Volunteering at School for Life
We are committed to ensuring that both children and adults at the Schools for Life benefit from your work as a volunteer. Therefore, we emphasize a careful selection process and maintain communication with you throughout the preparation process. On site, a reliable contact person will be available for you at all times.
Requirements
• You are required to work at SFL for a minimum of 3 months.
• You are at least 18 years or older and have completed secondary school.
• Your training and/or profession fits well with our project.
• You have a good command of English language.
• You have special skills that may be of benefit to the children i.e. arts, drama, music, counseling, nursing, sports, etc.
• You have intercultural experience and competency.
• You can handle difficult situations.
• You will share responsibility in educating children, especially teaching English and German.
• You may start a club based on your special skills and expertise that matches the SFL’s needs.
• You will participate in our existing projects such as the Youth Camp.
• You will share children’s daily activities and assisting adults in their care for the children i.e. cooking, exercise, gardening, meeting, etc.
What you can expect from the School for Life
• A SFL coordinator will assist you in work, living, socializing and gradually integrating you to the way of life here. This person will remain as your mentor throughout your stay. He/she will be able to communicate in English and will introduce you to the Thai language, tradition, culture, religion and history. He/she will also accompany you on excursions and make sure that any issues you may encounter are effectively addressed.
• You will gain valuable experiences by helping children in their pursue of happiness, providing them with high quality education, and supporting them in breaking through the cycle of poverty. You will learn from the experiences of children who have regained their will to live despite their unfortunate past. Their ability to laugh and their warm friendliness will not leave you unaffected.
• Upon completion of your volunteer work you will receive a certificate or letter of recommendation from the International Academy of the Free University of Berlin.
Payment
You will be asked to pay 240 Euros or equivalence per month. The fund will be used for food, lodging, laundry, water, electricity, transport, excursions, etc. It does not include plane ticket and insurance costs. The payment is necessary in order to ensures donors that their funds are used exclusively for the benefit of the children.
Interview Process
Volunteers from Germany, Austria and Switzerland will be asked to come for an interview in person with Rita Haberkorn, if possible. If not, a telephone interview is required. Applicants from other countries will discuss and decide their interview process with Ms. Rita Haberkorn (haberkorn(at)school-for-life.org).
Selection Process
The screening process will take into consideration the documents listed below.
1. Letter of introduction (also indicating when you will be available at SFL)
2. Curriculum vitae (CV)
3. Answering the following questions:
• What can you offer SFL?
• What would you like to do in a specific term?
• What kind of experiences would you like to have while you are here?
• What are your expectations in term of things that are important to you?
Contact
Rita Haberkorn
Please e-mail the above documents to: haberkorn(at)school-for-life.org