Organise your 2 week school trip to India today! Teachers travel free and your 14 days in India will be fully structured, inclusive and led by our experienced team. Your first week will have you arrive in Delhi before travelling to Faridabad for your orientation into life in India. You will volunteer in the local slum community as you provide childcare support to vulnerable children as well as rolling up your sleeves on a renovation project. After a few days giving back to the Faridabad community, it will be time to head into the capital as we spend a couple days exploring Old and New Delhi.
Your second week will see you teaching English at the Eco Slum School project in the mornings and continuing your childcare volunteering in the afternoon. You will finish your school trip to India with more adventure travel as you explore India's Golden Triangle. This will include exploring the breadth of the Pink City Jaipur, taking in sunrise at a Wonder of the World in the Taj Mahal and enjoying a guided tour around Agra Fort. Cultural activities will be provided throughout including yoga and cooking classes as well as Bollywood movies and dance lessons. Everything is included in your 2 week India expedition from the airport transfers and meals to accommodation, entrance fees and cultural activities.
INDIA SCHOOL TRIP HIGHLIGHTS WITH PMGY
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A FULLY STRUCTURED, SAFE AND ALL INCLUSIVE EXPERIENCE
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A PERFECT BLEND OF VOLUNTEER, TRAVEL, ADVENTURE & CULTURAL IMMERSION
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TRIP ITINERARY, ACTIVITIES & DURATION EASILY TAILORED TO YOUR NEEDS & WANTS
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THE BEST VALUE & MOST AFFORDABLE TRIP PROVIDER WITH NO SACRIFICIES IN QUALITY
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PMGY WILL ENSURE A TRUE AUTHENTIC INDIA EXPERIENCE FOR YOUR GROUP
HOW IT WORKS FOR SCHOOLS
Plan My Gap Year has the expertise, experience and networks to make your India expedition accessible, safe and stress-free. We pride ourselves on safety management and we have risk assessment documentation for all our overseas trips including to India that outline how we ensure participants are kept safe while overseas.
Organising an overseas trip for your group involves lots of preparation. From flights and insurance to pre-trip training and that’s even before you’ve looked at organising the itinerary! So that’s where PMGY come in. We really do specialise in the group's overseas expedition area providing exclusive group trips whilst accommodating large groups of students, on full board options. We guarantee to provide trusted and vetted medical project settings that provide great insight, exposure and learning opportunities for students. In addition, we will sandwich in some fantastic travel opportunities around India for students to enjoy on their rest days. We can organise:
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FLIGHTS (PMGY ARE ATOL PROTECTED), TRAVEL INSURANCE & FULL VISA GUIDANCE
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ALL-INCLUSIVE TAILORED VOLUNTEER AND/OR TRAVEL-BASED ITINERARIES
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FULL PRE-DEPARTURE PREPARATION AND 24/7 INTERNATIONAL & IN-COUNTRY SUPPORT
As a social initiative, we are able to guarantee affordable prices without sacrificing the quality of our programs. We frequently have groups joining our programs as they are looking for a more affordable alternative to their existing provider. We can tailor a trip around your requirements and work with you to create your personalised group medical trip itinerary. So why not follow the PMGY ten-step journey below to making your bespoke group medical trip to India a reality!
TEN STEP JOURNEY & OUR SUPPORT ROLE
Step 1: Arrange a Call - Should this trip be the one for you, get in touch by email or call and one of our group expedition specialists can discuss and tailor your India medical trip. Alternatively, let us know the best way to reach out to you and we will do so at a time convenient to you.
Step 2: Meet & Greet - After initial contact has been made and ideas progressed, our group expedition specialist will travel to meet you and any of your colleagues in person. As a result, a face can then be put to the name, the India trip planning can be evolved and any initial questions can be answered.
Step 3: Information Session - Once the itinerary, duration and dates are in place for your trip to India, our group trip specialist will come and host an information session with all interested travellers and parties. We will convey all necessary content and information about the trip and hold a Q&A session after the presentation to ensure all attendees are as informed as possible before signing up.
