from 925€

Excellent 4.8rating (859)

Sri Lanka English Teaching Volunteers

location
4 - 12 weeks  ·  Age 17 - 50+

rating  Excellent 4.8  · 
  Verified by Volunteer World
  Excellent response rate

Volunteer project with the highest quality. This project sets unprecedented standards in quality - an unparalleled level of excellence.

Highlights

  • 80% of PMGY volunteers are 17-22 years old
  • Teach English in Sri Lanka & support learning through creative education
  • Drive educational development, enhance future prospects & confidence levels
  • Structured weekend trips to Kandy, Yala National Park & the Maldives
  • Widely considered to be PMGY's top overall destination & best local team

Especially suitable

Age 17+
Singles
Groups

About the program

Teach Buddhist Monks or children whose family experienced the Tsunami. English is a valuable skill that will greatly enhance their career prospects.

Sri Lanka’s education system is pretty impressive for a developing country of its size. Universal public education is available from the age of 6 to the age of 18. However, many government schools, particularly in rural areas, receive minimal government funding ...

About the program

Sri Lanka’s education system is pretty impressive for a developing country of its size. Universal public education is available from the age of 6 to the age of 18. However, many government schools, particularly in rural areas, receive minimal government funding – especially considering the size of the communities they are expected to serve. The facilities at the schools are very basic, particularly the classrooms that get extremely cramped as average class sizes are around 40 to 60 children.

The ability to speak English is becoming of growing importance in Sri Lanka. The two main sources of income in Sri Lanka come from tourism and migrant workers going to the Middle East. Both occupations require the ability to speak English – the world’s global language. However, the level of English teaching in government schools is limited. Class sizes are large and the teachers’ English speaking skills are by no means perfect. It is only the middle and upper class children who can afford private English lessons. Therefore it is no surprise that children from most low-income families speak little or no English. Our aim is to give the poorer children of Ambalangoda, the same opportunities as their more wealthy peers so they too have the chance to develop their ability to speak English.

The PMGY English Teaching Volunteer Programme in Sri Lanka enables you to teach English in two different types of placement: our own after-school education programme that works in communities displaced by the 2004 Tsunami – known as Tsunami villages and temple schools where you have the amazing opportunity to teach to Buddhist monks!

Travel tips

You should arrive into Bandaranaike International Airport in Colombo (airport code CMB) on the selected Saturday start date. Programmes start on the 1st and 3rd Saturday of each month. You will be met at the airport by one of our local staff or an appointed driver who will be holding a named sign. They will take you to your accommodation where you will spend the rest of your day at leisure.

The programme ends on the Saturday of your final week and you should depart the accommodation on this day.

Can I use this program as part of a university or college placement? 

It is certainly possible to use one of PMGY’s programmes as part of your university or college placement. Project staff can sign off any paperwork required by your course tutors. PMGY regularly receives medical, childcare, psychology and nursing placement students at our projects around the world and we have ties with some of the leading universities.

If you’re a course tutor and would like further information about how one of PMGY’s programmes could meet the placement requirements for your degree course then please contact us.

Is it safe to travel to PMGY destinations?

Although our volunteers work in the developing world, we always ensure our host locations are safe. Each programme has been extensively researched and has passed our strict vetting process. Our UK team undergo an extensive routine when establishing our in-country infrastructures and we continue to monitor our safety procedures on a regular basis. Furthermore, we monitor the stability of our volunteer destinations on a daily basis. Through our constant contact with consulates and embassies and our reports from our overseas teams, we are able to ensure that our volunteers are never placed in unstable regions.

The PMGY team have visited and participated in every programme we offer and verified them based on our own independent criteria. We carefully inspect every little detail of our set-up. From inspecting the living conditions, checking out the neighbourhoods you’ll be staying in, to tasting the food you’ll be eating – each and every programme we establish has gone through a lengthy and rigorous vetting process. Risk assessments have been written for all areas in which PMGY operate and our experienced local coordinators are always on-hand to manage any emergencies that may occur. Our UK team are always on the road reviewing our risk management procedures in the field and monitoring local conditions. 

