The program provided a means to integrate into the culture in a meaningful way. Although I certainly enjoy being a tourist sometimes, I was looking for a different sort of experience this summer. In a short period of time, I was able to "live and work" in the country of my choice and not feel only like a guest. Due to limits on my travel time, I only did a short-term stay so I did not travel much in the country. I might recommend to someone who was considering the program to plan to travel afterwards as the program does demand your time and energy. I also felt that I benefitted greatly from being able to speak one of the languages that is used in the country. I'm sure if I had not that I would have been supported by the local team, but I think it did enhance my experience. Of course, the use of my second language was one of the main reasons I chose the program so I really appreciated the immersion experience.
Teaching English Volunteer Program in Morocco
Purpose
Start dates
Duration
Volunteer hours
Age
Accommodation
Who is going?
Group video calls
Once you have secured your place, join regular video calls to meet your Program Manager and other volunteers before your trip.
This program is ideal for:
Volunteers who can speak English fluently and are interested in helping locals learn the language. Volunteers with some relevant training like a TEFL course would also be useful.
Project details
Interested in Teaching English in Morocco? International Volunteer HQ’s Teaching English project is a great opportunity for volunteers to assist with language learning lessons for disadvantaged students. Volunteers gain teaching experience while helping students develop important skills that will open doors to future opportunities including higher education and better job prospects.
What to expect and how you'll make an impact
Although the Moroccan government is working hard to improve literacy and promote professional development, a large number of Moroccan students aren’t given the chance to acquire valuable second language skills. It’s well known that speaking a second language will enable students to further their education and integrate them well into the job market, but accessing opportunities to learn these languages is not easy.
As a Teaching English volunteer you will work with children and adults from disadvantaged communities helping them learn the language. You can lead lessons, or pair up with another volunteer to deliver classes. Volunteer duties can vary but usually involve:
- Helping run small workshops
- Assisting local teachers
- Tutoring students
- Providing pronunciation and word use guidance
- Arranging educational games and activities
You can also assist in summer camps during holiday periods. Volunteers are also able to teach French, which is a popular second language in Morocco. If you can speak French and English, and are willing to volunteer teaching both languages, please include that in your application.
Why do Teaching English volunteering in Morocco with IVHQ?
As a volunteer English teacher in Morocco you’ll be adding value to the local community, while also developing personally and professionally by:
- Improving language learning opportunities for disadvantaged students
- Helping students learn new skills
- Practicing your French and Arabic
- Gaining teaching experience
- Immersing yourself in Moroccan culture
- Discovering Morocco’s rich history
Volunteer requirements
Volunteers under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian to participate in this program, provide IVHQ with parental consent in order to participate on the program, and may be asked to provide additional document to the local team.
Volunteers aged 16 or 17 on their start date, if unable to obtain a criminal background check, can provide two character reference letters instead.
Volunteers aged over 18 on their start date are required to provide a criminal background check to IVHQ before departure.
All volunteers must speak English and have adequate volunteer travel insurance.
Are you eligible to volunteer?
Submit a free application so we can confirm your eligibility and check availability for your preferred dates.
Not sure which program to join?
Get personalized recommendations >
Who is going?
Group video calls
Once you have secured your place, join regular video calls to meet your Program Manager and other volunteers before your trip.
Morocco photo gallery
Academic course credit
Academic course credit
Gain course credit from your college or university and meet your academic requirements when completing a volunteer abroad program with International Volunteer HQ!
Learn about course creditRecommended online TEFL course
Recommended online TEFL course
We encourage volunteers on IVHQ’s Teaching and Childcare projects to come prepared by completing some relevant training, such as a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) course. Although formal teaching qualifications are not required on these projects as volunteers are supported by local staff, taking a TEFL course enables you to gain more from the experience. Visit our Online TEFL Course page to learn how to gain an internationally recognized TEFL certification at a discounted rate.
Get TEFL certified onlineLocation
Location
Rabat is a bustling, beautiful place and the capital city of Morocco. With a vibrant mixture of African, Berber and European cultures, it is a fascinating place to visit. It’s the home of Morocco’s king and his court, a huge number of mosques and monuments, an old Medina listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site and a wide range of other interesting things to see and do.
While Morocco has made progress towards improving quality of life for its citizens, there is still a huge socioeconomic gap between those with wealth and those without, and a big difference in access to basic necessities in rural and urban areas. Employment can be especially difficult to come by. Volunteers can help address the challenges of inequality and poverty by assisting with a range of projects that aim to continue to develop society and equality in Morocco. Volunteer projects are located in Rabat, Casablanca, Sale, Kenitra, Temara and Mehdia.
