Computer skills are increasingly in demand in Thailand, but schools in poor, rural areas like Trat are under-resourced and cannot offer the same standard of teaching as students receive in wealthier urban areas. As an IT and computer education volunteer, you can pass on your technical knowledge to give disadvantaged children the same chances for a bright future as their city-dwelling peers.
Working under the supervision of a qualified teacher, you will teach elementary school pupils the basics of computing, including typing, general functionality and Microsoft Office tasks.
Volunteers are not required to have any formal qualifications – anyone who has used a computer to complete college work will have the necessary skills to join the project. You are welcome to share any advanced computing expertise you may have, including design, animation and audio skills.
Download our brochure to find out more about volunteering to teach computer skills and IT in Thailand.
As a computer skills and IT volunteer, you will plan and deliver lessons for children aged from four to 12 at schools across Trat. Volunteers attend various schools over the course of each week, usually teaching five 50-minute lessons each day covering basic computer skills needed for employment.
Computer skills and IT teaching volunteers work a 4-day week, from Monday to Thursday. Working hours are from 8 am until 1 pm and you will often attend a number of schools during each working week.
The schools are located around a 25-minute taxi ride from the volunteer dormitory.
This project is closed from the third week of February until the second week of May for summer and from the second week of October until the first week of November for winter.
One of these students Som who was previously a buffalo farmer has even managed to get a job working with computers in Bangkok. The fact that you're only teaching to 6 people at a time also makes the computing class an ideal place to start if (as I was) you're nervous about standing up in front of a class for the first time.
David Styles, Read David's Testimonial
If you are interested in joining the program in Thailand, you should download and read our destination guide.