In emergency situations we have the necessary protocols and equipment in place and we are able to evacuate our volunteers from potential dangers. Our local coordinators are trained to deal with emergency circumstances. 

When you join PMGY we will send you a Volunteer Handbook. This document addresses a range of issues such as health, safety, visa issues etc. Furthermore, our UK team are only ever a phone call away should you wish to discuss any aspect of your upcoming programme. When you arrive in-country, you’ll be given a comprehensive safety briefing during your orientation course by our local coordinators. We will go through everything from emergency procedures, how to use local transport and cultural differences. You’ll also be given the opportunity to purchase a local SIM card, something we strongly suggest, so you’re contactable at all times. We will provide you with a full list of the important contact numbers that you’ll need to know.

All our local teams are experienced development professionals who have years of experience in hosting international volunteers. They are our representatives on the ground and will assist you 24/7 throughout your stay. Whether you need to call home, travel at the weekend or require urgent assistance – they are there to support you.

While we cannot guarantee your volunteer experience to be 100% trouble free we have taken all the necessary precautions to make sure each programme is as safe as possible.



Typical day

Tsunami Village Project – The Tsunami Village Project is an after-school education programme initiated by PMGY and is the main teaching project our volunteers take part in. We work in a number of Tsunami villages, which are a community of houses that were donated by the government and ...

Typical day

Tsunami Village Project – The Tsunami Village Project is an after-school education programme initiated by PMGY and is the main teaching project our volunteers take part in. We work in a number of Tsunami villages, which are a community of houses that were donated by the government and international charities to accommodate families who lost their homes after the Tsunami. The majority of the men in the village are fishermen who earn very little income.

The children attend local government schools during the mornings. Our aim is to further their English language development by providing free after-school English lessons in the afternoons. These projects will take place in a makeshift classroom or community centre. We encourage volunteers to make lessons as engaging and interactive as possible by being creative and proactive when preparing lessons! The presence of volunteers gives the children an insight into different cultures; a global perspective they greatly benefit from. Use your creativity and knowledge to help these eager young minds reach their true potential.

The after-school education programme runs from 15:00 to 18:00 each afternoon from Monday to Friday. The first two hours are spent teaching English and the last hour is allocated for games and activities. Volunteers lead their own classes, usually working in pairs. We usually run three to six classes in each community, depending on the number of volunteers. Each class is divided based on the children’s level of English. The class sizes vary from 6 to 12 children per class.

PMGY has a local coordinator at the project each day who supports volunteers with their work and can help with overcoming the language barrier. We have also created a computer classroom at our original Tsunami Village Project and would appreciate volunteers help in teaching basic computer skills to the children.

Temple Schools – Volunteers can also join our Temple School project teaching English to Buddhist monks. Many of the Buddhist monks speak very little English. The classes run in the morning, usually from 08:30 to 10:30. In return for your contribution, you will find the monks keen to invite you to learn more about their religion and way of life. The temple schools also welcome poor children from the community to come and learn English. There tends to be 15 to 18 students in each class, aged from 6 to 18 years of age.

No teaching experience is required to join this programme although it is an advantage. You will always have a syllabus to follow and our local team will support you in planning your lessons, so this is really something that anyone can get involved in. We expect volunteers to spend an hour or two each day preparing for the following days lessons.


Free-time activities

PMGY volunteers are based in Ambalangoda, which is a lively oceanside town situated on the South West Coast.

It is traditionally a fishing community but is famous for being the major production centre for demonic wooden masks. The traditional masks were originally designed to be worn by performers in ...

Free-time activities

PMGY volunteers are based in Ambalangoda, which is a lively oceanside town situated on the South West Coast.

It is traditionally a fishing community but is famous for being the major production centre for demonic wooden masks. The traditional masks were originally designed to be worn by performers in kolam and other southern Sri Lankan dances, but are now mainly used as souvenirs. Many families hang a mask on their front door to ward off evil spirits.

