and classroom resources where necessary and appropriate to assist in
any activities. There are sixty students at the nursery school.
Outside of
the classroom we encourage all volunteers to take advantage of the close
proximity that the nursery has to the temple. The monks are eager to share
their knowledge about Buddhism, but it is up to you to engage and talk with
them. They are also eager to learn about your life experiences and culture.
Beyond your volunteering environment you have a surrounding that is full of
vibrant North Thai culture and beautiful natural scenery. The community is
always eager to learn about volunteers and hear the stories that they have
while sharing theirs. The volunteer house offers a perfect peaceful setting for
you to relax and spend your evenings and if you want to explore a little more
the cosmopolitan city of Chiang Mai is easy to access as it is just a short
ride away.
Your
volunteer experience:
This is a great opportunity to contribute to the youngest demographic in the
community that usually would not interact with volunteers and have very little
familiarity with foreigners. You will contribute to them educationally and
personally as your activities and games become the highlight of their day. Of
course this is a two way development as you yourself grow in a foreign
surrounding while creating innovative activities to engage young children and
ignite their creativity. Teaching experience is not required but a flexible and
positive attitude are a must. Volunteers must be respectful of culture and
religion at all times, and is something we take very seriously. Come and
immerse yourself in Buddhist and Thai culture while giving back to the nursery and
community!