Volunteer in Vietnam

“I’ve begun to really realize this volunteer program is much
bigger than helping to teach these kids some English,
and improve their career opportunities. I’m also
building life-changing relationships for them and myself.
I’m very grateful for this opportunity.”
Rosy Xu, Vietnam Volunteer

Be the Change. Be a Global Volunteer in Vietnam.

Provide a passport out of poverty.

English is the language of commerce, technology and opportunity. In Vietnam, English can make the difference between a sustained career and a life of poverty. Teach English skills in classrooms, offices and small groups as a short-term volunteer in Vietnam. Growing out of rural community development projects in 1995, our Vietnam partnership helps propel youth and adults toward their educational and career goals. Be a part of positive change! See Covid-19 requirements.

Get Started in Vietnam

Teach English skills in Hanoi!

Local time in Hanoi:

Call: 651-407-6100

Request Program Information

Quick Online Registration

FAQs:

Genuine development projects to help children and adults thrive. Exceptional service-learning for families, groups and individuals.

Community Projects

Teach conversational English to adults.

Vietnamese English language teachers are excellent grammarians and are proficient at conveying basic writing and speaking skills. But as is the case with many teachers around the world, they appreciate assistance with pronunciation, idioms, and other challenging aspects of the language. Your English teaching assignments build on these skills, and help students and teachers improve their conversational abilities.

Foreign Trade University: Use standard English curriculum texts and established lesson plans to present lectures and practice conversational skills; lead open discussions on North American culture, history, lifestyles, and the like…all in English. Volunteers who teach or speak French are also needed to assist at the French language department.

Blind-Link and Omamori Spa: Practice basic conversational English skills to young, visually impaired adults who are in training for professional massage therapy careers.

Vietnam Institute for Development Strategy (VIDS): Tutor high- and mid-ranking officials and bright young researchers on conversational English pronunciation and vocabulary.

Dates & Fees

Arrival and Departure

Leave the details to us!

Your service program officially begins with the evening meal on the first Saturday of the program. You may arrive at Hanoi’s Noibai International Airport (airport code HAN), at any time on the program start date (the hotel check-in is at 2:00 pm).

You must confirm your flight itinerary with us at least two weeks before the service program arrival date to confirm your team airport transfer to the hotel. Departure for the airport after the program ends can be arranged for anytime after 8 pm on Friday or on Saturday morning.

Food and Lodging

Rest and comfort for a productive service program.

Your secure, full-service 3-star Hanoi Heritage Hotel is an airy and quiet oasis in Hanoi’s bustling Old Quarter. Each guest room is double occupancy, with air-conditioning, in-room telephones, private baths with hot and cold water, and cable TV with CNN, BBC and other international channels.

Vietnamese food is healthy and appealing to most every palate. A buffet breakfast is served at the hotel. Lunch is at the schools or local restaurants. Dinners are enjoyed as a team at restaurants in the historic Old Quarter. You can expect meals based on rice and noodles such as stir fry, hot pot, vegetables, tropical fruits, fish, chicken, pork and beef. Bottled water is provided daily. Vegetarian diets can generally be accommodated.

: You and your teammates share meals at area restaurants.

: Vietnamese cuisine is nutritious and distinctive.

: Enjoy varied traditional dishes for lunch and dinner.

: Guestrooms feature double and twin accommodations.

: The hotel offers 24-hour reception and security.

Health and Safety

Your safety is our top priority!

Your health, safety and security is our top priority. Your lodging, food and transportation are provided always with a mind to protect you while at the work site and in your hotel. Your team leader is trained in CPR and first aid. Read more about health and safety here.

The greatest safety risk is posed by street traffic, both when riding in a vehicle and when crossing busy streets. Your team leader will advise you on traffic safety and other precautions to protect you when walking to your work assignments and during your free time. We strongly recommend you consult your own physician, public health clinic and/or

travel clinic for detailed travel health information. For general recommendations, consult the following sources:

Centers for Disease Control | Health Canada Online | Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

Global Volunteers includes emergency medical evacuation insurance in your service program fee. We also recommend health insurance that covers you while you are outside your home country, and trip cancellation insurance in the event you must cancel your participation on the service program. Your travel agent can refer you to travel insurance providers. Click here to read risks associated with international travel.

Program Mobility:
Accurately assess your functional mobility. Our work assignments and partner communities require varying levels of physical stamina and mobility. After you register, you will be asked about your physical capabilities relating to your mobility. Please answer the questions honestly.

Required Mobility for Vietnam: Mobile – Walk 1 mile, climb five flights of stairs, walk on uneven terrain, and get on and off buses and trains independently.

Global Volunteers’ Covid 19 Policy for Service Programs in the U.S. and Abroad

Team Leader

Expert team leading is our hallmark.

Global Volunteers Vietnam service programs are led by alumni or staff who has completed our comprehensive team leader training, and is skilled in managing diverse groups of people. All of our team leaders are certified in CPR, and have served on multiple service programs – some up to 20 times! Your Vietnam team leader has demonstrated an understanding of the host community’s culture, and has received top scores on previous volunteer teams’ evaluations. You’ll receive their background information approximately four weeks before your service program begins.

