Teaching English Volunteering in Rome - Italy
Inspired to Teach English as a volunteer in Italy - Rome? International Volunteer HQ’s Teaching English project empowers volunteers to assist a local NGO with their efforts to upskill children and adults, some of whom come from underprivileged communities in Rome. Volunteers will gain experience teaching while sharing valuable English language skills with different age groups, including toddlers, children and teenagers. Knowing how to speak English can open many doors and provide opportunities for people to continue education or gain secure employment.
Highlights:
- Programs start every second and fourth Monday of the month
- Affordable fees from CA$1783 for 2 weeks
- Includes accommodation, breakfast and dinner, airport pick up, orientation and 24/7 support
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Help teach English to students ranging from young children to the elderly
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Enjoy Italy’s legendary art, culture and cuisine
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Stay in an eco-friendly lodge not far from Vatican City
Key information
This program is ideal for:
What to expect and how you'll make an impact
In Italy, many people are not able to access proper English language education due to low-quality schooling and scarcity of economic resources in some areas. This often leads to a lack of opportunities for most of the population. The Teaching English project provides access to language lessons for a variety of different people, including children, youth, adults and the elderly.
As a Teaching English volunteer, you can expect to work with a local NGO providing access to education for these groups. You will help with structuring the education programming according to the needs of the individuals who attend as well as the objectives of the NGO you are going to support. You should plan to lead lessons and educational activities for students who range in ability. English is by far the most common language being taught but if you are fluent in another language, and there is interest from locals to learn it, you may also be able to teach that.
Depending on the students you are assigned, the focus of your lessons will change:
- With children and youth, you can alternate theoretical lessons with recreational and/or sports activities in English, such as songs, fairytales, outdoor games and other activities, while assisting with daily routines, lunch and snacks
- With adults, you will focus on vocabulary to assist in a certain sector such as tourism, administration, health, and more, depending on their professional or personal needs
- With the elderly, you can have fun teaching them basic vocabulary and creating handcraft activities or other projects that make them feel active, loved, and useful in their community.
Why do Teaching English volunteering in Rome with IVHQ?
As a volunteer English Teacher in Rome you’ll be adding value to the local community, while also developing personally and professionally by:
- Improving access to education for marginalized people, when applicable
- Helping young children and adults upskill and learn English
- Practicing your Italian
- Developing your communication skills
- Gaining valuable teaching experience
- Immersing yourself in Italian culture
- Discovering Rome, Italy’s bustling capital city
Volunteer requirements
- Volunteers need to be 18 years or over to participate in this program. If you are under the age of 18, IVHQ offers alternative volunteer opportunities for teens. Visit our High School Volunteer Abroad page to learn more
- All volunteers are required to have adequate volunteer travel insurance
- All volunteers must speak fluent English.
Are you eligible to volunteer?
Submit a free application so we can confirm your eligibility and check availability for your preferred dates.
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Academic course credit
Gain course credit from your college or university and meet your academic requirements when completing a volunteer abroad program with International Volunteer HQ!
Learn about course credit
Recommended online TEFL course
We encourage volunteers on IVHQ’s Teaching and Childcare projects to come prepared by completing some relevant training, such as a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) course. Although formal teaching qualifications are not required on these projects as volunteers are supported by local staff, taking a TEFL course enables you to gain more from the experience. Visit our Online TEFL Course page to learn how to gain an internationally recognized TEFL certification at a discounted rate.
Get TEFL certified online”The local team in-country were absolutely amazing with helping with the transition and being a source of help if we needed it! I was able to be pushed out of my comfort zone and discover more about myself while working with kids and exploring Rome. This experience not only left a positive impact on communities but also helped me grow as an individual.”
Leila, American, 20
Read reviews from Teaching English volunteers in Rome
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Location
Rome is and has been many things - the capital of Italy, the Eternal City and the center of the ancient Roman empire. It is both brimming with reminders of bygone eras and teeming with dynamic, modern industry and entertainment. It’s also the setting of IVHQ’s Italy - Rome program, and volunteer placements are located throughout the wider city area.
Like any major city, there is a socio-economic divide in Rome and the people who fall on the disadvantaged side of this face a host of challenges. Volunteers can help make a difference to their lives by providing essential support to local initiatives designed to address these issues and others that affect the community.
