Volunteer in China

Special Needs Care in

Special education for children with disabilities is considered too expensive for many families in China, but community and government centers offer programs for those who are unable to receive an education through the mainstream school system. However, these centers are commonly understaffed and underfunded, meaning volunteer assistance is crucial to their efforts to deliver quality care.

Volunteers are needed to assist in these centers, helping a small team of local staff to care for children, teenagers and adults with a range of physical and mental disabilities. The most valuable contribution you can make is providing compassion and support, and you’ll also help with with daily operations such as preparing food, serving meals, cleaning and arranging activities.

This project is well suited to volunteers who are kind and caring by nature, and willing to provide support wherever their help is most needed. Specialist disability care is relatively new in China, so if you have experience in this area you can be a great benefit to the local staff.

Please note, staff at these placements often don’t speak English, so you’re encouraged to download a mobile translation app on your smartphone. You can do this with the guidance of the local team when you arrive. The local team will also do their best to place at least two volunteers together, providing you with an additional level of support. If you speak Chinese/Mandarin, you may be placed independently.

Summer Outreach Teaching in

Summer Outreach programs aim to maintain lessons for students in the school holiday period, and are commonly run by few staff for many students. As a volunteer, you’ll help to increase the standard of education on offer, particularly as in English classes, in the summer holidays of July to August. As these classes are run in the holidays, they are less bound by a school curriculum, and you’re able to be flexible and creative in lesson plans and teaching style.

Outreach programs typically operate with students aged between 10-18, with up to 30-40 students per class. As a volunteer English teacher, you’ll help to run the class, taking responsibility for planning and implementing lessons. Most students have only a basic understanding so you can expect to be teaching simple words and phrases, with a focus on teaching correct pronunciation.

This project is well suited to volunteers who have a lot of initiative and confidence, as you need to be self-directed in planning your lessons and be able to thrive to an environment where English is not widely spoken. If you have experience in teaching English and a passion for immersing yourself in different cultures, you will enjoy this project.

Programs are based in villages up to two hours from Xi’an. You’ll be accommodated in either a homestay with a local family or in a dormitory with other teachers.

You aren’t required to have teaching experience to participate on this project, however you need to be fluent in English and confident in leading a classroom. We encourage volunteers to come prepared by completing some relevant training, like a teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) course. Visit our Online TEFL Course page to learn how to gain an internationally-recognized TEFL certification at a discounted rate.

Teaching English in

English is not commonly spoken in China, which means those who do know the language are at a distinct advantage when it comes to jobs in international industries and in cultural understanding. Volunteers play a big role in teaching English, as Xi’an is not a common place for fluent English-speaking teachers to spend their time.

As a volunteer English teacher, you’ll be based in government-owned schools, helping to teach the language to students aged between 3-21 years old. You can teach classes independently, with a fellow volunteer or as an assistant to a local teacher. Most often your students will be early in their English studies, so you’ll be focusing on basic words and phrases.

Teaching English placements are typically based in Weinan, an hour away from Xi’an, however, there are some opportunities closer to the city.

If you’re someone who has great deal of enthusiasm, an open mind, and a patient nature, you will be well suited to Teaching English in China. It is also important to be self-directed and creative, as you will need to take initiative in identifying where you can add the most value at your placement.

As you will be volunteering with the support of IVHQ’s local team and placement staff, you don’t need to be a qualified teacher. However, we encourage volunteers to come prepared by completing some relevant training, like a teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) course. Visit our Online TEFL Course page to learn how to gain an internationally-recognized TEFL certification at a discounted rate.

Please note, during July and August schools have their summer break, so volunteers in this time will work on educational outreach projects in nearby communities.