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Volunteer Teaching English To Monks in Chiang Mai Thailand

The Teaching Monks Program in Chiang Mai offers the opportunity to work at monasteries and temple schools, where you can teach young monks elementary subjects while engaging in interactive exchange sessions to learn about the spiritual aspects of their lives.

Thailand

country

2-12 Weeks

duration

from $790

price

18 years+

min age

Volunteers joining the Monks Teaching Volunteer Program in Thailand, Chiang Mai will teach novice Buddhist monks, who are in the age group of 12-18 years. The placements are provided to interested volunteers at five different monastery schools, in the beautiful city of Chiang Mai. Objectives of these schools are “enhancing the knowledge of monks and novices in both religious and secular subjects” and “providing secondary education for boys who are unable to afford such opportunities elsewhere.”

Volunteers will be intrigued to see that it’s not just the students who are budding monks but also the teachers who are fully learned Buddhist monks. One of the schools has both novice monk students and non-monk students (however the majority are monks), separated by classrooms. This a great volunteering abroad opportunity for those on their gap year to gain some intense international work experience. Teaching monks volunteering is one program where you are not only the teacher imparting knowledge and sharing views but also the learner who get to learn the basics of life science from the wise monks. Not only it is important to the school administration that volunteers aid in English education at the school, but also that volunteers receive a rich experience about Thailand, Thai culture and Buddhism during their service.

Sample Placement Profile
The schools are located both inside and outside the city of Chiang Mai. The temples range in age, with the oldest roughly 723 years old. The schools are poorly funded.

The largest school is Dhammarat School, which has roughly 700 students (they’re mixed with novice monks and regular students). The smallest school is Hang Dong Sangkharat Upatham School which has only roughly 130 students. Volunteers will either assist the English teachers in their daily lessons or teach their own lessons. The English level of the students is rather low. The students at the temple schools are there because their parents are dead, missing or unable to take care of them. For this reason the student was placed within the system of the temple to be raised.

Most of the students are ethnic hill tribe minorities, coming from the mountains or outlying areas.

Want to see other ways to make an impact? Check out our Volunteer in Asia programs.

Volunteer Roles & Responsibilities

Typical volunteer activities under the teaching monks volunteering program in Thailand include;

Assist the teachers to provide low-cost teaching material and fun for the monk students
Teaching Conversational English to students
Assisting in other subjects such as computer teaching
Sharing new ideas with the students and exchanging their views on different topics

Requirements & eligibility

Volunteers must be 18 years or older at the time of joining the project. Participants should have an open mind and flexible attitude for working in a new and different environment. Volunteers need to be flexible and open-minded. You should also be proactive and have an ability to take initiative All volunteers must provide additional documents such as a clean criminal background check report, Resume/CV and passport copy prior to joining the program. You should be fluent in spoken and written English. Prior teaching experience is not mandatory.

Volunteer work schedule

A typical day

A typical volunteer schedule under this program is as follows;

Friday: Arrival in Chiang Mai
Saturday and Sunday : Volunteer Orientation, city tour and cultural activity. Volunteers also read through reports completed by past volunteers in the projects.

Monday – Volunteers begin service
On Monday, volunteer coordinators escort volunteers to their volunteer project location by local transportation and introduce them to the administration and staff of the school. More expectations, daily schedule, grade levels to be taught and other special activities and announcements with regards to volunteer’s and school’s schedule are discussed during this time.

Saturday and Sunday – Days off
Volunteers cannot go to the children’s home during the weekend. You can take part in other activities or take this time to relax or explore the city of Chiang Mai.

Note: Please note, the schedule may vary depending on the project placement and changes can be there due to local circumstances.

The Daily Schedule at the Temple Schools is as follows ;

8:00 am – Morning Assembly and Prayers
8:30 am – Classes begin
11:10 am – Lunch/Break
12:10 pm – After lunch Assembly and Prayers
After Assembly and Prayers afternoon classes begin
4:20 pm – School ends for the day

A volunteer is free to come and leave the school as they wish. It’s recommended to stay at the school during most of the day to get to know the staff and students as well as possible, but a volunteer is free to leave the school during times when they do not have classes, if they have something they would like to do off campus.

Throughout the day and during assembly the students,faculty and staff pray and practice meditation. If a volunteer wants to participate in these prayers or meditation they are welcomed to do so. If a volunteer does not want to participate in the prayers they are asked to be respectful towards those who are taking part in the religious activity.

Gallery

Life on the programme

Living

Accommodation & meals

Airport Transfer
Volunteers are picked up from the Chiang Mai International Airport in Chiang Mai by the coordinator or representative. Volunteers who’d be present already in Chiang Mai will be met by the staff at a designated meeting point decided beforehand. Please note that volunteers are provided pickup from the airport between 8am and 8pm only. In case you are arriving later than the scheduled pickup time, you are recommended to book your stay at a hotel near the airport and the local team will arrange your pickup from the hotel the next morning.

