Teach English in the Himalayan Foothills of India

iSPiiCE (Integrated Social Program in Indian Child Education) is a voluntary social organisation that builds partnerships between International volunteers and rural Indian communities. With 80% of India’s population living in rural areas an iSPiiCE volunteer program takes you to the very heart of India, giving you the opportunity to put your hands and heart to use and help those less fortunate.

Indian Immersion:
Choosing an iSPiiCE program is an excellent way to share in a combined volunteering and adventure travel experience. Volunteers work at a grass roots level on exciting and worthwhile projects and are given the opportunity to immerse themselves in Indian culture and lifestyle.

Volunteers work in teams and meet like-minded people while doing something you really believe in, developing new found skills in the most beautiful of surrounds in rural northern India.

iSPiiCE aim to address inequalities in the provision of education and healthcare for rural Indian communities, and to tackle gender discrimination through education and empowerment. The disadvantaged communities we assist require fundamental development assistance to help with many aspects of daily life, meeting both immediate needs and creating future potential. Both volunteers and iSPiiCE partner organisations benefit from iSPiiCE involvement to look after the interests of both sides.

Program Location:
iSPiiCE projects are in the stunning Dharamsla region of Himachal Pradesh. Full of life yet also peaceful Dharamsala is surrounded by the Himalayan mountain range with its snow-capped peaks and lush green valleys and it is not surprising that His Holiness the Dali Lama holds residency in the area. Volunteers can make trips to the Dali Lama Monastery and the Tibetan Hill town of McLeod Ganj.

Travel in India:
Volunteers enjoy adventure travel on an iSPiiCE program through three weekend excursions, including a trip to the Taj Mahal, a trek in the Himalayan Mountains and a weekend trip to Amritsar visiting the Golden Temple.
Whether joining as an individual or as part of a group iSPiiCE can help you realize your volunteer goals in India.

Role of volunteer:
Your mission as an iSPiiCE education volunteer is to help communities and children who have fewer opportunities, using your skills and talents to help them to learn and grow.

iSPiiCE focus on education initiatives for community development believing education to be at the root of social reform. Poor education standards, illiteracy and high student dropout rates are some of the more glaring issues for educational reform in India.

Government schools suffer severe shortfalls in resources and iSPiiCE volunteers help by assisting local staff and giving lessons in various educational institutions.
Education volunteers play an important role in raising awareness about the need for regular schooling and offer much needed support to local teachers. iSPiiCE work in partnership with local primary and secondary schools and volunteers can work alongside the local teacher or deliver their own lessons daily. The most commonly requested subject of teaching is English and we encourage volunteers to create their own lesson plans with teaching materials available for this purpose.

For teaching English it is not necessary for volunteers to have past experience and in-depth knowledge of grammar and vocabulary and for the children to have the chance working with fluent English speakers is invaluable on its own. For those with a professional interest in teaching this is a fantastic opportunity to broaden your skills in a new and very different environment. Working with the children daily you will bring about a sense of professionalism and dedication and this is extremely valuable for children’s confidence and also for your learning of the local culture.