Volunteers on this program should expect commutes of up to 1:45 hours one way to your placement. These long commute times are a result of Rome’s transportation system that almost always has long delays, ongoing repairs, and unpredictable schedules. Those who wish to join the Sustainable Farming project will usually have a longer commute than those on projects such as Youth Support and Teaching English, as this project is in the countryside on the outskirts of the city.
Arrival and orientation
The program orientation in Rome begins on the second and fourth Monday of each month and lasts for a full day. Volunteers need to arrive in Rome on the Sunday before orientation.
After you have registered for the program, please book your flights to arrive at Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport (FCO). You can also arrive into Ciampino–G. B. Pastine International Airport (CIA) but should expect you may need to wait to be picked up. Your airport pick-up is included in your Program Fee.
When you arrive, you will be greeted at the airport by a member of the local team and taken to the volunteer accommodation in Rome. Your accommodation is covered by your Program Fee and includes the night before your program orientation.
If you are traveling in Italy prior to your volunteer program and arriving overland, we can arrange for you to be picked up from a central meeting point in Rome on the Sunday before orientation.
Orientation is hosted by our Italy team in Rome. It begins the morning of your chosen start date and lasts for a full day. The orientation covers everything you need to know for your volunteer program in Rome – an introduction to Italy, culture and customs, rules and expectations, safety, travel opportunities, and a tour of the local area. The orientation will also give you a chance to meet other volunteers with whom you can swap contact details for weekend travel and socializing.
Your specific placement orientation will be held the following day and you will be shown how to travel to and from your placement, receive an introduction to your placement, and then complete a few hours of volunteering.
Volunteer schedule example
Weekdays
After your program orientation, you will have a morning or afternoon volunteer shift at your placement and will work for approximately 3 to 5 hours per day. Your schedule will vary depending on the needs of your particular project. A typical schedule is as follows:
| 7.30 AM | Breakfast begins at the volunteer accommodation and is available until 10.30 AM. |
| 8.00 AM | Travel to your volunteer placement to join local placement staff and begin work on your project. Please note that some placements run in the afternoon and volunteers on these placements will have the morning free to use as they wish or to attend Italian language lessons (these have an additional fee). |
| 12.00 - 1:00 PM | Lunch break. Buy your own lunch from Rome’s many excellent cafes and eateries. After lunch, volunteers will continue volunteer work (where applicable). |
| 1.00 PM | Volunteers with afternoon or evening shifts travel to placement to join local placement staff and begin work on their project. |
| 6.30 - 10:30 PM | Dinner at the volunteer accommodation. After dinner, you will have the remainder of the evening free to relax and use as you wish. |
Weekends
On weekends, you can spend your free time discovering why Rome is one of the most popular and revered tourist destinations in the world. For a start, you can visit monuments to ancient history like the Colosseum, check out Vatican City, see Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel, explore the Pantheon and throw coins into the Trevi Fountain.
Once you’ve ticked off those iconic experiences you can relax and find out which of the rest of Rome’s numerous attractions you’ll see next. It might be any one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites, the perfect authentic carbonara or a steaming cup of espresso, touring ancient churches, checking out the nightlife of buzzy Trastevere or stumbling upon the latest in fashion on one of Rome’s best shopping streets, Via del Corso.
If you’re ready for a change of scene, you can take a quick weekend train trip to see the ancient ruins of Pompeii, or Naples - the home of pizza. Nature lovers should also factor in a visit to the beautiful Amalfi Coast to complete the precipitous and spectacular Walk of the Gods. Volunteers staying for longer durations, or who wish to travel before or after their program, can visit areas further afield in Italy, including Venice, Cinque Terre, Florence, Milan, Pisa and much more. You can make travel arrangements once you arrive in Rome with the advice and guidance of our expert local team.
Accommodation and WiFi
Volunteers are accommodated in a central camping lodge in Rome. You can expect to share a room with one to two other volunteers of the same gender. Bedding and towels are provided, and there are shared western bathrooms. Staff will clean the accommodation throughout the week, however volunteers are required to keep their rooms tidy.
The lodge has a large pool as well as other social and game facilities for volunteers to enjoy in their free time.
WiFi is available at the camping lodge. It may not be available in your room; however, it is available in all of the common areas. WiFi is also available in many cafes and restaurants in the area.
Private single, twin or double rooms in the camping lodge, with the use of the communal bathrooms, can be arranged at an additional cost.
