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Volunteering for SECMOL(This section was last updated in May 2013) Note: For 2013, enough volunteers are already expected from May through 15 August. Please contact us if you want to volunteer after that. SECMOL welcomes volunteers, their work and the inter-cultural exchange and understanding they bring.
If you are interested in volunteering for SECMOL, contact the volunteer coordinator, at this email address. Email is unreliable in Ladakh so it can take 1-2 weeks to get a reply from us. Phones are unreliable but sometimes work. We usually have one or two volunteers through the winter, and about 6 to 8 in summer. The biggest need is in February for our youth camps, where no special skills are needed, and since it is not tourist season we often get fewer volunteers than we want at that time. We would also like volunteers in January who can teach ice-skating. Unskilled but friendly volunteersFor conversation classes with Ladakhi students, you don’t need perfect English or teaching experience. The students are eager to learn about the world, and we appreciate the variety of experiences and viewpoints that volunteers bring. Over the years, some volunteers have also taught photography and used the resulting pictures in conversation class, helped the students put on plays or make videos (in English or Ladakhi), taught us new games or exercises, done an art, music or dance workshop, helped the students in charge of the weekly Campus Times newsletter, helped individual students with the subjects they are preparing for state exams, helped in the kitchen, garden, construction, etc. Ice skating, hockey or figure skating coach (Dec and Jan)Can you skate or play hockey? Come and experience the “off season” in Ladakh, and participate in Ladakh’s annual ice frenzy. Ladakh is in fact not as cold as much of Canada and northern USA: dependable skating weather here is only from late December to early February. Skating is a relatively new phenomenon in Ladakh and has caught on like wildfire. Consider coming in early December to get to know the students and start training them for skating and hockey. Our girls form a hockey team for local tournaments, and volunteer coaches are great. We would also love to have someone teach figure skating.
Teaching English or other subjects Thirty-five students who are dropouts or have failed the Class 10 exam in their villages stay at SECMOL Campus for “Foundation Year” starting each March. One of their main goals is to improve their English, because higher education in India is in English, and most jobs require some English. We also teach basic and practical maths, science and social studies. SECMOL staff teach the regular classes, but volunteers who are skilled teachers sometimes introduce exciting new ways of teaching and learning. An experienced or trained teacher could either teach directly or help our staff improve our teaching materials and methods. We do not ask inexperienced untrained volunteers to teach formal classes. A domestic (Indian) volunteer who can coach small groups for 10th class exams in April-May or September-October would be an asset. The subjects most needed are maths, Urdu and science. At the beginning of Foundation Year the student’s English level will be too low for such classes, so you would have to know Hindi or Urdu to teach in April-May. Youth CampsSECMOL Youth Camps, every year after the 10th class exams finish, are the most fun and useful way for general volunteers to get involved. No special skills or experience are needed. These will probably be in June 2013, December 2013, and February 2014. The exact dates will be decided much closer to the time so please check with us by email, and we post the dates on our FaceBook page. Ladakhis who have just finished 10th class (age 16-18) attend the camps. The purpose is to expose youth to social and environmental ideas at this critical juncture of their lives, to build up their confidence, and to try to fill in some education that their schools miss, especially environmental and Ladakh-specific knowledge. Since SECMOL's first camps in 1992, the chance to learn English through conversation with volunteers has been a major draw for Ladakhi youth. In order to satisfy so many youth, it is great to have enough volunteers for English conversation "class", doing daily work with the campers, teaching us new games, exercise, yoga, activities, etc. Our English teacher teaches the academic class and organises the conversation topics or games. You don't need perfect English for conversation, just a friendly attitude and an interest in Ladakh and in sharing your time and views with these young Ladakhis.
[Back to Top]Writing and miscellaneousSECMOL has other activities going on as well, for which volunteers with special skills and more time might be able to get involved. We could use help with writing up information about the organisation from someone who can stay for several months, as we are behind on our brochure, newsletters, campus signs explaining solar and other technologies, etc. Living arrangementsVolunteers stay at our campus 18 km from Leh town. The meals are vegetarian. Our buildings are all solar powered and solar heated, so you are welcome at any time of year. In fact, winter is a fine time to come to Ladakh, since the tourists are gone. The weather in winter is cold at night, but most days are sunny and warm, and our buildings keep reasonable temperatures indoors throughout. Volunteers pay Rs 300 per day for room and board. We provide bedding and blankets, but if you come in winter you might like to have your own sleeping bag, if you happen to own one. If coming in winter, bring warm clothes: outdoor temperatures go below -20C (-5F) at night. Indoor temperatures at SECMOL are usually above +15C (60F) even in winter but other houses and business in Ladakh are often much colder. At SECMOL, the indoor temperature during cloudy spells in winter may go as low as +10C (50F) at night for a few nights. The facilities (eg electricity, water, class timing, purchasing food and supplies, etc) are run and maintained by the students, with some advice from teacher/managers. Things may not be as perfectly organised as in your home country, but we ask you to try to take an attitude of helping out rather than complaining. More information about the campus itself and its facilities is here. Blogs and videos by former volunteersVideo 8 min. about Foundation Year, by Raghu and friends, Accessible Horizon Films, 2012. Video 9 min. Alternative Education at SECMOL. By volunteers Michelle Perreault and Sébastien Perron of SÄBÄGI, shot in 2009. Video 9 min. made by 5 SECMOL students as an introduction to campus, as a workshop by Michelle Perreault, 2009. Blog by Indian-American student on gap-year, 2012 Blog by Maori volunteer from New Zealand, 2012 American student group, 2012. Second section describes SECMOL, contrasted with first section about a government high school. Review by Cambridge student, 2012 Blog b domestic (Indian) volunteer, 2011 Scottish volunteer, winter 2011 American student, 2012 Pictures by volunteers Video 2 min. SECMOL founder Sonam Wangchuk talking about solar energy |
Conversation class
