from 585€

Fantastic 4.5rating (58)

School and Community Renovation

location
2 - 12 weeks  ·  Age 16 - 50+

rating  Fantastic 4.5  · 
  Verified by Volunteer World
  Very high response rate

Highlights

  • Have plenty of opportunities to explore the country & boost your credentials with international experience! Learn the value of life as you teach to children from underprivileged communities.
  • Renovating community day care centers or decorating classrooms in schools to create a pleasant learning environment by doing paintings and experience the transformation of the center.
  • Teach the basics of English to the children, and create a playful environment by encouraging children to speck, write and read, work in schools & in community centers.
  • Program includes colouring, writing words on the lower walls, painting pictures & alphabets.(like ABC, fruits name,123 counting, vegetable names)
  • Make a positive, long-term impact on a local community that greatly needs your assistance & meet like-minded people from around the globe and build lifetime friendships.

Especially good for

Age 16+
Singles
Couples
Families
Groups
50+
Wheel Chairs

About the program

Teach basic English to children aged 8 to 14 years old & renovate day care centers, schools, community halls by painting lower walls like Fruits, vegetables & Alphabets.

Use your creative skills to assist in creating bright and cheerful learning spaces in village day care centers, community halls and in schools.

Day care centers and schools provide valuable services in the local community and manage to run on minimal resources. However there is a need of making ...

About the program

Use your creative skills to assist in creating bright and cheerful learning spaces in village day care centers, community halls and in schools.

Day care centers and schools provide valuable services in the local community and manage to run on minimal resources. However there is a need of making regular maintenance and renovation work an ever more pressing need.

Classrooms and play areas should aid and encourage learning and this is exactly what iSpiice aims to achieve. Spaces are first cleared, flaking paint is brushed from the walls and holes in the walls are repaired. After a few coats of white paint the classroom is already transformed into a clean bright space for students and teachers – next come the bright colors and decorative child friendly designs. Once all is complete watch the children’s faces light up as they enter their new classrooms.  

Volunteer don't need any TEFL qualification or teaching experience to participate in this program. English teaching volunteers in India make learning English fun and inspire students to reach their full potential.  Work in local schools at primary and secondary level, communities of Dharamsala or provide private tuition to students whose families cannot afford quality education & make a vital contribution to the education system in India and make a real difference in the lives of children.

Volunteer Role & Responsibilities:

  1. Volunteers should bring gloves, flashlight and light weight scarf for sun protection or hat and working boots.
  2. Making clean the school campus.
  3. We require volunteers who clean day care centers, school classrooms, community halls and give them a new lick of paint.
  4. Teach basics of English to children.
  5. The project involves some of physical work and creative side where participants renovate or create drawings, paint in several kindergartens and primary schools.
  6. Volunteers don’t need to have any previous construction experience. 
  7. Make a vital contribution to the education system in India and make a real difference in the lives of children.




Typical day

Volunteers typically work from Monday to Friday for a total of four to five hours per day, on two different placements.Volunteers work two hours in the morning at one placement and two hours after lunch at another placement. You will have time for taking breaks in between for lunch, chai and ...

Typical day

Volunteers typically work from Monday to Friday for a total of four to five hours per day, on two different placements.Volunteers work two hours in the morning at one placement and two hours after lunch at another placement. You will have time for taking breaks in between for lunch, chai and lesson preparation at the iSpiice volunteer house.

DAILY SCHEDULE

During the week your days at iSpiice will for the most parts, follow this schedule.

  • Schedule Example of Volunteer Day:
  • 08:00 AM – Breakfast at volunteer house.
  • 09:30 AM – Prepare for volunteer class.
  • 10:00 AM – Travel to work areas.
  • 10:30 AM – Volunteer work.
  • 12:30 PM – Return to volunteer house.
  • 01:00 PM – Lunch.
  • 02:00 PM – Travel to afternoon work area.
  • 04:30 PM – Work at the placement usually ends. Volunteers are free to travel back to volunteer house or do some shopping.
  • 07:00 PM – Dinner.

iSpiice volunteers will have weekends free and time available to participate in Add On Tours.


Free-time activities

Weekends and evenings are at your disposal to explore the local area and pursue personal hobbies. There are many activities to enjoy in the area such as yoga, meditation, temple visits and shopping. 

Program also offers below optional trips while doing volunteering.

  • Two days trip to Trekking in the ...

Free-time activities

Weekends and evenings are at your disposal to explore the local area and pursue personal hobbies. There are many activities to enjoy in the area such as yoga, meditation, temple visits and shopping. 