Arrival and orientation
The program orientation begins the first and third Monday of each month, and volunteers need to arrive in Rabat on the Sunday before orientation. After you have registered for the program, please book your flights to arrive at Rabat International Airport (RBA). Your airport pick-up is included in your Program Fee.
When you arrive, you will be greeted at the airport by a member of the local team and transported to the volunteer accommodation in Rabat, Casablanca or Sale (location will depend on proximity to your specific placement). Your accommodation is covered by your Program Fee and includes the night before your program orientation.
If you are traveling in Morocco prior to your volunteer program, we can arrange for you to be picked up at the Rabat Ville Train Station on the day before your program orientation.
Orientation is hosted by our Moroccan team at the volunteer base in Rabat. Orientation begins on the morning of your chosen start date. Orientation covers everything you need to know for your volunteer program in Morocco – an introduction to Morocco, Moroccan customs, rules and expectations, language lessons, safety, travel opportunities in Morocco, and an introduction to your project and placement. The orientation will also give you a chance to meet other volunteers and swap contact details for weekend travel and socializing.
Volunteer schedule example
First Day
On your first day of volunteering, you will be escorted to your placement by a local coordinator and introduced to the placement staff you will be working with.
Weekdays
Work and break times are dependent on each project and placement. Volunteers taking Arabic or French language lessons spend half the day volunteering and the other half of the day taking language lessons. A typical volunteer day would be as follows
| 8:00 AM | Breakfast at your homestay. |
| 9:00 - 10:00 AM | Volunteers leave home and travel to their placements to begin work. |
| 2:00 - 5:00 PM | Work at the placement usually ends. Volunteers are free to travel home, prepare for the next day or do some shopping and sightseeing. |
| 8:00 PM | Dinner at the homestay. |
Weekends
During the weekends, volunteers have spare time and usually relax or take the opportunity to explore other parts of Rabat and Morocco. In Rabat, you can visit the ancient city ruins of Chellah, learn to surf, treat your senses to the charms of the market stalls in the old Medina, see any of the city’s large number of sacred and religious sites, mosques and monuments, take a traditional steam bath, wander the pretty blue and white streets of the Kasbah des Oudaias, or take in a beautiful garden or art gallery.
Long weekends can be taken to travel further afield to destinations, such as Marrakech, Merzouga, Tinghir, Fes, Meknes, Volubilis, Tangier, and Gibraltar, Andalusia and Portugal in southern Europe.
Accommodation and WiFi
Volunteers are accommodated in a homestay with a local family. It is exciting to stay with a family, as this is an opportunity to learn the Moroccan way of life, meet local people, eat local food, speak the local language (Darija: the Moroccan Arabic dialect) and engage in local customs and traditions. These families receive money from your program fee for support, food and board.
Living is basic, yet still comfortable, and most homestays have electricity and running water. You can expect to share a room with other volunteers, however in some homestays volunteers have their own rooms. It is important to note that Moroccan homes have a shared living environment in which Sdaders - Moroccan couches - are used for sitting and dining during the day and as beds at night.
Bedding is provided, but it is recommended you bring your own towel and toiletries, as well as a sleeping bag if you wish to travel on the weekends.
WiFi is available in the majority of the homestays in Morocco. To keep connected, you can also purchase a local SIM card with data for an unlocked mobile phone.
Meals
Volunteers in Morocco are served breakfast, lunch and dinner each day.
Influenced by African, Arab, Moorish and Berber cuisines, Moroccan cooking blends Mediterranean fruits and vegetables with spices. A Moroccan meal often begins with a series of hot and cold salads, followed by a Moroccan stew called tagine, and bread. Lamb and chicken dishes are common, as is couscous topped with meat and vegetables.
The consumption of pork and alcohol are prohibited, as per Muslim dietary restrictions. Drinking mint tea is a daily tradition and bread is eaten with nearly every meal.
Bottled water is readily available in Morocco and volunteers should budget approximately US$5 (approximately CA$7) per week for 2 liters a day. If you have any special dietary requirements, please include these in your application.
Pricing
Spots are limited. For a Registration Fee of just US$299 (approximately CA$430) you secure your spot and unlock all our preparation and training tools.
You don't need to worry about paying your Program Fee until you get closer to your start date.
Duration |
Program FeeDue 30 days before you start, or within 48 hours if you register inside of 30 days. Covers the cost of hosting you.
|
|---|---|
| 2 weeks | $715 Equivalent to $51/day |
| 3 weeks | $930 Equivalent to $44/day |
| 4 weeks | $1,145 Equivalent to $41/day |
| 5 weeks | $1,360 Equivalent to $39/day |
| 6 weeks | $1,575 Equivalent to $38/day |
| 8 weeks | $2,005 Equivalent to $36/day |
| 10 weeks | $2,325 Equivalent to $33/day |
| 12 weeks | $2,645 Equivalent to $31/day |
| 16 weeks | $3,270 Equivalent to $29/day |
| 20 weeks | $3,890 Equivalent to $28/day |
| 24 weeks | $4,510 Equivalent to $27/day |
- All programs attract a Registration Fee of US$299 (approximately CA$430) in addition to the Program Fee. This covers all pre-departure support services.
