Intercultural classes and eco-farming activities with the students of Green Dream School
       Muju, Jeonbuk          April 7 - June 30, 2010
                     Muju, Jeonbuk          September 1 - November 26, 2010

Volunteer project: The project site is located in Muju and is distinguished enough to have earned the nickname “Korean Alps”. The entire area is covered with mountains. The host organization is an alternative high school called Green Dream school. This school is focused on traditional Korean cultures, eco-farming education, foreign languages, autonomic study and peace community building. They also have unique education system so that they are flexible and open to new ideas and people. The school would like to provide activities and programs related with intercultural classes to the students so that they will experience the different cultures and people through this international volunteer project.

Alternative school is a new concept of school based upon experiential learning (It is a kind of free school movement). It emphasis on values such as nature and peace and has democratic and independent atmosphere. Summerhill school in UK is good example of it.

Volunteer work: The project is aimed to promote more chances for the students to meet different cultures and people and opening their mind to the world. The volunteers will lead and join the intercultural classes such as country introduction, language class (mainly English). Volunteers will also join in eco-farming activities with students such as raising flowers, vegetables, working at rice field and so on. You can also join in various other activities with the students.

Free time: You can join in field trips such as mountain hiking and rafting trip. Visiting famous places in the area is also possible.

Profile of the volunteers:
• Previous volunteer experience with teenagers (preferred but not necessary)
• Interest about Korea (learning the language and culture in the local area)
• Ability to teach and communicate in English (non-formal English teaching)
• Initiative and active personality
• Skills to manage club activities (e.g. music, dance, sports, theatre, etc.)
• Flexibility and positive mind

Number of participants: 2

Language: English

Documents to be submitted: Motivation letter, resume and a picture are requested with application.

Accommodation: In the school dormitory. Three meals a day are provided.

Location: Muju, Jeonbuk Province, about 2 hours away south from Seoul

Terminal: Incheon International Airport

Age range: 18 - 40 years old

Pocket money: Volunteers will receive 100,000 Won per month (about 55 EUR) pocket money.

Participation fee: $590 CAD
 

 

Organic farming and language classes with the residents of an alternative community
       Sanan, Gyeonggi          April 7 - June 30, 2010
                     Sanan, Gyeonggi          September 1 - November 26, 2010

Volunteer project: For a long time, people have been searching for a happy life and the answer is still under investigation. In order to pursue a happy life in a peaceful and harmonious way, a group of people gathered in Sanan village in 1984. Sanan village was established as an idealistic community. Now, around 20 people (including children) live together there. The community follows the philosophy of an environment-friendly and non-possessive society. People in this village want to encourage young people to give more attention to the environment and share the public resources together. If you are interested in a new perspective way of living, which seems very different from "normal and capitalized life", this project will give you some ideas.

Volunteer work: Participants will work with the village people at a chicken house, an organic farm and a kindergarten. They will also give language classes (non-formal English classes) to the children in the village. There will be cultural exchange with village children and grown-ups through sports, cooking, small trips and so on. Participants will also get a chance to learn Korean or Japanese language (there are some Japanese residents as well). They will be able to experience the warmth and kindness of the people, healthy food from the nature and the farm works.

Free time: You can join various festivals in the village. In addition, you will have a chance to explore Seoul, the capital of Korea.

Profile of the volunteer:
• Previous volunteer experience (preferred but not necessary)
• Interest about Korea (learning the language and culture in the local areas)
• Ability to teach and communicate in English (non-formal English teaching)
• Initiative and active personality
• Flexibility and positive mind
• No allergies to chicken
• Not very strict vegetarian

Number of participants: 3

Language: English

Documents to be submitted: Motivation letter, resume and a picture are requested with application.

Accommodation: In a house of the community. Three meals a day are provided.

Location: Sanan Village in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, about 1 hour away south of Seoul.

Terminal: Incheon International Airport

Age range: 19 - 40 years old

Pocket money: Volunteers will receive 100,000 Won per month (about 55 EUR) pocket money.

