Israel and Palestine: Volunteer English Teaching Abroad

• Placement locations: Jerusalem, Bethlehem
• Types of schools: Primary, secondary and after school centres
• Age of students: 3 - 17
• Class sizes: Varies
• Role: Teacher (English, Sports)
• Extra-curricular roles: Art, Drama, Music, Sports
• Accommodation: Host families
• Price: From £1445
• What’s included? Food, accommodation, transfers, insurance, personal webpage, induction and orientation, 24/7 staff support
• What’s not included? Flights, visa costs, spending money
• Length of placement: From two weeks
• Start dates: Flexible

Projects Abroad is offering volunteers the unique opportunity to teach in schools and centres in both Israel and Palestine. Teaching in Jerusalem or Bethlehem will let you gain valuable teaching work experience. You do not need to have TEFL training nor have any previous teaching qualifications, however, if you do have any teaching experience, please let us know.

Whether you are volunteering during a gap year before university, a career break or an extended holiday, you will have a role to play in one of the schools or centres that we work with. You will be able to make a real difference by working with children and young people in a troubled part of the world, and to contribute towards the building of friendship between people of different faiths and cultures.

Teach English Language in schools with Projects Abroad

Projects Abroad works with a wide variety of teaching placements in Jerusalem and Bethlehem. Education is generally viewed as very important by young people in this region and there is great enthusiasm to learn English from both native Hebrew and Arabic speakers.

One Teaching placement is in one of the few schools in the world that offers integrated education to both Israeli and Palestinian students in the same classrooms. By supporting these children, you will contribute towards the school’s pioneering efforts to foster coexistence and equality among young people of different beliefs and backgrounds. Having a volunteer teacher from another culture fits in well with the school’s focus on intercultural learning.

Another Teaching placement is for children in a home for orphaned and abandoned children; here some of the children suffer from psychological disorders, and help with extra-curricular activities, like sports, music, drama and arts and crafts is appreciated.

You could also teach in a centre for children and women from Jerusalem’s marginalized Domari Gypsy community. This community suffers from high rates of poverty and illiteracy and volunteers help with improving basic education by offering simple English classes.

Depending on the placement and your role within it, you could be working with children aged from about 3 up to 17, however, there may also be options to teach some English to adults too, if you are interested. Most volunteers will work 5 days a week, and have 2 days free.

Volunteering on a Teaching Project in Israel or Palestine

Working as a Teaching volunteer in Jerusalem or Bethlehem, you will certainly make an important contribution by improving students’ spoken English and giving them the confidence that comes from being able to communicate more easily. But you will also help to increase cultural awareness and exchange, as the children learn about your culture and customs as you participate in theirs.

The impact that volunteer Teachers can make on the lives of their students, especially in this troubled region, can last a life-time, but you will also be part of a much larger Projects Abroad volunteer network, which is making a continuous contribution to the wider community.

This project is available for two weeks if you don't have time to join us for a month or more. This project has been selected by our local colleagues as being suitable for short term volunteering for both the host community and the volunteer. Although you will gain a valuable cultural insight and work intensely within the local community please be aware that you may not be able to make the same impact as someone volunteering for a longer period.