Multiday volunteer programmes

2 Day English teaching/nature trail (VWB 201)

Description: Teach English language skills to primary and secondary school children on Day 1 and spend Day 2 working with villagers on the development of the Pang Soong Nature Trails
Duration: 2 Days - approximately 4 hours of teaching and 4 hours of trail work
Meal: 1 breakfast, 2 Lunch and 1 dinner.
Cost: THB 3,440.- (Plus transport to and from site) *

Sample Itinerary

Day1
0800 hrs. You are collected from your hotel in the city by an English speaking guide, and transported by minibus to the designated school – 45 minutes from the city.

0900 hrs. Meet the headmaster or the senior English language teacher, and take a brief tour of the school facilities.

0930 hrs. Meet the class teacher whom you will be assisting for your first lesson, and go through your lesson plan with him or her. You will actually conduct the lesson under the Thai teacher’s guidance, whilst the teacher and your guide keep discipline in the class, and assist with translation as and where needed.

The morning continues in this manner, with you going through your lesson plan with a teacher, and then delivering it to a given class. Your guide (or interpreter) is there to assist wherever you want him or her to do so.

1130 hrs. Take lunch with the teachers and students.

1230 hrs. Continue your teaching role, either in the same school, or another school close by – as dictated by the programme coordinator.

1500 hrs. Say your good-byes, take photographs of yourself with the teachers and children, then depart for the city.

1530 hrs. You arrive at the Lodge, check in, and relax – perhaps exploring the nearby village of Ban Mae Lai with your guide/interpreter, or opting for a walk up the main Pang Soong Nature Trail to the first big waterfall (60-90 minutes) there and back.

1800 hrs. – You are briefed on tomorrow’s nature trail related task by the project manager.

1830 hrs. Dinner – a set Thai meal, followed by time around the campfire – often joined by the village headman and others as keen to know about you, as your are about them and their project.
Retire to bed at your leisure.

Day2
0800 hrs. Breakfast

0900 hrs. You meet your co-workers, and are provided with gloves, tools and drinking water. There will be a minimum of 2 villagers, but otherwise one co-worker per voluntourist.

You and your co-workers set off along the nature trail to the task area, accompanied by your guide/interpreter and led by a community forest guide, and commence the work allocated to the group for that day.

1200 hrs. Break for lunch with the workforce.

1300 hrs. Return to work. After completing your allocated tasks the trail and before trekking back down to Pang Soong Lodge, you have the option to explore the area with local guides.

Note* Your village co-workers, paid for the day, will continue the work until 1700 hrs.

1530 hrs. Or thereabouts, wash up, pack, return your work tools, depart Pang Soong Lodge, Outdoor Education & Research Centre and travel down into the Chiang Mai valley, to the city beyond.

* Cost includes: Meals (including water, coffee and tea), standard Thai tourism insurance cover,contribution to the community fund, village coworker day rate, & VWB staff.
* Cost does not include: Transport to and from the lodge (Shared between passengers).

Additional Transport cost

General Cost breakdown:

1. Transport – Transportation in or out from Chiang Mai costs Baht 2,000 per 8 seat minibus (one way) – you will need to pay between Baht 4,000 – 500 in cash at the start of your programme depending on how many people are in the programme.

2. Food – Two to three meals a day will be provided for longer term volunteers, including breakfast (Baht 150.-), lunch (Baht 150.-) and dinner (Baht 200.-). Meals will be served as a “set meal”, but will not be provided during volunteer free time.

3. The VWB Onsite Team – One full time Foreign-National Project Manager plus a Thai speaking assistant, are on a 1 year contract and tasked with looking after the needs of volunteers, planning the work to be undertaken, recording job progress, communicating with the village committee, training the community forest guides and ensuring project work continuity. Volunteers contribute Baht 500.- each/per day to cover the cost of the ‘onsite’ VWB staff only.

4. Accommodation – At the Pang Soong Lodge, Outdoor Education & Research Centre, and the costs Baht 350 per person/ night.

5. Additional fees – There are a variety of fees that directly go to the community

(a) Village co-worker is Baht 200.- per day/per volunteer.
(b) The VWB development fund contribution is Baht 500.- per volunteer/per day, which goes directly a fund used for schools materials, trail development, agroforestry equipment etc.