Participation fee: $590 CAD
 

 

Music, education and cultural exchange program for Korean children
       Samcheok, Gangwon          June 2 - August 20, 2010
                     Samcheok, Gangwon          September 1 - November 26, 2010

Volunteer project: Samcheok is a city of tourism with beautiful beaches and a cave. But the standard of living is poor and especially, education facilities are not enough for the local community. The host organization is a local church and they run local children's center to provide educational and cultural opportunities to children. They offer not only studying with books but also various extracurricular activities to them. Musical team and Korean traditional music performance team, which are particular offering of this center, perform a road show for local people. The host wants to give the kids an intercultural experience through the volunteers' participation. You can also feel the typical warmth and kindness of rural Korean community.

Volunteer work: Together with Korean volunteer(s), the international participants will organize and manage cultural and education programs such as foreign languages (mainly English), outdoor activities, etc. for the children who attend the local Children's Center. The children at the center are mainly elementary school students and few middle school students. They normally stay at the center after school, from 2 pm until around 8 pm.
Any kind of activities and ideas are welcome, as long as they provide the local children with opportunities for cultural exchange. The local children are very open and interested about the different countries in the world.

Free time: There are many beautiful beaches and sightseeing places to visit during the free time. A big fish market is also famous in the area.

Profile of the volunteer:
• Previous experiences related to music or theatre (preferred)
• Previous volunteer experience with children (preferred but not necessary)
• Interest about Korea (learning the language and culture in the local area)
• Ability to teach and communicate in English (non-formal English teaching)
• Initiative and active personality
• Skills to manage club activities (e.g. music, dance, sports, theatre, etc.)
• Flexibility and positive mind

Number of participants: 3

Language: English

Documents to be submitted: Motivation letter, resume, certificate of good conduct and a picture are requested with application.

Accommodation: In a shared apartment. Three meals a day are provided.

Location: Samcheok, Gangwon Province; about 3 hours away from Seoul by bus.

Terminal: Incheon International Airport

Age range: 18 - 40 years old

Pocket money: Volunteers will receive 100,000 Won per month (about 55 EUR) pocket money.

Participation fee: $590 CAD
 

 

Support the educational and recreational programs of a children's center in Gangwon
       Yeongwol, Gangwon          June 3 - August 21, 2010
                     Yeongwol, Gangwon          September 2 - November 20, 2010

Volunteer project: Yeongwol is an abandoned mine town. Tourism has become this town's main source of revenue with the magnificent natural beauty such as Donggang River and Mt. Bongnaesan. However market downturn causes shrinking population and a lack of infrastructure in the region. Because of that, children in this area are largely isolated from educational and cultural benefits.
The project is in support of a children’s center providing educational opportunities for the children in the local community. The center has a small space, but they offer many outdoor activities. The volunteers will join these activities with the children, and will have a chance to experience real Korean culture.

Volunteer work: Together with Korean volunteer(s), the international participants will organize and manage cultural and education programs such as foreign languages (mainly English), outdoor activities, etc. for the children who attend the local Children's Center. The children at the center are mainly elementary school students and few middle school students. They normally stay at the center after school, from 2 pm until around 8 pm.
Any kind of activities and ideas are welcome, as long as they provide the local children with opportunities for cultural exchange. The local children are very open and interested about the different countries in the world.

Free time: A beautiful valley and a river are blessed gift of nature here. You can enjoy many outdoor activities such as rafting and mountain biking.

Profile of the volunteer:
• Previous volunteer experience with children (preferred but not necessary)
• Interest about Korea (learning the language and culture in the local area).
• Ability to teach and communicate in English (non-formal English teaching)
• Initiative and active personality
• Skills to manage club activities (e.g. music, dance, sports, theatre, etc.)
• Flexibility and positive mind

Number of participants: 3

Language: English

Documents to be submitted: Motivation letter, resume, certificate of good conduct and a picture are requested with application.

Accommodation: In a shared apartment. Three meals a day are provided.

