Expand your horizons and those of the children you teach ... volunteer as a teacher at a school in India for a few months!

About the school

Prabhujee English Medium School (PEMS) was founded in 1984 by Swami Shankarananda Giri. Since then it has grown to serve over 1000 students. It is recognised as one of the best English medium schools in the region and attracts students from all over Bhubaneshwar, the capital of Orissa state. The curriculum and examinations follow Indian Government standards. Students from the ages of 6 to 17 years are taught.

Orissa state is located in North East India. There are flights from Delhi and Calcutta to Bhubaneshwar. You may have heard about Bhubaneshewar in 2000, in the news when it was hit by severe storms. At that time PEMS closed down and was used as an emergency shelter for hundreds of families, whilst their homes were being repaired.

The school shares grounds with a meditation and yoga school, Kriya Yoga Ashram. During the last few years an Ayurvedic clinic has been added and the school has also opened up a computer lab with limited internet access. There are vegetable plots and sports grounds within the large school compound.

Because of the yoga and meditation school, there are frequent European and American visitors.

Some pictures are shown at the bottom of this page. 

About the opportunity

The school actively searches out foreign volunteers to teach at the school for periods at a time. Swami Shankarananda Giri travels to Europe twice a year to teach meditation and lecture on spirituality. Thus the school has a long history of association with Westerners.

For the school and its students it's a rare opportunity to work with a native English speaking teacher with typically different views.

For the volunteer (I also taught as a volunteer for 9 months in 1992), it really is a tremendous opportunity...

• to get away from the incessant rat race that we live in the West.

• to learn about one of the oldest cultures on this planet by being an active part of it. To view life and live it as it is locally. The students always take part in festivals and dances. Depending on when you are there during the year, you too will have the opportunity to view or take an active part.

• to appreciate the rare chance to teach some of the most wonderful and humble children I have ever had the honor to teach and learn from. Indian children are taught to respect all their elders and this attitude obliges adults to reciprocate and be an example to be followed.

The position does not call for a trained teacher. The key requirements are for...

• the volunteer to speak, read and write English to a very high level

• to be able to communicate clearly

• have high ethical standards and respect for foreign cultures and sensitivities

• someone who loves to work with children and young adults aged 6 through to 17 years

• mature, yet fun loving attitude

• Your key duties include the following...

• Prepare materials and lesson plans which meet the individual needs of all children.

• Perform ongoing screening, assessments and formal observations of children's development.

• Develop trusting relationships with children, parents, and colleagues.

• Maintain ongoing, open communication with parents as required.

• Contribute to ongoing development and evaluation of center's goals and objectives.

• Plan and attend parent/teacher meetings, in-service trainings, and events.

• Other duties as assigned

The school cannot afford to pay air fare, however the chosen candidate will receive accommodation, food and a monthly stipend of Rs.5000. This is not a lot of money in US dollars but by Indian standards, it is a reasinable salary and should be more than sufficient should you wish to travel around after you leave the school.

Some pictures

The school is under a constant state of expansion.  When I was teaching there, the building consisted of one ground floor only.  In the pictures below, you will see that a second floor has been added and the gardens are being re-landscaped.  These pictures were taken from the roof of the ashram building.
	Students begin the day with a general assembly and prayer.
Students taking place in festivals and amateur theatre.
The Seven Dwarfs!

More details

If you have any questions or are interested in applying then please e-mail me your CV. Any e-mails without a CV will NOT be answered.  I have decided upon this course of action because I am receiving a fair number of enquiries from people who are really not serious.  Also if you have specific questions then let me know the questions but just asking for "more information" means nothing and such e-mails will not be answered either. 

To find out a bit more about Swami Shankarananda Giri please click here.