ESL in East and Central Europe: Summer

  Belarus

Minsk

Length of Position: Three weeks
Duration of Program: 2-4 weeks
Typical Duration of Program: 2-4 weeks
Dates: Inquire for specific dates

Description: Teachers teach conversational English and North American culture for three weeks M-F in July to teenagers, age 14- 18, and adults who have taken at least one year of English. School sites may be in the country or in a city.

Students usually share the same dormitory as teachers. Meals are eaten together in a cafeteria. Morning sessions are held in classrooms. Afternoons and evenings are filled with field trips, movies, sports, dancing, singing, interviewing and writing for the newspaper and literary magazine, skits, arts and crafts, role playing, and debates and round table discussions with invited speakers. These activities are planned by the BFE teachers and local staff. Generally, each team consists of 15-20 American teachers and teaching assistants chosen by a BFE Group Leader. There are about 100 students per camp. Group Leaders are all professional teachers who have experience in teaching abroad with BFE.

Our motto is, students speak 75% of the time, teachers 25%.

Qualifications: Teachers must have state certification or have successfully taught in a private school or college. Teaching assistants may include educated adults, student teachers, college students, spouses and teenage family. Any subject area is welcome although ESL, foreign language and former Peace Corps teachers are encouraged to apply. Additional skills/hobbies are a plus. Native speakers of English are requested, no other language proficiency is required. Teachers must exhibit patience, flexibility, a great sense of humor, openness to new experiences, be outstanding role models and good team players, and have excellent mental and physical health.

Teachers must agree to follow all rules of BFE and host country. If your passport has less than a full year's validity, make sure that it will be accepted in the country you will visit. Costs for passports and visas are the participants' responsibility.

Credit Available: yes

Salary / Pay: Participants pay a program/participation cost. Orientation and educational training sessions in language teaching and preparation are organized by the BFE Group Leader prior to departure. In each country, Bridges for Education negotiates three weeks' room and board in a dormitory while teaching, weekend activities, and a fourth week of travel, which includes room and board, ground transportation, guides and sightseeing, are provided by the host country. Bathrooms are generally down the hall and shared. There is no air conditioning. Accommodations may be basic depending on country and school.

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: Elementary, high school and college teachers, college students, educated adults. High school students may come if accompanied by a parent or teacher.

Age Range: students 14-18

This Program is open to Families, Couples and Individuals

Typically Participants Work in Groups of 12-15

Application Process Involves:

• In-Person Interview when Feasible
• Letters of Reference
• Physical Exam/Health Records
• Resume
• Written Application

Post Services Include:

• Alumni Network
• Exit DebriefingAbroad
• Job and Internship Network
• Re-Entry Debriefing at Home

Bridges for Education's Mission Statement: The purpose of Bridges for Education is to promote tolerance and understanding using English as a bridge. Since 1994 we have organized 71 summer language camps of conversational English in eight countries serving 9,500 students from 35 countries. We are not a religious or ethnic group. Our teachers and assistant teachers, college students and educated adults, as well as our students are recruited from all backgrounds. We work with the Ministry of Education, UNESCO, and OSCE. We organize 3 week camps for the students ages 14-18. Teachers pay for their own airfare and BFE expenses which include dictionaries, t shirts and supplies for the camp as well as scholarships. Teachers receive free room and board for the 3 weeks of teaching and one week travel in the country. Every year we have different camps. Summer 2003 in Belarus, Bulgaria, Romania, Kosovo and China. Check webpage for detailed information and changes.

Year Founded: 1994