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International Volunteer Work with Children in Thailand with Projects Abroad
Whatever your age, abilities, or level of experience, you are welcome to join a volunteer Care project in Thailand with Projects Abroad. Whether on a gap year or break from further education, coming to us during a career break, or even during retirement, many volunteers find that a Care project is one of the most rewarding types of international volunteer work they can get involved in. All we ask is that you have energy, enthusiasm, and a commitment to seeing the work through. Our local staff will provide you with the very highest level of support throughout your time with us.
Volunteer Childcare Work with Projects Abroad
The majority of volunteer Care projects in Thailand are in kindergartens with children aged from about 3 to 6 years old. This phase of a child’s life and the support they receive is incredibly important, so the positive influence a volunteer can have during their pre-school years will we hope be long lasting.
The kindergartens are located in Krabi Province, with most volunteer placements in and around the towns of Ao Nang and Krabi, where Projects Abroad Thailand is based. Krabi is a one-hour flight south of Bangkok and located on the beautiful Andaman Sea coast of Thailand. It is a particularly popular destination for diving and rock climbing.
We also have some Care placements located in Phuket, about a two and a half hour drive north of Krabi. Here volunteers can work in a care center for children who have parents in prison or come from low-income families. Additionally, we have a special education center for children aged from 6 to 20 who have a variety of disabilities including Down syndrome and autism. This placement is ideal for anyone with experience working with disabled children.
Volunteers with an interest in art can also choose to focus on art as a Care project at the special needs school in Phuket. Volunteers then work alongside a local art teacher on a wide variety of arts and crafts projects for children, including painting, drawing, batik, and making models and souvenirs.
My time in Thailand was AMAZING. The generosity and friendliness of the Thai people, the beauty of the surroundings, and the bonds I made with my host family, friends and the children made my experience the best I have ever had and utterly unforgettable. I would recommend Thailand to anyone and will definitely be returning! Read more...
Volunteering Abroad on a Care Project in Thailand
Please do not imagine Thailand to be your typical poverty stricken third world country. The kindergartens, care centers, and special needs placements are well organized and the children are disciplined, although sometimes the institutions may be understaffed.
The main way in which Care volunteers can assist is by providing creative and educational activities that will expose students to English and give them familiarity with the language. In a country that receives so much income from tourism and where knowledge of English can double your salary, surprisingly few people speak it. Sometimes not even English teachers or their equivalents in kindergartens can speak the language. From this point of view, your knowledge of English is invaluable. Any activity that you do with the children, whether it is drawing, singing, or playing with puppets, will better prepare the children for today's widespread globalization.
Most Care volunteers will find themselves playing games and singing songs with the children, as well as talking with them naturally in English. While some children won't understand much of what's being said, they definitely pick up from their environment enough to know what you mean! In fact, we notice a huge difference in the children’s language ability between the kindergartens where we have had volunteers for a year or two and those we have started working with more recently. Through providing this daily interaction at an early age, you will be building strong foundations for the children’s future language capabilities.
Volunteers take part in a wide variety of activities within the kindergartens and your own ideas for games, songs, or new activities will be greatly appreciated. If you require extra resources just ask the local Projects Abroad staff and we will be happy to help you.
All of the volunteer Care projects in Thailand are eager to have volunteers with fresh ideas and energy to help the permanent staff. We try to take advantage of any particular skills or talents our volunteers have and match them to the placement where they can have the greatest impact. However, it is important to let the local staff know about your ideas and any extra activities you would like to try out. The Thai staff can sometimes be reluctant to ask you to do too much work, so please show them your enthusiasm and a willingness to get involved. Finally, set yourself achievable goals for your time in Thailand and remember that you are contributing to an ongoing process.
The kindergartens in Thailand have their main vacation time during April and the start of May, with a shorter vacation period in October. During these times all Care volunteers can join Care projects in Phuket.
This project is available for less than a month if you don't have time to join us for a month or more. This project has been selected by our local colleagues as being suitable for shorter durations for both the host community and the volunteer. Although you will gain valuable cultural insight and work intensely within the local community please be aware that you may not be able to make the same impact as someone participating for a longer period.