7- Day English teaching/Eco English camp (VWB 701)

Description: Teaching English to Thai children in both the classroom and outdoors.
Duration: 7 days/ 6 nights
Meals: 6 Breakfast, 7 Lunches, 6 Dinners.
Cost: Baht 22,090.- (Plus transport to and from site) *

Itinerary

Day - 1:
Volunteers must arrive in Chiang Mai the day before their programme begins. VWB can assist in sourcing accommodation for this night if required.

Day 1:

0800 hrs. Volunteer group meets at a pre-assigned location and travels to the Pang Soong Lodge, Outdoor Education & Research Centre.

0900 hrs. Become oriented with the Pang Soong Lodge, Outdoor Education & Research Centre.
trek the Trail of Waterfalls with VWB staff anda local guide.

1200 hrs. Lunch

1300 – 1630 hrs. Attend a “How to teach” session run by a qualified, experienced teacher allowing volunteers to learn how to create lesson plans and run their own class. This will be followed by volunteers creating their own teaching materials (in pairs) based on their personal teaching schedules for the next week (based on class subject and age of students).

1630 hrs. Free time

1900 hrs. Dinner

2000 hrs. Free time

Days 2,3 & 4: Full day teaching at Huay Kaew School

0800 hrs. Breakfast

(First day) 0900 hrs. Meet the headmaster or the senior English language teacher, and take a brief tour of the school facilities.

0930 hrs. Meet the class teacher whom you will be assisting for your first lesson, and go through your lesson plan with him or her. You will actually conduct the lesson under the Thai teacher’s guidance, whilst the teacher and your guide keep discipline in the class, and assist with translation as and where needed.

The morning continues in this manner, with you going through your lesson plan with a teacher, and then delivering it to a given class. Your guide (or interpreter) is there to assist wherever you want him or her to do so.

1130 hrs. Take lunch with the teachers and students.

1230 hrs. Continue your teaching role, either in the same school, or another school close by – as dictated by the programme coordinator.

1500 hrs. Complete teaching and return to Pang Soong Lodge, Outdoor Education & Research Centre.

(Last day) Say your good-byes, take some photographs of yourself with the teachers and children.

Day 5: Train, trek and relax

0900 hrs. Breakfast
1000 hrs. Learn Eco English camp games and activities
1200 hrs. Lunch
1300 hrs. Receive training on team building.
1530 hrs. Trek on any of the community forests six trails or enjoy free time at Pang Soong Lodge, Outdoor Education & Research Centre.
1900 hrs. Dinner
2000 hrs. Free time

Day 6: Students arrive

0800 hrs. Breakfast
0900 hrs. Students arrive
1000 hrs. Facilitate designated morning activities with children
1200 hrs. Lunch
1300 hrs. Facilitate afternoon activities
1700 hrs. Dinner
1830 hrs. Participate in evening games and activities (including camp fire)
2100 hrs. Free time

Day 7: Camp conclusion

0800 hrs. Breakfast
0900 hrs. Facilitate designated morning activities
1200 hrs. Lunch
1300 hrs. Facilitate afternoon activities
1700 hrs. Students depart, help break down camp with staff
1800 hrs. Transport with staff back to Chiang Mai city

* Cost includes: Meals (including water, coffee and tea), standard Thai tourism insurance cover,contribution to the community fund, village coworker day rate, & VWB staff.
* Cost does not include: Transport to and from the lodge (Shared between passengers).

Additional Transport cost

General Cost breakdown:

1. Transport – Transportation in or out from Chiang Mai costs Baht 2,000 per 8 seat minibus (one way) – you will need to pay between Baht 4,000 – 500 in cash at the start of your programme depending on how many people are in the programme.

2. Food – Two to three meals a day will be provided for longer term volunteers, including breakfast (Baht 150.-), lunch (Baht 150.-) and dinner (Baht 200.-). Meals will be served as a “set meal”, but will not be provided during volunteer free time.

3. The VWB Onsite Team – One full time Foreign-National Project Manager plus a Thai speaking assistant, are on a 1 year contract and tasked with looking after the needs of volunteers, planning the work to be undertaken, recording job progress, communicating with the village committee, training the community forest guides and ensuring project work continuity. Volunteers contribute Baht 500.- each/per day to cover the cost of the ‘onsite’ VWB staff only.

