5 Reviews

96%Overall
Rating

Program Description

Global Volunteers - Volunteer Teaching Programs in Southern Italy!

Description

Experience Italy as a volunteer with Global Volunteers! Our mutually beneficial relationship with teachers and administrators in several small towns in the Puglia area gives volunteers first-hand teaching experience.

Volunteers assist with the daily planning of classes and lessons through reputable texts, lesson plans and revision of students’ work. Volunteers are welcomed as sources of information on Western culture, from history and lifestyle to sports and school. Volunteer activities range from teaching American songs and games to educating on conversational and written English.

Interview with Margo Dunlavey, Global Volunteers - Italy alum

GO: Why did you decide to volunteer abroad with Global Volunteers in Italy?

Margo: A friend heard a great review from someone who had been there before and we decided to go together. The chance to see a part of Italy I hadn’t been to before and the opportunity to take a tax deduction were definitely draws.

Volunteer to teach English in Italy with Global Volunteers
Volunteer to teach English in Italy with Global Volunteers

GO: Describe your day to day activities as a volunteer.

Margo: We “worked” just in the mornings because it could get very hot midday. GV provided some materials for the instructors, and others brought their own. I used newspapers with my adult students. I and others took the students around town, to stores or to places of interest. Several days our group coordinator took us out to lunch at different types of restaurants: trattoria, pizzeria, etc. Our afternoons were free—for a siesta, to shop, sightsee, or just lounge at the hotel’s pool.

On the weekend, we were free to sight-see (on our own—this was not done by the coordinator). We went to the market in town early Saturday morning—just fabulous fruits, vegetables, flowers! Further afield, we went to Lecce, shopped and checked out the Roman amphitheater there. We also visited the town of Alberobello, which has some delightful little houses with conical roofs called trulli.

The hotel was lovely, the food at the hotel or in restaurants was wonderful. All the people we met were great. There was a dinner at the home of one of the Italian teachers—with singing, of course: all Italians sing.

Enjoy beautiful views while you volunteer in the town of Ostuni, Italy
Enjoy beautiful views while you volunteer in the town of Ostuni, Italy

GO: How has this experience impacted your future?

Margo: It was very rewarding. I thoroughly enjoyed conversations with my two adult students. My friend Sheila had just one student: a 65-yr-old woman who had never learned another language. Sheila found it to be slow going, but ultimately very heart warming.

Highlights

Volunteers must be at least 12 years old and there is no age limit. Minors must be accompanied by an parent or guardian. Volunteers stay in a tourist-class hotel.

Further Information
Cost Description: 

Program fees, based on the GV’s costs, include food, accommodations, transportation within projects, project costs, administrative expenses, and support from Global Volunteers staff. The rest of the costs are used to support the continued development of host communities. Discounts are available for students, family and multi-person groups, and returning volunteers. Free-time activities, airfare or other travel are not included in the fees. All expenses are tax-deductible for U.S. tax-payers.

Age Group: 
14-18
18-50
50+
Languages Learned/Spoken: 
English
Italian
Living Arrangements: 
Participants live with other volunteers
Accommodation is included in the program cost
Travel Arrangements: 
Participants travel to the program independently.
Application Requirements: 
Online Application

Ratings and Reviews

4 of 6 people found this review helpful
Wonderful people, accomodations and work environment

100%

Overall Rating

100%Overall
Rating

Monopoli is perhaps one of the nicest "creature comforts" locations in Global Volunteers. We stayed right on the Adriatic and walked to school on most days. The city opened their arms to us and we were know everywhere we went. Our students were varied and enjoyed learning so it was a delightful teaching situation.

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Submitted by UK Fan on 03/17/2012
Reviewer's Bio:    Female    |   Age: 51 or older    |   North Carolina    |    Pro Traveler    |    Berea College   
2 of 6 people found this review helpful
Ostuni, Italy

90%

Overall Rating

90%Overall
Rating

It was something like ten years ago that we were there, so memories are less than distinct. But we surely enjoyed our experience hugely -- loved working with the kids. They loved it when Dick sang "The Star Spangled Banner" and when we played the Hokey Pokey and Heads, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes. We loved traveling around the area. Our accommodations were very nice, and our fellow "English Conversationalists" were great. Altogether a delightful experience. Can't say for sure how much the kids benefited from our "teaching" but we surely did! Dick and Maryan Schall

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Submitted by Maryan Schall on 03/16/2012
Reviewer's Bio:    Female    |   Age: 51 or older    |   Santa Barbara, CA    |    Pro Traveler    |    USA   
4 of 5 people found this review helpful
Ostuni

90%

Overall Rating

90%Overall
Rating

I had a wonderful experience in Ostuni. The faculty at the high school were very supportive and the students so eager to learn "American" english. Spending 2 weeks in such a beautiful area allowed us to really explore and immerse ourselves in the communities.

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Submitted by jan on 03/15/2012
Reviewer's Bio:    Female    |   Age: 51 or older    |   Portland, Oregon    |    Pro Traveler    |    University of Oregon   
3 of 4 people found this review helpful
Feeling more at home in te world

100%

Overall Rating

100%Overall
Rating

I have participated in 6 volunteer trips to Puglia with Global Volunteers, so that it feels now, each time, like going home again! The program attracts a wide variety of volunteers all of whom want to combine an interesting travel adventure with a chance to give something back to the people and places they visit. This program is a great way to make new friends both home and abroad. I've kept in touch with many of the students and teachers in Italy, as well as with many of my fellow travelers. Puglia is relatively unspoiled and the local population is very welcoming. There is no safer place to travel in Europe. There is ample time to enjoy the experience, sample the local cuisine and take side trips. The staff is well-organized and extremely helpful. I speak some Italian, but knowledge of the language is not a necessity, since the focus of the program is to allow the chance for students to converse in English with native speakers.

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Submitted by J. Wheeler on 03/15/2012
Reviewer's Bio:    Male    |   Age: 51 or older    |   USA    |    Experienced Traveler    |    University of Minnesota- Twin Cities   
4 of 6 people found this review helpful
A wonderful experience!

100%

Overall Rating

100%Overall
Rating

In 2005, I worked with Global Volunteers, teaching English in Ostuni, Italy. Most of the volunteers worked with school children, but I taught conversational English to two adults who needed to improve their English for professional reasons. I very much enjoyed working with them and we have kept in touch since then.
We were housed in a lovely hotel with great views, great food, and a pool in which we could relax when the school day was done. Each day, the group leaders took us out to lunch at a different type of restaurant to sample the cuisine. The other volunteers were intelligent, caring people and good company. Several of the volunteers were teenagers who were there with their grandparents. Our schedule left us time for some exploring of the Puglia region of Italy.

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Submitted by Margo D on 03/14/2012
Reviewer's Bio:    Female    |   Age: 51 or older    |   Rockville, MD    |    Pro Traveler    |    Maryland   

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Program Info

Country: 
Italy
City(s): 
Puglia
Volunteer Type: 
Teaching
Education
Length of Program: 
1-2 weeks
Cost: 
$2,000-$5,000 (USD)

Program Photos

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