Volunteer with a University in Tra Vinh

  Vietnam

• Other Cities in Vietnam: 
Tra Vinh

Duration of Program: 1-2 years
Typical Duration of Program: 1-2 years
Dates: 7/15/2010 - 6/30/2011

Description: he Vietnam Long-Term program offers volunteers a diverse range of experiences, from teaching English to high-ranking district officials in a rural community along the Mekong river or organizing a film club for enthusiastic university students in the picturesque oceanside city of Nha Trang.

There is an enormous need for native English speakers to help train students, teachers, and community leaders. As such, all VIA volunteers in Vietnam currently provide English language support in some capacity. Our partners recognize the need for VIA teachers, who not only help improve students' and faculty's English skills, but also foster cross-cultural understanding in the classroom and their communities. VIA recognizes that with Vietnam's rapid economic development comes a rising discrepancy in access to educational resources. VIA prioritizes posts in rural areas and with under-served populations who would not otherwise have the access to native English speakers.

Tra Vinh University is a new university, formerly Tra Vinh Community College, located in Tra Vinh Town, four hours southeast of Ho Chi Minh City in the Mekong Delta Region of Vietnam. The University has a partnership with a university in Canada and a goal of teaching all of their majors in English within the next five to ten years. Students come from primarily rural areas of Tra Vinh province and others, and many have never had the chance to speak with a native speaker.

VIA has been working with TVU since 2008. Volunteers teach students in the newly established Department of Foreign Languages. This includes teaching listening and speaking to English major students as well as teaching English with a particular subject focus to non-major students. In addition, volunteers may teach young teachers who will soon be expected to teach their subjects exclusively in English.

Volunteers live in a guesthouse for teachers located about 1 km from the town center and 1 km from the university's main campus. Each of VIA's two volunteers at TVU has a private bedroom and bath with a small space for a makeshift kitchen. The guesthouse opens onto a courtyard with a small cafe frequented by students and faculty.

The University is located on one of the small town's main thoroughfares. Tra Vinh is a bustling town of approximately 100,000 people. With tree-lined boulevards and Khmer (Cambodian) pagodas and monasteries, Tra Vinh provides a unique cultural and ecological experience for volunteers who want to find a true immersion experience--there are few foreigners in this town. The beach is an hour away by motorbike or bus, and the community is known for its Mekong Delta-style hospitality. Ho Chi Minh City is a four-hour bus-ride away.

Highlights: Tra Vinh is an area with few foreign residents which allows them to immerse themselves in the local culture and way of life, building long-lasting relationships with their peers, students, and colleagues.

Tra vinh University is a new and growing university, and volunteers have a unique opportunity to build the long-term capacity of the organization.

The Vietnam Program has a full-time Program Director based in the U.S. and a full-time In-Country Representative based in Hanoi, providing full-time comprehensive support.

Volunteers receive over five weeks of cross-cultural training, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) training, Vietnamese language instruction and visits to nonprofit organizations, community leaders, and cultural sites.

Volunteers gather in December for an annual meeting where they have an opportunity to reflect and plan. VIA Volunteers are considered important stakeholders and have a crucial voice in the direction of the Vietnam program. Volunteers have the opportunity to take on leadership roles as summer program coordinators and to get involved in a vibrant alumni network upon return to the US.

After participation in a VIA program, many remain connected to the organization due to its small size and intense partnerships with organizations in Asia.

Qualifications: VIA long-term program participants range in age from 22 to 80 and come from many different walks of life. Interest in Asia, cultural immersion and a simple lifestyle bring a diverse group of volunteers together. VIA does not require any specific educational background, prior language training, teaching or overseas experience. However, to become a VIA participant, you must meet the following requirements:

* Participants must speak English with native fluency.
* One and two year volunteers must have a B.A. or B.S. degree from an accredited US institution at time of departure. (Exceptions can occasionally be made. Contact the office with questions.)
* All participants must attend and take part in all aspects of training.

Minimum Education: Bachelors

Cost in US$: 2400

Salary / Pay: Volunteers receive housing and a monthly stipend equivalent to a local teacher's salary.

Experience Required: no

Age Range: 22 -65

This Program is open to American Participants. This Program is also open to Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel to Vietnam Independently

Typically Participants Work Independently

Scholarships are Available. VIA offers full fellowships for those with a demonstrated and ongoing commitment to Vietnam or the Vietnamese American community. We also offer partial fee reduction those who qualify based on financial need. Please see the application page of our website for more information.

Application Process Involves:

• In-Person Interview Required
• Phone Interview
• Physical Exam/Health Records
• Resume
• Written Application

Post-Program Services Include:

• Alumni Network
• Re-Entry Debriefing at Home

VIA (Volunteers in Asia)'s Mission Statement: VIA-Volunteers In Asia is a nonprofit, non-governmental organization dedicated to increasing understanding between the United States and Asia through cross-cultural exchange and service programs. Since 1963, our Asia Programs have provided US residents with the opportunity to work and live within an Asian culture while meeting the needs of Asian host institutions. Our Stanford Programs offer a wide range of short-term, international study programs between Stanford University and various Asian universities. The goal of all of our programs is to enhance cross-cultural understanding through the exchange of people. Our deep commitment to service and education drives our work and motivates students, volunteers and staff. We envision a world where people on both sides of the Pacific are appropriately equipped to build durable solutions to global problems through mutual understanding and cooperation. VIA programs have given thousands of Americans and Asians the tools and cultural literacy to help achieve this vision.

Year Founded: 1963