Volunteers in Asia Announces New Positions in Burma, Thailand, Laos
Myanmar:
- Service Coordinator, College Preparatory Program
- Elementary Science Teacher, K-12 School
- English Teacher, Buddhist Monastery School
Laos
- English Teacher/English Resource, Committee for Planning and Investment
- English Teacher/English Resource, Digital Divide Data
Thailand
- English Teacher, 35 Rajaprajanugroh School aka R35 (formerly the Bangsak School)
Country: Myanmar
Position: Service Coordinator Position, College Preparatory Program
At a private nonprofit school, a special year-long program guides 10-15 Myanmar high school graduates through classroom discussions and group and individual service projects in preparation for undergraduate studies abroad. The highly competitive program includes a rigorous academic component: students attend classroom discussions from Monday through Friday on literature, comparative life cycles, philosophy, and more. Students are also required to volunteer one day a week at a local or international NGO to supplement their classroom learning. After the college application period, these volunteer activities
become full-time internships.
This is the third year of the program in its previous two years, approximately 90% of the students in the program gained admissions and scholarships to study at four-year universities in the U.S. The aim of this program is to train young Myanmars to become globally-minded, inquisitive, and critical thinkers. Students are expected to return to Myanmar after their studies overseas in order to serve their country by working in development organizations or educational institutions.
Volunteer Role: English Resource. This is a full-time volunteer position. The volunteer is responsible for facilitating classroom discussions, helping students with the college application process, and arranging/overseeing internships.
Qualifications: A qualified volunteer must be mature, motivated, responsible, and a self-starter. The voluntee r should also have excellent communication and interpersonal skills and be able to facilitate a classroom subject that the volunteer has deep knowledge
of.
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Country: Myanmar
Position: Elementary Science Teacher, K-12 School
A new K-12 school in seeks an elementary science teacher to teach grades K-2. The mission of this school is to provide an academically rich environment to stimulate Myanmar children's curiosity and encourage them to reach their full potential. The school offers an
exciting alternative to low-quality public education and costly private English-only schools. This school roots Myanmar children in their cultural heritage while training them to become
internationally-minded citizens. In 2007, the school will have 50 students enrolled.
Volunteer Role: English Teaching. The VIA volunteer will design and teach an inquiry-based science curriculum for children ages 3 to 8 and rain Myanmar teachers on how to teach science.
Qualifications: A qualified volunteer will have experience working with children, knowledge of natural or physical sciences, and be skilled at helping children learn how to observe and make conceptual connections.
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Country: Myanmar
Position: English Teacher, Monastic School
Founded by a Buddhist monk, this monastic school offers free education to poor Myanmar children who would otherwise be denied access to even the most basic educational services. Students are from either poor urban or rural families or are orphans, ethnic minorities, or abused and neglected children who cannot attend government schools for various reasons. Currently, the school offers grades 1-10 to approximately 7,000 students.
Volunteer Role: English Teaching. The VIA volunteer will design and teach English curriculum to students and TESOL methodology to teachers.
Qualifications: A qualified volunteer will have a teaching background and enthusiasm for working with children and adolescents.
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Country: Houai Xai, Laos
Position: English Teacher, Committee for Planning and Investment
The Committee for Planning and Investment (CPI), Bokeo is a Lao government agency responsible for foreign aid and investment projects. This English teaching post at CPI is funded by Rural Development in Mountainous Areas (RDMA), a German NGO-funded project aiming to increase the livelihood and welfare of Lao people in the region.
Houai Xai, Bokeo Province is a scenic and peaceful border town in the northwestern corner of Laos. The quiet Mekong river runs along Houai Xai and Thailand is a short boat ride across it. The region is rural and mountainous with a large percentage of minority hilltribe people. There is a small community of expatriates who work for international NGOs.
Volunteer Role: English Teaching/English Resource. As more development and foreign investment comes to Houai Xai, the need for English skills within local government has risen. The primary focus of this volunteer position will be to teach beginning and intermediate level English courses to adult students who work directly for the Lao government in one of many provincial departments, including CPI, and employees of RMDA.
The volunteer may also be asked to edit and prepare English language reports and project materials. Travel to remote villages may be required to provide language instruction to RDMA district staff.
Qualifications: Background and/or interest in rural development and teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL). Previous experience in Laos and Lao language skills highly desirable, but not required.
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Country: Vientiane, Laos
Position: English Teacher/English Resource, Digital Divide Data
Digital Divide Data is a non-profit organization that trains and employs local people in Cambodia and Laos. Its aim is to use technology to improve lives and provide opportunities to the disadvantaged and the poor. At the same time, DDD hopes to create a business model that doesn't rely on charity: one side of the venture trains people in English and IT skills, while the other-in order to support itself and provide technology jobs to its trainees-offers high-quality data-processing services to business and public sector customers.
Volunteer Role: English Teacher/English Resource. The volunteer will help the local staff improve their English and their English teaching skills; train DDD trainers in classroom management, curriculum and lesson planning; and provide DDD office managers with training in business English, report writing and communication skills.
Qualifications: Interest in working as a team with local Lao people and teaching office workers and students English for business purposes; strong writing and communication skills in English; TESOL and teacher training experience preferred, but not required.
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Country: Phang Nga, Thailand
Position: English Teacher, 35 Rajaprajanugroh School aka R35 (formerly
the Bangsak School)
(This post may be opened pending favorable program circumstances. Please contact VIA if you are interested.)
The Bangsak School was a primary and secondary school on Thailand's
southern Andaman Sea coast. The school was located a few kilometers
away from Khao Lak, a resort town a couple hours from Phuket. The
school and surrounding areas were ruined in the December 2004 tsunami;
many children and parents were killed, families were devastated and
left homeless. As a consequence, many poor children in the community
were orphaned and without a prospect for gaining an education.
Thanks to a successful international collection effort, the school was
recently rebuilt and furnished with desks and chairs. Now called R35,
it has about 1000 students and 40 Thai teachers. There has also been
an international effort to recruit English teachers, as the job
prospects for most of the students hinge on a career in the area
tourism economy. Five volunteer native-English speaking teachers are
currently serving the school and teaching English to a variety of age
groups.
Volunteer Role: English Teacher. The VIA volunteer will teach beginning English at R35 and will work with the other international volunteers to develop the English language curriculum. Average class size is 20 students. All volunteers at R35 are asked to take Thai language classes for four hours per week.
Qualifications: Strong interest in teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL); dedication to learning Thai and living with and serving the Thai community; interest in working closely with a team of international volunteer teachers.
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Contact information:
VIA Headquarters
965 Mission, Ste. 751
San Francisco, CA 94103
415.904.8033 x302 (direct)
415.618-0509 (fax)VIA at Stanford campus
482 Galvez St., Room 101
Stanford, CA 94305
650.725.7433 (phone)
650.725.1805 (fax)
www.viaprograms.org
