At a glance
- This is a volunteer opportunity with Projects Abroad. Devxchange will assist you in choosing the right fit, raising funds with your own campaign page, issuing tax receipts to donors if project meets CRA criteria as a charitable activity. Devxchange will also assist you in onboarding with Projects Abroad.
- Support the work of local teachers and caregivers and teach young children in kindergartens, daycare centers, or special needs centers.
- Focus on Early Childhood Development and give kids the skills they need to thrive and hit development milestones.
- Gain practical childcare experience and learn new skills to help your future studies or career.
- Live and work in Brasov, and experience true Romanian hospitality by staying with a local host family.
Details
- Improving literacy and English levels
- Work with adults and children who have mental or physical handicaps
- Work with other volunteers and local staff
- Assess and identify specific placement needs
Includes/Excludes
Food and accommodation
- Food (three meals a day)
- Airport pick-up and drop-off
- Full induction and orientation by an experienced staff member on arrival
- Transport to and from your work placement
- In-country support and 24-hour back-up from our team of full-time local staff
- Emergency assistance from our international emergency response team
- Project equipment and materials, including access to our database with thousands of resources
- Training and workshops from our experienced local staff
- Regular social events and community activities with other volunteers and interns
- Access to our local office with internet connection
- Certification of project completion
- Access to our alumni services and discounts
- Visa support and advice
- Fundraising support, including your own personalized fundraising website with DevXchange
- Tax Receipts for your donors if activity meets CRA criteria for charitable activity.
- Pre-departure preparation by your own specialist Volunteer Advisor
- Personalized MyProjectsAbroad website, with all the information you need about your project, accommodation and destination
- A free cultural awareness course
- Membership to our volunteer social media groups, to share information and to get in touch
- Support to help you complete registration or internship documents, if applicable
Not Included
- Flights
- Visa Costs (where applicable)
- 10% Admin fee for donations involving tax receipts.
Itinerary
This project is ideal for anyone who wants to support disadvantaged children and education. This project is also a good fit for anyone interested in working with special needs children.
You’ll gain practical experience, which could help your future career. You’ll also learn and develop skills like teamwork, leadership, and planning.
If you have loads of energy, take a playful approach to life, and enjoy the antics of little ones, working with children in Romania is definitely for you. No experience in childcare? No problem! You’ll support the local teachers and caregivers and have Projects Abroad staff members close at hand to help guide you along.
If you have some experience in working with physically or mentally disabled people, your expertise would also be greatly appreciated. Local staff are often overstretched in their duties and would welcome your dedication and enthusiasm. They are always on hand should you require any advice or guidance.
Anyone over 18 will need to do a basic medical check and get a Police Clearance Certificate. This is used to demonstrate that you’re fit to work with children. Please note that it can take up to 40 days to receive clearance.
Our Childcare Project in Romania runs year-round and you need to spend at least two weeks on the project. We encourage you to stay longer to make a bigger impact on the people you work with.
As a Childcare volunteer in Romania, you’ll work in a kindergarten, daycare centre, or special needs centre. However, you won’t be on your own. Your main role is to support local staff and do activities like:
- Run educational activities to improve literacy, English, and support early childhood development
- Work with adults and children who have mental or physical disabilities
- Work with fellow volunteers and local staff
- Assess and identify specific placement needs
A typical day will run from about 8am to 5pm.
Every day at work will be different. On certain days you might help run an arts and crafts programme, while others may include outdoor sports activities or basic English lessons.
If you’re working with children, you will support local teachers with their classes for the first part of the morning. Later, you will have the opportunity to work on English and improving literacy with the children.
If you’re working with disabled children and adults, your morning will start by helping serve breakfast. This will be followed by engaging in mentally stimulating activities, such as reading, building puzzles, or playing simple games.
Between 12pm and 1:30pm, you will have a lunch break. If your host family lives close to your placement, you can head home for lunch and a short rest. Alternatively, you will enjoy a packed lunch.
Your afternoons at work will mostly be spent doing more relaxed activities, such as arts and crafts or possibly outdoor sports and games.
During the hours you aren’t working, you’ll have ample free time to explore with your fellow volunteers. Since you will be living with a local host family, breakfast or dinners offer great opportunities to get to know them better and fully immerse yourself in their way of life.
Brasov
You will be based in the ancient city of Brasov. With its terracotta coloured roofs, gothic spires, medieval gateways, baroque buildings, and pedestrian-friendly streets, it’s almost like a fairy tale come to life. Although it may seem quaint and almost old-fashioned at first sight, the city is bursting with modern hustle and bustle.
As a childcare volunteer in Romania, your working day will be spent at one of the following:
- Daycare centre
- Kindergarten
- Primary school
- Centre for mentally or physically disabled
Your placement will depend on what type of care work you are interested in helping out with. These centres are often overcrowded, and local teachers and caregivers desperately need more support.
Evenings and weekends will normally be your free time to explore. There plenty to see within Brasov and the Transylvania region.
Food and accommodation
You’ll stay with a host family in Brasov. They will welcome you into their home, eager to share their customs and have you teach them about your own culture. We believe that this is the best way to immerse yourself in the culture of Romania and have a truly unique experience.
We will always try to let you live alongside at least one other Projects Abroad volunteer or intern at the same host family. Your room will be modest, but comfortable, clean, and safe.
Your programme fee includes three meals a day.
Free Time and Leisure Activities
Volunteering in Romania will give you a unique taste of life in Eastern Europe. With a diverse range of activities, you’ll find plenty to do during your free time.
This is the ideal destination for architecture lovers, with stunning, old buildings lining the streets. The Biserica Neagră is one example of haunting gothic architecture, with its stone walls blackened by a fire that raged through the area in the 17th century.
It’s not just the buildings that are worth checking out, but the streets as well. More specifically, you can squeeze your way through one of the narrowest streets in Europe!
It’s worth taking a weekend trip to Transylvania to visit Bran Castle, the home of legendary Count Dracula. While you’re there, you can tour ASTRA Museum and delve into the magical world of Romanian folklore.
You’ll likely be amongst many other volunteers during your trip. This gives you the option to explore either on your own or in a group.