Meals
Volunteers are provided with breakfast and dinner each day as part of the program.
Breakfast is self-serve at the accommodation and available from 7:30 AM to 10:30 AM. Breakfast generally includes tea, coffee, bread, croissants, sweets, cheese, ham, spreads, cereal, yogurt, and fruit.
Dinner is served between 6:30 PM and 10:30 PM and includes local staples such as pasta, vegetables, and salad.
Lunch is not provided and we recommend you budget about CA$14 per day to buy it from the excellent local shops, cafes and restaurants nearby. These are easily accessible both close to placements and the accommodation.
Tap water is fine to drink in Rome and the accommodation has a fountain of drinkable water where you can refill your reusable bottle. However, bottled water is also readily available if you prefer and you should budget approximately US$10 (approximately CA$14) per week for this.
Pricing
Duration |
Program FeeDue 30 days before you start, or within 48 hours if you register inside of 30 days. Covers the cost of hosting you.
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|---|---|
| 2 weeks | CA$1783 Equivalent to CA$127/day |
| 3 weeks | CA$2502 Equivalent to CA$119/day |
| 4 weeks | CA$3221 Equivalent to CA$115/day |
| 5 weeks | CA$3939 Equivalent to CA$113/day |
| 6 weeks | CA$4658 Equivalent to CA$111/day |
| 8 weeks | CA$6096 Equivalent to CA$109/day |
| 10 weeks | CA$7534 Equivalent to CA$108/day |
| 12 weeks | CA$8972 Equivalent to CA$107/day |
- Accommodation
- Breakfast and dinner
- 24/7 in-country support
- In-country program orientation
- Pre-departure support from your Program Manager
- Airport pick-up
- Personalized preparation tools, guides and check lists
- Access to IVHQ’s preferred insurance and flights partners
- Certificate of International Volunteer Service
Learn more about what's included in your IVHQ Registration Fee and Program Fee.
- All programs attract a Registration Fee of US$329 (approximately CA$463) in addition to the Program Fee. This covers all pre-departure support services. IVHQ fees are priced in USD but you may elect to pay in CAD.
- A 5% international banking fee is added at point of payment.
- Additional things to budget for include: Visa, flights, travel insurance (mandatory), vaccinations, criminal background check, lunch, public transport to and from your placement each day and return to the airport when your program finishes.
- Recommended spending money: Volunteers in Rome generally find US$200 to be sufficient for weekly expenses, including lunches, transport and miscellaneous spending.
- Any changes or cancellations within 14 days of your start date are subject to a US$200 late change/cancellation fee.
Italian language lessons
Fluency in Italian is not a prerequisite for the volunteer program in Rome. However, we recommend that volunteers take advantage of the very affordable language lessons offered exclusively to IVHQ volunteers. Volunteers find that taking these lessons helps immensely with day-to-day volunteer work and communicating with local people. Volunteers interested in taking Italian language lessons can book these at an affordable price via their MyIVHQ account once they have registered for the Italy program.
Check what's required to visit Italy
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Safety and support
IVHQ follows best practice and industry-leading health and safety procedures, which are regularly reviewed and optimized as part of the B Corporation recertification.
- All volunteers encouraged to complete our interactive pre-departure training.
- All local teams trained on best practice volunteer management & First Aid.
- All IVHQ programs are required to adhere to IVHQ's Risk Management Policy.
- All volunteers have access to 24/7 in-country support from our local team.
Essential country information
| Capital | Rome |
| Population | 61.7 Million |
| Languages | Italian |
| Currency | Euro (EUR) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 |
Weather and climate
Italy’s climate is quite diverse due to its long peninsula and mountainous terrain. The coastal areas of Liguria, Tuscany and most of the South are predominantly Mediterranean with dry summers and moderately wet winters. In the northern parts of Italy and areas of higher altitudes, the climate is cooler and the winter months can be cold, wet, and often snowy. Weather in Rome, where the IVHQ volunteer program is based, is pleasant throughout the year. Winter temperatures in Rome (December to February) vary from 4°C/39°F to 14°C/57°F while spring (March to May) is slightly warmer at around 15°C/59°F. Summer (June to September) in Rome can become very hot and humid with average temperatures ranging between 18°C/64°F and 31°C/89°F. Rainfall is heaviest in November and driest in July.
