Dream Corps 2010 Summer Volunteer Program

DREAM CORPS is an innovative non‐profit organization dedicated to bettering the learning
environment for students in disadvantaged communities in rural and urban China.

Dream Corps is recruiting 35‐40 international volunteers to participate in its 2010 Summer
Volunteer Program in rural villages and urban migrant communities of China. Volunteers will
take part in activities that include
• Building basic library infrastructures
• Developing library management system
• Reading programs
• English teaching
• Facilitating community initiatives and projects
• Community understanding
The program consists of 3 days of training in Beijing, 3 weeks of volunteer work on assigned
volunteer sites, and 3 days of concluding camp in Beijing.
We also have internship opportunities in our Summer Intern Program (see below).
Qualification
This is an exciting opportunity for students, researchers, and young professionals interested in
international development, rural education, and the non‐profit sector in China.
Our past volunteers were from more than 10 countries and regions and were primarily
undergraduate and graduate students.

Ability to speak mandarin Chinese is mandatory.
Expense
While no fee is charged, volunteers shall cover all of their travel, board and lodging expenses
during the program, including airfare for the traveling to China. Typical total expense per person
during the program is around 250 US dollars.
Applica9on Process
• STEP 1: Online Applica,on at http://www.dreamcorps.org
a. Applica,on form
b. Personal Statement (see guidelines for details)
c. Resume or CV
We have a rolling applica,on process and the posi,ons fill up quickly, you are strongly
encouraged to apply as early as possible. There is no applica,on fee.
• STEP 2: Interview
Applica,ons are typically reviewed within a week. Qualified applicants will be
interviewed over the phone or in person.
• STEP 3: No,fica,on of Decision
Final decision will be sent to you no later than March 19.
Important Dates
• Jan 24: Online applica,on opens
• February 26: Online application officially closes
• March 19: All acceptances notified
• Mid April to Early May: Online training (4 or 5 sessions, about 2 hours per session)
• May 23: Volunteer registration in Beijing, program begins
• May 24‐25: Volunteer training in Beijing
• May 26: Volunteers departing for sites
• June 25: Program ends at end of concluding forum in Beijing
Additional Information
If you have any more questions regarding our program, please visit Dream Corps 2010 Summer
Program FAQ at http://www.dreamcorps.org/2010FAQ
If you have any questions regarding the application and volunteer selection process, please
contact the Recruitment Committee at recruitment@dreamcorps.org.
Personal Statement Guidelines
Please keep your statement between 300‐500 English words or 500‐700 Chinese characters. As
a general guideline, please cover the following:
1. Why do you want to volunteer with Dream Corps?
2. You previous social work or volunteer experience? Please include dates, locations,
activities, and your roles.
3. Have you traveled or lived in rural China? For how long? If not, have you traveled or lived
internationally? For how long? If so, please describe briefly (locations, dates and
activities).
4. Have you had any teaching or tutoring experience? If so, please describe briefly
(subjects, target audience and formats)
5. Do you hope to conduct a personal or academic research project during your possible
stay in China with Dream Corps? If so, please describe briefly.
6. What do you believe are the values of books and reading to the lives of underprivileged
children in China?
Dream Corps 2010 Summer Internship Program
Late May to late July
Dream Corps offers 8‐ to 10‐week long, unpaid Summer Internship Programs (SIP) for
mo,vated volunteers with strong ini,a,ve and leadership to work in the areas of library
management, informa,on system support, community outreach, reading program, and
organiza,onal communica,on. Internship period officially starts with the Beijing Training Camp
of the Summer Volunteer Program (SVP) in late May and ends in late July. Work‐related travel
expenses will be reimbursed. This year, there are the following positions available:
• Beijing ‐ SVP Informa9on Specialist: Responsible for collection, selection, and
organization of site‐specific SVP informa,on, documents, and media files during and
aker the SVP, with the op,on of conduc,ng reading program and community outreach
activities at the New Century Dream Library in Zhufang Village, Beijing aker the SVP.
Involvement starts with the SVP online training.
• Hunan Chaling County Dream Libraries ‐ Information System Support Specialist:
Responsible for semng up electronic library management system, and assisting local
librarians in using the system, and provide general computer training for local teachers.
• Sichuan Yibin Nanguang Dream Library ‐ Library Management Specialist: Responsible
for semng up electronic library management, providing support to local librarian,
teachers, and students regarding how to use the system, and in general ensuring the
school’s readiness for library access and use in the subsequent academic year.
Requirements for the SIP in addi,on to those for the regular (SVP) include:
If applicant have not participated in the SVP in previous years, they must participate in this
year’s SVP
Internships are on‐site and continuous with the SVP (running from late May to late June), with
no vacation time in between.
Submission to Dream Corps of documents required for your enrollment in your university’s
internship programs, such as (1) purpose or research statement and (2) funding applica,on
form, where applicable.
In addi,on to an application to the regular SVP, all applicants must submit a Dream Corps SIP
proposal to sites@dreamcorps.org that (1) iden,fy their intended posi,on, (2) explain their
specific mo,va,ons and qualifica,ons, (3) iden,fy their specific goals, and (4) ar,culate their
specific plan for reaching these goals. Please direct further inquiries to sites@dreamcorps.org.corps.org.

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