Becky McMullin has recently returned from a four week project in Kerala, India where she was volunteering in a primary school in coastal village near Trivandrum. Becky has written a great series of posts which we will be bringing you over the next four days about her experiences including fundraising, packing, meeting her host family, […]
Author Archive | Lauren
Volunteer case study: a home away from home
Chandni volunteered in a rural primary school in a remote part of Chiang Rai for four weeks this summer, here she reflects on her experience having recently returned to the UK, from living with a host family to trying the new food! On the 26th July 2013 I left home to teach English in a […]
New Project in India!
We are excited to announce a new project in India that we will be running next April – June in Kerala. This project is working alongside VESS, our partner NGO in Kerala, to provide English lessons in the school holidays for students moving into higher education as well as running a Literacy Programme for younger […]
Volunteer Case Study: Making A Small But Measureable Difference
Alison Leighton, a volunteer from Edinburgh University, volunteered with VESL in Kerala, India this summer for six weeks, here she describes getting over her initial nerves and the amazing experience of living with a host family. On 12th July 2013 I left the UK to teach English in a small village near Trivandrum in Kerala, […]
Student Leader Blog: Check List
One of our Student Leaders, Lucy Allcock, from Edge Hill University is spending just over six weeks in India supporting her team of volunteers, she has put together an excellent check list for future volunteers going to India, check it out below! So the volunteers are just beginning their 3rd week of teaching and are […]
Student Leader Blog: Running an English Camp
Check out this blog post written by Student Leader, James Hallworth, about running an English in Phayao Province in Thailand. We encourage volunteers to assist in running one camp as part of their project whether that is for students or for teachers, here James talks about running a camp for over 180 teachers! During your […]
Volunteer Case Study: Every Day Brings New Experiences
“The children are so loving and are so keen to learn English. When you really make a breakthrough it reminds you why you are our here and gives you the confidence that you are making a difference.” Emma & Becca, Thailand 2013
Volunteer Activities: English Camps in Thailand
This Saturday 12 of our volunteers are running an English for Integrated Studies (EIS) Camp with two or our Student Leaders, Andrew and Fran, and our Programme Manager at a secondary school in Chiang Rai, Thailand. An English for Integrated Studies camp is a day of activities that encourages students to think of their other […]
Why are Student Leaders Important Overseas?
What is a Student Leader? Our Student Leader programme helps support our summer volunteers and enable them to have extra support whilst overseas, the programme was developed in 2012 and we are now in our second year. Student Leaders’ role starts in the UK in the Autumn/Winter before a summer project, and they recruit a […]
Travel advice: living with a host family
Living with a host family is a really unique way to get to know and experience the local culture, taste the local food and have a rare opportunity to become fully welcomed into a new family. Most volunteers come back from their projects and see their host family as their second family, but it can […]
So you’re wondering what to teach…?
James Hallworth is currently a Student Leader, he is supporting a team of seven volunteers from Edge Hill University in Thailand. James has put together this blog post to help current and future volunteers with teaching, as even the most experienced teacher can freeze and panic in an unfamiliar environment! So give his tips a […]
Travel advice: Making the most out of your project
A common question we get asked is how to make the most of your project, this is especially true for volunteers doing a short term project, so we have written some tips below to help you make the most of your time overseas: *Have an idea for your first lesson plan ready for your first […]
Travel Advice: Books to Read About India
Doing some reading before you go overseas helps to give you a real sense of what the culture like in your destination country will be like, this is especially true for India where there is a plethora of books out there to help you get a real idea of what Indian culture is like. We […]
Travel Advice: Communicating With Your Host Family
Lots of volunteers worry about being able to communicate with their host family if they speak little or no English, having been placed with a host family myself with VESL who spoke little to no English (although this didn’t stop them trying!), I have put together some handy tips to help you communicate: 1. Learn […]
