Teaching Volunteer Project in India, Goa

You will be settled in and orientated during the first few days of this trip. However, we do offer a more comprehensive cultural immersion week which many people do as it’s a great way of meeting others, learning local customs and seeing a few sights. If you like the sound of this, then search our ‘Related trips‘ and add it on for your first week.

Teaching Project in Goa
Half way down India’s western coast is the mysterious gem and captivating heart of India, Goa. With sparkling blue waters, lush green paddy fields, dense palm groves, colourful festivals and the friendliest locals you are likely to come across its easy to see why Goa attracts more travellers than any other location in India. This is the perfect destination for those looking to embrace the travelling lifestyle as you immerse yourself in Eastern traditions whilst truly giving back to the local community as a volunteer teacher.

Despite it’s rise in tourism and growing popularity, Goa remains a poverty stricken state where the standards of living for many are reaching dangerously low levels. A lack of financial support and resources apparent in many developing nations has resulted in many children being deprived any kind of structured learning environment. Even for those that are lucky enough to attend school, the majority are understaffed and the teachers are pushed to their limits. There is no underestimating the power of education as a tool for development here, and this could be your opportunity to support this local community and improve the future prospects for these children.

Your Teaching Volunteer Placement
Take part in this teaching volunteer placement and you will have the rewarding job of inspiring and educating Indian children towards a better future. You will be based in a school or learning facility in the beautiful area of Goa in which the placement focuses on educational enhancement for students in local communities. You will be expected to be flexible and open minded throughout this project and able to adapt to different situations depending on the needs at the time.

There is a clear unbalance of wealth throughout India, in which many children from more disadvantaged communities have not had the opportunity to gain the basic literacy and numeracy skills needed for future employment. Despite their circumstances these children are incredibly enthusiastic and eager to learn, making this a truly rewarding experience to watch them improve and develop throughout the learning process. Your enthusiasm, time and commitment could dramatically improve their future prospects by giving them the crucial skills and confidence for later life.

Your Teaching Role
This project is mainly conducted for children in the age group of 3-16 years belonging to migrant families living in slums located on the periphery of the city.

Our indoor and outdoor school was established because of the population of migrant labourers are increasing day by day, which has been the situation in Goa since the last few years. The direct negative impact of this migrant situation has effected children who are in their schooling age. They have to drop out of their schools for 4-5 months every year as their families migrate to different locations every few months.

Most of the migrants are from far away regions of Southern & Northern India (eg., Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Kolkata etc). This migrant community sets up camps on the outskirts of cities and live there for almost a year depending on the various odd jobs they can find. The longer they stay back, the longer the children do not get the opportunity to go to school. And the children end up working at a very tender age to gain extra income for their families. Therefore, the main objective of this project is to encourage these migrant children to focus on their education by giving them the opportunity to continue their learning with us.

Despite the fact that there is a public school already in the vicinity, it has not helped the education of the children in the migrant communities for various reasons such as,

● The community’s understanding that education is less important

● The distance to the school (5km), where the children find it difficult to walk as there are no local transportation provided by the public school

● Financial constraints

● The migratory tradition of the community

To overcome these issues and to make education accessible to these underprivileged population, we have come up with an alternative and have taken the initiative to run a community school at the village, where the education is free of cost and the school is at a walking distance from their homes.

Our main concern is the realisation of sustainable peace and development in which the children, youth, women, adults, and elders are involved in positive activities that will ensure socio-economic welfare in this village. The vision is to educate and inspire the younger generation who are not fortunate enough to be trained or even to go to school because of their backgrounds.

Activities at the School:
You will be involved in various activities such as:
● Provide regular basic education for migrated children in the age group of 5 to 14
● Develop infrastructure in the village such as better access roads, build toilets, construct a rainwater harvesting system, and setting up libraries
● Conduct workshops and training to make kitchen gardens, teaching health, hygiene habits and nutrition
● Conduct environmental camps to spread the awareness of household waste management
● Classes for kindergarten children during the day as their parents go to work. Organising summer camps during the summer vacations of April and May.
● Conduct sports coaching camps in football for the children of the community

Our outreach school educates underprivileged children from slums, whose parents cannot afford to send them to school. The teaching sessions take place in the mornings and afternoons where the participants interact with the children using games and activities to teach them and help them understand the importance of education and developing skills.