Location: Yeongwol, Gangwon Province; about 2 hours away from Seoul by bus

Terminal: Incheon International Airport

Age range: 18 - 40 years old

Pocket money: Volunteers will receive 100,000 Won per month (about 55 EUR) pocket money.

Participation fee: $590 CAD
 

 

Organizing cultural and education programs for children in rural areas
       Uiryeong, Gyeongnam          June 3 - August 21, 2010
                     Uiryeong, Gyeongnam          September 2 - November 20, 2010

Volunteer project: Uiryeong is a small town of beautiful nature and famous for the typical rice cake. Since the government usually develops infrastructure depending on the population of the region, many people in this area are isolated from those benefits.
The project is in support of a children’s center providing educational opportunities for the children in the local community. The center has many children who grow up in families with only one parent or multicultural families. Most of them have very small chance to meet foreigners. The host wants to provide for the children an intercultural experience with the help of the volunteers.

Volunteer work: Together with Korean volunteer(s), the international participants will organize and manage cultural and education programs such as foreign languages (mainly English), outdoor activities, etc. for the children who attend the local children's center. The children at the center are mainly elementary school students and few middle school students. They normally stay at the center after school, from 2 pm until around 9 pm.
Any kind of activities and ideas are welcome, as long as they provide the local children with opportunities for cultural exchange. The local children are very open and interested about the different countries in the world.

Free time: There is a sports complex nearby. You can also visit many traditional sites around this area such as mountains, temples, villages, palaces, and so on.

Profile of the volunteer:
• Previous volunteer project experience with children (preferred but not necessary)
• Interest about Korea (learning the language and culture in the local area)
• Ability to teach and communicate in English (non-formal English teaching)
• Initiative and active personality
• Skills to manage club activities (e.g. music, dance, sports, theatre, etc.)
• Flexibility and positive mind

Number of participants: 3

Language: English

Documents to be submitted: Motivation letter, resume, certificate of good conduct and a picture are requested with application.

Accommodation: In a shared apartment. Three meals a day are provided.

Location: Uiryeong, Gyeongnam Province; about 4 hours away from Seoul by bus.

Terminal: Incheon International Airport

Age range: 18 - 40 years old

Pocket money: Volunteers will receive 100,000 Won per month (about 55 EUR) pocket money.

Participation fee: $590 CAD
 

 

Educational and cultural exchange activities for children
in Busan
       Busan          June 3 - August 21, 2010
                     Busan          September 2 - November 20, 2010

Volunteer project: Busan is the second city in Korea. Even though it’s a very big city, there is a gap between rich and poor. This project supports a small children’s center which provides educational opportunity for children in the community. The center has many children who grow up in families with only one parent, so its role is not only to teach the children after school but also to give them a shelter which can protect them until their parents come. Busan is also famous as a port city and there are many foreigners. However there is no chance for cultural experience with them for the children. The local host wants to provide this intercultural experience with the help of the international volunteers.

Volunteer work: Together with Korean volunteer(s), the international participants will organize and manage cultural and education programs such as foreign languages (mainly English), outdoor activities, etc. for the children who attend the local children's center. The children at the center are mainly elementary school students and few middle school students. They normally stay at the center after school, from 2 pm until around 9 pm.
Any kind of activities and ideas are welcome, as long as they provide the local children with opportunities for cultural exchange. The local children are very open and interested about the different countries in the world.

Free time: There are many beautiful beaches, sightseeing places, and traditional temples to visit during the free time. You can also go for Korean classes to the university nearby.

Profile of the volunteers:
• Previous volunteer experience with children (preferred but not necessary)
• Interest about Korea (learning the language and culture in the local area)
• Ability to teach and communicate in English (non-formal English teaching)
• Initiative and active personality
• Skills to manage club activities (e.g. music, dance, sports, theatre, etc.)
• Flexibility and positive mind

Number of participants: 3

Language: English

Documents to be submitted: Motivation letter, resume, certificate of good conduct and a picture are requested with application.

Accommodation: Homestay or shared apartment. Three meals a day are provided.