Step 4: Confirm Trip Numbers - Once the internal deadline for registrations has passed and the trip numbers are known, PMGY will arrange the invoice procedures for the overall group deposit payment to confirm the trip go ahead. For every 10 students, 1 group leader spot will be provided for free! We can also arrange and provide flights and insurance options for all travellers should this be applicable.
Step 5: PMGY Pre-departure Support - Throughout the build-up to your India group medical trip, we will be on hand to support you whatever way possible. Whether it be through creating your bespoke trip handbook, completing risk assessments, communicating safety management procedures or providing project preparation webinars, we will have all bases covered.
Step 6: Pre-departure Session - Around 2 months before your group trip begins in India, we will conduct a final pre-departure session with all travellers and relevant persons. This will ensure that everything is in place before your group head overseas and the content covered will align with this accordingly. We will also distribute PMGY T-shirts to all travellers at the session!
Step 7: Before You Go - In the days before your arrival into India, we will be in close and regular contact with you to make sure everything is in place for your trip. This will include a range of emails and phone calls ensuring your arrival procedures are all in place, dietary requirements & medical conditions are catered for and that our ground team in India are well prepared for your group's arrival.
Step 8: Enjoy the Trip! - When on the trip, our ground team will become your day to day port of call. We will touch base with them daily to make sure your trip is running smoothly. If required, we will be available 24/7 from afar. We will check in with you across the trip to see how everything is going. We know you will be in safe hands with our trusted, experienced and vetted ground teams!
Step 9: Return Home - By the time our team have dropped you safely back at Colombo Airport, the travel blues may already be starting to kick in! We hope all travellers have had an unforgettable trip! Each trip participant will receive a certificate of completion. Furthermore, we will check in one final time with you in the days after your trip for feedback on your India experience.
Step 10: Future Planning - After a few weeks away from India and once the travel blues have well and truly settled in, it's now time to be planning your next group medical trip with PMGY to create more magical memories! Whether it be back to India or to a new destination, PMGY will be on hand every step of the way again to facilitate your new adventure. Back to Step one we go!
SCHOOL CASE STUDY - HASSENBROOK ACADEMY, UK
Who - Hassenbrook Academy from the United Kingdom. 12 students and 1 staff member from Hassenbrook travelled to India on a group trip expedition with PMGY.
What - A 14 day expedition to India in total. PMGY arranged a renovation placement at the Eco Slum School to build new classrooms. In addition, students would spend their afternoons volunteering at a community childcare centre helping with homework, playing games and teaching English. Adventure travel across India's Golden Triangle was all arranged within the itinerary. This included exploring Old & New Delhi, the Pink City of Jaipur and the amazing Taj Mahal. Cultural afternoon & evening activities were arranged for the group including a pottery class, a cooking lesson and a Bollywood movie. As a result, Hassenbrook Academy received a fully tailored and structured itinerary from PMGY for their India experience that was action-packed, insightful and impact-driven.
Where - Hassenbrook Academy travelled to a range of places across their 14 days in India. Arriving into Delhi, the main base of the trip was Faridabad which is a suburb of Delhi and the location of the volunteer projects. Across the itinerary, the group moved onto to explore a range of places in Northern India. Whether it was exploring the old and new of Delhi, visiting temples in Jaipur or taking in the sunrise at the Taj Mahal in Agra, Hassenbrook Academy got to experience India's Golden Triangle to its maximum.
When - Hassenbrook Academy joined PMGY on an overseas group expedition for 2 weeks in July 2019. The school had completed a similar group trip itinerary with PMGY in Sri Lanka in 2017 and 2018. As a result, Hassenbrook Academy has a great collaboration with PMGY and are looking forward to planning another trip to Nepal in 2021.
