SMTA is looking for a volunteer!
You may have been working 24/7/365 for many years- like a 'bot'- spidering internet, crawling databases, coding, mailing, reporting, video-calling -- and you may have been secretly dreaming of a break all along; Just a break, not a new job. Because you are happy with your work, you love your company but you just want to get away from all this for some months, because you know that regular weekend holidays will not take away that deep feeling of having become a bot- a program! Dont give up hope, yet!
Sabbatical is often a paid (full/partial) long leave
If you have a little courage you can talk to your HR and apply for a sabbatical leave, to come and serve SMTA, a charitable society (NGO). Many organizations encourage their employees to do so under their CSR program (JP came here for six month on a sabbatical, while working with a major IT company in Pune some years ago). SMTA is looking for a volunteer English Teacher, for its state recognised primary school, serving tribal children near Chakrata. If you need more information, please write to us (satksri@gmail.com). You should check these write ups about sabbatical too: on Monster, on Fastcompany.
Where to?
The school is located in Jakhadhar, 25 km from Chakrata (location map). It is a beautiful valley, with a stream at the bottom and high mountains on its edge.
What will you be doing exactly? You will be interacting with children (class 1-5), playing games with them, teaching them origami, songs, games, plus anything, you feel confident about - besides conversational English and their simple English lessons. Another teacher will be there to help you initially. Internet access is available, so you can show children educational movies too. Here are some links to some interesting sessions conducted by our last volunteer:
Showing a film, Interactive games, Open Shut them, Go Bananas.. (more)
Board & Lodge: You will have your own room and simple vegetarian meals. SMTA will charge a nominal amount for board and lodge. Women too are encouraged to apply. The school campus offers a safe family environment.
Duration: One academic session (ten months) will be perfect. Three months will be our minimum expectation. When school is closed for winter and summer vacation, you too will be free to explore the Himalayas.
What do you get?
People have used sabbatical to cultivate new skills (like teaching, meditation), develop new perspectives ("Who am I, bsides a programmer?") and for creativity (like writing your first novel or biography). If you are a person who stammers, you may work on communication skills, with sachin as your personal coach... Anything is possible. Dont hesitate to discuss what you want to achieve beforehand.
You may have been working 24/7/365 for many years- like a 'bot'- spidering internet, crawling databases, coding, mailing, reporting, video-calling -- and you may have been secretly dreaming of a break all along; Just a break, not a new job. Because you are happy with your work, you love your company but you just want to get away from all this for some months, because you know that regular weekend holidays will not take away that deep feeling of having become a bot- a program! Dont give up hope, yet!
Sabbatical is often a paid (full/partial) long leave
If you have a little courage you can talk to your HR and apply for a sabbatical leave, to come and serve SMTA, a charitable society (NGO). Many organizations encourage their employees to do so under their CSR program (JP came here for six month on a sabbatical, while working with a major IT company in Pune some years ago). SMTA is looking for a volunteer English Teacher, for its state recognised primary school, serving tribal children near Chakrata. If you need more information, please write to us (satksri@gmail.com). You should check these write ups about sabbatical too: on Monster, on Fastcompany.
Where to?
The school is located in Jakhadhar, 25 km from Chakrata (location map). It is a beautiful valley, with a stream at the bottom and high mountains on its edge.
What will you be doing exactly? You will be interacting with children (class 1-5), playing games with them, teaching them origami, songs, games, plus anything, you feel confident about - besides conversational English and their simple English lessons. Another teacher will be there to help you initially. Internet access is available, so you can show children educational movies too. Here are some links to some interesting sessions conducted by our last volunteer:
Showing a film, Interactive games, Open Shut them, Go Bananas.. (more)
Board & Lodge: You will have your own room and simple vegetarian meals. SMTA will charge a nominal amount for board and lodge. Women too are encouraged to apply. The school campus offers a safe family environment.
Duration: One academic session (ten months) will be perfect. Three months will be our minimum expectation. When school is closed for winter and summer vacation, you too will be free to explore the Himalayas.
What do you get?
People have used sabbatical to cultivate new skills (like teaching, meditation), develop new perspectives ("Who am I, bsides a programmer?") and for creativity (like writing your first novel or biography). If you are a person who stammers, you may work on communication skills, with sachin as your personal coach... Anything is possible. Dont hesitate to discuss what you want to achieve beforehand.
Lovely opportunity Mr. Satyendra!
ReplyDeleteI can't make it as of now, even though my soul is longing to do so. But let me share this at least so that someone who is "willing and able" can give it a shot!
Nice article by the way!
Lovely place, lovelier kids. If you enjoy spending time with kids listening to them, learning with them in a serene location some distance away from the din and dust of the civilization, then this is a great opportunity. Remoteness has its challenges, but nothing that can't be dealt with calmly and easily. Those interested are welcome to contact me in case you feel the need to know more about my experiences here.
ReplyDelete-Ankush (the outgoing volunteer)
It's really a great opportunity to learn from the children and explore the self also. I miss this opportunity since there is no such provision of sabbatical leave in my company but after 3 years as I retire, I'll love to do that.
ReplyDelete