Teach Refugees and Ethnic Minority Children in Chiang Mai, Thailand

  Thailand

• Chiang Mai: 
Chiang Mai

Durations of Program: 5-8 weeks, 9-12 weeks and 3-6 months
Typical Duration of Program: 9-12 weeks
Dates: Ongoing

Description: Teach in this splendid town in northern Thailand which boasts the best of Thai culture, beauty, and tradition. T2T offers affordable volunteer opportunities in the dynamic Chiang Mai.

Volunteers live and work in the center of Chiang Mai, the former capital city of Thailand and the most popular traveling site in northern Thailand. The old town is circled by a 1.5 x 1.5 km wall from the 13th century and within these walls are more than 30 wats (Buddhist temples) of different ages.

We teach English in 3 schools in Chiang Mai. These inlude Srilimongklatan school a very poor combined primary school and kindergarten which includes a day care center for Burmese refugees. Most of the childrens parents work as laborers during day and without the center may have to live the children at home alone. The school is around a 15 minute drive from the dorm and T2T provides transport to and from the school

Our other schools in Chiang Mai are the wonderfully named Chomchon Ban Boak Kork Noi School, a combined primary and high school with around 400 students 15 minutes from the volunteer house Wat Meun Ngen Gong school a small primary school with 150 students 500 meters from the volunteer dorm.

We also teach and tutor groups of young adult Karen people from Burma who work in the mornings and go to college in the evenings, but who need more English language training.

The pictures on this page shows T2T's dorm in the center of Chiang Mai and the temple Doi Suthep on the mountain just above the city.

Highlights: The city of Chiang Mai is the second largest in Thailand after Bangkok and has far more character than the capital. Whereas Bangkok is typical developing world city loaded with traffic jams and international business Chiang Mai has a far smaller and more relaxed feel with lots of local character and huge amounts of Thai history. The surroundings are splendid, including Doi Suthep - a beautiful wat on a mountain just outside of the City center - which is second only to Bangkok's Grand Palace. Further out are National Parks in abundance for all sorts of sports, trekking, rafting, bird watching, elephant riding, you name it.

Being a major city in Thailand Chiang Mai offers a variety of things to do, including:

Trekking and rafting - The many National Parks and Wild Life Sanctuaries are in abundance in the surroundings.

Waterfalls - There are a series of scenic waterfalls across the nearby mountains. There are plunge pools to cool yourself off after the trek to the falls.

Elephant trekking - Many places around Chiang Mai offer Elephant trekking.

Arts - There is an interesting art scene in Chiang Mai and the town is a known as an intellectual center in Thailand.

Qualifications:
- Good knowledge of English.
- Curiosity and respect for other cultures.
- Ability to work alone and in groups.
- Ability to live in groups.
- Intrest in ecology and eco-tourism questions and in education.

Cost in US$: 660 $ for one month, 255 $ for each more month

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: Our age limits are 18 up. We have a concentration on the early twenties and early thirties, but all ages are represented. The mixing of ages and nationalities is part of the experience. Gap year students, backpackers taking a break from travelling. Career breakers, early retierees, retierees that want an outstanding cultural experience.

Age Range: 18+

This Program is open to American, Australian, Canadian, European, Kiwi, South African and World Wide Participants. This Program is also open to Families, Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel to Thailand Independently

Typically Participants Work Independently Or in Groups

Application Process Involves:

• Resume
• Written Application

Post Services Include:

• Alumni Network

Travel to Teach's Mission Statement: Travel to Teach is a non-profit organisation, which provides affordable volunteering opportunities to teach English whilst travelling abroad. Provide valuable working opportunities for our volunteers. Ensure genuine travelling experiences of different cultures at a cost that most travelers can afford. Teach English and Computer skills to the poorer parts of the world where too little education is provided. Travel to Teach has had the ambition to develop our programs according to Guidelines for Ethical Volunteering as presented.

Year Founded: 2001