from 602€

Excellent 4.8rating (879)

India English Teaching Volunteers

location
2 - 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

  • 70% of PMGY volunteers are 18-22 years old
  • Work in the heart of the slum community as a volunteer teaching English
  • A top destination for first-timers looking for a secure & social experience
  • Gain experience within a supported network of local projects
  • Structured weekend trips to the Taj Mahal & Jaipur

Especially good for

Age 17+
Singles
Couples
Groups

About the program

Use your creativity and enthusiasm to help children in primary and secondary schools in India reach their full potential by teaching them English.

As a volunteer teaching English in India, you will encourage students to develop skills, helping to achieve future goals. Conversing with fluent, native English speakers greatly improves student’s language skills, essential for future employment. This project provides the perfect opportunity for ...

About the program

As a volunteer teaching English in India, you will encourage students to develop skills, helping to achieve future goals. Conversing with fluent, native English speakers greatly improves student’s language skills, essential for future employment. This project provides the perfect opportunity for India English teaching volunteers to put leadership skills into practice and make a profound positive impact within poor communities in India.

BACKGROUND TO THE TEACHING PROGRAM

India has made some rapid economic advancements in recent years. Despite this, around 28% of the Indian population lives below the poverty line. The disparity of wealth in India is plain to see. It can be shocking to witness the extreme differences in living conditions. However, unfortunately, the slums are a regrettable fact of life in India.

Indian culture places a major emphasis on education, but unfortunately, the education system in India is still a work in progress. For one thing, class sizes go far beyond suitable capacities. Additionally, schools are highly understaffed. PMGY, therefore, supports two schools located within Faridabad’s largest slum community. Our team provides free education, school supplies and uniforms to local children. This aims to encourage parents to let their children go to school. Without this, they may be forced to wander the streets, begging and collecting rubbish to earn money.

The children at the schools range from 3-16. The schools we support are located within the slum areas, making facilities extremely basic with cramped conditions. However, you will find the spirit of the children and their passion to learn a real joy to behold. English teacher volunteers provide invaluable support to the limited local staff. In particular, the presence of a fluent English speaker brings a major boost to the children’s educational development.

When there is a higher number of volunteers teaching English in India, we may also be able to support more slum communities or disadvantaged areas with English classes. Consequently, as a volunteer organisation, this helps us to further community development. If you need motivation for gap year ideas, then our volunteer projects in India provide some fantastic options.

TEACHING VOLUNTEER PLACEMENT EXAMPLES

Sector 10 Program - Established by the PMGY local team, this volunteer teaching English abroad project provides education for children from the Sector 10 community. For context, this is the community in which the local team is from and where volunteers are based during their time in India. Hence, the team has been passionate about establishing community childcare and education program within their immediate local area to keep giving back. The aim is to provide children from underprivileged backgrounds the opportunity to receive free basic primary education.

Around 50 children attend the Sector 10 program each day typically aged between 3-15. Many of these children come from the local slum communities. The children usually split into two groups, with younger children and slightly older children.

As an English teaching volunteer in India, your role is to work with older children where activities are more education-focussed. For instance, teaching basic English and Maths amongst other subjects and planning lessons and activities accordingly. However, volunteers teaching English in India are welcome to discuss other ideas with their project coordinator. There will still be plenty of fun and games along the way!

It is common for the older children you teach to be responsible for their younger siblings across the day. The childcare volunteers will provide support for the younger siblings so the older siblings can focus on their education, learning and improving their English. The childcare volunteers will work more with the younger children with arts and crafts, playground activities and hygiene education.

The project usually runs in the morning for around 3 hours. The morning will start with the national anthem, nursery rhymes and some exercise with the whole group. For the next couple of hours, the childcare volunteers will work with the younger children and the teaching volunteers will teach the older children. The group then reconvenes for the final hour usually involving some Bollywood dancing and snack time. A local teacher and coordinator are on hand to support volunteers with the tasks and activities of the project.

Volunteers teaching English in India may have the opportunity to engage in or learn about our medical projects during their time on the India volunteer program. Since our medical outreach campaigns are also based within the Sector 10 community.

Prerna Teaching Placement - The Prerna Teaching Placement operates within a Women’s Empowerment Facility and focuses on providing impactful education to children in grades 1-8. While the centre supports women in learning employable skills like sewing, embroidery, and computer literacy, the heart of this placement is its teaching program, where volunteers lead essential lessons in English and Maths.

Each day, 10 to 35 children from nearby slum communities attend, although daily attendance can vary due to family responsibilities at home. These students often have diverse educational backgrounds and abilities, requiring a flexible and adaptive approach to instruction. Volunteers play a crucial role in creating an engaging, supportive learning environment, recording students’ progress, and administering assessments to track their growth over time.

Though the primary focus is on teaching, volunteers may also assist with the Women’s Empowerment Project on days with fewer students. The placement’s main objective is to support local women by offering a safe, structured educational space for the children they bring along, making the teaching program a powerful bridge to community support and empowerment.

OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER TEACHING IN INDIA

Return Airport Transfer - Your return airport transfer is not included in your Program Fee. Our local team can help arrange onward transfers to the airport or an alternative destination from the volunteer accommodation. Making specific arrangements once in India provides more flexibility as plans can often change and participants may be on similar flight plans. Alternatively, a more common and cheaper method is to use a ridesharing app. Participants can often be travelling across their final few days and therefore are not necessarily heading back to the airport directly from our accommodation. The costs depend on your method of transport and your final destination. This can often be split across multiple participants if you are travelling with someone else on the program.

Experience - For the English teaching program, teaching experience is not essential as the mere presence of a native English speaker is invaluable. As long as you are creative, determined and resourceful you can have a constructive impact on the development of the children’s education.

TEFL Course - We encourage volunteers to prepare as much as possible for their teaching program overseas. You can make the most out of your time by completing our convenient, inexpensive and international accredited 60 hour Online TEFL Course. The cost of this course is only 120 USD.

Resources - On the teach English in India project, resources can be very limited. Volunteers are recommended to bring materials to the project each day to maximise their productivity and day to day involvement. It is therefore important for volunteers to prepare well in advance to get the most out of their teaching English project experience.

Project Flexibility - There may be an opportunity as a volunteer in India to get involved with other India volunteer programs. However, there may be instances where this would lead to overcrowding on these volunteering experiences, and thus limited project work opportunity. Therefore, such flexibility on a volunteer trip to India is not always possible. Priority will always be given to those signed up to that specific program in India.

Weekends - Your project work in India runs from Monday-Friday and weekends are free. You are welcome to relax and hang out at the volunteer accommodation but most participants will use this time to travel and explore the country. As a result, you can check out our India Weekend Travel Guide for top tips on how to spend your weekend.



Typical day

YOUR VOLUNTEER ROLE & TYPICAL TEACHING DAY

As a volunteer in India, you will lead English and Maths lessons to one or more classes in an underprivileged school. India English teaching volunteers are also welcome to lead other subjects such as Science and Geography.

If you’ve never taught before then ...

Typical day

YOUR VOLUNTEER ROLE & TYPICAL TEACHING DAY

As a volunteer in India, you will lead English and Maths lessons to one or more classes in an underprivileged school. India English teaching volunteers are also welcome to lead other subjects such as Science and Geography.

If you’ve never taught before then there is no need to worry! To be successful in teaching English in India, you just need to be energetic, creative, patient and proactive. Should volunteers require it, our local coordinators can guide you as to how to prepare lessons and what to teach. However, volunteers are required to be proactive in establishing the levels and educational needs of the class.

The volunteer project runs in the mornings for between 3-4 hours, Monday to Friday. Typical hours at the volunteer program are between 9am-12:30pm. However, this may vary depending on the needs of the school at the time. We highly recommend that volunteers use time outside of the project to prepare lessons in advance. If you are new to teaching, your confidence will grow massively once you have taught a couple of classes! Additionally, the more time spent planning, the easier classes will be to run.

You will usually spend your first few days working with children alongside a local teacher or another volunteer. After this, due to staff shortages, it would be appreciated if volunteers could lead their classes. If you are uncomfortable teaching independently, we will do our best to ensure you work alongside a local teacher or peer.

PMGY’s India volunteer program has its own private transport network that will transfer you to and from the projects every day. You will travel to and from the project by either tuk-tuk or minivan. This service is included in your Program Fee.


Free-time activities

PMGY volunteers are based in Faridabad, a satellite city of Delhi located In the National Capital Region (NCR) of New Delhi. Just 25km from Delhi, volunteers are far enough away to enjoy a quieter setting (by Indian standards!) but close enough to absorb all the magic, mystery and mayhem that Delhi ...

Free-time activities

PMGY volunteers are based in Faridabad, a satellite city of Delhi located In the National Capital Region (NCR) of New Delhi. Just 25km from Delhi, volunteers are far enough away to enjoy a quieter setting (by Indian standards!) but close enough to absorb all the magic, mystery and mayhem that Delhi has to offer.

Faridabad is a comfortable, well-connected location to live and work in. There are a few tourist spots worth a visit such as: Baba Farid’s tomb (its believed Faridabad was named after him); Badhkal Lake and Raja Nahar Singh Palace. There are also some interesting temples and local parks for you to visit as well as markets and shopping malls, including a cinema if you fancy going to see some Bollywood flicks!

Our participants are situated in a great location to explore the local sites and also travel further afield.


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

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 Indira Gandhi International Airport

You should arrive into Indira Gandhi International Airport (airport code DEL) on the Sunday. The airport pickup is available 24 hours. 

On arrival a member of our local team will be waiting for you outside the arrivals terminal, holding a sign with your name on it. They will drive you straight to the Volunteer House in Faridabad where you can relax and settle in. This journey takes around 1 hour depending on traffic.

