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!

Get Started in Vietnam

Teach English skills in Hanoi!

Local time in Hanoi:

Required Mobility Level:
Mobile

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 Business English curriculum texts and established lesson plans to present lectures and practice conversational skills. Professors may ask you to cover certain topics from their business class curriculum. Examples of such topics include writing a resume, interviewing, effective meetings, business negotiations, persuasive speeches, or academic writing.
Blind-Link and Omamori Spa: Practice basic conversational English skills with young, visually impaired adults who are in training for professional massage therapy careers.
In July, you help children of blind parents learn English at a summer camp organized by Blind Link.

Dates & Fees

Upcoming Volunteer Dates in Hanoi, Vietnam

Change Year:

Change Program Duration:

Registration is quick and easy!

Choose program date and duration above.
Click on the option you prefer in the result list.
Complete the online registration and hold your place with a $350 deposit.

Be sure to select all applicable discounts. All payments tax-deductible.

Groups of 10 or more participants interested in dates not shown below should inquire with our Partnerships Department about adding exclusive dates to the schedule. Please email any inquiries to groups@globalvolunteers.org.

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 4-star Hanoi L’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.

Air conditioning
English TV channels
Free Wi-fi and business center
Central location in city
Single rooms available for an extra fee
Foreign currency exchange
Spa service
On-site restaurant
Laundry services

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.

Team Leader

Expert team leading is our hallmark.

Wang Bao Li, Global Volunteers Vietnam and China Country Manager works to maximize your contribution as a volunteer. Born and raised in China, Bao Li joined Global Volunteers’ team in 2005, first as an assistant to our China country manager, then as team leader, and finally as country manager. She earned a degree in English and served the Sino-American Society in Xi’an before joining Global Volunteers’ staff. Bao Li a diligent staff member and beloved by many volunteers. She consistently demonstrates exceptional leadership capabilities, and is regarded by her team members as “a national treasure.”

“I feel very lucky to have had Baoli as team leader on my first Global Volunteers project. She handled all circumstances with poise and calm.” ~ Cynthia Francis, Vietnam Volunteer

“A dynamic leader who made me feel taken care of and kept me on track with my goals.” ~ Kathleen Lloyd, Vietnam Volunteer

“Baoli is a delight. She is calm, thoughtful, kind, sensitive, organized, and has a good sense of humor. I have served on six teams with her, in China and Vietnam and would happily serve on six more with her.” ~ Esther Schak, Vietnam Volunteer

“Baoli was great. Flexible, helpful. She helped make this a very meaningful experience.” ~ Leigh Ramsey, Vietnam Volunteer

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.

To ensure a positive experience for everyone, you must comply with Global Volunteers’ minor supervision policy.

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 details on group volunteering:

“ Our experience with Global Volunteers has brought a breakthrough in designing activities to help us grow faster! I highly appreciate your strong support and recommendations so that we can organize activities in addition to English lessons. 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

“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

“Overall, it’s an amazing experience. I love to see how eager the students are to learn English.”

Courtney BradyVietnam Volunteer

“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

“This was my sixth Global Volunteers program, and it’s hard to pick which one I liked the best.”

Ken DubuqueVietnam Volunteer