Intercultural learning and language classes for students in an alternative Buddhist school
       Jiri Mountain, Jeonbuk          April - June 2008
       Jiri Mountain, Jeonbuk          September - November 2008

Volunteer project: Little School is the first alternative middle school founded by Buddhist sect. It is located near the Buddhist Temple called Silsangsa in Jiri Mountain National Park, one of the top beautiful and high mountains in Korea. The school’s philosophy is based upon the Buddhist teaching which allows students to engage in learning about the value and the spirit of nature. Volunteers will experience various traditional Korean culture and beautiful nature around the school, temple and the local area. They will also have a chance to do meditation, learn traditional instruments and talk with monks about their interest in Buddhism.

Volunteer work: The project is aimed to provide students with intercultural learning. Being with international volunteers will help students develop global thinking. Volunteers will lead intercultural classes such as country introduction and language classes (mainly English). They will be also responsible for participating in after-school activities such as climbing mountains, traveling with students, language class, and club activities. They can also join in various school activities with students. Having skills such as dancing, singing, acting, teaching languages (other than English) and other educational skills can be very helpful.

Profile of the volunteer:
• Ability to teach and communicate in English (non-formal English teaching)
• Interest about Korea and Buddhism (learning the language and culture in the local area)
• Skills to manage club activities (e.g. music, dance, sports, theatre, etc.)
• Interested and enjoying working with teenagers
• Previous volunteer experiences abroad
• Initiative and active personality
• Flexibility and positive mind

Number of participants: 2

Language: English

Documents to be submitted: Motivation letter, resume and a picture are requested with application.

Duration of the project: 3 months. The date to start and finish can be changed if requested by the applicant, subject to approval by the Korean host.

Accommodation: At the school dormitory. Three meals a day are provided.

Location: It's in Jeonbuk Province (south west of Korea), about 4 hours by bus from Seoul.

Terminal: Incheon International Airport

Age range: 19 - 40 years old

Pocket money: Volunteers will receive 100,000 Won per month (about $100 US) for pocket money.

Participation fee: $590 CAD
 

 

Cultural and educational program for children
       Gwangyang, Jeonnam          runs from now till December 2008

Volunteer project: As in many other countries, more and more Korean people are moving to the bigger cities from rural areas for better job opportunities and proper cultural institutions. Since the Government usually develops infrastructure depending on the population of the region, many people in the rural areas are largely isolated from those benefits.
The host organization is a local church founded in 2003 aiming to help local children and youth. The church provides various activities and classes for them, including art, music, English, mathematics, hiking, cooking and so on. Children, whose both parents usually work till late, come to this local children center to spend their free time after school.

Volunteer work: The children in the Center are 5 to 12 years old. Children under the age of 8 come to the Center in the morning and stay until the afternoon. Children from 8 to 12 years of age come to the Center and stay from 2 pm to 5 pm.
Participants will organize their own cultural and educational programs for these children involving art, music, English, mathematics, hiking, cooking, play, etc. Any kind of activities and ideas will be welcomed by the host organization, as long as they provide the local children with opportunities for cultural exchange. The local children are very open and interested in different cultures.

Profile of the volunteer:
• Ability to teach or explain in English (non-formal English teaching)
• Interest about Korea (learning the language and culture in the local area)
• Skills to manage club activities (e.g. music, dance, sports, theatre, etc.)
• Interested and used to work with children and youths
• Previous volunteer experience (recommended)
• Initiative spirit and autonomy
• Flexibility and positive mind

Number of participants: 6

Language: English

Documents to be submitted: Motivation letter, resume and a picture are requested with application.

Duration of the project: Volunteering period should be at least two months. Participating dates can be according to volunteers’ preference.

Accommodation: A separate room in the Study Center will be provided for the volunteers. The host family is very nice and kind. You will feel the typical warmth and kindness of rural Korean community. Three meals a day are provided.

Location: Gwangyang, Jeollanam Province, is 450 km south of Seoul. It's close to the south coast.

Terminal: Incheon International Airport

Age range: 19 - 40 years old

Pocket money: Volunteers will receive 100,000 Won per month (about $100 US) for pocket money.