Why - Hassenbrook Academy are an established school trip partner with PMGY. Over the last two years, they have completed overseas school trips to Sri Lanka and benefitted from the structure, inclusivity and accessibility that PMGY school trips come with. Based on these positive experiences that began with an initial phone call in 2017, Hassenbrook Academy provided its students with the opportunity of the India 2019 trip. The combined travel and volunteer itineraries that PMGY provides at great affordability and quality, means Hassenbrook Academy are a regular and repeat group traveller with PMGY.
How - Following two successful trips to Sri Lanka with PMGY that all began with the ten-step journey above, Hassenbrook Academy had been planning a third trip to Sri Lanka in the summer of 2019. However, external factors in the weeks before the trip was scheduled to take place meant that Hassenbrook Academy could no longer travel to Sri Lanka. Nevertheless, PMGY were pro-active in arranging a similar opportunity to India for the same travel dates at short notice. A similar opportunity that would allow for maximum impact via students volunteering in the local community as well as some adventure travel across India and cultural activities to be enjoyed. Moreover, PMGY were able to change flight schedules that had been originally scheduled for Sri Lanka at no extra cost. Throughout the changes and trip planning for India, the trip leader for Hassenbrook Academy was kept well informed and PMGY completed multiple information and pre-departure sessions with students and parents to ensure they were well informed, had a platform to ask any questions and excited about a new destination. PMGY processes all the visas on Hassenbrook Academy and ensured that the school were well equipped to enjoy a smooth trip in India. On the ground, the team were well prepared with exclusive accommodation for the group, volunteer and travel opportunities all in place and a western coordinator to be with the group from the moment they arrived in India to the moment they departed.
Feedback - "India really was the trip of a lifetime for our students. Naturally, we were initially saddened that through no one's fault we could no longer go back to Sri Lanka for the third year running. However, the blessing in disguise was that we could instead venture to India with PMGY for another fantastic and unforgettable experience. Although on short timescales, PMGY were prompt and so hands-on with making the trip transition so smooth and seamless. We had full trust and confidence that this would be the case given the fact we have been using PMGY school trips for the past 2 years now. Parents and students had any worries and concerns about the trip location changing to India quickly eradicated as Philip from the PMGY team worked tirelessly to keep all stakeholders involved with the trip informed and at ease. Examples of this were through regular phone calls and emails with myself or driving up for information sessions and Q&As with parents, students and staff. In short, we had all become very excited and confident about the trip prospect instore to India with PMGY. From the moment we landed in India, this excitement and confidence only increased. The food was delicious, the culture fascinating and the project work so worthwhile. PMGY had put together such a fantastic and worthwhile itinerary for our school, that was reinforced with great in-country support and amazing travel opportunities. The students experiencing a once in a lifetime opportunity with a sunrise tour of the Taj Mahal is something I will never forget. We are already looking forward to planning another trip with PMGY for 2021."
SCHOOL VOLUNTEER PROJECT SUMMARIES
The core of the sample overseas school trip with PMGY to India will be centred around the volunteering schedule and making a positive impact in the local community. The core projects within the sample itinerary that students will be completing volunteer work in is the renovation, teaching and childcare. It is important to note that we also have medical volunteer opportunities in India. As a result, your volunteer schedule can be tailored to include these aspects. Consequently, the sample itinerary and volunteer options included within can be amended to a bespoke India expedition for your school.
Childcare - Similar to other developing countries, across India, hundreds of thousands of children find themselves with insufficient levels of care. Over 5% of all children in India are without any form of support from a parent or guardian – approximately 20 million of India’s population. Not all of these children have physically lost both of their parents. However, many of them are sadly abandoned, with poverty a leading factor of this. Across India, many parents simply do not have the income or resources to provide care for their children. Consequently, many of these children find themselves in the undeveloped childcare system with nowhere else to turn. Typically, this system lacks the funding, resources and manpower to take proper care of these children.
During your school trip in India, students will support children centres in the Faridabad community. Students are required to have masses of energy, enthusiasm and creativity to ensure that contributions to the project can be as successful as possible. Not only do volunteers provide a friendly face to brighten up a child’s day, but they work hard to support and lead activities, making days at the centres fun and productive.
