Don't pay for your teaching supplies for your semester abroad with ILP! Here's how.
Getting ready to teach English to kiddos while you live abroad as a volunteer with International Language Programs? Yay! If it's your first time teaching, you're not alone, and you're going to do great.
ILP classes are taught using our unique teaching methodology, developed by a professor of linguistics at Brigham Young University. A key part to the success of the classes is that the kids enjoy them! We're having fun and engaging activities, all held in English — it's English immersion ... but without really feeling like a traditional class.
Teaching Elementary?
We have a post full of help with things like lesson planning
ILP volunteers provide the items that are used in their ILP classes. It's really anything that could be used in a fun activity with kids, so that's everything from glue sticks, pom poms, and paper to balloons, paper plates, and tape.
When I was a volunteer, I was able to get all of my supplies for free (and I even had more than I could take so I donated extras to another volunteer). And I'm here to tell you how I did it! And the best part? It was pretty easy.
Seriously, you don't need to pay for supplies. I mean, you could buy them, but that can start adding up pretty quick, and let's face it, you're saving every penny already to pay for all your weekend trips while you spend a semester abroad, right?
- About The Supplies
- Ask Friends and Family
- Ask Co-Workers
- Ask Church Groups
- Ask Parents
- Ask Stores
- Get Freebies
*Quick clarification — if you're volunteering in Romania at our orphanage program, you will not need to bring these teaching supplies.
But First, A Bit About Supplies
Like we briefly mentioned, ILP volunteers bring items with them that can be used in their ILP classes. Once you arrive, everyone in your ILP group will combine what they brought and keep everything in a communal "supply closet" so that you have an even bigger variety of items to pull from when you're planning lessons.
Needed items
So what supplies do you need to gather? We don't have a list of required items. You're going to get creative and plan an ILP class around whatever you have, so the "needed list" is pretty open.
Activities
For the younger kids, you'll be planning lessons in these 6 topics: arts + crafts, gym, games, kitchen, shop, and drama. Since we're volunteers and focused on teaching English to kids, it gets a bit makeshift and that's completely okay.
In gym, if you're teaching a "volleyball" lesson, we're not really concerned about having a nice net and real volleyball. Maybe we have a rope tied to two chairs on either side of the room and a balloon (or two as a backup in case it pops!). Arts and crafts is pretty self-explanatory — glue some cotton balls on a folded paper plate and attach some strips of colored paper and you've got a fun rainbow art project.
Essentially any items you can think of that could be part of a fun activity with kids is perfect! Pinterest is going to be your best friend when you're planning activities for your ILP classes.
Store
Another fun part to our classes is that we have a reward system! The kids get to earn "tickets" by participating in the classes which they can turn in later for fun little prizes. It's a fun way to continue encouraging them to practice their English in class. So volunteers also supply those prizes — they're little things they can take home after class and be excited about like stickers, small bouncy balls, and pencils.
We do have a suggested supply list that you can share with friends. Once you've applied and are getting ready to go, ILP volunteers can find that in their "Go To Guide". But again, it's not a required list ... just something to give you an idea of what volunteers like having and find most useful.
Here's a little screenshot to give you a peek:
Items don't have to be from our suggested supply list.
Almost any item can be creatively used in a lesson. Variety is actually even more helpful.
Items don't need to be new.
It's awesome if someone is willing to go purchase items to donate to you, but not necessary. Gently or partially used items are perfect. Many people have items around their own home that they're not planning to use anymore.
Check your school's inventory.
Volunteers leave behind any items that can still be used for the next group of ILP volunteers. You probably don't want to bring rulers if there are already 50,000 rulers left over from previous semesters, you know?
Once you're assigned to a location, log in to my.ilp.org, go to your City Page (that's under the menu "My Experience" and then "My City") and scroll to the teaching section. There we have a link to an inventory so you can get an idea of what's already at your specific school — here, previous volunteers can leave you notes on what's needed and what's not needed at your specific location, which can be really helpful when you're gathering supplies.
Don't forget to explain what you're doing!
The key to getting free supplies is by spreading the word of what you're doing so that you can get items donated. You're volunteering your time to a worthy cause of making a difference in the lives of children by teaching English in Uganda, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua or wherever you're going. Your friends and family will feel more connected to your goal once they understand more context about what it is exactly.
Ask Friends and Family
Post a list of suggestions on social media and ask friends and family if they have any items like that to donate. Don't forget about Facebook! Even if you don't personally use it often, your parents and their friends might ... that tends to be a good spot for reaching more people who are able to donate.
You may want to call specific people that you have in mind who may be interested in helping. Be willing to go pick up items from them so that they don't have to go out of their way. Ask them to also share your post in order to reach more people.
We've got a link to a fundraising letter right here if you need a bit of help getting started — Feel free to change it up however you want!
Ask Co-Workers
Send an email with the list as an attachment or post the list of items on a bulletin board at work. Ask your friends to do the same at their work to hopefully get more donations.
When I was asking around, not everyone at work could donate but there was one person I wouldn't have even thought to ask that had a huge box of scrapbooking things she wanted to donate. You never know!
Ask Church + Community Groups
If you or your parents attend a church, that's a great place to start as well. Give the list to your youth leader or Relief Society President and have them pass it around at a meeting.
Are your parents part of a neighborhood group chat? Are there any Facebook groups for your area? I'm part of a Facebook group called "Buy Nothing _____ (insert the name of my city)" and its whole goal is swapping items with your neighbors who need them.
You may be surprised and receive donations from people that you don't even know very well.
Ask Your Parents
Do your parents have an office that's overflowing with office supplies? Is there a junk drawer in the kitchen with more pencils and pens than needed? What about all the toys in your younger brother's old room? Family board games that have missing pieces that you never play anymore? Ask first, but you may be able to clean out a few drawers and save your parents a trip down to the donation center.
Ask Stores
You may or may not have luck with this, but it's worth a try. Prepare a professional letter stating your cause and what types of items you hope to receive. Stores may be willing to donate some supplies to your cause.
Try your luck at larger larger corporations like Walmart, Target, and Dollar Tree, but don't forget about smaller, local businesses as well.
Get Freebies
You may find items for free (or very little money) from classifieds on websites like Facebook Marketplace or KSL (if you're in Utah or Idaho). Keep your eyes open and you might be able to go pick up items for free that people just want to get rid of. Make sure to bring a friend with you!
If you receive more donations than you can handle, that's great! There may be others in your group who are having a hard time getting items and are happy to bring those extra items in their suitcase.
Also, consider donating those items back to ILP. Every semester we have volunteers who fill last minute spots and don't have time to find donations for teaching supplies. ILP is happy to keep and pass along your extra supplies to another volunteer who could really use them.
Considering a semester abroad but not sure if it's right for you?
We know there's a lot to consider when you're thinking about traveling. There's different routes to go ... should you do a study abroad or a volunteer program? How do you afford it? Is it safe? Which country is right for me?
Head here to learn more about how the ILP program works to see if it's a good match for what you're looking for. If you have any questions, let's get in touch! One of our representatives (who has been in your shoes and volunteered before) would love to text you and answer your questions.
