Environmental Education Volunteering in Bali - Ubud
Love spending time in nature and want to be an Environmental Education volunteer in Bali - Ubud? International Volunteer HQ’s Environmental Education project enables volunteers to teach local elementary school children about recycling and sustainable living, as well as sharing English language skills. Volunteers will gain teaching experience and children will learn how to clean up and look after their home and the natural environment.
Highlights:
- Programs start every Monday
- Affordable fees from £306 for 1 week
- Includes accommodation, meals, airport pick up, orientation and 24/7 support
-
Teach children to live sustainably for a cleaner future
-
Enjoy the natural beauty of Bali
-
Stay with other volunteers in scenic villages near Ubud
Who is this program suited to?
Key information
What to expect and how you'll make an impact
Plastic waste and other rubbish litter the streets of Bali. It’s a real problem for most of the country. Traditionally Balinese food was wrapped in banana leaves which would rot away when thrown on the ground, but locals now discard their plastic packaging in the same way, leaving their beautiful home strewn with trash. Teaching young children about recycling and what to do with their rubbish will help repair and protect the environment.
As an Environmental Education volunteer, you’ll be teaching local elementary school classes about recycling, sustainability and conservation. You’ll need to plan what and how you’re going to teach, keeping in mind that being creative, dynamic and fun will help keep students engaged. The students may also not speak much English, and schools are often poorly resourced so if you need anything special, bring it with you.
Environmental Education volunteers will:
- Teach classes about responsible waste disposal and recycling
- Plan lessons and activities
- Lead community clean-up campaigns
Why do Environmental Education volunteering in Ubud with IVHQ?
When you volunteer on the Environmental Education project in Ubud, you’ll be adding value to the local community, while also developing personally and professionally by:
- Helping teach children how to live sustainably
- Cleaning up the local environment
- Developing your communication skills
- Gaining teaching experience
- Immersing yourself fully in Balinese life
- Exploring Ubud’s rich culture and natural environment
Volunteer requirements
- Volunteers under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian to participate in this program
- Volunteers aged 16-18 are required to provide IVHQ with parental consent in order to participate on the program, and may be asked to provide additional documentation to the local team
- All volunteers aged 13+ are required to provide a criminal background check to IVHQ prior to departure. Those aged 13-17, if unable to obtain a criminal background check, can provide two character reference letters instead
- All volunteers are required to have adequate volunteer travel insurance
Bali photo gallery
”I completely recommend this program to everyone, environmental teaching is something every kid should have so they can know how to deal with the actual problems and how to help in their own methods.”
Constanza Ferj, Chilian, 24
Read reviews from Environmental Education volunteers in Ubud
See more reviews
Location
Set among lush rice paddies and ancient temples, IVHQ’s Ubud program will send you back in time. The 14 villages that make up the historical town of Ubud have streets lined with statues and ornate temples that ooze old-world charm. Ubud is also known for its artistic flair, with countless art galleries, artists’ workshops, craft shops and markets to explore.
Arrival and orientation
The Bali volunteer program orientation begins every Monday and volunteers need to arrive in Bali on the Sunday before orientation.
After you have registered for the program, please book your flights to arrive at the Ngurah Rai International Airport, also known as Denpasar International Airport (DPS). Your airport pick-up is included in your Program Fee. We recommend that volunteers under the age of 18 travel internationally with a notarized letter from their parents to support their documentation.
When you arrive, you will be greeted at the airport by a member of the local team and taken to the volunteer accommodation. Your accommodation is covered by your program fee and includes the night before your program orientation.
If you are in Bali prior to your volunteer program, we can arrange for you to be picked up in Ubud or Denpasar on the day before your program orientation.
There are two options for orientation for the Bali - Ubud Program:
1-day Orientation:
This covers everything you need to know for your volunteer project and stay in Bali. You will have an introduction to the IVHQ Bali program, your project and the local staff, Indonesian customs, rules, expectations, and safety.
5-day Introduction Week:
This not only teaches you everything you need to know for your volunteer project, but also gives you the opportunity to learn more about the culture and tick off some must-do Bali experiences including a language lesson, cooking class, village walk and visits to the Garba Cave and the Holy Water Temple. This week has an additional cost of £305. Join the Introduction Week by making a note in your application or contacting your IVHQ Program Manager after you register.