The role of a childcare volunteer in India can vary. Some days, you may work hard to assist the children with homework or a school project. Other days, you may be responsible for arranging activities, providing the children with some relief after a busy day at school! You will also have the chance to lead activities, play games and dance! Childcare volunteers in India must, therefore, be proactive in their role. Students time volunteering at the childcare centre may be challenging, but it will certainly be rewarding and fun.
English Teaching - India has made some rapid economic advancement in recent years. Despite this, around 28% of the Indian population lives below the poverty line. The disparity of wealth in India is plain to see. It can be shocking to witness the extreme differences in living conditions. However, unfortunately, the slums are a regrettable fact of life in India.
Indian culture places a major emphasis on education, but unfortunately, the education system in India is still a work in progress. For one thing, class sizes go far beyond suitable capacities. Additionally, schools are highly understaffed. The PMGY India team founded the Eco Slum School in 2010 and continues to support and sustain this project. The school is located within Faridabad’s largest slum community. The aim is to provide children from underprivileged backgrounds the opportunity to receive free basic primary education.
Therefore, our team provides free education, school supplies and uniforms to local children. This aims to encourage parents to let their children go to school. Without this, they may be forced to wander the streets, begging and collecting rubbish to earn money.
The children at the schools range from 3-16. The schools we support are located within the slum areas, making facilities are extremely basic with cramped conditions. However, you will find the spirit of the children and their passion to learn a real joy to behold. Students will provide invaluable support to the limited local staff. In particular, the presence of a fluent English speaker brings a major boost to the children’s educational development.
Students are encouraged to teach English in India, as well as some Maths. However, students are welcome to discuss other ideas with the project coordinator. In addition to teaching, you will partake in the daily assembly, which consists largely of nursery rhymes and dancing.
The Eco Slum School is also the hub for several other initiatives that our local team run and fund within the slum community. Here, our local team have also set up medical clinics and a woman empowerment program, with the aim to increase opportunities and the provision of health care within the community.
If you’ve never taught before then there is no need to worry! To be successful in teaching English in India, you just need to be energetic, creative, patient and proactive. Should students require it, our local coordinators can guide you as to how to prepare lessons and what to teach. However, volunteers are required to be proactive in establishing the levels and educational needs of the class. The project will run in the mornings and we highly recommend that students use time outside of the project to prepare lessons in advance.
Renovation in the Slum Community - You can roll up your sleeves and make a positive impact in the local slum communities of Faridabad. This is a great opportunity to help out whilst immersing yourself in the local culture. From slum schools and sanitation systems to health camps and community housing, we have assisted the local community with renovation in a number of different settings across the slums of Faridabad. We support institutions and projects that have little to no income and would otherwise have no capacity to undertake such project work.
Students do not need to have any previous construction or renovation experience, just bags of energy and the willingness to help. Your renovation volunteer program will mainly be during the morning, however, depending on the circumstances and weather conditions, timings may change around a little. The renovation aspect of the programme in India allows participants to provide a tangible impact within the volunteer experience as they make an important contribution within the local community. With your help, we can further support Faridabad’s community and you can do your bit to leave a lasting impression! You will be placed at local establishments that have expressed a great need for volunteers and request help in renovation or restoration work. This will be centralised to the slum community where the need is greatest.
The exact project location for this will be decided closer to the time of the program where the need for a local project will be identified. This will ensure the impact we are making on the renovation project will be valuable and needed. A coordinator will be at hand to help you with your tasks. As a renovation volunteer, you will spend your time helping out with the required tasks that the project desires. For example, you may be busy mixing paint, digging holes, painting fences, assisting builders, scrubbing walls, moving blocks, decorating a room, whatever is required for your local community. Your placement is likely to be outside, so make sure to bring plenty of suncream, a water bottle, and old clothes too!
This is a great project that allows you to get hands-on within the community. By the end of your time with us, you’ll be able to see exactly what you’ve contributed towards, whilst still making a difference in the community afternoon projects as well.