Accommodation

Volunteer House

On the India volunteer program, you will live in our Volunteer House. Our accommodation is based within the centre of Faridabad - a satellite city, located around 15 miles south of India’s capital Delhi. Our main India volunteer programs are also located in this region. There are a number of restaurants, convenience stores and ATMs only a walk or short tuk-tuk journey away from the Volunteer House.

As a volunteer in India, you will be living with other international volunteers. Consequently, you will find that the Volunteer House is large, basic but comfortable. Bedrooms conform to a single-sex dorm-style setup, with up to 8 people per room. Each bedroom is provided with fans and individuals will be provided with their own bed linen. During the winter months, participants are also recommended to bring additional bedding, such as a sleeping bag. Bathrooms at the Volunteer House are communal, with a western-style toilet and shower. There is no hot-water in the accommodation.

There is free Wi-Fi within the house, however, this can be intermittent. Volunteers in India are therefore also recommended to purchase a local SIM card in-country to use with an unlocked mobile phone. Throughout the accommodation are numerous communal areas for international volunteers to relax and socialise. There is also a large space for handwashing to be completed, and for clothes to be hung. Alternatively, a laundry service is available for a nominal fee. Individuals on a volunteer trip to India are recommended to bring a small padlock. Any valuables can also be stored with our local team, however, volunteers are encouraged to only bring essential items during their volunteer work in India. Furthermore, there is a fridge space within the accommodation for volunteers to cool items they need to keep chilled. Please note that power cuts are fairly commonplace in India, although they tend not to last more than a couple of hours.

The Volunteer House is located on the same quarters as the wonderful host family who coordinates our projects in India. There is a clear divide between the two houses, however, international volunteers still have regular interaction with our local coordinators. Most of our volunteer projects in India are not within walking distance of the Volunteer House. In these cases, our local team will, therefore, transport you to and from the project each day. The cost of this service is included in your Programm Fee. Transport to our volunteering opportunities in India may be via tuk-tuk or minivan.

During our busiest months you may be placed at alternative accommodation. For instance, you could be placed in one of our secondary Volunteer Houses.

Food & Beverages

You will be provided with three meals a day. All meals are freshly prepared and made up of vegetarian ingredients. Furthermore, most meals are typical Indian dishes, although pasta and other such western dishes are prepared every now and then. If you are not a huge lover of spicy food don’t worry, there will always be a more mild option available!

Volunteers are advised to notify our local team if the food is not to their taste who will aim to adjust the food appropriately.

* Please inform us in your application if you have any specific dietary requirements.

Internet Access

Good access at the project site

What's NOT included?

What's NOT included?

Flight Tickets

The nearest airport is Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) in Delhi. We assist you to find cheap flights to India. 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 India provides security and is a plus to have. GET A QUOTE

Vaccines

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

2 weeks (min. stay) 602€
3 weeks 747€
4 weeks 892€
6 weeks 1,181€
8 weeks 1,471€
10 weeks 1,760€
12 weeks (max. stay) 2,049€
Average fees 235€/week

Program fees

235€ per week 2 - 12 weeks Age 17 - 50+

Payment methods

Visa Master Card Maestro American Express PayPal

NO CREDIT CARD FEES


Duration

2 - 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 (879 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.

879 reviews · rating4.8

I had the best time volunteering with PMGY in India. The accommodation is very spacious and clean and the teaching and medical placements are very hands on allowing you to learn new skills very quickly. Vishy the co ordinator is so helpful if you encounter any problems, he also helps you book ...
I had the most amazing time on PMGY's teaching project in India. From the minute I signed up to the project, the support from the PMGY team was incredibly helpful, guiding us through the process of preparing to go to India. Once we arrived, the team in India was very welcoming and I really enjoyed ...
Sorcha Gibney Sheridan rating5

2023 at India English Teaching Volunteers

I did the English teaching project in India and it was way better than I could have ever hoped or imagined!!! My trip was amazing but I did get sick for 2 days and missed out on some Holi celebrations but everyone was looking after me and we did so many wonderful things on other days I didn't feel ...
I spent 6 weeks in India doing the teaching project and had the best time. The volunteering is very well organised and the kids are adorable. There’s lots of opportunities to try different projects, like the medical project or visiting the childcare project if you few like a change. Everyone is ...
Sophie-Anne Appleton rating5

2023 at India English Teaching Volunteers

I went to India with PMGY from March to April and it was probably the best thing I've ever done! For someone who had never travelled alone, or even outside of Europe with family, I was pretty nervous about coming but by the end I was so devastated to leave. The team at the volunteer house ...
I have just finished 4 weeks volunteering in India, and I cannot recommend the experience enough. The volunteering itself was amazing…I was on the teaching project and the children were amazing - so willing to learn and really grateful for you just being there! The country itself has so much to ...

Location

Asia > Southern Asia > India > Delhi

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