Program also offers below optional trips while doing volunteering.

  • Two days trip to Trekking in the Himalayas & visit the Mini -Tibet of India – McLeodGanj.
  • Two days trip to Amritsar, visit world famous the Golden Temple & wagha border ceremony. The Golden temple is famous for its full golden dome, it is one of the most sacred pilgrim spots for Sikhs, surrounded by pool of Nectar.
  • Visit the iconic Taj Mahal—India's most stunning homage to love. Agra is most known for containing one of the seven wonders of the modern world - the Taj Mahal. This finest example of Mughal architecture attracts thousands of tourists and visitors, who admire its magnificence and beauty. 
  • Visit the pink city and admire the beauty of Amber Fort, city palace, wind palace, water palace.
  • Sightseeing of Varanasi. On the tour, you will visit some top tourist attractions of Varanasi like River Ganges, Annapurna Temple, Vishwanath Temple, Sankat Mochan (Hanuman Temple), Bharat Mata Temple. 
  • Explore City palace in Udaipur. This majestic palace is the largest palace complex in India.
  • Explore Jodhpur Known as the Blue City, visit one of the most preserved and largest fort of India, Mehrangarh Fort.
  • Visit Chittorgarh Fort – a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a symbol of bravery.


Requirements

Requirements

Minimum Age: 16 years

In order to join the program you need to be at least 16 years old on the program start date.

Language Skills

You need to speak English (intermediate level)

Nationality Restrictions

No restrictions. Helping hands from all over the world are welcome.

Other Skills

We are looking for people who are outgoing and friendly with a good sense of fun and who will be able to fully immerse themselves into daily life in the various work areas and the community. It is important that you are able to work off your own initiative when required. An enthusiastic and positive attitude for all volunteers is a must.

Time Commitment

Your helping hand will be required on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday

What's Included

What's Included

Services by iSpiice

  • Pick-up & drop-off from Dharamsala airport by an iSpiice team member.
  • Pre Departure Information Kit, which has all information regarding your program, work area information, things to bring, immunizations details and welcome details.
  • Program briefing on arrival at the iSpiice house.
  • Daily breakfast, lunch and dinner prepared freshly and hygienically by iSpiice’s talented Indian chef.
  • Filtered purified water.
  • Accommodation at the iSpiice volunteer house with wi-fi & electricity.
  • Separate male and female bedrooms and bathrooms (with hot water showers 24*7 and western toilets).
  • Daily private car transfers (to and from work placements) by iSpiice’s drivers.
  • Visit to the local tourist sights including Kangra Fort and Tea Gardens including tickets.
  • Material required for volunteer work such as paints, brushes, teacher’s workbooks, pens, pencils, paper and children’s stories – you may wish to bring educational supplies from your home country.
  • Market visit on arrival.
  • Project placement & onsite supervision.
  • Certificate of service as a reference for your future volunteer programs.
  • Visa support and advice.
  • Friendship from the wonderful iSpiice team, fellow volunteers and the local community.
  • 24/7 assistance by in-country coordinator.
  • And most importantly – a donation to the community for educational supplies, basic food supplies, school renovation supplies and help iSpiice sponsor local children to get an education.
  • iSpiice cater to vegetarian and vegan diets. Please let us know in advance if you have any allergies to particular foods.

Airport Pickup at Gaggal Airport

There are generally three flights per day from Delhi to Dharamsala. You will need to book the flight at your own expense and inform us of your flight details.

Accommodation

Volunteer House is large, clean, comfortable and communal. We have western comforts (electricity, hot running showers, wi-fi, fans, filtered water for drinking and western toilets). You can expect to share a room with one to three other volunteers of the same gender. Volunteers enjoy the shared environment of the Volunteer House – large bedrooms (separate male and female), bathrooms, large living areas for enjoying meals, relaxing and preparing lessons.

As with most Indian homes, there is no washing machine at the iSpiice house. You will have to get used to the Indian way of washing your clothes by hand and drying.

Food & Beverages

Three delicious, hygienic and healthy meals are provided each day at the iSpiice Volunteer House. Generally main meals will consist of traditional Indian food like vegetables, rice, Dal (lentils), roti (Indian bread), salad, Paratha, Jam, Butter, eggs, Porridge, Bread, Tea (chai) and filtered water is provided in the volunteer house.

There are small shops nearby to buy soft drinks, snack food, washing powder and basic toiletries. iSpiice cater to vegetarian and vegan diets. Please let us know in advance if you have any allergies to particular foods.

