Teaching Volunteers with Special Considerations
Volunteering As A Couple
Volunteering With Children
Volunteering With A Disability
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Volunteers
Volunteering As A Couple
It is possible to volunteer as a couple in all of our programs. Each applicant is required to complete an application and admissions decisions are made on an individual basis.
Couples, whether married or not, are able to reside together in some programs. Due to cultural sensitivities in some countries, or limited availability of housing options, this may not always be possible. For more information about specific programs, please contact our office.
Volunteering With Children
While we do not prohibit volunteers from serving abroad with dependents, it is important to consider the additional responsibilities and costs that this arrangement entails.
Housing
Housing cannot be provided for volunteers with children. Whether the program relies on host families or school housing, dependents are unable to live in housing arranged by WorldTeach. The expense of independent housing, in addition to finding appropriate housing, is the responsibility of the volunteers. WorldTeach is unable to help in this regard.
Visas
If necessary, WorldTeach will secure a visa for you, the volunteer, but we are unable to secure a visa for any dependents. The work visas for WorldTeach volunteers are given at the request of the host organization and children would not qualify for this. It is the volunteer’s responsibility to secure and pay for the dependent’s visa.
Orientation
For year-long programs, volunteers are required to participate in a three week orientation upon arrival in-country. Consequently, we discourage volunteers from bringing their children with them before orientation begins, unless they arrange full -time child care so that the volunteer is free to participate in Orientation undisturbed.
Schooling
It is the volunteer’s responsibility to determine appropriate schooling for their children. It can be a rich experience for children to live and attend school abroad, but there are a myriad of issues that you will face, from logistical ones like getting the children to and from school, to what language skills your child will need.
Adaptability
Some children move more easily than others. You need to consider that your normal support system will not be there for you to rely on when things get stressful for either you or your children.
Childcare
Your teaching responsibilities will be significant, and you should consider whether you will need child-care, a potential additional cost. WorldTeach volunteers are expected to do more than just teach their classes. They are expected to find extra-curricular projects and fully engage in the community which often requires working after hours and on weekends.
Health
Potential risks posed in a developing country, and access to health care must also be considered when preparing to take children overseas. Only WorldTeach volunteers can be covered under our overseas health and emergency evacuation policies with our insurer, so another kind of insurance will be required for a volunteer's dependents.
It is important to remember that living with children abroad entails special considerations as well as additional costs that WorldTeach does not cover, including airfare and visas for non-volunteer family members, health insurance, rent, school fees, and normal support for the family (food, clothing, etc.). Raising children abroad is costly and stressful, and every responsibility for the child rests entirely with the volunteer.
Volunteering with a Disability
It can be possible for a volunteer with a disability to serve abroad through WorldTeach. There are, however, challenges that must be considered.
Because WorldTeach volunteers teach in developing countries, the conditions are not always suitable for a disabled person. Housing accommodations may be a far distance from the school, buildings are generally not equipped with the necessary amenities, and local transportation may be impossible to navigate.
In some countries, due to the local culture, the community may find it difficult to accept a volunteer with a disability.
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Volunteers
Many LGBT volunteers have served abroad successfully throughout WorldTeach’s history. Depending on the country, however, the volunteer may or may not be able to serve openly. In some programs, LGBT volunteers are accepted by the local community, though in other countries homosexuality is culturally inappropriate or even illegal.
For more information about a specific program, please contact our office.