Participation fee: $590 CAD
 

 

Running an after-school program for kids in a rural area
       Haenam, Jeonnam          runs from now till December 2008

Volunteer project: As in many other countries, more and more Korean people are moving to the bigger cities from rural areas for better job opportunities and proper cultural institutions. Since the Government usually develops infrastructure depending on the population of the region, many people in the rural areas are largely isolated from those benefits.
The host organization is a local church, founded in 2003, aiming to help local children and youths. The church provides various activities and classes for them, such as art, music, English, mathematics, hiking, cooking and so on. Children, whose both parents usually work till late, come to this local children's center to spend their free time after school.

Volunteer work: Children of age from 8 to 12 come to the Center and stay from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Participants will organize their own cultural and educational programs for these children such as art, music, English, mathematics, hiking, cooking, play and other. Any kind of activities and ideas are welcome, as long as they provide the local children with opportunities for cultural exchange. The local children are very open and interested about different countries in the world.

Profile of the volunteer:
• Ability to teach or explain in English (non-formal English teaching)
• Interest about Korea (learning the language and culture in the local area)
• Skills to manage club activities (e.g. music, dance, sports, theatre, etc.)
• Interested and used to work with children and youths
• Previous volunteer experience (recommended)
• Initiative spirit and autonomy
• Flexibility and positive mind

Number of participants: 6

Language: English

Documents to be submitted: Motivation letter, resume and a picture are requested with application.

Duration of the project: Volunteering period should be at least two months. Participating dates can be according to volunteers’ preference.

Accommodation: A separate room in the Study Center will be provided for the volunteers. The host family is very nice and kind. You will feel the typical warmth and kindness of rural Korean community. Three meals a day are provided.

Location: Haenam, Jeollanam Province, is in the south, 400 km away from Seoul. It's close to the south coast.

Terminal: Incheon International Airport

Age range: 19 - 40 years old

Pocket money: Volunteers will receive 100,000 Won per month (about $100 US) for pocket money.

Participation fee: $590 CAD
 

Intercultural education activities for students in an alternative middle school
       Paju, Gyeonggi          April - June 2008
       Paju, Gyeonggi          September - November 2008

Volunteer project: This volunteer project has been running since 2006. The host organization is an alternative middle school called "Green Future" (Choeng-mi-rae in Korean). The school is located in the modern but clean and peaceful city of Paju. The city is not very far from Seoul and takes about one hour by bus.
The school has about 25 students from age 12 to 15 (6th to 7th grade). There are between four to ten students in each class. It is not based on any religious backgrounds, but they seek to educate young people to respect each other and accept diversity in life. It also focuses on self-confidence, operant learning, experiencing various activities (e.g. traveling, carpentry, cooking, building a house, discussion, drawing, etc.). It also teaches the spirit of democracy, humanity and living together harmoniously through various activities in and out of the classrooms. Through teaching and interacting with the students, volunteers are expected to provide an environment where students can learn and understand about other culture.

Volunteer work: The project is aimed to provide for the students more chances to meet different cultures and people. This experience will help them develop global thinking. The volunteers will lead English classes (non-formal), intercultural classes such as country introduction and language classes. They will be also responsible for managing in and after school activities such as climbing mountains, traveling with students, language classes, and club activities. The volunteers can also join other school activities with the students. Skills such as dancing, singing, acting, teaching languages and other educational skills can be very helpful.

Profile of the volunteer:
• Previous volunteer experience with teenagers (preferred but not necessary)
• Interest about Korea (learning the language and culture in the local area)
• Ability to teach or explain in English (non-formal English teaching)
• Initiative and active personality
• Skills to manage club activities (e.g. music, dance, sports, theatre, etc.)
• Flexibility and positive mind

Number of participants: 2

Language: English

Documents to be submitted: Motivation letter, resume and a picture are requested with application.

Duration of the project: 3 months. The date to start and finish can be changed if requested by the applicant, subject to approval by the Korean host.

Accommodation: Home stay at a student's or a teacher’s family. Three meals a day are provided.

Location: Paju, Gyeonggi Province, 40 km north-west of Seoul (the capital city).

