25 trees will be planted on your behalf for every experience purchased, via our partnership with One Tree Planted.
See more at onetreeplanted.org
Overview
This program takes place in Buddhist monasteries in the Himalayan city called Darjeeling. Darjeeling is popular for its misty mountain views, tea plantations as well as picturesque monasteries. During this program, you will teach English to the monks in the classroom. You will also get a chance to learn about Buddhism while practising various features of the lifestyle of a Buddhist Monk. You will be teaching to novice monks of various ages.
The project will involve various monasteries wherein the age of the monks are between 8 to 25. The monastery has classes between Nursery to Grade 5. Each class approximately has 10 to 15 students. You will be mainly teaching English but you will also be able to teach other subjects such as Maths, Science and any other subject of your choice.
Objectives
- To help teach monks English and in return, to get our participants immersed into the lifestyle in a monastery and to help them learn about Buddhism.
Impact
Volunteer experiences have a direct and positive impact on local communities by injecting money into the local economy through the purchase of food, transportation, and tourism activities. Volunteering is a great way to give back to the comunity and make a difference in the world. Depending on the type of volunteer experience you are interested in, your time can be spent improving educational resources and opportunities, providing medical services to underserved communities, or promoting environmental conservation and sustainable farming techniques.
1% of gross sales will be donated to 1% for the Planet-approved charities via our partnership with 1% for the Planet.
See more at onepercentfortheplanet.org
Location
Darjeeling, India
Darjeeling is a hill station in the state of West Bengal in India. In the vicinity of steep and snowy mountains, the city of Darjeeling has been popular among local as well as international travellers as a great holiday destination. Darjeeling also has much more to offer. Climate is cold here throughout the year. Tea plantations and picturesque monasteries add a unique value to the atmosphere in Darjeeling.
Itinerary
Sunday - Arrival
Meet on Sunday at Siliguri Bagdogra Airport, Bagdogra (IXB) in our pickup window 08:00 to 14:00
Monday - Friday
You will teach primarily English and various other subjects to the monks, both young and old, for around 2 to 3 hours of various age groups every day.
Saturday - Departure
Leave the accommodation on Saturday morning. Take a jeep or bus to the airport. It takes about 5 hours drive to Bagdogra Airport from the accommodation.
Inclusions
- Shared Accomodation
- All meals included
- Free beverages
- Wifi in public areas
- Arrival Transfer (included with 2 wk+ trips)
- Departure Transfer
Options
More Information
Requirements
- minimum age18
- minimum english levelBasic
- CRB RequiredOn signup
- passport copy requiredOn signup
- resume copy requiredNo
Other Requirements
- Participants above the age of 65 should have medical clearance.
- It's a good idea to bring posters, pictures, music CDs, storybooks, flash cards and so on to brighten up lessons.
- Cover up as much as possible in the spirit of the local culture to avoid embarrassment.
- Your clothes must not be too short, too tight or too revealing. Kindly make sure your shoulders and legs are covered.
- Dress professionally since you will be working in a professional environment while teaching the children.
- It is completely fine to wear western clothes as long as they fit the local standards
- Be thoughtful of the graphics, symbols or text printed on your clothing and avoid wearing clothing styles that might be inappropriate
- Be thoughtful to poor communities by not displaying expensive items and clothes
- Wearing local clothes could help you build a good working relationship with the community
Food
The meals are a mix of Western and Indian food, consisting mainly of vegetarian dishes including rice and vegetables.
Accommodation
In our center, 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.
