Philippines – Teach Children in Palawan

Palawan is a province of the Philippines comprised of a main island and a number of smaller islands surrounding it. The main island of Palawan is long and narrow and dotted with fishing villages and is encompassed by the South China Sea and the Sulu Sea. It is surrounded by beautiful blue sea, which goes perfectly with the emerald green mountains which form the mainland. As the most sparsely populated region in the Philippines, with an exquisite array of terrestrial and aquatic wildlife, Palawan is considered by many as the last frontier of the Philippines.

Volunteers will be working in either a primary school, secondary school or high school, in and around the municipality of Aborlan on Palawan island. The students range from grade 1 to grade 12 and are between the age of 7-18. They are taught English through creative games and also learn the necessary skills to become serious and successful students.

The teaching program is organized as an informal English class and volunteer tasks may include:

• Creating lesson plans
• Managing English conversation and grammar exercises
• Teaching informal English classes
• Running sports activities
• Running activities using music, songs and games

The volunteer work should be creative, but the work should be based on teaching practical English for everyday situations in a fun and engaging way.
You will work at the school in the morning and in the evening will have designated time to plan and prepare for the following day. You will be expected to work five days a week for all of the projects listed above. You will have the weekends off, giving you plenty of time to go on excursions around the country or just relax.

Holidays: During school term breaks, volunteering will still ve available, but in the form of a holiday program. The school holidays are as follows: Volunteer work does not take place during national holidays, but you are always welcome to join in the local celebration.
Please note these consecutive holidays, which may impact short-term placements, before registering:

• 6th April – 12th June, 2020
• October 26 – November 6, 2020
• December 21, 2020 – January 4, 2021

Internet: Free WiFi is available at the volunteer house, but coverage can be inconsistent.

Laundry: There are limited laundry facilities so expect to hand wash your clothes.

Accommodations: You will be staying at the volunteer house, in single-gender rooms with up to 8 other volunteers. The accommodations include cold-water showers and Western style toilets. There is a beach by the river nearby that is ideal for swimming, as sometimes there are jellyfish present in the beach by the ocean close to the accommodations.

Food: Three meals are provided every weekday and will consist mainly of local Filipino cuisine (lots of vegetables, meat, eggs, and rice). On the weekends, two meals per day will be provided (brunch, and dinner), consisting of the same local cuisines.

Please take note of this project’s minimum requirements:

• Good level of English
• Police clearance
• Motivation to work with children
• Immunizations (please consult your local travel clinic)
• Malaria precautions
• Work attire should cover your shoulders and knees and no flip-flops are allowed inside the schools.

Travel Extras (Not Included)
You can extend your stay with one or more great program add-ons for an additional fee. Choose from one or more of the following and sign up upon registration:

Culture Week (highly recommended): Join an incredible week of Filipino cooking lessons, language classes and tours to learn more about the people, culture and customs of this magnificent country. Visit some of Palawan’s highlights and get to know the other volunteers on your project.

Beach Week: Spend a week before or after your volunteer placement exploring the El Nido beaches of Northern Palawan. For an additional fee, you can head to this untouched paradise to relax, go kayaking, get a massage or discover the underwater world.