Free Time

Oh, the sights you’ll see!

Ample time is available after the work day and on the weekend to enjoy cultural, natural and educational attractions in and around Hanoi. Many volunteers enjoy shopping in unique craft markets, art galleries and Old Town shops near the hotel, which is centrally located in the historical center of the city. The area is also filled with beautiful parks and lakes just a short walk or taxi ride away. A few of the notable historical sites are:

The “Hanoi Hilton,” the prison used to incarcerate both Vietnamese and U.S. soldiers at different times
The Puppet Theater
The Mausoleum
The Catholic Cathedral

You can also arrange engaging weekend trips through the hotel, including: Halong Bay, a resort area; Sapa with its spectacular trekking; and Ninh Binh, featuring beautiful pagodas and rice fields.

Family Opportunities

The family that serves together, learns together!

Serving as a family in Vietnam can be a most rewarding experience! Your volunteer coordinator will work with you to find the ideal program schedule to meet your family volunteering goals.

Chose program dates during school breaks and summer vacations. Youth are invited to offer their own perspectives in team meetings and fully participate in free-time activities. In this way, your child can form a rare, personal perspective of today’s Vietnam beyond what they can find online, in school or in personal study. What’s more, they’ll gain life-long friends in one of the fastest developing countries on Earth.

Group Opportunities

Imagine your group in Hanoi, Vietnam!

Teach conversational English together in Hanoi – the thousand-year-old economic and cultural center of southern Vietnam. The benefits of volunteering as a group with Global Volunteers in Vietnam are many….for you and the students you serve. Teaching English conversational skills to students and guiding young blind adults’ language understanding and capabilities acquaints you with the daily realities of life in Vietnam. Through their experiences and stories, you witness the “true Vietnam” – vibrant, hopeful and peaceful. Your skills, enthusiasm and encouragement helps them gain self-confidence and enhances their long-term professional development, and self-sufficiency. What’s more, you learn about your group members in a non-traditional way as an intact volunteer team, and know that your unique skills advance the futures of those you serve.

Opportunities for high school and college groups

The Foreign Trade University is a public university and is considered one of the top institutions of higher learning in Vietnam. A multidisciplinary university, it offers diversified and competitive training programs to 16,000 students, including a branch in Ho Chi Minh City. Blind-Link is a private, non-profit program for visually impaired young adults providing occupational training at three centers in Hanoi. Each volunteer works in a small group of three blind or visually impaired students along with a Vietnamese teaching assistant to help students improve their ability to communicate with English-speaking clients. You’ll tutor up to 15 students each day, divided into five one-hour sessions, from 9AM to 3PM.

Read on for details on group volunteering

“I really appreciate what the Global Volunteers do for us. You come not only like friends, teachers, and colleagues but also like angels with all enthusiasm, respect, and friendliness.”

Nguyen Thu HuongForeign Trade University teacher

“The Vietnamese seem to really like us. Their smiles are warm. Students are always eager to say hello to us. Suzanne and Katie are told that a student, a soon-to-be-bride would be honored to have them at her wedding. And Ben, a former soldier, is treated so well he wants to return and again help people he has come to love.”

Janet RodriguezVietnam Volunteer

“I would like to express my highest appreciation for your wonderful teaching, helping to improve greatly my colleagues’ pronunciation and presentation skills. We look forward to an even closer cooperation between VIDS and Global Volunteers.”

Phan Ngoc Mai PhuongVice President, Vietnam Institute for Development Strategies

“Opening our doors to volunteers from America has been a great success for our students and our teachers, especially in a world where speaking and writing English is becoming increasingly important.”

Dr. Nguyen Van HoaHeadmaster of Ngyyen Binh Khiem High School

“Overall, it’s an amazing experience. I love to see how eager the students are to learn English. They never get frustrated with their disability. Blindness never stopped them from being happy every day, from smiling and wanting so badly to learn and becoming more successful in their life. These all inspire me.”

Courtney BradyVietnam Volunteer

“With the teachers in the front of the classroom, we truly felt we were part of a TEAM. Clearly, they’ve come to understand the value of working in partnership with us, so we were treated as welcome guests and valued resources. The students are bright – there is much pondering, repeating, laughing, trying again, and at times, singing!”

Barbara CorbusierVietnam volunteer

“Having said ‘Good Morning Vietnam’ my own way, one person at a time, I’m going home to America knowing that for me, the war in Vietnam and in myself is finally over.”

John BochainVietnam War veteran, Vietnam Volunteer

“Working with enthusiastic and energetic adolescent school children was a two-way learning experience and very satisfying. Teaching English, playing word games and the ever-popular spoons, and a bit of sports was a lot of fun. The hotel was quite pleasant and perfectly located. The Vietnamese food was superb, and Hanoi had a number of sites worth seeing. This was my sixth Global Volunteers program, and it’s hard to pick which one I liked the best.”

Ken DubuqueVietnam Volunteer

Volunteer Voices: Read and Hear What Volunteers Say About Serving in Vietnam.

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