Orientation
All volunteers are provided with an extensive two day orientation including a city tour before starting their project work. The Orientation session covers areas like, local Thai culture, greetings, locations, transportation etc. Volunteers are also given a half day city tour of Chiang Mai and are given a cultural welcome dinner to make them feel immersed in the local culture.

Accommodation
Volunteers are provided accommodation in one of the two volunteer’s homes in Chiang Mai. Both the houses are located in close proximity to each other. Accommodation is shared with other volunteers. Nestled in the vibrant heart of the city, the two volunteer houses are just minutes apart, offering comfortable, air-conditioned bedrooms that can accommodate up to more than 30 participants. The houses offer facilities such as wireless internet, fully equipped kitchens, living room, washing machine for laundry, toilets and showers as well as air conditioned rooms. The accommodations have a large comfortable living room in which you can relax,watch movies or just surf the internet in your free time. The local coordinating team is available easily as the coordinating office is also located within one of the houses.The coordinators ensure that your project runs smoothly. Numerous restaurants, cafes, convenience stores as well as laundry facilities are located within a short distance.

Local Transportation
Airport pick up, the city tour and the transportation to and from the cultural show and welcome dinner are covered in the program fee. Volunteers in the Teaching Volunteer Project are responsible for their daily commute to and from the Volunteer House and their school. Volunteers are expected to pay anywhere between $1.50- $3.00 per day for transportation. Although all the schools where volunteers work are a decent walk from the house,many volunteers take this on foot option to take in more of Chiang Mai during their service. On your first day of your project, the volunteer coordinator will escort you to your school and introduce you to the administration at the school.Volunteers travel with the coordinator on that day by local transportation in an attempt to teach volunteers how to get to the school and back by themselves on the following days of their volunteer service.

Meals
All ingredients for breakfast are provided and volunteers can cook their own breakfast at the volunteer home. Essential supplies such as bread, butter, eggs, coffee, tea, fruits are provided at the accommodation and participants cook their own breakfast.

Lunch is usually taken at the project site on weekdays and for dinner you can choose to head out to numerous restaurants and cafes in Chiang Mai city. The city has so much to explore and volunteers love to go out and explore the numerous restaurants and cafes in the close vicinity of the volunteer accommodation. During weekends volunteers need to buy both lunch and dinner on their own.

During your Free Time
Volunteers can take part in the Thai Cookery classes or Thai Massage course which are available all around Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai also boasts of restaurants of every international cuisine. During the weekends, you can travel to the cities of Pai,Chiang Rai or fly down to the capital city of Bangkok. Some volunteers also head down south to Phuket for a short break in the islands and to explore the beaches.

Dates

Start dates

Weekly start dates, year-round — pick any week across the next two years.

AvailableFilling fastFully booked

Costs

Program fees by duration Currency

A one-off application fee ($249 / £179 / €229 / AU$350) is charged in addition to the program fee — valid for one year, during which you may enrol in multiple programs. A 5% international banking fee applies to credit-card payments in USD or AUD.

Duration	Program fee
2 weeks	$790
3 weeks	$870
4 weeks	$970
5 weeks	$1,080
6 weeks	$1,190
7 weeks	$1,300
8 weeks	$1,410
Each additional week	+$175 / week

Indicative conversion — your booking is charged in the currency you choose at checkout.

✓ What you're paying for

24 hrs Assistance and support from Staff
Comprehensive Pre- Departure Information
Airport Pickup
2 Day Orientation and half day city tour
Cultural Dinner and Show
Food – 2 meals a day
Accommodation in Volunteer House
Travel & Medical Insurance (Available at an extra cost)
Certificate of Participation (On Request)

Not included

Airfare
Visa Fee
Return Airport Drop
Local Transportation
Vaccinations

Good to know

Frequently asked questions

Application & getting started

When should I apply?

Apply as soon as your dates are decided — spots are limited. The application fee is valid for a full year, so you can apply early to secure your place.

How do I apply and when do I pay?

Fill in the online application form and pay the application fee. The program fee can be paid later, even in instalments, but must be complete 45 days before the program starts.

What are the requirements?

Participants must usually be at least 17 (families welcome with younger children), with an open mind, good health and respect for local customs. A clear criminal background check is required from all adults.

Accommodation, meals & support

Where will I stay and what about food?

You stay in a volunteer house or with a host family, with meals provided. Private-room upgrades are usually available.

Is there support while I'm there?

Yes — a local coordinator gives you an orientation on arrival and is available 24/7 throughout your placement.

Health, safety & visa

Do I need insurance and vaccinations?

Valid travel-medical insurance is mandatory (available from us at a nominal cost). Consult your travel doctor for recommended vaccinations; your pre-departure pack covers the details.

Do you help with the visa?

Yes — all enrolled participants get visa-requirement information in the pre-departure manual, and your point of contact can answer questions.

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