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
While volunteer schedules depend on the particular projects and placements, a typical day might look like this:
| 8:00 AM | Breakfast at the volunteer house |
| 9:00 AM | Volunteers spend 1 to 2 hours planning for their projects. |
| 12:00 PM | Lunch |
| 1:00 PM | Volunteers head to their placements. |
| 5:00 PM | Work at the project usually ends. Volunteers are free to travel back to their accommodation, go sightseeing, or do some shopping. |
| 7:00 PM | Dinner at the volunteer house. |
Weekends
Whether you’re into arts and crafts, ancient history, exploring nature or after an adrenaline rush, there’s plenty to satisfy you in and around Ubud. You can fill your weekends with statues, museums and temples, hiking to the summit of Mt Batur, seeing waterfalls, snorkeling, white-water rafting, art galleries, shopping at markets or visiting small farms and rice paddies.
Ubud’s central location also makes it easy to get to other places in Bali like the capital city of Denpasar and the glorious beaches and villages that line the southern coast - all less than an hour away by taxi.
Accommodation and WiFi
You’ll be staying in volunteer houses, located about 15 minutes’ drive from central Ubud. Set in small villages, it’s a great place to see typical Balinese life.
Living conditions are comfortable and all volunteer houses have fans in the bedrooms. Volunteers can expect to share a dormitory-style room with three to seven other volunteers. These bedrooms are separated by gender. The bathroom is shared with a hot water shower and western toilets.
WiFi is available at the volunteer accommodation and there are great internet cafes in Ubud if you would like to access a higher speed connection.
Meals
Volunteers are served mainly Balinese style dishes and should expect light vegetarian meals like:
- Rice, fresh vegetables and occasionally tempeh/tofu
- Nasi goreng (fried rice and vegetables - often considered as the national dish)
- Mie goreng (fried noodles and vegetables)
- Gado gado (mixed vegetables with a satay sauce)
Western meals may be served during the week. Breakfast can include fresh fruit, toast, and eggs. Tea, coffee, and toast will be available throughout the day. Purified drinking water is also available in the volunteer house; we do not recommend that you drink the tap water.
On weekdays you’ll get three meals a day, but during the weekend only breakfast and dinner are provided. If volunteers wish to eat out in Ubud, there are a large number of restaurants to suit all tastes and budgets.
If you have special dietary requirements, please let us know when you apply so that we can make arrangements for you. However, you should not expect to eat as you normally do at home and need to be as flexible as possible. We will do our best to see that you are well taken care of.
Pricing
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.
|
|---|---|
| 1 week | £305 Equivalent to £44/day |
| 2 weeks | £459 Equivalent to £33/day |
| 3 weeks | £613 Equivalent to £30/day |
| 4 weeks | £772 Equivalent to £28/day |
| 5 weeks | £922 Equivalent to £27/day |
| 6 weeks | £1055 Equivalent to £26/day |
| 8 weeks | £1316 Equivalent to £24/day |
| 10 weeks | £1578 Equivalent to £23/day |
| 12 weeks | £1840 Equivalent to £22/day |
- Accommodation
- Meals
- 24/7 in-country support
- In-country program orientation
- Pre-departure support from your Program Manager
- Airport pick-up
- Personalized preparation tools, guides and check lists
- Access to IVHQ’s preferred insurance and flights partners
- Certificate of International Volunteering
Learn more about what's included in your IVHQ Registration Fee and Program Fee.
- All programs attract a Registration Fee of £254 in addition to the Program Fee. This covers all pre-departure support services. IVHQ fees are priced in USD but you may elect to pay in GBP.
- A 5% international banking fee is added at point of payment.
- Additional things to budget for include: Visa, flights, travel insurance (mandatory), vaccinations, criminal background check and return to the airport when your program finishes.
- Recommended spending money: Volunteers in Bali - Ubud generally find US$50 per week to be sufficient for expenses.
Check what's required to visit Bali
Check out the widget below to find out what the Covid-19 restrictions and visa requirements are for Bali, based on your country of residence.
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.
Protecting against COVID-19:
Volunteers tested for COVID-19 within 72 hours of travel
Health & safety information provided during orientation
Strict disinfecting standards for programs & accomodation
Greater physical distance between volunteers
Essential country information
| Capital | Denpasar |
| Population | 4.22 million |
| Languages | Bahasa Indonesia |
| Currency | Indonesia Rupiah (IDR) |
| Time zone | UTC+08:00 |
Weather and climate
Bali has a tropical climate with year-round warm weather and an average temperature of 30°C (86°F). High humidity can be expected during the wet season from October to April. The dry season is between the months of May and September and has the lowest humidity.
Latest blog posts
Other projects you may be interested in