- A 5% international banking fee is added at point of payment.
- Recommended spending money: Volunteers in Morocco generally find US$40 to be sufficient for weekly expenses.
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Airport pick-up
- Accommodation
- 24/7 in-country emergency support
- In-country program orientation
- Pre-departure support from your Program Manager
- Personalized preparation tools, guides and check lists
- Access to IVHQ’s preferred insurance and flights partners
- Comprehensive in-country day to day support and guidance
- Discounts on language lessons
- Certificate of International Volunteer Service
Learn more about what's included in your IVHQ Registration Fee and Program Fee.
- Transport to and from your placement each day
- Return to the airport when your program finishes
- Flights
- Visa (if required), travel insurance (mandatory), vaccinations, criminal background check.
- Personal spending money for snacks, laundry, public transportation, drinks and leisure activities during your free time.
Popular add-ons & experiences in Morocco
Take your volunteer experience to the next level with these popular add-ons and experiences. Explore your options below and learn how to book them once you've been accepted onto the IVHQ Morocco program.
Arriving early or departing a few days after your program has finished? Book your extra nights of accommodation.
Improve your Arabic language skills while volunteering in Morocco.
Improve your French language skills while volunteering in Morocco.
Affordable Arabic & French Language Lessons
Our local team in Morocco offer Arabic and French lessons to volunteers, which can be organized and paid for in advance through IVHQ. Lessons are tailored to each volunteer’s current level of Arabic or French and will be for 2 hours per day Monday through Friday. Past volunteers feel that taking these lessons can help you immensely with your day to day volunteer work and communicating with local people.
- 1 week of lessons (10 hours) – US$267 (approximately CA$384)
- 2 weeks of lessons (20 hours) – US$537 (approximately CA$772)
- 3 weeks of lessons (30 hours) – US$802 (approximately CA$1154)
- 4 weeks of lessons (40 hours) – US$1067 (approximately CA$1535)
Please make a note in your application or contact your IVHQ Program Manager after you have registered for the program if you would like to add language lessons to your Morocco volunteer experience.
Check what's required to visit Morocco
Entry requirements can change at any time, so it's important you monitor this right up until you depart for your trip.
Safety and support
Safety and support
IVHQ follows best practice and industry-leading health and safety procedures, which are regularly reviewed and optimized as part of the B Corporation recertification.
- All volunteers encouraged to complete our interactive pre-departure training.
- All local teams trained on best practice volunteer management & First Aid.
- All IVHQ programs are required to adhere to IVHQ's Risk Management Policy.
- All volunteers have access to 24/7 in-country support from our local team.
Essential country information
Essential country information
| Capital | Rabat |
| Population | 36.47 million |
| Languages | Arabic and Berber |
| Currency | Moroccan Dirham (MAD) |
| Time zone | UTC±00:00 |
Weather and climate
Morocco has a Mediterranean climate that is generally hot and dry for most of the year, with cooler, yet still mild, temperatures and rainfall during the winter months between November and March. Morocco has widely varying terrain and the climate varies greatly throughout the country. Temperatures can be incredibly high in the southern and south eastern desert areas whereas, the temperature drops considerably in the higher lying mountainous areas, even dropping to freezing point at night. In Rabat, temperatures reach an average high of 27°C (80.6°F) in the summer months and an average high of 17°C (62.6°F) in the winter months. Temperatures can drop to an average of 7°C (44.6°F) in the winter and it is generally always cold in the evenings throughout the year.
What recent volunteers said about their IVHQ experience
The program broadened my world view. It provided a window into a society linked closely to Islam. It was incredibly gratifying to work in the program. The students were inspiring, and I found the adults connected to the program to be devoted and driven. To people who are considering taking part in an adventure, I believe the IVHQ staff and the folks that you work with in your placement are committed to your success. Have no fear! Do it!
I gained both independence and also skills. Working with the children was so rewarding, and it was great to experience a completely different culture. It was my first volunteering experience so I didn’t know what to expect, however after this experience I cannot wait to return.
Experiencing another culture so closely, was a pleasure. It was as if you were one of them and making a difference is not something that can be found in any other travel style. The warm and hospitable Moroccan people made this experience even more memorable. Anyone who wants to volunteer can apply without hesitation for a second.
To read all reviews, visit our reviews page.
