About Deaf Education in Thailand
Deaf and hearing volunteers alike can make a difference on the World Endeavors Deaf Education volunteer project in Thailand. Working at a school for Deaf students, volunteers assist with lesson preparation and presentation and classroom management, and they help the students by providing one-on-one tutoring and homework help. Volunteers may also help arrange extracurricular activities such as drawing and painting, dance, and sports. Volunteers with knowledge of sign language may find this project a good opportunity to use their skills and learn some local sign, but volunteers without signing ability can also contribute to this project.
A Typical Day in the Life of a Volunteer in Thailand
World Endeavors volunteers in Thailand can expect their days to be a combination of meaningful volunteer work, cultural experiences, and free time for relaxation and reflection. The sample schedule below represents a typical day for a volunteer in Thailand. Keep in mind that when volunteering abroad, a typical day can be anything but typical!
7:30 am – 8:00 am: Breakfast with your host family. Breakfast in Thailand consists of porridge or boiled rice, local dumplings or fried flour, rice with curry, or bread with jam and tea or coffee.
8:00 am: Travel to your volunteer placement.
9:00 am – 12:00 pm: Work at volunteer placement.
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm: Grab lunch at one of the affordable restaurants in the volunteer project area.
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm: Work at volunteer placement.
3:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Thai language course.
5:00 pm – 7:30 pm: Enjoy free time by hanging out with new friends, visiting the internet café, riding a bike around the city, taking a Thai cooking class, or exploring Bangkok’s beautiful temples, museums, parks, flower markets, or Yaowarat (Chinatown).
7:30 pm – 8:30 pm: Dinner with your host family. Dinners in Bangkok often include rice, curry, and a fried vegetable.
8:30 pm – 10:00 pm: Relax at home, practice your Thai with your host family, read a book, prepare for the next day’s volunteering, or plan a weekend excursion to visit some of Thailand’s many palaces, temples, floating markets, beaches, and national parks.
Project and class schedules, meals, and free time activities may vary depending on the details of your placement.
Eligibility
Volunteers must be 18 years of age or older. Successful volunteers are hardworking, flexible, and open to truly immersing themselves in Thai culture.
I feel I made a difference, but in all truth, this experience, the families I stayed with, the people I met, the friends I made; gave me more than I gave them or could ever give them.
-Tonia, Volunteer in Thailand
Emily is from Vancouver, Canada. She holds a B.S. in Biology and Psychology. Emily and three friends volunteered at a hospital and an orphanage in Bangkok, Thailand...