Northern Thailand is a special place with rich culture, delicious food, and breath taking mountain and jungle views. This gap year experience is a great way to teach English while you live in the rural hill-tribes of northern Thailand. Be a part of it's rich culture and experience the warmth of these wonderful communities.

Your volunteer role: Volunteers will be placed to teach at a rural school and live at a local lodging.

Once you arrive to the Chiang Mai airport our in-country team will be there to greet you and pick you up! Our local Thai team will give you an overview of Thai culture, language, Buddhism, and help you get settled at your new location. We will also be with you at the school introducing you to the students, teachers, and principal.

All volunteers will be provided with a teaching schedule, with between 10 to 20 hours per week. The teaching will include helping the hill-tribe English teacher and leading classes on your own. The children at these schools are between 4 and 15 years old, with class sizes ranges between 8 to 20 students.

The focus will be on teaching conversational English, to improve speaking skills and fluency, as Thai curriculums are heavily focused on learning grammar. This project has its own custom curriculum, which we will provide along with all teaching materials and classroom resources. Our ESL coordinator will be with you for your first day of teaching and can help with lesson planning and activities.

We encourage our volunteers to make the most of their experience in the hill-tribes and take part in extra-curricular activities. Volunteers can play with the children, teach art, photography, music, dance sports, or drama. If you have an interest or skill in these areas or if there are any other activities that you want to run, let our team know and we can arrange special classes! 

Your volunteer experience: This gap year teaching opportunity is a fantastic way to integrate and be a part of a very rural and very remote Thai school and community. These schools are located around the incredible mountainous backdrop that make Thailand so iconic. Volunteers will be able to observe the differences in culture between these remote villages and the rest of Thai culture. This is also a great way to give back and help provide a much-needed English education to disadvantaged children.

Outside of volunteering, why not explore rural Thailand: learn how to cook local dishes, explore local farms, tour the village with students, taste locally made rice whiskey, learn how to sew and weave shirts and bags… the opportunities for a totally unique gap year experience are endless.

Prior teaching experience is not required but a flexible and positive attitude are a must. Come and join this project to make a difference, and to see and experience all of the beauty Northern Thailand has to offer!