1. Volunteer Abroad in India
16 Years and Counting
W EBINARS
Thursday, December 15th
3:00-4:00 p.m. EST
www.crossculturalsolutions.org

2. Agenda
• Introductions
• India Overview
• CCS Overview
• Home-Base
• Volunteer Placements
• Cultural & Learning Activities
• Free Time / Weekend Activities
• Questions?
• Next Steps – Getting Involved

3. Introductions
Pete Bryan
Program Advisor
Alumnus of CCS Brazil, China, Costa Rica,
Ghana, Guatemala, India, and Morocco
Alex Brandt
Program Site Specialist
Alumnus of CCS Peru, Costa Rica,
Guatemala, China, India, and Morocco

4. India Overview
Dharamsala
Bela Singh
New Delhi Country Director for CCS in India
CCS India Staff

5. India Overview
Quick Facts
• Shares a border with Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Burma and Bangladesh
• Population of over 1 billion people and the second most populous country in
the world
• 18 official languages & over 7 major religions
• Republic consisting of 28 states and 7 union territories with a parliamentary
system of democracy
• National currency is the Rupee
(1 USD = ~45 INR)
• Has one of the fastest growing economies
but still suffers from high levels of poverty,
illiteracy and malnutrition

6. CCS Overview

7. New Delhi
About New Delhi
Experience modern and historic aspects of the capital city
of India
• Capital city of India
• Second most populous city after Mumbai
with a population of over 9 million people
• Temperature varies from 103 degrees F
(40 degrees C) in the summer to about 45
degrees F (7 degrees C) in the winter
• Summer is long from about April to
October with the monsoon season in July
and August
• Characterized by the co-existence of the
past and the present and dramatic
differences in localities, standards of living
and adherence to traditions throughout the
city

8. New Delhi
Volunteer Placements
Helping to Achieve Important
Community Objectives
• Educating At-Risk Youth
• Caring for Infants & Children
• Caring for People with Disabilities
• Assisting Teachers of Special Education

9. New Delhi
Cultural & Learning Activities
Experience modern and historic aspects of the capital
city of India
• Shopping for Indian Clothes
• First 3 weeks of Cultural &Learning
Activities are mandatory
• Discussions/Lectures – Political History
of India, Economic Development
• Guided Tour of National Museum
• Classical Dance Demonstration
• Visit to Hindu, Muslim & Sikh Temples
• Hindi lessons are mandatory

10. New Delhi
Free Time Activities
• Local Sites
• Old Delhi
• Chandni Chowk Market
• Gandhi Museum
• Dil Haat Market
• Qutub Minar
• Red Fort
Weekend Travel
• Agra – Taj Mahal
• Jaipur – Pink City
• Jodhpur – Sun City
• Camel Treks in Rajasthan
• Amritsar – Indo Pak Border

11. Dharamsala
About Dharamsala
Volunteer and experience the breathtaking Himalayan
mountains in Northern India
• Lies in the foothills of the Dhauladhar, in the
Kangra valley
• Center of the Buddhist Tibetan Government
in Exile and home to the Dalai Lama
• Split into 2 levels; the lower level is primarily
Indian and the upper level is primarily
Tibetan and know as McLeod Ganj
“It's hard to put into words how to • Population is approximately 100,000
describe my experience. It was • Unpredictable weather!
wonderful from beginning to end. I am
indebted to many people in India, the in- • Dec to Feb is cold weather
country staff and the UK and US staff, • Mar – Jun & Oct – Nov is warm & dry
who helped me along the way and made
the journey so memorable…” • Jul – Sep is warm & wet (monsoon
- CCS India Volunteer season)

12. Dharamsala
Volunteer Placements
Helping to Achieve Important
Community Objectives
• Education
• Caring for Infants & Children
• Caring for People with Disabilities
• Assisting Teachers of Special Education
• Working Toward Women’s
Empowerment

13. Dharamsala
Cultural & Learning Activities
Experience the breathtaking Himalayan mountains in
Northern India
• Picnics & Cricket Matches
• Temple Visits
• Discussions/Lectures – Tibetan Culture
• Norbulingka Institute
• Classical Music Recital
• Visit to Kangra Fort
• Hindi Lessons
• Indian Culture Night

14. Dharamsala
Free Time Activities
• Kotwali Bazaar
• McLeod Ganj
• Music & Art Classes
• Yoga Classes
• Trekking & Hiking
• Bhagsu/Naddi/ Dal Lake
Day Trips & Weekend Travel
• Palampur
• Triund – Hiking
• Amritsar
• Shimla – Capital of Himachal Pradesh
• Kullu Manali

15. Questions
What questions do you have for us?

16. Determine where, when, and for how long you
want to volunteer:
Next http://www.crossculturalsolutions.org/enroll/enroll-checklist
Contact a Program Advisor
Monday-Friday 9am-6pm EST
Steps 1-800-380-4777, info@crossculturalsolutions.org
Pete: pete@crossculturalsolutions.org
EXPLORE OUR WEBSITE
w w w. c r o s s c u l t u r a l s o l u t i o n s . o r g
Stay In Touch
facebook.com/crossculturalsolutions
twitter.com/volunteerabroad
youtube.com/ccsvolunteerabroad