Internet Access

Good access at the project site

What's NOT included?

What's NOT included?

Flight Tickets

The nearest airport is Gaggal Airport (DHM) in Dharamsala. We assist you to find cheap flights to India. FIND CHEAP FLIGHTS

Travel Insurance

Going abroad is an adventure and it is always best to be prepared. Sudden illness or injury, cancellation or theft - a travel insurance for India provides security and is a plus to have. GET A QUOTE

Vaccines

If you are intending to volunteer in India you should seek medical advice before starting your social journey. Check your required vaccinations for India. VACCINE CHECKER

Details on arrival

Our programs starts every Sunday. If you are flying to Dharamsala you can arrive any day of the week, we’re flexible. We have however found it’s easier for our volunteers and community if you arrive on the weekend and start work on a Monday.


Availability
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Program fees

2 weeks (min. stay) 585€
3 weeks 799€
4 weeks 1,014€
5 weeks 1,228€
6 weeks 1,443€
7 weeks 1,657€
12 weeks (max. stay) 2,729€
Average fees 259€/week

Program fees

259€ per week 2 - 12 weeks Age 16 - 50+

Payment methods

Visa Master Card Maestro American Express PayPal

NO CREDIT CARD FEES


Duration

2 - 12 weeks

Deposit

The deposit is simply to reserve your volunteer placement. Payments are handled by PayPal, our trusted global payment provider. If you don't have a PayPal account, you can also pay using a credit card.


Final Payment

Your final payment will be agreed with iSpiice during the application process. Common solutions are either via bank transfer or a cash payment at the project site.


Meet your organization

iSpiice

Fantastic 4.5 rating (58 reviews)

Non-profit - founded in 2010

Verified by Volunteer World

  Very high response rate

Coordinated by

Varun

About the project

Join us to spend your gap year in the Himalayas or to combine amazing volunteer programs with travelling in India and visit stunning places like the Taj Mahal.

Meet your organization

iSpiice – Integrated Social Programs in Indian Child Education is set up to improve the lives of Indian families especially women and children in rural villages of India in Dharamsala.

iSpiice is a humanitarian organization supported by volunteers across the world that builds partnerships between international volunteers and Indian communities. iSpiice provides safe and affordable travel volunteer programs in India. Given the beauty, serenity and spiritual atmosphere of the area, his Holiness the Dalai Lama holds residency in Dharamsala. Our volunteers also appreciate the peacefulness of our location for their volunteer India Placement.

Join iSpiice and combine volunteer travel in India on a 2 day tour of the Taj Mahal, a two day guided Himalayan Trekking tour, a two day adventure tour in Manali and a two day tour of Punjab state visiting the Golden Temple in Amritsar, the Wagha border ceremony and the jallianwala Bagh gardens.

58 reviews · rating4.5

Rhona Murphy rating4.4

2017 at School and Community Renovation

The decision was made to go to India and the next step was to find a program. All I can say is that someone up above was looking down on me when I came across iSpiice. From the moment I sent the first email to the last final hug and tear shared leaving the camp I was enthralled. I cant describe the ...
Dawn Prasad rating4.4

2017 at School and Community Renovation

My days were well structured with Child Care in the mornings, Community Work (painting Child Care Centres) in the afternoon, then evening class teaching English to school students. The staff at the volunteer house provided transport to all work placements and cooked delicious meals each day. The ...
Kripali Patel rating4.4

2017 at School and Community Renovation

The iSpiice volunteering programme awarded many wonderful experiences. I was fortunate to work with young children and adolescents who showed eagerness to learn new things as well as developing on their current learning. The way in which these young learners’ faces lit up after understanding and ...
Anna Lusty rating4.4

2017 at School and Community Renovation

Volunteering in India with iSpiice was more than a service experience- it impacted my perspective on the life that I live. We were welcomed, respected and trusted and I would absolutely return to volunteer if that is where my life takes ...
Volunteering in India with iSpiice was one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life. Not only did I have the opportunity to help teach kids English I also had the chance to see the most amazing sights such as Amritsar, The Golden Temple & and the world famous Wagha border ceremony. I also saw ...
If you are looking to interact directly with the people of India and appreciate the culture while still having the opportunity to see tourist destinations like the Taj Mahal iSpiice is a great choice. In addition to teaching, the extra activities on the mini break, such as trekking in the Himalayan ...

Location

Asia > Southern Asia > India > Dharamsala

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