Office: +84 2143 885 885 / Hotline: +84 914 697 345
Welcome to GEL
About GEL
Introduction
G.E.L. (Globe Education Link) English Centre was opened in 2015 and is located in Lao Cai city in the north of Vietnam about 4 hours from the capital, Hanoi.
Lao Cai is a modern city with good facilities such as restaurants, shops and fitness centres. It is serviced by rail and an excellent bus service and is close to the Sapa area, famous for its beautiful scenery, hiking and ethnic minorities. However, one can still observe a big rich and poor gap in this mountainous city and province. There are still a number of children who cannot attend school properly due to financial conditions.
GEL was founded as a social enterprise with the objective of providing first class English learning to students of all ages and to contribute to the growth and well being of the community. It is funded by tuition fees based on the student’s financial situation. Some pay full fees, others a reduced fee and some receive tuition at no cost. No one is turned away. GEL also provides scholarships to worthy and/or disadvantaged students.
There are classes offered from kindergarten to adult at the centre and GEL is also contracted to provide lessons at a number of elementary and high schools in and around Lao Cai. There is also an ongoing program to provide English instruction at no cost at the newly constructed Lao Cai Orphanage.
GEL has provided some free workshops which help English teachers in the whole province to teach better. There are also some training courses for staff who work in Orphanage to help them have better skills in taking care of children there. Some other free workshops on ABCD (asset based community development) for civil servants of different fields in the province are also provided. Free teaching communication for English teachers in Lao Cai city is now attracting more and more learners.
Globe
Education
Link
volunteers role
GEL welcomes volunteer teachers of all levels of experience. The only pre-requisite is a good command of the English language (speaking, reading and writing), a passion to help people and unlimited energy.
Volunteers are encouraged to involve themselves in many other community projects, such as teaching English at government schools (primary, secondary or high schools), workshops and lessons for Vietnamese English teachers, organizing activities and events at local schools, judging English competitions, taking students on field trips, updating and maintaining our website and so on.
The children, parents and schools highly enjoy having international volunteers around. Due to their warm reception, volunteers generally become equally fond of the children and enjoy the program very much.
Some specific ideas for volunteers:
act as a classroom helper/assistant
mentor or tutor students on pronunciation
help organize, acater or work at fundraising activities or school events.
help to plan and chaperone field trips, track meets, and other events that take place away from the school
help to plan and chaperone in-school events (dances, proms, or graduation ceremonies)
organize or assist with a specific club or interest group (if you have an interest in an activity that isn't currently available to students, offer to help get a group started — for example, a chess club or dancing/singing club or something tgat volunteers are good at,...)
help the school administrators prepare grant proposals, letter-writing campaigns, or press releases or provide other administrative assistance
attend school board meetings
work as a library assistant or offer to help with story time or reading assistance in the school library.
work with the school band or orchestra or coach music students individually
help out with visual arts, crafts, and design courses and projects
hold a workshop for students in exchange culture
Teach English to primary, secondary and high school students at the government schools, in orphanage and in GEL language
working time
Schools start at 7 am in the morning and finish at 11.30 am. There is a break for lunch (from 11.30a.m to 13.40) then start again at 1.45pm to 4.30pm. In GEL, volunteers normally work in the afternoons, evenings and weekends so volunteers can have days off on weekly days. These can be negotiable and flexible.
accommodation & transportation
There are 3 possible options for accommodation: at a school where volunteers directly involved in the teaching program; at a host family; and at GEL.
The GEL centre is housed in a modern building close to down town Lao Cai. Volunteers are provided with air- conditioned rooms in GEL, too. Meals are provided and there are cooking and laundry facilities. GEL has bikes and motorbikes so volunteers can take turns to use for their travelling.
GEL will confirm the specific accommodation for volunteers in specific cases, depending on the possibility and availability of each type of accommodation at the time the volunteers arrive.
BEDROOM
KITCHEN
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BATHROOM
comments
comment from NIGEL
My name is Nigel, I am from Canada and have been at GEL for 7 months. I visited Vietnam in 2014 – 2015 as a tourist. I completed TESL certification in 2016, retired from my job as a nurse and came to Vietnam. I have volunteered in a number of schools in Vietnam and I am now living in Lao Cai. I love being with GEL. Staff and students are wonderful and it is great to be able to give back and help.
comment from MAX
I was previously a volunteer with VPV who, after two months in Hanoi, was looking for something a little different. I wanted to embed myself in the country for a while, somewhere more peaceful (where no motor bikes besieged the sidewalks during rush hour), and I landed in Lao Cai. Lao Cai’s a small city bordering China. The center I stay and work for (There are both volunteers and working staff here) is called GEL. The directors work for the education department of the government and therefore have plenty of connections, allowing them an abundance of outreach opportunities. If you want to feel useful, no need to look further. You will be busy. You should also be flexible, as things tend to materialize in the moment, and your schedule is bound to change. GEL is a social enterprise, and the demand for English services, including for those who cannot afford it, is high.
As far as Lao Cai goes, I think it’s wonderful. Fully equipped--multiple outdoor markets, mall, gyms, plenty of restaurants/cafes/bars, phone stores, quaint downtown area, beautiful park, all within 20 minutes walking distance from the center. Not many foreigners make it this deep, other than those passing through to Sa Pa.
As for room and board, I’m not sure what the deal will be for you. You can work that out with Din (one of the directors). We live in the center, have our own rooms, with meals provided for the volunteers. The facility is very nice.
To wrap it up: social enterprise doing laudable services for their community, with lots of work to offer volunteers on a regular basis, comfortable facility, and really nice small city with everything you’d need to be comfortable.
Contact
Address:
046 Tran Hung Dao Street; Bac Cuong ward; Lao Cai City, Lao Cai, Vietnam
E-Mail:
gellaocai@gmail.com / Email Mentor at GEL: dingellaocai@gmail.com
Phone Number:
Office: +84 2143 885 885 / Hotline: +84 914 697 345