SPONSORS
Overseas Compatriot Affairs Commission (OCAC) and Ministry of Education (MOE)

APPLICATION PERIOD
February 1 to February 28, 2010《Applications must be received by the registration offices on or before March 1》

PROGRAM ACTIVITIES
The program will be held from July 4 to July 31, 2010. Volunteers will participate in training courses during the first week and teach English at one of various remote schools during the second and third weeks. Then, a tour of various areas of Taiwan will be conducted during the last week.

QUALIFICATIONS FOR APPLICATION

1. Applicants must be between the ages of 17 and 27 (as shown on passport) by November 30, 2010, and must currently reside in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Ireland, or South Africa.
   
2. 11th or 12th graders older than the age of 16 by November 30, 2010 are also eligible to apply.
   
3. English must be the applicant’s native language.
   
4. The applicant should be in good academic standing and health.
   
5. The applicant must be highly motivated and have basic communication capability of spoken Mandarin.
   
6. The program is recommended for applicants of Chinese or Taiwanese descent, but some openings are available for non-expatriate youths who are advocates of Taiwan.
   

PROGRAM INFORMATION

1. Each participant will be arranged to serve at once of various remote schools after completing the training courses.
   
2. Program participants will be assisting elementary or junior high school students at these schools.
   
3. The volunteers will teach English with a self-designed lesson plan.
   
4. Meals will be comprised of mainly Chinese food.
   
5. Accommodations: 4 to 6 people per room, separated by gender.
   
6. Participants must serve for the entire duration of the program except for health complications or other unexpected conditions. OCAC will issue a certificate of 80 service hours printed both in Chinese and English to those who have finished the whole program.
   
7. Participants are required to submit a reflection essay at the end of the program. OCAC will reward a memorial program DVD to those who submit their reflections and revise their original teaching plans.
   

APPLICATION LOCATIONS
Please apply through Taipei Economic and Cultural / Representative Offices in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Ireland and South Africa or their affiliated Cultural Centers (see the attachment for the detailed addresses). Application forms can be obtained at the above offices or downloaded online at the website of OCAC / expatriate youth activities (www.ocac.gov.tw) or the program website (www.aidsummer.org). Please submit the completed application package, the application form including other required documents as detailed in “Application Procedures”, to the above office nearest your permanent address by March 1, 2010.

SUBMISSION OPTIONS
Submit the application package personally or by mail

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

1. The following documents (the application package) must be submitted:
   
   Application form (see the attachment for a sample)
   
   Internet Registration Sheet (print out the confirmation page after finishing online registration)
   
   Signed General Regulations sheet (see the attachment)
   
   A copy of the applicant’s health insurance card
   
   A Copy of the applicant’s birth certificate and (non Taiwan) passport
   
   A 1½ inch photo taken within six months of the date of submission
   
2. Have your school mail your official transcript to the following address sometime before submitting your application package: The Volunteer Program, 9443 Telstar Ave., El Monte, CA 91731, USA. Do not send your application package to this address unless it happens to be the Cultural Center nearest your permanent address.
   
3. The program’s online registration will be open starting February 1, 2010 at the website (www.aidsummer.org). The applicant should create an account online to fill in personal information and upload an autobiography, a copy of transcript and a personal photo. After completing the registration procedures, print out the portfolio page (Internet Registration Sheet) and submit it with the above mentioned documents as part of the application package to the Taipei Economic and Cultural / Representative Offices or their affiliated Cultural Centers nearest your permanent address. See the attachment for a list of detailed addresses.
   
4. The admission status of the program will be posted to your account on the website by the end of March 2010. Those admitted should confirm attendance of the program online, have the family doctor complete the Health Certificate as attached, and mail it to the nearby Taipei Economic and Cultural / Representative Offices or their affiliated Cultural Centers within 14 days. If the applicant decides not to participate in the program, he/she should log in to the website and mark “Declaim” in his/her personal account as early as possible. Those who decide to participate are required to provide their arrival flight information online and submit a request for airport pick-up if necessary.
   

PROGRAM FEES

1. For the duration of the program, the sponsors will pay for the meals, accommodations and group transportation in Taiwan. The sponsors will also provide NT$4,000,000 travel insurance and NT$400,000 medical insurance.
   
2. The participant must pay the following expenses:
   
3. Round-trip air fares from the country of residence to Taiwan.
   
4. Personal medical expenses exceeding the insurance’s coverage.
   
5. Accommodation and other expenses if the participant arrives earlier or leaves later.
   

VISA
The program will last for 28 days. The participant should contact the nearby Taipei Economic and Cultural / Representative Offices beforehand to apply for a proper visa. Visa Exempt Entry and Landing Visa are NOT appropriate for any stay over 30 days. The OCAC and program organizers should not be held responsible for any inconvenience that may be caused if the participant’s visa is overdue.

IMPORTANT NOTICE
OCAC will admit another separate 24 applicants to participate in the joint volunteer programs scheduled to be held in July 2010. Those applicants admitted will be dispatched separately to schools in Taipei County, Chiayi City, Kaohsiung County and Pingtung County for a three-week English teaching volunteer service program. Those programs are co-sponsored by OCAC and local city or county governments. OCAC is responsible for recruiting overseas volunteers, while local governments take charge of the participating volunteers’ airport pickup, boarding and lodging, travel and medical insurance, educational training, community service, and daily supervision. For attending the joint volunteer programs, please select the option at the end of application page on the website.