Program Specifics

Hill Tribe Education Volunteer Program

Hill Tribe Boys

Placement: If lending a hand to hill tribe people in Chiang Mai interests you, Cultural Canvas Thailand places volunteers within a local organization called Freedom House. Freedom House is a recently established school set up for hill tribe and refugee children in Chiang Mai. The mission of Freedom House is to provide hill tribe children with an education and in turn better work opportunities. The school offers an evening program that provides instruction in Thai and English. Classes are taught using art and Montessori techniques, giving the children the freedom to move around and work at their individual pace.

The children involved in this program live in slum areas and spend their nights selling flowers and other goods on the streets of Chiang Mai. Because they cannot speak Thai or afford to go Thai schools, these children are stuck in a vicious circle of poverty without means to improve their situation. Learning Thai at Freedom House gives them the chance to become active in Thai society and seek legitimate employment. By learning English, the children are given the chance to find work in the tourism industry as tour guides or hotel staff.

In addition, Freedom House provides a healthy meal to supplement the children’s meager diets and ensure that they are eating at least one healthy serving of food each day.

Freedom House has future plans to open a technical training center for teenagers, where they can come and learn skills such as baking, woodcarving, sculpture, photography and information technology. They also have plans to initiate weekly Saturday excursions for hill tribe families to nearby waterfalls, parks and attractions like the zoo, giving the children a chance to spend time with their parents in a fun, relaxed environment away from the daily stresses to which they are subjected. Freedom House also accepts volunteers interested in teaching other subjects or creating and overseeing projects for the children.

Cultural Canvas Thailand places also volunteers at Wat Don Jan, a school set up for hill tribe children located at a wat, or Buddhist temple. This notable program provides schooling to hill tribe children who would otherwise have little chance of formal education. The temple takes in children from six different minority groups, offering them education, food and accommodation. The government-employed teachers follow a curriculum at Wat Don Jan that reflects that of mainstream Thai schools. All of the children’s living costs are covered by donations collected by the monks. Approximately 130 girls and over 200 boys between the ages of 7 and 18 attend the school at Wat Don Jan.

Minimum Duration: 3 weeks

Pre-trip Orientation:
Upon receiving your application and deposit, we will send to you the Canvas Orientation Kit, containing all the necessary paperwork to entirely prepare you for your trip.
The orientation kit includes information on the issue pertaining to your project. It also includes a recommended reading list and information on Thailand , culture and customs.

In-country Orientation:
Upon arriving in Chiang Mai, whether by bus, plane or train, a Cultural Canvas Thailand staff member will be waiting to transport you to the Cultural Canvas Thailand headquarters where you will have an orientation. This will prepare you further for your chosen project and give you a chance to meet our staff and other volunteers.

Accommodation:
You will be housed in the Cultural Canvas Thailand home-base conveniently located in the old city center. Here all of your basic needs are taken care of, including lodgings, meals, telephone and transportation. The home-base is located in a safe, conveniently situated neighborhood. It is a clean Thai-style accommodation with shared occupancy rooms.

Food:
Our in-house cook will provide three delicious, home-cooked Thai meals per day. Please let us know any specific dietary restrictions in advance so that all of your needs can be taken care of.

Transportation:
Cultural Canvas Thailand provides transportation to and from your placement.

Support and Safety:
The Cultural Canvas Thailand home-base is in a secure location with staff available 24-hours a day. Here you can receive international calls and internet access is within walking distance.

In case of emergency, friends and family can call the home-base or use our convenient U.S. 24-hour hotline.

In case of injury you will be admitted to one of Chiang Mai’s high-quality, private hospitals.

We provide comprehensive medical insurance and emergency evacuation assistance.

Start Dates (2008)	Program Fee*
April 19	3 Weeks $ 1,399 USD 926 EUR* 706 GBP* 1,490 AUD* 3 Months: $2,995.00 6 Months: $4,500.00 Currency Calculator
May 17
June 14
July 5
August 2
September 6
October 4
November 8
December 6

Start Dates (2009)	Program Fee*
January 3	3 Weeks $ 1,399 USD 926 EUR* 706 GBP* 1,490 AUD* 3 Months: $2,995.00 6 Months: $4,500.00 Currency Calculator
February 7
March 7
April 18
May 16
June 6
July 4
August 1
September 5
October 3
November 7
December 12

*Start Dates listed in RED are full
*Program Fees are listed for the minimum duration of this program; program extensions are available for $225.00/week
* Please Note: The prices in EUR, GBP and AUS are approximations that are subject to change. Please check http://www.xe.com/ucc/ for a correct currency conversion.

Application Process:
Are you up to the task? Then complete the online application form. Use our secure online payment process to make your $300 deposit. Or if you prefer, you can send your application and check by regular mail to:

The application and deposit must be received 90 days prior to the commencement of your chosen project.
Full payment must be received 30 days prior to the commencement of your project in order to allow us enough time to provide you with the proper insurance and project placement.

Read about our other volunteer placements: