Starfish Home

  Thailand

• Chiang Mai: 
Chiang Mai

Term: Throughout the year 
Durations of Program: 3-6 months, 7-12 months, 1-2 years and over 2 years
Typical Duration of Program: 3-6 months
Dates: Open

Description: A wide variety of opportunities exist at the Starfish Home. Child-related activities include assisting with homework, teaching life skills, art, crafts, music, dance, cooking and computers. Out-of-school activities include sports, games, leading excursions and a lot of playing with kids. Most of the residents and staff, however, speak only Thai and some children principally speak a hill tribe language when they enter. The Starfish Girls weekend program for exceptional girls intends to teach them fluent English, computer literacy, typing and personal social skills. Female interns could be very effective mentors for these young women.

The interns and volunteers will have approximately two days off each week but may be involved with programs some evenings and weekends, particularly if they assist in the weekend program for high school girls. All interns and volunteers receive 4000 baht (USD 130) a month to cover their incidental costs. After six months of service, interns and volunteers will receive reimbursement for some visa and work permit costs. After 12 months of service, interns and volunteers will receive up to USD 800 to cover travel costs and USD 200 to cover personal medical insurance costs.

Highlights: The Starfish Home opened in May 2006. It is located in Chiangmai, Thailand, the second largest city in Thailand. Chiangmai province is a large province toward the border with Burma with a diverse landscape of flat rice-growing lands, rivers, mountains and heavily forested areas. It is also extremely diverse culturally, with a high population of indigenous people ('hill tribes'). It is a very popular tourist destination with over 1.3 million foreign visitors a year.

The Starfish is located in a new 80-room apartment house in the southern part of the city. It is a home for needy children, most of whom are hill tribe children. The children now in the Starfish Home are mostly age four to eight. There are about 25 children at this time plus some day care children from nearby slums. The older children attend Thai schools and the younger children attend pre-sechool/kindergarten classes, which are held on site. There is also the Starfish Girls weekend program for selected high school girls who show exceptional academic promise but who come from poor or abusive family situations.

The Starfish Home is a project of the Starfish Country Home School Foundation (of Thailand), which receives all its funds from the Richard P. Haugland Foundation. The Richard P. Haugland Foundation is a 501(c)(3) private foundation located in Eugene, OR. In addition to the Starfish Home, the Starfish Country Home School Foundation operates the Starfish Country Home School, a rural home and school for needy children about 45 km (27 miles) north of the city of Chiangmai. That program also accepts interns and volunteers.

The Richard P. Haugland Foundation, Starfish Country Home School Foundation and related StarFire Flower Foundation (of Thailand) support several additional programs in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Burma. All the programs supported, including the Starfish Home, do not promote any specific religious practice.

Qualifications: Academic Background: The intern should be a mature, culturally sensitive person with some background in education, counseling, human services, SE Asian studies, arts, athletics or a related field.

Skills/Experience: The intern must be highly motivated, emotionally stable and have a genuine interest in working with needy children or teenagers.

Language Requirement: English; however, some Thai study would be helpful.

Other Requirements: The volunteer or intern must agree to stay at the Starfish Home for at least three months. Shorter term interns will not be accepted.

Minimum Education: Bachelor of Arts

Cost in US$: Free

Salary / Pay: Compensation: The Starfish Home will provide the volunteer or intern with housing in a modern room with a private bathroom. Food will be served communally. In addition, the Starfish Country Home School Foundation will provide volunteers and interns a monthly stipend of 4000 Thai baht (about USD 130) to support incidental costs. Volunteers and interns will receive reimbursement for the initial costs of visas and work permits after six months of service. Volunteers and interns will receive up to USD 800 to reimburse travel costs and USD 200 for personal medical insurance costs after 12 months of service.

Experience Required: no

Typical Volunteer: We have had volunteers from age 20 to 63. Most have been university students finishing their degrees.

Age Range: 20-80

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants. This Program is also open to Families, Couples and Individuals

Participants Travel to Thailand Independently

Application Process Involves:

• Other
• Phone Interview
• Resume

Starfish Country Home School Foundation's Mission Statement: The Starfish Country Home School will provide a quality education and living environment for all of its students so that they can lead a happy and productive lives. Academic excellence, individual creativity, personal responsibility and concern for others and for the environment are our goals.

Year Founded: 2005