Volunteer in the Philippines with the Palawan Kindergarten Care Project

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Volunteer on an island teaching English to and caring for young children! Help kindergartners broaden their horizons and build the foundation for future opportunities in what is considered the Philippines’ last frontier.

Program Highlights:

Live and volunteer on the beautiful island of Palawan
Provide care for kindergarteners and introduce them to English
Gain practical experience in both child care and teaching
Make learning English more fun by organizing fun, educational games
Explore the surrounding fishing villages and smaller islands during free weekends

Your Schedule at a Glance (Minimum One-Week Commitment):

Day 1, Sunday: Arrive at Puerto Princesa International Airport (PPS). You and fellow volunteers will be picked up from the airport and taken to settle into the volunteer house in Palawan.

Day 2, Monday: Volunteers will receive an orientation, complete with a Philippine culture lesson, language lesson, tour of the area, a broom making or coconut leaf weaving workshop and a cooking class!

Days 3-6, Tuesday- Friday: Rewarding volunteer work at the kindergarten.

Days 7-8, Saturday and Sunday: Volunteers staying only one week will depart on Saturday. The weekend is free for volunteers who are extending to spend how they wish.

Remaining Weeks: Remaining weeks will follow the pattern of volunteering Monday-Friday and having weekends free. Departures are on a Saturday.

Location of the Project: Palawan, Philippines

Project length: Min 1 week – Max 8 weeks

Arrival Airport: Puerto Princesa International Airport (PPS)

Volunteer Work: Child care and teaching English

Age: 18 – 60

Number of Volunteers: Up to 20 international volunteers

What’s Included

Accommodations: Shared room in volunteer house

Food: Three meals during the week and two meals on the weekend

Airport Transfers: Airport pickup is provided upon arrival

Support: Comprehensive and professional pre-departure travel guidance, 24/7 GoEco emergency hotline, experienced local field team.

What’s not Included

Flights, visa (if required), travel health insurance, daily transportation to and from project site, personal expenses

Location

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. 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.

Volunteer Work

As a volunteer on this project, you will directly partake in the day-to-day operations of the kindergarten. Your primary task is to communicate in English with the children and try to teach them English in a fun and practical way. Additional tasks will include:

Supporting local staff with caring for the children
Managing and organizing classes
Playing games and guiding activities
Creating and organizing activities to stimulate English practice

A typical day: After breakfast at 7:00 am, you’ll head to the kindergarten at 8:00 am to arrange activities for the children, such as singing songs, coloring, playing games, etc. After a lunch break at 12:00 pm, you’ll continue preparing activities for the next day together with the local coordinator from 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm. Dinner is served at 6:00 pm, followed by free time to relax and rest. Saturdays and Sundays are free to spend as you wish.

Holidays: During school term breaks, volunteering will still be 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:

December 16, 2019 – January 6, 2020
6th April – 12th June, 2020
October 26 – November 6, 2020
December 21, 2020 – January 4, 2021

Living Arrangements

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

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

Accommodations icon Accommodations: You’ll be staying at the volunteer house with 4-8 volunteers per room for the duration of your placement. 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 icon 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.

Travel Highlights

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 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.