CRB/DBS (Criminal Records Bureau) Check
It is required that participants complete a CRB/DBS (Criminal Records Bureau) check in order to take part in this project. We can provide this service for you at an additional cost because some people may already have one that is valid (please get in touch for more details).

Gap Year and Career Break Teaching Placement in Goa
Bask in the Indian sun, soak up the rich cultural history and meet amazing like minded people all whilst giving back to the local community on a volunteer teaching placement in Goa. Despite Goa’s popularity it refuses to be spoilt by such attention and manages to retain a real sense of cultural heritage and Indian charm; with beaches that remain serene and almost untouched it’s easy to let your mind wander and imagine you were the first to discover this fascinating land.

Start dates are every week of the year with your activities starting on a Monday. We therefore request you arrive anytime on the Sunday before to receive a free airport pick-up and transfer. Early or late arrivals will incur an additional charge for the transfer and extra night including food, so arriving on the Sunday will be your better option.

Your trip will finish on the Saturday morning when you will need to vacate the accommodation.

Please also note that India is known for it’s festivals, so during some periods of your trip this may disrupt normal schedules. However, our in-country team are there to make sure you are kept busy and enjoying all aspects of your India experience.

Visa
British Nationals will not require a visa to enter India. For a stay up to 30 days you can get an evisa which is emailed to you. For longer stays up to 60 days, you are required to get a tourist visa. Anything over 60 days we will need to send you a letter of invitation. To read more about visa requirements you can click here.

Aims & Objectives
To provide access to quality coaching, education and literature for the community at large.

Schedule
Monday
Orientation Tour in Goa
On your first day of the program, you will have an orientation, to better understand your new environment and program. Our coordinators will take you to an enchanting spice plantation, visit the local market, and a few supermarkets located close to our centre. You can also utilise this time of the day to exchange your currency or purchase any of the essential items you might need during your stay.

Tuesday
Project Visit
On the second day of your first week, introduction to the local projects and program will be given through an observation time at the project site, you can also choose to assist as existing participants on the project. Our coordinator’s will also theoretically orient and train you on the activities of the project and introduce you to your role in a step-by-step manner.

Wednesday
Your time on the project will commence on Wednesday.

08:30 to 12:00 – Kindergarten for the migrant slum children of ages between 4-6

Tasks and activities include,

● Teaching alphabets and numbers in English, three letter words, and forming sentences

● Making them colour pictures and teach them the colours

● Teaching them to talk about themselves

● Teaching shapes, colours, animals

● Doing educational Games

From 14:30 to 17:00, join the education program for migrant slum children of all ages, mainly between 3-16 yrs. Today you will teach Art and Craft to the kids.

(The children are divided into 3 major groups as per their age, and studies are taken up as per the children’s age and understanding level.)

Thursday
09:30 to 12:00 – Kindergarten for the migrant slum children of ages between 4-6 Tasks and activities include,

Teaching alphabets and numbers in English, three-letter words
Making them colour pictures and teach them the colours
Teaching them to talk about themselves
Teaching shapes, colours, animals
Doing educational Games
From 14:30 to 17:00, join the education program for migrant slum children of all ages, mainly between 3-16 yrs. Today you will teach spoken English, Geography, General Knowledge, and Science, and world history to the kids.

(The children are divided into 3 major groups as per their age, and studies are taken up as per the children’s age and understanding level.)
Friday
08:30 to 12:00 – Kindergarten for the migrant slum children of ages between 4-6

Tasks and activities include,

● Teaching alphabets and numbers in English, three-letter words

● Making them colour pictures and teach them the colours

● Teaching them to talk about themselves

● Teaching shapes, colours, animals

● Doing educational Games

From 14:30 to 1700, join the education program for migrant slum children of all ages, mainly between 3-16 yrs. Today will be the day for sports activities. You will have the opportunity to teach games which are popular in your country.

(The children are divided into 3 major groups as per their age, and studies are taken up as per the children’s age and understanding level.)

Location
Consistently ranked among India’s top tourist destinations, Goa is the ideal place for first-time travellers and adventurers alike to acclimatise to a different culture. From caves behind waterfalls to villages hidden in sandy coconut forests, there is always something more waiting to be rediscovered. The mountain ranges and spice plantations enhance the beauty of this glorious state. Apart from its natural beauty, this former capital of Portuguese India and home to various UNESCO World Heritage sites has a lot to offer in terms of architecture with churches, cathedrals and forts abounding. Put together, it is all of these aspects and more that make Goa the ultimate travel destination.

