Overseas Locations
All of these Service Year opportunities have the potential to provide you with a life changing experience. They all involve living in the local communities and provide valuable insights into the life of the people we serve.
Availability of time periods are subject to change and placements will be slightly shorter than the time stipulated to ensure visa requirements for each country are met with some cautionary time to spare. Placements will also depend on border closures, travel restrictions, your safety and that of the overseas communities in regards to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Inclusions
- The application process
- Visa and Pre-departure information
- Travel Insurance
- Formation weekend
- Teacher training including classroom management and lesson planning
- Logistical training including risk management, culture and language
- In-country Transfers from airport to project
- Hotel accommodation on arrival for Chiang Mai
- Food and accommodation
- Motorbikes and fuel for travel to schools in Thailand
- Mid-year retreat
- 24-hour support and pastoral care from partners onsite
- 24-hour emergency support from TWA team in Australia
- Regular check ins from TWA team in Australia
- Debrief weekend on return
- Two Wolves Abroad t-shirt and hoodie and Cardoner Project polo shirt
Not included
- Flights
- Visas
- Vaccinations
- Travel on weekends and school holidays
- Local SIM card and credit
- Luxury items – sweets, alcohol, restaurant meals etc.
- Activities not linked to the program eg. safaris, rafting, scuba diving etc.
- Motorbike fuel for personal travel in Thailand
- Bed linen and mosquito nets in Tonga
Visa Costs
Please note that visa costs change regularly so this advice is a guide only. Each country has the authority to change what visas are required, the process that must be undertaken and the costs incurred at any time.
Thailand
3, 6 or 12 months
The Cardoner Project has been sending volunteers to Thailand since 2011. Our first placements were to the community of Huay Tong in the Chiang Mai region and in 2018 we started sending volunteers to Xavier Learning Community in the Chiang Rai District.
The Huay Tong base is the home of our main in-country partner, Malawan Kasetsukchai. Maliwan hosts 8 volunteers in a communal residence and oversees up to 10 more in 4 other regional locations. Across these locations volunteers assist with English and Maths teaching at 12 schools. These schools are predominantly made up of peoples from the ethnic minorities of Northern Thailand, who tend to be marginalised in terms of educational opportunities. The schools are often underfunded and understaffed and need volunteers to help maintain sustainable education systems.
The work and impact of our volunteers was noted by Fr Vinai Boonlue SJ, Maliwan's brother. Fr Vinai was a key leader in the establishment of a residential tertiary education centre, Xavier Learning Community (XLC), in the Chiang Rai district. He has had many occasions to witness our volunteers in action and believed they could have a great impact on the XLC students' learning, particularly in developing better fluency in English speaking, a skill that would greatly enhance students' employability. Our volunteers started serving at XLC in 2018, and also extend themselves to assist at local primary schools. Our volunteers live on campus at XLC.
“I have grown immensely in my ability to follow a way less travelled, doing my best at every turn, and adapting myself when faced with difficult circumstances. I learnt so much about the world and people different to myself, and grew further in my independence as we worked together as a community of equals. While I came here to give my time and efforts, I feel so humbled and indebted due to everything it has given me. I feel like I’ve been a part of something bigger than myself and that has been something truly special.”
James Mukheibir, Thailand
Price
TBC
Visa costs
The fees below are currently assessed by the Thai Government and subject to change at the Thai Government's discretion.
90 day visa at Thai Embassy in Australia AU$120
3 visa renewals in Thailand @ 1,900 baht each
One year work permit in Thailand 3,100 baht
Blood test for work permit in Thailand 800 baht
Micronesia
3, 6 or 12 months
Our volunteers to Chuuk in the Federated States of Micronesia teach English and Maths at a local primary school, Sapuk Elementary School. They live at nearby Xavier Secondary College, a Jesuit a semi-selective boarding school for Grades 9 - 12. Students come to Xavier College from across the Micronesia chain for an opportunity to achieve the school grades that open doors to a university education. Our volunteers are active members of both communities, assisting with co-curricular activities at Xavier once their Sapuk school day is complete. The immersion in both the Sapuk and Xavier communities allows our students to get a broad understanding of this remote part of the world and the way education can provide opportunities for the local people.
“Experiences like these defy simple explanations, people so often ask me ‘So how was it?’ It’s a question I still haven’t found an adequate response to. It eclipses most adjectives our language possesses, and even with a novel’s worth of prose I would still struggle to do it justice. Everyone’s problems become one another’s here, selfishness is rare and stunning acts of kindness are standard practice. You become a better human just by existing in their company. I will leave this place a very different person than I was when I arrived. I see the world differently, I act differently and I think differently. From an entirely different perspective.”
Josh Conlon, Micronesia
Price
TBC
Visa costs
Approximately US$25 for 12 month entry permit
Tonga
3, 6 or 12 months
Volunteers teach at Takuilau College, a Catholic secondary school with students from year seven to 12, located in Mua on the island of Tongatapu. In addition to the high school syllabus, the college
provides vocational training in horticulture, hospitality, automotive and carpentry. Volunteers will have an opportunity to get involved in the strong sports and athletics program at the school if they are interested, and may also assist at the St Ignatius Parish pre-school.
"You'll find Tonga an easy place to settle into and teach out of. The people at Takuilau are exceptionally friendly and welcoming. I wish you the best of luck in your experience and I hope it is as fruitful and enjoyable as I found it to be."
Jack McLaren, Tonga
Price
TBC
Placements to Tonga are currently not available. We hope to be back with our parthers there soon.
Visa costs
One year employment visa $250 Tongan Pa’anga
Total approximately AU$160 for up to one year