Terminal: Incheon International Airport

Age range: 19 - 40 years old

Pocket money: Volunteers will receive 100,000 Won per month (about $100 US) for pocket money.

Participation fee: $590 CAD
 

International interaction program for students from Korea Horseman High School
       Namwon, Jeonbuk          April - June 2008
       Namwon, Jeonbuk          September - November 2008

Volunteer project: Korea Horseman High School takes pride in being known as the first choice among students who seek to begin their careers as horse trainers and managers. It is a public high school designed for in depth instruction and exercises about managing and training race horses. The students in this school build their horsemanship skills and eventually seek to be employed in horse managing fields. The school is located in Namwon City of Jeola-buk-do Province, which is about four hours away from Seoul (the capital city). The school was originally founded as a livestock farming school in 1969. As the appreciation for farming and livestock have decreased among young people, the school came close to shutting down. However, in order to maintain the school open, the teachers began to work their way to upgrade the school’s current curriculum with horsemanship skill programs. Eventually in 2002, the school transformed its title to Korea Horseman High School through the government sponsor. In the past few years, the school has earned more recognition, but still lacks in its international programs and interactions. The school is seeking to develop its international interaction through this project. Volunteers of this project will be the ones who will make a leap toward a new change of the school this year.

The students on their way to participate in a festival       The students performing a Korean folk play      

Volunteer work: Since the school is located in an area where it has limitation in meeting various international people, the project is mainly aimed to provide the students more chance to meet and experience other cultures through international volunteers. We hope that the students will develop global thinking through this project. Volunteers, on the other hand, will have the benefit of getting to know Korean culture and especially horsemanship skills. In this project the volunteers will lead English classes (non-formal), intercultural classes such as country introduction and language classes. Volunteers will manage about 15-20 students in one class. Having skills such as dancing, singing, acting, teaching languages and other educational skills, can be very helpful. Volunteers will also have opportunity to join in other school activities or class field trips. 

The volunteers of this project will have three months free course of horse back riding skills. The school teachers there will kindly guide and instruct you with horsemanship skills. If you are fond of horses, and love outdoor activities, this opportunity is perfect for you and will give you memorable experiences.

Profile of the volunteer:
• Previous volunteer experience with teenagers (preferably with high school students)
• Ability to teach or explain in English or Japanese (non-formal teaching)
• Interest about Korea (learning the language and culture in the local area)
• Inclination toward animals, especially horses (strongly recommended)
• Interest in learning horsemanship skills
• Skills to manage club activities (e.g. music, dance, sports, theatre, etc.)
• Initiative and active personality
• Flexibility and positive mind

Number of participants: 2

Language: English

Documents to be submitted: Motivation letter, resume and a picture are requested with application.

Duration of the project: 3 months. The date to start and finish can be changed if requested by the applicant, subject to approval by the Korean host.

Accommodation: A separate room will be provided at the school dormitory. Three meals a day are provided.

Location: Namwon City of Jeola-buk-do Province, 300 km south of Seoul.

Terminal: Incheon International Airport

Age range: 19 - 40 years old

Pocket money: Volunteers will receive 100,000 Won per month (about $100 US) for pocket money.

Participation fee: $590 CAD

Namwon     The geographical advantages of Namwon have made it a cultural, economic, and political center since ancient times, and the city has plenty to offer with its abundance of historical remains stretching from the ancient kingdoms to the Joseon period. With a total of 94 designated cultural assets including one National Treasure protected by the national government, the Namwon area holds about 20% of the designated cultural assets in the Jeollabuk-do province. This historic city is also steeped in classic literature.
As the birthplace of the eastern school of pansori narrative singing, Namwon is the source of the Story of Chunhyang that tells of the passionate love between Chunhyang and Master Lee, as well as the Story of Heungbu with its themes of brotherly love, virtue rewarded, and vice reproved. Set against the natural grandeur of Korea's "spirit mountain" Jirisna, designated National Park No.1, Namwon is a year-round tourist destination with its Chunhyang Festival in spring and Heungbu Festival in autumn.