Accommodation & Food
About the Accommodation
In our centre, there is a mini library, a dining room, a lounge area where you can hang out with fellow participants and a beautiful garden to relax.

Furthermore, there is a refrigerator which you are welcome to use to store food and beverages.

Available Room Types

* Three meals per day during weekdays and two per day on weekends
** Water, Coffee, Tea, and Milk
*** At an additional fee

Food Arrangements
The meals are a mix of Western and Indian food, consisting mainly of vegetarian dishes including rice and vegetables. You can expect to have a chicken dish about twice per week. You can also use the kitchen facilities to cook for yourself or eat out at any of the local restaurants.

Facilities
ATMs: There are ATM’s around our centres. The closest one to our residence is about a 15-minute walk from the house.

Shop: The closest local supermarket is a 15-minute walk from the centre.

Mandatory Orientation Day
On the Monday of your first week at this location, you will join our orientation day, to familiarise you with the surroundings as well as local culture. Your program will continue as usual from Tuesday onward throughout the rest of the week.

Schedule

• Welcome, introduction to India, House rules, Code of Conduct and handling of documents
• Visit a spice plantation, visit the local market, and a few supermarkets located close to our centre. You can also utilise this time of the day to exchange your currency or purchase any of the essential items you might need during your stay.
• Lunch
• Visit Slum Outreach School & join the education program for migrant slum children of all ages (This activity is optional)

Activities & Events
No scheduled activities outside the program.

Sights & Surroundings
Goa has a very long coastline with an almost unbroken sand cover. So, if you’ve come looking for sun, sand and sea without the crowds and the fuss you’ll be pleased to discover these beaches tucked away in quiet recesses where you can go to truly escape the world. Here is our list of secluded beaches to try during your Goa weekend getaways. You might have to take your own food and water as there are no eateries or accommodation near some of them. And though some of them may seem out of their way, you’ll be glad for the peace and quiet when you get there.

• Butterfly Beach
• Kakolem Beach
• Galjibag Beach
• Hollant Beach
• Betul Beach
• Arambol Beach
• Agonda Beach
• Cola Beach
• Velsao Beach
• Sinquerim Beach
• Siridao Beach

Goa has a pleasant climate all around the year. Monsoon season is from June to September which is the rainy season for Goa. Goa gets an average rainfall of 330 cm annually which is about 90% of its annual rainfall. This season also happens to be the favourite of the travellers coming to Goa with its various celebrations happening. And from October to March it gets a very pleasant climate with clear skies and nights being busy with the festivals and sky full of fireworks. Summer starts in April and the long sandy beaches and the sunshine are so welcoming.

Transportation
From this location we do not provide free transport to other locations.

Accommodation
Volunteer camp with shared rooms (2-8 people per room); Basic but comfortable; Shared toilet and shower facilities; Communal areas for socialising and relaxation designed with an authentic Indian style; internet access and use of a TV with international cable channels; Single and double rooms may also be available – contact us.

Food
3 meals a day are provided on weekdays, and then 2 meals per day on weekends; Basic but nutritious vegetarian meals are provided. Meals are of a typical Indian fare.

Airport Transfer
Included on arrival date. Ask us for details if you are arriving early/late. You be supported at the end of your trip in your onward travel.

Training
A full orientation and project induction takes place. You will also receive full training relevant to your volunteer role.

Support
Pre-departure help and advice; Local in-country team; 24 hour emergency support.

Donation
Part of your fee is used to buy decent equipment for the project and community you work with. If you wish to bring further donation, please make sure that this is in the form of equipment and not monetary donations.

Flights; Travel Insurance; Visas; Vaccinations; Spending money; In country travel; Laundry service; Extra activities not on itinerary; Departure transfer.

Preferred Duration
There is no preferred duration but we believe that the longer you can stay the more you will experience and benefit.

Pre-requisites
No prior experience or qualifications are required, but an interest in teaching and/or working with children, and a desire to help others through education is required. It is important that you can speak English. All participants require a CRB check to take part in the project activities.

Ideal for
Teaching Volunteer Holidays and Placements in Asia; Community Work and Activity Breaks in India; Volunteer Gap Years and Career Breaks in Asia; and Student Summer Holidays in India.

Suitable for ages 18 to 84

Most participants are between 18 and 25, so please be aware of this. We do welcome older people because of the value and experience they bring to the community.