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Nine volunteers, one mission: to impact a community. On June 16th, 2009, these nine volunteers took a step into the unknown to teach and to work, but also to learn.
From all over the country they came. Young and old (not THAT old), the work done by these nine awesome human beings can only be defined as a success.
For five weeks, the group taught English to over 350 students, ranging in age from five to thirty. Using traditional methods of instruction, as well as music, poetry, art, athletics, games, debates, and plays, they gave 350 students an opportunity to better their lives at no cost. 200 of those students were taken on a day long trip to explore nature, learn, play, and relax. At the end of the five week session, not one student wanted it to end. They had never had so much fun and learned so much at the same time.
But the classes had to end; it was time to do some volunteer work. For the next two weeks, the nine volunteers, plus over fifty of their students, visited two orphanages and a local fishing village, doing a variety of projects, including but not limited to fence rebuilding and painting, gardening, purchasing and distributing school supplies, cleaning, playing with children, and teaching. Evidence of their hard work will exist at these orphanges for years to come, and because of ETA4's volunteers, 110 children in the village now have the necessary supplies to receive an education.
Some raw numbers: 9 Volunteers. 350 students. 2 orphanages. 1 boat village. 5000 new vocabulary words learned. 50 new songs. 2 concerts. 20 baseball matches. 2 basketball tournaments. 3000 laughs. 4000 smiles. 150 notebooks, 300 pens, and 150 rulers. 80 flower plants. 25 cans of paint. 8 weeks of work, play, heat, rain, happiness, discovery and productivity. This is the impact of 9 people with 1 mission.
Their story can be your story. Visit the volunteer page to find out how.
Hue 2009 photos
Hue 2009 videos
Our flagship program in 2010, Hue has been and continues to be the base of operations for ETA4 in Vietnam. In 2010, we had 11 Volunteers instruct over 400 students for a 5 week period, followed by 1 week of volunteer work at 4 different orphanages.
The group had to overcome heat, rain, and exaustion to hold the program for the students. Check out the photos and videos to learn more!
It seems as if our 5 weeks of teaching English ended in a blink of an eye. The very last week of our program here in Hue was filled with emotional goodbyes between our teachers and students. Our teacher volunteers have built bonds with their students that they didn’t expect to have. Our teacher volunteers kept our last week of the program highly energized with fun games, songs and its artists’ history, hot debate topics, sports, among other activities in and outside of the classroom to remind the students that learning English could be really fun!
- ETA4 Hue Volunteer
Hue 2010 photos
Hue 2010 videos
ETA4's first venture into south Vietnam was definitely a success. With the help of an awesome volunteer organization (Tinh Doan Viet Nam), 8 volunteers were able to instruct over 350 students at 4 locations, including 2 orphanages, a middle school and a youth center. The volunteers also engaged in meaningful volunteer projects with the group, including some manual labor!
All in all, the program in Bien Hoa was filled with "firsts" for the group. I am very proud of the team for adapting to every challenge that came our way, and for stepping up and getting the job done, even if they felt tired, sick, or even a little grouchy. We taught over 300 children at 4 different locations, spent hours at different orphanages, hospitals, and youth centers, built a basketball court, cleared a ton of debris, laughed, cried, and had some fun too. Best of all, we built a connection with a community of people who are similar to us in so many ways, a connection that will last infinitely longer than the 4 weeks we spent there. I am so proud, and I can't wait for next year!
- ETA4 Bien Hoa Volunteer
2010 Bien Hoa photos
2010 Bien Hoa videos
ETA4 embarked on its inaugural trip to Taiwan on June 30, 2010. In collaboration with The Alliance, the volunteers participated in a 4-week summer camp style program in Taitung (台東). The camp was made up of 150 students of aboriginal descent or low income background and led by 7 ETA4 teachers, 30+ Taiwan’s Medical Educators for Humanity, and several Alliance members. The 7 teachers held a full-fledged schedule Monday through Friday teaching English via arts, sports, and music at the facilities of Chih-Peng Middle School (知本國小) and Taitung University (台東大學). In addition to learning English, the students and volunteers also had the opportunity to visit various aboriginal cultural centers in the area. By the end of 4 weeks, the children displayed confidence in speaking English and a passion for pursuing the language. One student writes,
”All I want to say is: I appreciate each teacher from the bottom of my heart. Because of you, I could learn English in an easy and a happy way. I’ll keep studying English and I hope someday I can travel to the U.S.A by myself. I think, nothing is impossible to a willing heart!”
– Jenny, 14
2010 Taitung photos
2010 Taitung videos
The third year of the Hue program experienced, by far, the most growth - over 800 students registered for the 5-week course! By dividing the sessions into morning, afternoon, and night, the 8 ETA4 volunteers were able to accomodate all who wanted to learn. Through skits, songs, dances, games, sports, art, debates, stories, creative writing, and other activities, ETA4's teacher-volunteers were able to engage the students in useful instruction, something they absolutely desired. Through two different talent shows (6 in all, counting all the sessions!), ETA4's students were able to show off their incredible skills both indvidually and within their classes.
ETA4 volunteers, with the help of many, many students, also made an impact in the community, visiting two different orphanages, providing one with new paint for the entire upstairs section - which included 7 bedrooms!
Year 3 saw almost double the amount of students from the year before, further strengthening ETA4's connection to the community in Hue. With another exciting year completed, ETA4 can't wait to return to Hue in 2012.
2011 Hue photos
2011 Hue videos
ETA4's first year in Da Lat was a great success! The volunteers instructed over 200 students in conversational English using art, poetry, songs, games, outdoor hikes and more. About 60 of the students dormed with the volunteers, which made for some very late nights - but a lot of memories as well. On the second to last day of camp, an "Olympic" competition was held between the classes. It was a blast! Purple Pandas ended up bringing home the gold.
Da Lat and its beautiful scenery was filled with adventure for the 2011 volunteers - but what made the biggest impact on them was the interaction with their students. One volunteer writes:
The last day at camp was definitely the hardest one of all. After we had finished packing our things, we hung out with the students for a few hours. We handed out gifts that we had brought from home as well as gifts that we had made for the students. When the time had finally come to hop into the taxi to head to the airport, the students once again broke down in tears, not wanting to say goodbye. Although our time here was short, the relationship we built with our students is one that will last forever.
2011 Da Lat photos
2011 Da Lat videos
In 2011, seven volunteers headed to Taitung, Taiwan to continue ETA4's legacy there. They were greeted by many new and familiar faces. With the help of the Aliiance and MEH, ETA4 volunteers taught English to over 200 students spanning 2 two-week programs, known as the "Taitung English Camp". Classes started at 7 AM with traditional lessons and continued until late evening when students and teachers bonded over songs, stories, and movies. Each classroom, themed with an English-speaking country, encouraged students to understand the use of English across the globe. Students immersed themselves into their class country through role-play and in preparation for their closing ceremony presentation.
ETA4 also celebrated various aspects of arts and athletics through the new "Olympics" tournament and cultural night performances. Students lived alongside the teachers, which opened doors to a cultural understanding rarely seen in the rural areas of Taiwan. The Taitung volunteers have unanimously agreed it was a life-changing experience that opened their eyes to an entirely new perspective.
2011 Taitung photos
2011 Taitung videos
