January 13, 2025
As an alumnus of Global Volunteers’ China program, I’m inviting you to join our first service program to Xi’an, China, in six years. Be part of something special: May 10 through 17 or 24 and October 11 through 18 or 25, 2025. Wang BaoLi, our longtime China Country manager, will lead both.
We’ve been asked to teach conversational English to college students at Xijing University with a total population of over 20,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students in a university town in the southern suburbs of Xi’an. The primary objective is to encourage the students to speak English while listening to you as a native English speaker. Although most students have better English reading and writing abilities than speaking and listening, some students enjoy intermediate or advanced English skills, so the conversations hold the promise of being rich and meaningful. You will engage with students four hours Monday through Friday and prepare four hours each day with your teammates. Some volunteers may also offer lectures on topics within their area of expertise, participate in other academic/professional exchange activities, or teach conversational English at the primary or junior middle schools affiliated with Xijing University.
Xijing University is a large, lovely campus known for its garden-style landscape and scenery. You will stay in the school’s very comfortable apartments on campus, single occupancy, at no additional charge. Each apartment has four bedrooms on three floors, each with a private bathroom, Western-style toilet, and shower. The beds can accommodate two for those who choose to room together. TVs, air conditioning, a laundry machine, and a refrigerator are among each apartment’s other amenities.
Breakfast and lunch will be in the campus cafeteria, and dinners will be at a neighborhood restaurant about a 15 to 20-minute walk from campus, restaurants that require a 10-minute taxi ride, or the campus cafeteria. The middle weekend offers many cultural and enjoyable activities, including the Terra Cotta Warrier Museum, the Old Quarter, and much more. Volunteers will need to be very mobile because the campus is large and requires a lot of walking. There are also between one and five flights of stairs to access the rooms where volunteers will stay and additional stairs at the university. Children as young as 10 can join you.
Any American Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) must be registered to work in China. Global Volunteers became one of only four US NGOs officially registered in Shaanxi province because registration is reserved for organizations that meet specific requirements, and the application process is time-consuming and complex. Global Volunteers is very fortunate to have this unique distinction. However, because we have not sent volunteers to China for over five years, the government has advised that our registration will expire at the end of 2025 unless we renew the program in China this year. Consequently, these two service programs are vitally important, which is why I’m reaching out to you.
By your previous service, you have demonstrated a love of the Chinese people and their culture. It is now more important than ever to renew people-to-people connections with our Chinese friends. The US and Chinese governments need to know that the people of our countries respect and admire each other and that we all want to live together in peace. There is no better way to convey that message than by volunteering to help Chinese students improve their skills speaking and listening to the international language of commerce, technology, and opportunity. Telling stories, establishing friendships, and sharing our love for our respective countries with these students will speak volumes to both governments.
I sincerely hope you will accept my invitation and join us in May or October. Each service program in 2025 is limited to six volunteers due to logistical restraints, so I encourage you to sign up at your earliest convenience.
Warmest regards and Thank you!
Burnham Philbrook, JD
Co-founder and CEO
Give with confidence; bring joy to a child.
40 Years of Service Worldwide
We hope you can accept this special invitation.
May 10 – 17, 2025, service program contribution is $2945 before discounts.
May 10 – 24, 2025, service program contribution is $3145 before discounts.
October 11 – 18, 2025, service program contribution is $2712 before discounts. The $233 team starter discount is limited to one per family and is available only for the first four registrations received on or before April 4.
October 11 – 25, 2025, service program contribution is $2912 before discounts. The $233 team starter discount is limited to one per family and is available only for the first four registrations received on or before April 4.
Register here or call 800-487-1074 and ask to speak with your volunteer coordinator.