Company : Kindred Spirit Elephant Sanctuary
Duration: 3 months to 3 months
Approx Costs: 100 to 500 $ Dollars (US)
This internship is perfect for any teaching/university students who need more work experience, anyone with a TEFL certificate or anyone thinking of getting a TEFL and who would like to help out a small hill-tribe community.
Teaching interns are expected to work Monday-Friday with the weekends free to explore. Three times a week, our teaching interns will be spending their mornings and afternoons at the local hill-tribe primary school, teaching grades 1-6 both basic and intermediate English skills and preparing the oldest grade for their end of year exam.
Twice a week, interns have the chance to visit and help at an NGO elephant sanctuary and spend the afternoons teaching very basic English at the local nursery. Some evenings will be spent running an after-schools club & tutoring members of the community.
Applicants must have atleast some previous teaching experience, but a small amount of training will be provided on arrival. You must be able to commit for a period up to 3 months.
Places are continuous throughout the year but are subject to availability.
Please enquire stating your requested start date.
Kindred Spirit Elephant Sanctuary is an ethical, sustainable, eco-friendly program, that offers an authentic Hill Tribe experience for its participants, all while rescuing and returning elephants back to the forest. The founders are actively involved on a daily level, and very passionate about their work, the elephants, and their community.
I made the choice to volunteer with KSES because it is a small and intimate program that puts the needs of their elephants first. I liked that they provide visitors with opportunity to observe the elephants in their natural habitat; foraging and interacting the way elephants are supposed to. I was especially impressed by the thoughtful way in which they have integrated their program to work and support their local community.
I participated in the KSES teacher internship program and got to live with a Karen Hill Tribe family and teach English to the village children. I rode the “bus” (an open-back pickup truck with a rack) with the children and taught grades kindergarten through sixth grade 3 days a week. When I wasn’t teaching, I was observing elephants in the wild! I enjoyed the hike to the elephants, and liked that every day was a different experience. Watching the elephants forage, interact, and socialize never got old. Because KSES is not a “tourist camp” my experience was intimate with the elephants. I got to “know” the elephants and could really recognize their distinct personality traits..
What I found to be appealing about Kindred Spirit Elephant Sanctuary is that there are no gimmicks, no "touristy type" hooks, just pure intent and authenticity.
