We value our volunteers highly and aim for a cooperative and enriching experience for both them and us.
- The main role for volunteers at CLS is to support and assist (but not replace) our Cambodian teachers in the classroom.
- Volunteers work alongside our English speaking Cambodian staff in a support role, either working with the class as a whole or with smaller groups. As such, fluency in English is a requirement as classes are taught in English.
- Our students really enjoy meeting volunteers, and they especially like reading books and conversing in English. These tasks are ideal for volunteers. Students and staff also appreciate the cultural exchange, as well as other skills that volunteers bring.
- Please familiarise yourself with Cambodian culture and customs, for example here (‘An introduction to Khmer culture and language’ ).
- A minimum one month commitment is required for classroom assistance volunteering.
After leaving, many volunteers continue to assist us by becoming donors, raising awareness of CLS, and by fund raising.
Our school is a busy place and we try to fit in all volunteers and match their abilities and skills to our needs and also fit the volunteering period into the school year. Please be mindful of school holidays and Cambodian public holidays and traditional festivals, when the school may be closed for extended periods of time.
Who and What We Need
We value volunteers with experience in teaching (especially English as a Second Language). We also value skills and experience related to our organizational needs in such areas as IT, library management, marketing, fund raising, administration and project management.
We prefer volunteers to work with us for a minimum of one month. This allows the volunteer to settle in and provide effective input to our programs. It also allows the children to develop a healthy relationship with volunteers in the classroom where shorter-term involvement can be unsettling.
Shorter term volunteers will be considered in areas other than teaching, particularly if they offer skills needed by us at the time. And for certain roles, such as assisting in our Evening School classes, volunteers may be engaged for only 2 or 3 hours a day and will have the rest of the time free.
Intending volunteers are asked to follow the application process:
Step 1: complete our Application Form and submit it for consideration at least 3 months before your intended arrival date.
Step 2: If you have received notification by email of conditional acceptance from our principal Mr Thy, you are then required to send the following documents:
- a completed Police Check called a National Police Certificate (NPC). This document is commonly used Australia-wide for employment, working and volunteering with children or vulnerable people. The simplest way to do this is online, costs are currently A$ 56. The Queensland Police Service has an excellent and easy to use website https://qld-npc.verify.auspost.com.au/#/beforeStart/. The Western Australia state government has a similar website here: https://www.wa.gov.au/service/justice/criminal-law/apply-national-police-certificate
- If you are not Australian you are required to provide an equivalent recent Police Clearance from your country of residence
- photo copy of your valid passport
Step 3: Details of your volunteering period will be finalised with Mr Thy. You will need to organize and fund your own accommodation and transport to Kampot and to CLS. On arrival at CLS, each volunteer is asked to pay a one-off cash fee of US$50 to assist with costs associated with recruitment, initial orientation and training.