Recommended Teaching Volunteer Abroad Programs

“Once A Teacher, Always A Teacher.” Whether you’re an aspiring teacher, experienced teacher or retired teacher, you’ll always be a teacher. And volunteering with Global Volunteers may be the perfect opportunity for you to share and develop your teaching skills while gaining international volunteering experience in schools which don’t have reliable access to educational resources. Welcome to Global Volunteers’ teaching volunteer abroad programs!

Global Volunteers offers volunteer opportunities for teachers to tutor students in basic classroom subjects including math, computer skills, geography, music, science, sports, agriculture, arts and crafts, reading and literacy. You can support these efforts in a range of destinations, including the Cook Islands, India, Montana, Peru, St. Lucia and Tanzania. In addition, we also offer the opportunity to teach conversational English in China, Costa Rica, Cuba, Greece, Italy, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, Romania and Vietnam.

Hundreds of teachers and retired teachers choose to volunteer with Global Volunteers every year, as the year-round program start dates make it easy to volunteer abroad on a teacher schedule. As a Global Volunteer, you can volunteer from one to three weeks and the all-inclusive (and tax-deductible) program fees mean your airport pick-up and drop-off, orientation, accommodation, meals and 24/7 in-country support are all taken care of. If you are looking to volunteer with a group of your teacher friends, contact us. Our group specialists are ready to help you get started.

To learn more about the volunteer opportunities available for teachers, browse the programs featured below.

Cook Islands Teaching Volunteer Program

• Community projects: Conversational English in Classrooms, Early Childhood Education, Tutoring Numeracy, Computer Literacy, Literacy and Math Testing
• Program duration: Volunteer for one to three weeks, programs start on select Sundays year-round
• Program fees: From $2,695 for one week. Tax-deductible fees include food, accommodations, ground transportation, team leadership, project materials and program coordination.

Teacher volunteers in the Cook Islands have the opportunity to work with a range of ages, from toddlers to 4th graders to high school students. Working alongside and providing valued support to local teachers, you invest in the future through the youngest of citizens.

“My one-time curiosity has turned into 9 years of annual volunteer trips to Rarotonga. I return because I have a connection with the teachers at St Joseph’s Primary, to the shopkeepers, to the Global Volunteers who serve every year, but mostly I cherish my connection with the students, whom I taught in Grade 1 and now are vibrant Grade 6 students. It’s an honor and a privilege to be a part of their lives if only for three weeks a year.”

-Ellen (Global Volunteer in the Cook Islands)

India Teaching Volunteer Program

• Community projects: Conversational English in Classrooms, Early Childhood Education, Tutoring Numeracy, Computer Literacy
• Program duration: Volunteer for one to two weeks, programs start on select Saturdays year-round
• Program fees: From $2,396 for one week. Tax-deductible fees include food, accommodations, ground transportation, team leadership, project materials and program coordination.

Teacher volunteers in India have the chance to work alongside local teachers in classrooms, daycare centers, small group settings, and one-on-one sessions – serving in low-income areas. Projects involve creating stimulating lesson plans for preschool, primary school and secondary school students. Focus on pronunciation and common phrases to help them attain fluency and confidence in English. Or, work on numeracy and math comprehension with students of all ages

“We came with the intention of teaching English to these beautiful children but we ended up discovering benefits for all that were far greater than this. I feel blessed to have met such beautiful human beings.”

-Kristen (Global Volunteer in India)

Montana Teaching Volunteer Program

• Community projects: Computer Literacy, Children’s Summer Programs
• Program duration: Volunteer for one week, programs start on Saturdays May through September
• Program fees: $1,045 for one week. Tax-deductible fees include food, accommodations, ground transportation, team leadership, project materials and program coordination.

Our Montana program is on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation alongside Glacier National Park. If you have expertise in computer systems and/or programs, you can help students learn the basics and improve their computer literacy so they can successfully compete in college and job-seeking. Or, help supervise field trips, play and direct games, read story books, or teach a lesson on a topic of your choice at a tribally run summer day-camp for children five to 18.

“The volunteers bring their skills, insights, and helping hands to the reservation. But, most important, they bring friendship, curiosity, and compassion. We work together to close the gap of understanding between the Indian and White cultures, and it’s very good.”

-Bob Tail Feathers (Blackfeet American Indian)

Peru Teaching Volunteer Program

• Community projects: Conversational English in Classrooms, Early Childhood Education, Tutoring Numeracy
• Program duration: Volunteer for one to two weeks, programs start on select Saturdays year-round
• Program fees: From $2,595 for one week. Tax-deductible fees include food, accommodations, ground transportation, team leadership, project materials and program coordination.

Teacher volunteers in Lima play an important role in assisting local daycare workers, teachers and university professors. Stimulate children 1 to 5 years old through arts and crafts and reading storybooks; work one-on-one and in small groups on numeracy and math comprehension with students of all ages; or, at the university level, help students anchor their independence through conversational English practice and lesson reviews.

“If English is the language of opportunity, it’s our rare privilege to play a small supportive role in our students’ quest for graduate studies, professional employment, and success. We’re inspired by their motivation; our hearts are warmed by the graciousness of the students, staff, and faculty of La Molina.”

-Efy (Global Volunteer in Peru)

St. Lucia Teaching Volunteer Program

• Community projects: Early Childhood Education, Tutoring Numeracy, Computer Literacy, Classroom Teaching
• Program duration: Volunteer for one to two weeks, programs start on select Saturdays year-round
• Program fees: From $2,795 for one week. Tax-deductible fees include food, accommodations, ground transportation, team leadership, project materials and program coordination.

Teacher volunteers in Anse la Raye, St. Lucia have the opportunity to work with preschool, primary school and secondary school students on numeracy and math comprehension, computer basics, and more. If you enjoy soft sand beaches and a carefree island “beat,” this is a perfect teaching opportunity for you!

“It’s very encouraging to see how engaged and curious the children are. Not only do they listen when we talk with them, but they ask questions that show they are thinking and processing what is said. This reminds me that these children, who are struggling with their schoolwork, are also so full of potential.”

-Lisa (Global Volunteer in St. Lucia)

Tanzania Teaching Volunteer Program

• Community projects: Conversational English, Early Childhood Education, Tutoring Numeracy, Computer Literacy, Literacy and Math Testing, Classroom Teaching (Topics include: Math, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Geography)
• Program duration: Volunteer for one to three weeks, programs start on select Saturdays year-round
• Program fees: From $1,995 for one week. Tax-deductible fees include food, accommodations, ground transportation, team leadership, project materials and program coordination.

Teacher volunteers in Tanzania provide support to local teachers in the rural community of Ipalamwa. Tutor children at the primary school. Teach secondary students math, biology, chemistry, physics and physical geography. This may be the most fun you ever have. Tanzanian village schools are not equipped with all the tools and equipment that can make education interesting in more developed countries. So volunteers utilize their professional experiences and creative imagination to bring these subjects to life.

“I was surprised by how appreciative and eager the students are to learn. Their respect for the teachers is something I’ve never before witnessed. I learned so much from them about their lives and the village. I have a great deal of respect for Tanzanians.”

-Jake (Global Volunteer in Tanzania)

English Teaching Volunteer Abroad Programs

As a Global Volunteer, you can also teach English to children, university students, English teachers and mature adults who have a sincere desire to improve their conversational skills – in China, Costa Rica, Cuba, Greece, Italy, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, Romania and Vietnam (in addition to the Cook Islands, India, Peru and Tanzania). Gain a new perspective of these colorful countries in classrooms, through small group activities, and at one-on-one tutoring sessions.