However, now that there is an enormous effort to open trade and affect progress, Chinese students and business people are strongly encouraged to learn English. The volunteers worked in school settings, with a Chinese student on hand for translation when necessary, for four to five hours a day. Volunteers and students shared stories about friends and family, learning about each other's cultures along the way. Free time allowed the volunteers the opportunity to explore on their own, sightsee, shop, and experiment with the local cuisine. Global Volunteers is a private, nonprofit organization that sends volunteers to 19 countries at the invitation of a local host organization.
Volunteers work with, and under the direction, of local people.
No special skills are required, just a desire to be of service and learn about the life of a different culture. Programs are two-three weeks in length, and fees range from about one thousand to two thousand dollars, excluding airfare. Global Volunteers, St. Paul, Minnesota.