Volunteer in Thailand with Friends for Asia

Kindergarten Volunteer – Bangkok

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Working with kindergartners is one of the most enjoyable Bangkok volunteer activities we’ve found. For children this age, school is all about planning activities, building social skills and learning how the world works. So if you plan on signing up for the Kindergarten Teaching Project, prepare to have a lot of fun. You’ll probably find that you start picking up Thai faster than other volunteers in Bangkok, because kindergarten-age children are not averse to correcting your pronunciation. After all, the grown-ups around them are always correcting theirs!

Background of the Kindergarten Volunteering Project

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This is one of the projects that takes volunteers far beyond the areas they would experience if they were only visiting as tourists. During the school hours, you’ll spend your time looking after children aged 3 to 5 in one of Bangkok’s slums. The school that you’ll be working with is always in need of help with childcare, and the volunteers that arrive from Friends for Asia play an increasingly instrumental role in seeing that these children are well looked-after.

Volunteer Tasks in the Bangkok Kindergarten

As a Friends for Asia volunteer in Bangkok, you’ll be working in what’s locally known as an anuban, which is essentially a preschool and kindergarten. Many of these children are at an extreme disadvantage from the day they are born, and the early education that they receive at this school could make the difference between a life of potential and one of baseline poverty.

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In all, about 100 children attend. Volunteers are generally there to assist the full-time staff however they can, so it’s important that applicants are flexible and ready to show initiative. This could mean planning games and activities, or simply helping out during playtime. Perhaps most importantly, the school administrators are eager for the students to have the opportunity to learn English with FFA volunteers.

If you’ve never experienced this, teaching English to very young children is one of the most enjoyable volunteer activities you can take part in. These little kids are delighted to meet foreigners, and their young minds are eager to sing songs and learn what sounds animals make in other languages. (Did you know Thai dogs say hong hong instead of woof woof?)

Making a Difference by Volunteering in Bangkok

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This is important work, as neighborhoods like this are often overlooked by government aid programs and even many outreach groups. Bangkok is a dynamic and prosperous city, and it’s easy to forget that the rapid economic growth at work here has only worked to increase the poverty and disadvantages of those who already lived on its margins.

The time these kindergarteners spend at school involve some of the only meaningful interaction that they have with people who come from outside of the slum in which they are growing up. The basic academic skills they learn here lay the foundation for a successful academic career. That’s why it’s so important that volunteers who accept this assignment are good-natured, easygoing, and enjoy working with children.

Not only that, the chance to meet volunteers who come from faraway places gives provides a window into an outside world. This plants a seed that could ultimately blossom into the drive and motivation it takes to lift them out of poverty.

Kindergarten Volunteer Qualifications

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Kindergarten Volunteers have to be at least 18 years old to be considered. It’s also important that they’re fluent in written and spoken English. While veteran teachers are enthusiastically welcomed, teaching credentials are not required for this Kindergarten Volunteer project.

Beyond this, Friends for Asia requires all volunteers who will be working directly with children to file a certified police background check before their start date.

Volunteer Project Fees for the Kindergarten Volunteer Project

Participation in the English Teacher Volunteer Project starts at a minimum of two weeks at $799. Each additional week is $119. Read more about why we require fees for volunteers and interns.

Volunteer Project Fee Includes

  • Comprehensive Pre-Departure Information
  • Visa paperwork (for projects over 8 weeks)
  • Airport pick up
  • Accommodation during orientation and entire project time
  • Breakfast every morning
  • Lunch every work day
  • 2 day Orientation (including half day tour of the area and visit to weekend market)
  • Onsite Coordinator
  • 24 hour emergency assistance
  • Written record of service completion (for volunteers that successfully complete their project).

Volunteer Project Fees Do Not Include

  • Travel to/from Home and Chiang Mai (airfare, train tickets, etc.)
  • Thailand visa costs (if applicable)
  • International Medical Insurance
  • Cost of criminal police background check (required for this project)
  • Cost of transportation to and from Project site and and accommodation (roughly $6 per day)
  • Lunches on weekends
  • Dinner

*Our Bangkok based programs have not yet re-opened. We hope to have them open and available again for placement within next year.

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