Organic farming and language classes with the residents of an alternative community
       Sanan Village, Gyeonggi          April - May 2008
       Sanan Village, Gyeonggi          September - October 2008

Volunteer project: For a long time, people have been searching for a happy life and the answer is still under investigation. In order to pursue a happy life in a peaceful and harmonious way, a group of people gathered in Sanan village in 1984. Sanan village was established as an idealistic community. Now, around 40 people (including children) live together there. The community follows the philosophy of an environment-friendly and non-possessive society. People in this village want to encourage young people to give more attention to the environment and share the public resources together. If you are interested in a new perspective way of living, which seems very different from "normal and capitalized life", this project will give you some ideas.

Volunteer work: There are various environmental events and activities organized by the community. There will be weekend workcamps and festivals held in the village. Volunteers will have a chance to participate in those events and meet many other young Korean volunteers. They will work with the village people to help out with manual farm work such as collecting eggs in chicken houses and organic vegetables from fields. Volunteers will also tutor foreign language (English or other language, non-formal) to the children and adults in the village. There will be culture exchange with village children and grown-ups through sports, cooking, small trips and so on. Volunteers will also get a chance to learn Korean or Japanese language (there are some Japanese residents as well). They will be able to experience the warmth and kindness of the people and healthy food from the nature. 

Profile of the volunteer:
• Ability to teach or explain in English (non-formal English teaching)
• Interest about Korea (learning the language and culture in the local area)
• Interested and used to work outdoors
• Previous volunteer experience
• Initiative spirit and autonomy
• Flexibility and positive mind
• No allergies to chicken
• Not very strict vegetarian

Number of participants: 2

Language: English

Documents to be submitted: Motivation letter, resume and a picture are requested with application.

Duration of the project: 2 months. The date to start and finish can be changed if requested by the applicant, subject to approval by the Korean host.

Accommodation: In a house of the community. All food is organic and therefore, very healthy and delicious, even to foreigners.

Location: Sanan Village in Hwasung, Gyeonggi Province, is 80 km south of Seoul.

Terminal: Incheon International Airport

Age range: 19 - 40 years old

Participation fee: $590 CAD
 

Language and cultural awareness program for teens
       Namyangju, Gyenggi          September - November 2008

Volunteer project: The host organization is an alternative middle school called "Sandol School". The school is located in a beautiful area with a calm and beautiful landscape.
The school has about 70 students from age 12 to 15. It aims to educate young people to respect each other and accept diversity in life. It also focuses on self-confidence, operant learning, experiencing various activities (e.g. traveling, carpentry, cooking, building a house, discussion, drawing, etc.). It also teaches the spirit of democracy, humanity and living together harmoniously through various activities in and out of the classrooms. The teachers expect to provide the students with activities and programs related to intercultural and non-formal language classes, so that students will experience the different cultures and people through the contact with international volunteers.

Volunteer work: The project is intended to provide the students with more chances to meet different cultures and people. This experience will help them develop global thinking. The volunteers will lead non-formal English classes, intercultural classes such as country introduction and language classes. They will be also responsible for managing in and after school activities such as climbing mountains, traveling with the students, language classes, and club activities. The volunteers can also join other school activities with the students. Skills such as dancing, singing, acting, teaching languages and other educational skills can be very helpful.

Profile of the volunteer:
• Previous volunteer experience with teenagers
• Ability to teach or explain in English (non-formal English teaching)
• Interest about Korea (learning the language and culture in the local area)
• Skills to manage club activities (e.g. music, dance, sports, theatre, etc.)
• Initiative and active personality
• Flexibility and positive mind
• Appreciative attitude towards nature

Number of participants: 2

Language: English

Documents to be submitted: Motivation letter, resume and a picture are requested with application.

Duration of the project: 3 months. The date to start and finish can be changed if requested by the applicant, subject to approval by the Korean host.

Accommodation: In a dormitory. Three meals a day are provided.

Location: Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, 40 km east of Seoul.

Terminal: Incheon International Airport

Age range: 19 - 40 years old

Pocket money: Volunteers will receive 100,000 Won per month (about $100 US) for pocket money.

Participation fee: $590 CAD
 

to see a short movie from a Korean project with kids, click here

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