Location: Busan, about 3 hours away from Seoul by train. It's close to the south coast.

Terminal: Incheon International Airport

Age range: 18 - 40 years old

Pocket money: Volunteers will receive 100,000 Won per month (about 55 EUR) pocket money.

Participation fee: $590 CAD
 

International interaction program for students from Korea Horseman High School
       Namwon, Jeonbuk          April 7 - June 30, 2010
                     Namwon, Jeonbuk          September 1 - November 26, 2010

Volunteer project: Korea Horseman High School takes pride in being known as the first choice among students who seek to begin their careers as horse trainers and managers. It is a public high school designed for in depth instruction and exercises about managing and training race horses. The students in this school build their horsemanship skills and eventually seek to be employed in horse managing fields.
The school is located in Namwon City of Jeola-buk-do Province, which is about four hours away from Seoul (the capital city). The school was originally founded as a livestock farming school in 1969. As the appreciation for farming and livestock have decreased among young people, the school transformed its curriculum to train young horsemen. In the past few years, the school has earned more recognition, but still lacks in its international programs and interactions. The school is looking forward to develop its international interaction through this project. Volunteers of this project will be the ones who will make a leap toward a new change in the school.

The students on their way to participate in a festival       The students performing a Korean folk play      
 

Volunteer work: Since the school is located in an area where it has limitation in meeting various international people, the project is mainly aimed to provide the students more chance to meet and experience other cultures through international volunteers. We hope that the students will develop global thinking through this project. Volunteers, on the other hand, will have the benefit of getting to know Korean culture and especially horsemanship skills.
In this project, the volunteers will mainly lead English or Japanese classes (non-formal), intercultural classes such as country introduction and language classes. There are about 15-20 students in one class. Having skills such as dancing, singing, acting, teaching languages (preferably English and Japanese) and other educational skills, can be very helpful. Volunteers will also have opportunity to join in other school activities or class field trips.

The volunteers in this project will have three months free course of horseback riding. The school teachers there will kindly guide and instruct you with horsemanship skills. If you are fond of horses, and love outdoor activities, this opportunity is perfect for you and will give you memorable experiences.

Profile of the volunteers:
• Inclination toward animals, especially horses (strongly recommended)
• Previous volunteer experience with teenagers (preferably with high school students)
• Ability to teach in English or Japanese (non-formal teaching)
• Interest about Korea (learning the language and culture in the local area)
• Skills to manage club activities (e.g. music, dance, sports, theatre, etc.)
• Interest in learning horsemanship skills
• Initiative and active personality
• Flexibility and positive mind

Number of participants: 2

Language: English

Documents to be submitted: Motivation letter, resume and a picture are requested with application.

Accommodation: A separate room will be provided at the school dormitory. Three meals a day are provided at the school cafeteria.

Location: Namwon, Jeollabuk Province, about 4 hours south of Seoul.

Terminal: Incheon International Airport

Age range: 18 - 40 years old

Pocket money: Volunteers will receive 100,000 Won per month (about 55 EUR) pocket money.

Participation fee: $590 CAD
 

Namwon     The geographical advantages of Namwon have made it a cultural, economic, and political center since ancient times, and the city has plenty to offer with its abundance of historical remains stretching from the ancient kingdoms to the Joseon period. With a total of 94 designated cultural assets including one National Treasure protected by the national government, the Namwon area holds about 20% of the designated cultural assets in the Jeollabuk-do province. This historic city is also steeped in classic literature.
As the birthplace of the eastern school of pansori narrative singing, Namwon is the source of the Story of Chunhyang that tells of the passionate love between Chunhyang and Master Lee, as well as the Story of Heungbu with its themes of brotherly love, virtue rewarded, and vice reproved. Set against the natural grandeur of Korea's "spirit mountain" Jirisna, designated National Park No.1, Namwon is a year-round tourist destination with its Chunhyang Festival in spring and Heungbu Festival in autumn.

to see a short movie from a Korean project with kids, click here

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