4. Accommodation – At the Pang Soong Lodge, Outdoor Education & Research Centre, and the costs Baht 350 per person/ night.

5. Additional fees – There are a variety of fees that directly go to the community

(a) Village co-worker is Baht 200.- per day/per volunteer.
(b) The VWB development fund contribution is Baht 500.- per volunteer/per day, which goes directly a fund used for schools materials, trail development, agroforestry equipment etc.
(c) Baht 4,000 of the 7-day and 14-day volunteer programme fees will go directly to funding two Thai students so that they may attend the Environmental English camp.

Note* Volunteers may fund the cost of additional students attending the Eco-English camp at Baht 2,000.- per student/per camp.

14 Day Environment and English (VWB 1401)

Description: Work with villagers on the Pang Soong Nature Trails, Outdoor Education & Research Centre, teach English to primary school children and facilitate Eco English camp activities.
Duration: 14 days/ 13 nights
Meals: 13 Breakfast, 14 Lunches, 13 Dinners
Cost: Baht 31,680.- (Plus transport to and from site) *

Sample Itinerary

Day -1:
Volunteers must arrive in Chiang Mai the day before their programme begins. VWB can assist with accommodation for this night if required.

Day 1:
Volunteer group meets at a pre-assigned location and travels 1 hour to the Pang Soong Lodge Outdoor Education & Research Centre, for a welcome and orientation by VWB Management (includes a short trek).

Days 2,3 & 4:
Nature Trail Development work and material development.

Day 5:
Attend a “How to teach” session run by a qualified & experienced teacher, allowing volunteers to learn how to create lesson plans and run their own class. This will be followed by volunteers creating their own teaching materials (in pairs) based on their personal teaching schedules for the next week (based on class subject and age of students).

Days 6 &7:
Enjoy free time in Chiang Mai or nearby locations, with the option to spend more time learning about the village and chewing tea fermentation process.

Day 8,9 &10:
Full day teaching at Ban Huay Kaew School based on the lesson plans created the previous week.

Day 11:
Volunteers will use their newly found teaching skills to spend the day preparing for the coming Environmental English Camp; developing lesson plans and learning how to facilitate team building challenges and ice breaker games.

Days 12 &13:
Supporting the management of the Environmental English Camp for between 10 and 40 Thai-National students from local schools; running classes, activities, games and more.

Day 14:
Attend closing discussions and wrap up, then transfer back to Chiang Mai city.

* Cost includes: Meals (including water, coffee and tea), standard Thai tourism insurance cover,contribution to the community fund, village coworker day rate, & VWB staff.
* Cost does not include: Transport to and from the lodge (Shared between passengers).

Additional Transport cost

General Cost breakdown:

1. Transport – Transportation in or out from Chiang Mai costs Baht 2,000 per 8 seat minibus (one way) – you will need to pay between Baht 4,000 – 500 in cash at the start of your programme depending on how many people are in the programme.

2. Food – Two to three meals a day will be provided for longer term volunteers, including breakfast (Baht 150.-), lunch (Baht 150.-) and dinner (Baht 200.-). Meals will be served as a “set meal”, but will not be provided during volunteer free time.

3. The VWB Onsite Team – One full time Foreign-National Project Manager plus a Thai speaking assistant, are on a 1 year contract and tasked with looking after the needs of volunteers, planning the work to be undertaken, recording job progress, communicating with the village committee, training the community forest guides and ensuring project work continuity. Volunteers contribute Baht 500.- each/per day to cover the cost of the ‘onsite’ VWB staff only.

4. Accommodation – At the Pang Soong Lodge, Outdoor Education & Research Centre, and the costs Baht 350 per person/ night.

5. Additional fees – There are a variety of fees that directly go to the community

(a) Village co-worker is Baht 200.- per day/per volunteer.
(b) The VWB development fund contribution is Baht 500.- per volunteer/per day, which goes directly a fund used for schools materials, trail development, agroforestry equipment etc.
(c) Baht 4,000 of the 7-day and 14-day volunteer programme fees will go directly to funding two Thai students so that they may attend the Environmental English camp.

Note* Volunteers may fund the cost of additional students attending the Eco-English camp at Baht 2,000.- per student/per camp.