Individuals

We welcome volunteers of all ages and backgrounds. Our only requirement is that you speak English well and are committed to the Stepping Stones mission of helping migrant school children in Shanghai improve their English language ability.

We have two different volunteer positions:

Teacher Requirements
Time commitment: 3-4 hours per week
Commute: 45-60 minutes each way (volunteer responsibility for transportation time and costs)
Requirements: High level of English and interest in communicating the English language to new learners.

Our volunteer teachers create and deliver English language lessons to students between the ages of 6 and 15. Class sizes are often big (50-60 is not uncommon) so volunteers should be energetic and committed.

Co-teacher Requirements
Time commitment: 3-4 hours per week
Commute: 45-60 minutes each way (volunteer responsibility for transportation time and costs)
Requirements: Good level of English with strong Chinese a bonus and interest in communicating the English language to new learners.

Co-teachers are required to help the main teacher in the classroom. Due to large class sizes, most of our teachers can use an extra pair of hands in the classroom to help keep order and help the children practice their pronunciation. Co-teachers do not have to be confident to teach English alone, but strong Chinese language skills are a plus, as some of the main teachers do not speak Chinese. Native English speaking volunteers may also act as co-teachers for non-native English speaking teachers.

To register today, download and complete our Stepping Stones Volunteer Registration Form and return it to enquiry@steppingstoneschina.net

More detailed information about volunteering follows here:

Orientation and Training Session

To help you understand our work better and to prepare you for your volunteer teaching, we hold Orientation and Training Sessions at ‘English First’. Click here for information on our next training session.

Teaching Schedule
Some volunteers may wish to teach one morning or afternoon per week on a weekday, others may volunteer to teach on a weekend morning or afternoon. Some may prefer to offer English lessons to the teachers rather than teach the children. There are many different ways to get involved, and we are always looking for new volunteers.

Transportation and Teaching Materials
Each school has its dedicated volunteer who coordinates that school programme. Volunteers will need to make their own way to the schools. In general, our volunteers each provide their own transport and for the moment have to develop their own teaching materials. For help with planning your next lesson, please go to our teaching resources page.

School Terms
Term time runs from beginning September till end January and from mid February till mid June. The students have final exams at the end of each academic year in June and critical tests come at the end of 6 Grade. We sometimes hold extra classes during the school vacations.