The town has all the amenities you could require such as banks, hospitals and shops including a very popular ice cream shop. There is also a central bus and train station, which has good links to all the major destinations you are likely to go to. Plus, the beach is only a 5 minute tuk tuk ride from the Volunteer House.


Requirements

Requirements

Minimum Age: 17 years

In order to join the program you need to be at least 17 years old on the program start date.

Language Skills

You need to speak English (intermediate level)

Criminal Background Check

required

Nationality Restrictions

No restrictions. Helping hands from all over the world are welcome.

Other Skills

You should also be physically fit, as volunteering overseas can be quite strenuous. If you have any medical/mental health conditions that may affect your participation overseas then these must be declared to us during your online application.

Time Commitment

Your helping hand will be required on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 09:00 - 14:00

What's Included

What's Included

Services by Plan My Gap Year

  • Accommodation 
  • Meals (Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner)
  • Airport Pick Up
  • Private Transport To/From Project
  • In-Country Orientation
  • 24 Hour Support

Airport Pickup at Bandaranaike International Airport

You should arrive into Bandaranaike International Airport (airport code CMB) on the Saturday. The airport pickup is available 24 hours. 

On arrival a member of our local team will be at the waiting area for you holding a sign with your name on it. They will drive you to the Volunteer House in Ambalangoda where you can relax and settle in. This journey takes around 2 hours. 

Accommodation

During your time with PMGY in Sri Lanka you will live in our Volunteer House/s. The accommodation is basic but comfortable. You’ll be living with other PMGY volunteers from around the world, so you’ll make plenty of friends along the way.

The majority of our projects are NOT within walking distance of our Volunteer House. PMGY will take you to and from the project each day. This will either be by tuk tuk or minivan; in most cases it will be tuk tuk. The cost of this service is included in your Programme Fee.

The Volunteer House is located just outside of central Ambalangoda, in a peaceful part of town. Each room has bunk beds, up to 9 people per room (same-sex rooms only, unless a couple). Volunteers are provided with fans in the room and their own mosquito net and bed linen. You will have cupboard space to store clothes and accessories; we encourage you to bring some small padlocks and/or store any valuables with Ashika in the safe located at his house.

Bathrooms are shared. Each bathroom has a shower and western style toilet. The water is cold but this shouldn’t be a problem as Sri Lanka is hot and humid all year round! The house has Wi-Fi (although intermittent) and a communal area for volunteers to hang out. There is also a kitchen with a refrigerator to store any items you need to keep chilled.

A member of our local team will also live at the house. This ensures you have round the clock support and security.

Please note that in the summer months we do use extra accommodation to cope with the extra number of volunteers when the main volunteer house reaches capacity. Such accommodation is again basic but comfortable with a western bathroom and located a short distance away from the main volunteer house. You will be sure to mix with volunteers as a whole at projects as well!

Food & Beverages

You will be served three meals per day at the Volunteer House. Most meals are traditional Sri Lankan dishes that can be typically quite spicy. Sri Lankan cuisine consists of a lot of rice and the meat is mainly fish or chicken – vegetarian options are always available. A weekly menu has been introduced that blends Sri Lanka cuisine with Western cuisine so you will know in advance what is on the menu for that day! Below is an example of the meals we serve our volunteers:

Breakfast – Egg, toast, fruit with tea.
Lunch – Dhal and spinach curry, poppadums, paprika tofu and rice.
Dinner – Mixed vegetable noodles, tomato curry, omelette and poppadoms.

All meals are freshly prepared each day. If you fancy some western comforts, you will find plenty of restaurants serving western meals in the nearby town of Hikkaduwa. Hikkaduwa is a 20 minute journey from Ambalangoda and the cost to get there by tuk tuk is around £3 per way. This is a popular place that volunteers go to in the evening, as it is a trendy backpackers town.

* Please inform us in your application if you have any dietary requirements. Couples, families and older volunteers will be accommodated to suit their needs.

