Getting Experience to Volunteer with Elephants
It can understandably be difficult to try to gain experience in some of the project areas that we offer, before leaving home. There aren’t many elephant camps to visit in most of the US, Canada, Europe, or Australia, which is where most of our volunteers are from. This may sound silly, but if one is going to be volunteering at an elephant camp, I would highly recommend trying to observe, or do some part time work at a stable for horses, or other large animals. Seeing and learning some of the “ins and outs” of interacting with large animals, and seeing how large animals are treated at home can really help how volunteers approach their project in working with elephants in Thailand.
Getting Experience to Volunteer with Children
Without the proper checks it can be difficult to spend time in orphanages at home. But not impossible. Some orphanages and children’s homes in your community may provide more of an open door policy towards visitors coming to observe, than one might realize. Alternately, if one is coming to volunteer in an orphanage or children’s home project in Thailand, they can also spend a week or two helping out at a day care or after school program at home. Here they can see children of varying ages, and how they are interacted with by staff, and with each other.
Getting Experience to Volunteer with Women in Need
Most large cities have organizations that assist women in difficult situations. Spending time with one of these organizations can really help provide a well-rounded picture of the issues of working with women in difficult predicaments, and will allow volunteers to more personally connect with the people they are coming to Thailand to work with.
or 
