What is volunteer teaching abroad? 

As a volunteer teacher, you may be responsible for delivering formalised lessons that align with a curriculum or be involved in more informal activities such as running extracurricular programs both in and out of the classroom.

You could work with kindergartners on early childhood education programs or with adults on human empowerment projects, such as assisting girls and women entrepreneurs to help improve their access to business opportunities. 

Your volunteer teaching could be rooted in developing English literacy, numeracy, sport or art. You could assist with community development programs geared towards public health support, conservation and climate action.

Your work will vary depending on the program and location, but there are various types of teaching you might be involved with, including:

• Children: Work alongside local teachers in kindergartens or primary schools to teach children. 
• Adults: Facilitate formal classes for adults at local community centres or offer more informal conversational classes across a range of topics including health, gender equality and environmental education.
• Tutoring: Provide additional extra-curricular tutoring for community members of all ages across a range of topics.
• Clubs: Facilitate and coach extra-curricular clubs focused on specific community needs, like sports, business skills or arts and crafts.

The impact of volunteer teaching abroad 

Education is one of the most important resources in any community. Making sure this resource is accessible, equitable and well-maintained is a top priority for schools, community organisations, NGOs and governments across the world. Education and teaching projects help to provide additional support to these organisations. 

GVI’s volunteers play a vital part in the success and long-term sustainability of these teaching projects. With the support of our volunteers, GVI and our partner organisations are able to provide children with a safe environment and the support, supervision, socialisation and education in a range of subjects including English, maths, art and sport. 

We are also able to help adults – particularly marginalised women – develop new employability skills to improve their access to equal economic opportunities. 

How does volunteer teaching abroad boost my resume? 

Volunteer teaching abroad is invaluable experience to have on any resume. It tells a recruiter that your interpersonal communication skills are strong, you’re able to connect and collaborate with others, you’re a keen problem solver, you push yourself outside of your comfort zone, and you’re passionate about making a difference in the world. 

Negotiating different languages and cultures while finding your place in a new community and totally new surroundings, all while keeping your commitments to your students, indicates great leadership skills and an open mind. These are highly-prized qualities in the fast-evolving job market.

What kind of career can I have if I volunteer as a teacher abroad? 

Our programs are designed to prepare participants for a whole range of career options. In addition to teaching experience, teaching volunteers will learn employability skills like collaboration, cultural literacy, communication, leadership and project management which are useful whether or not you choose to pursue a career in teaching. This could be a meaningful once-off experience or the start of a vocation – either way you’ll learn something new, discover new skills, make lifelong friends and have an unforgettable adventure. 

We welcome people from all backgrounds and experience levels, including: 

• Students looking to take a meaningful gap year.
• People looking for a cultural experience or to do work that meets their personal calling. 
• Graduates looking for first-time experience as a volunteer teaching assistant.
• Teachers further on in their careers who want to specialise in teaching abroad or get a TEFL qualification.

Volunteer teaching opportunities abroad 

GVI’s volunteer teaching and teaching internship programs are available in diverse locations across Africa, Asia, Australasia and Latin America. Our programs are tailored to meet the unique needs of each community we work with and all our project agendas and objectives are created by our local community partners.

Culture is at the heart of a community and the experience of working as a volunteer teacher in any of the following bases is completely unique. We offer volunteer teaching opportunities in the following beautiful locations: 

• Cambodia: Teach English to novice Buddhist monks as well as some of the province’s most underserved students ranging from 3 to 18 years old.
• Ghana: Support climate and environmental education, including giving talks in local schools and working on community recycling programs. Or work with Ghanaian women and girls to provide skills-related training and English language skills. 
• Nepal: Work on women’s empowerment initiatives in Nepal, deliver numeracy and literacy classes to women entrepreneurs, as well as other vocational training to women and girls.
• Fiji: Specialise in early childhood development, delivering developmental sessions for children under five and running workshops with their caregivers on promoting social and cognitive development .
• Madagascar: Education and conservation meet in Madagascar, where you will facilitate English language classes for staff and rangers of Lokobe National Park in a region where employability and tourism are intricately linked. 
• South Africa: Work with educare centres in Cape Town that provide early childhood development education to local children. You will be involved in planning and implementing a project which uses educational games, song and dance, arts and crafts, to develop both physical and cognitive skills. 
• Costa Rica: You’ll live and work in Cartago where we support both a classroom-based childhood development program as well as experiential education and non-traditional learning environments. We focus on topics like English language, life skills such as physical activity and teamwork, and conservation education.

Are GVI’s volunteer teaching abroad programs ethical? 

Yes. Our volunteer teaching programs abroad commit to the following ethical standards: 

• All our programs are community-led and work in partnership with local teachers. Our program objectives are set by the communities in which we work. 
• Our programs are designed to align with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal #4: Quality Education. 
• We do not support orphanage volunteering. GVI does not work with any residential care institutions and is not involved in any orphanage volunteering programs. Rather our focus is on family reunification and foster care models, and we partner with organisations who share this perspective. Find out more about GVI’s stand on orphanage volunteering programs here.
• We have strict policies in place to ensure the safety and well-being of children and vulnerable adults, and our Child and Vulnerable Adult Protection Policy is implemented on each program. 
• We provide training on how to ethically and safely engage with children and vulnerable adults. We hold ourselves accountable to our students, participants and partners to ensure GVI’s volunteer teachers can make educated and confident decisions while teaching.
• As part of the Child and Vulnerable Adult Protection Policy, participants are required to complete a DPS check, police clearance or a National Background Check where necessary. 

Volunteer teaching abroad FAQs

What can I expect from my volunteer teaching abroad program? 

Depending on the location and nature of the program you choose, you can expect to teach both children and adults across a range of topics, including formal English or maths classes, workshops of life and employability skills, early childhood development projects, and extracurricular or afterschool activities. 

What are the most popular places to do a volunteer teaching abroad program? 

Our most popular locations for volunteer teaching abroad are Ghana, Costa Rica and South Africa. We also offer teaching abroad programs in these unmissable destinations: Nepal, Cambodia, Madagascar and Fiji. 

Is volunteer teaching abroad ethical?

If you choose to join a volunteer teaching abroad program with GVI, then yes! Our programs are completely ethical. You can read more about our ethical standards and practices here. 

Does GVI have a stance on orphanage volunteering? 

We do not support orphanage volunteering. Read more about GVI’s stance on orphanage volunteering programs here.

I want to apply! What now? 

Chat with our trusty team of enrolment experts to find the volunteer teaching program that’s right for you!