Internet Access

Good access at the project site

What's NOT included?

What's NOT included?

Flight Tickets

The nearest airport is Bandaranaike International Airport (CMB) in Colombo. We assist you to find cheap flights to Sri Lanka. FIND CHEAP FLIGHTS

Travel Insurance

Going abroad is an adventure and it is always best to be prepared. Sudden illness or injury, cancellation or theft - a travel insurance for Sri Lanka provides security and is a plus to have. GET A QUOTE

Vaccines

If you are intending to volunteer in Sri Lanka you should seek medical advice before starting your social journey. Check your required vaccinations for Sri Lanka. VACCINE CHECKER

Details on arrival

This program starts on the 1st & 3rd Sunday of every month

Availability
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Program fees

4 weeks (min. stay) 925€
6 weeks 1,245€
8 weeks 1,566€
10 weeks 1,886€
12 weeks (max. stay) 2,206€
Average fees 208€/week

Program fees

208€ per week 4 - 12 weeks Age 17 - 50+

Payment methods

Visa Master Card Maestro American Express PayPal

NO CREDIT CARD FEES


Duration

4 - 12 weeks

Deposit

The deposit is simply to reserve your volunteer placement. Payments are handled by PayPal, our trusted global payment provider. If you don't have a PayPal account, you can also pay using a credit card.


Final Payment

Your final payment will be agreed with Plan My Gap Year during the application process. Common solutions are either via bank transfer or a cash payment at the project site.


Meet your organization

Plan My Gap Year

Excellent 4.8 rating (859 reviews)

Agency - founded in 2011

Verified by Volunteer World

  Excellent response rate

Coordinated by

Josh

Spoken languages: English

About the project

Plan My Gap Year is an award-winning international volunteer placement organisation based in the UK.

Meet your organization

Plan My Gap Year is an award-winning international volunteer placement organisation based in the UK. We provide safe, affordable, need-driven volunteer programmes from 1 to 24 weeks in 11 countries worldwide.

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT US…

Founded by volunteers for volunteers, Plan My Gap Year works with local communities in the developing world towards long-term sustainable goals. We know there is no better way to travel and make a positive impact on the world.

We work extremely hard to ensure that our opportunities are affordable for everyone who wants to make a difference. So fees are 100% transparent, something our volunteers really appreciate.

Plan My Gap Year structured programmes create the perfect platform for you to see the world, meet like-minded people and engage in meaningful volunteer work. We have teams in the UK and in our host destinations who will support you 24/7 throughout your time with us. Furthermore, every project on our network is regularly risk-assessed by our UK team to ensure our set up is safe and that our volunteers are making a positive impact.

There is also a great social element to our programmes. Plan My Gap Year puts you in touch with all your fellow volunteers via Facebook before you set off. Our projects receive volunteers from around the world throughout the year, so even if you’re travelling solo, you’re going to meet heaps of people along the way. Plus you’ll have plenty of opportunity to travel the country with your newfound travel buddies – it’s all part of the PMGY experience!

So if you’re thinking of doing something a bit different on your next trip abroad, then why not drop us a line and find out what extraordinary things you could be doing.

AFFORDABLE & TRANSPARENT FEES

Our aim is to make our programmes accessible to motivated travellers irrespective of their financial capacity. Plan My Gap Year focuses on providing the core requirements of a volunteer programme: safety, structure and sustainability.

We are 100% transparent with our fees. That way you know exactly how much of your money goes towards the local community.

Compared to the large majority of volunteer organisations out there, even most charities and not-for-profits, PMGY’s opportunities are significantly cheaper. Furthermore, as our reviews will testify, our support service and structured programmes are second to none.

SAFETY & RISK MANAGEMENT

Your safety is our top priority. All of Plan My Gap Years' programmes have been personally inspected and vetted by the PMGY team – which is not an industry standard by any means. We carry out independent risk assessments on an annual basis and our local teams constantly review the safety precautions we implement. This includes regular staff and safety appraisals.

 Our local teams are made up of highly experienced volunteer coordinators. They have hosted international volunteers for many years and are prepared to react in the unlikely event of an emergency. Whatever the problem, big or small, our local teams are available around the clock.

As part of our commitment to your safety, we keep in constant communication with local embassies and the Foreign & Commonwealth Office to ensure we can identify potentially dangerous situations and act upon them immediately. Our UK team are available 24/7 to assist volunteers and their families.

TRAINING & SUPPORT

We support our volunteers every step of the way. Before you go we will provide you with a detailed Volunteer Handbook, which will guide you through how to prepare for your trip. This Handbook contains literally everything you need to know – from what to pack, to how to obtain a visa, to local language guides.

Our experienced UK team are always available to provide assistance. Plan My Gap Year is always available to answer our questions and support you in anyway we can. 

On arrival, a member of our in-country team will collect you from the airport and help you settle in. Your orientation course will teach you everything you need to know about the country, how to stay safe and what to expect from your upcoming volunteer experience. 

Our local team are on-call 24/7. Whether you’ve lost your passport or just want some help in planning a weekend trip, our friendly in-country coordinators provide that safety net to ensure you are well looked after.

RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL

Plan My Gap Years' responsibility is not limited to our travellers but also the projects we support. That is why all our volunteers must provide a Criminal Background Check before they travel.

It is essential that our projects are need-driven and sustainable. We work closely with our local partners to ensure that our volunteers are contributing to bring about long-term development.

PERSONAL TOUCH

We really know our programmes. Our UK team have stayed in the accommodation, volunteered at the projects and met the volunteers. We carefully assess each application we receive so that your personality and skills are suited to the project. Whatever your query, you can feel assured that you will be speaking to someone who can tell you exactly what to expect.

HAVING FUN

One of the best aspects of volunteering is meeting some amazing like-minded people. We place over 2,000 volunteers every year so wherever and whenever you go, you have the peace of mind in knowing you will be living and working alongside other PMGY volunteers. In many of our destinations, we run our own Volunteer House accommodation, which ensures all volunteers live together, and therefore guaranteeing a strong social element. In addition, our local team are always there to help you plan any independent travel or give you some tips for what to do at the weekend.

859 reviews · rating4.8

Xavier Huijts rating5

2023 at Sri Lanka English Teaching Volunteers

I defenitely recommend the PMGY projects in Sri Lanka. I stayed for about 3 weeks and like most people, would have wished to stay longer. I did the English teaching project which I can recommend, though it's important to have at least some affinity with teaching.The accomodation is good and the ...
The coordinators and sisters were amazing. I always felt safe as this was a home away from home and myself and the other volunteers really created a PMGY ...
Hannah Greene rating4.6

2023 at Sri Lanka English Teaching Volunteers

It was a great experience. All of the volunteers were looked after so well. Our safety was top priority for the organizers. Lots of activities were organized for us to experience Sri Lankan lifeas much as possible. The weekend trip to Ella was amazing. Evening activities were also great. If you’re ...
Sharua Natascha Brik rating5

2023 at Sri Lanka English Teaching Volunteers

It was a really unexpected absolutely great experience! super lovely staff and the food and accommodation was good. I did the teaching project and the children were attentive and friendly. Also the weekend trips were good organised and you see a lot in a short time. Definitely come back one ...
Kayla Van der Plas rating5

2023 at Sri Lanka English Teaching Volunteers

I was in Sri Lanka for a month with PMGY teaching English to kids and monks. It was such an amazing experience where I got to give back to the community while meeting some of my best friends and exploring Sri Lanka. I felt like there was a great balance between the volunteer work and time off to ...
Gwendolyn Sowrey Lewin rating5

2023 at Sri Lanka English Teaching Volunteers

Best group of coordinators and London House was amazing. Childcare and English teaching are both great projects, which I really enjoyed. I’m already missing ...

Location

Asia > Southern Asia > Sri Lanka > Ambalangoda

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