Want a spring break that means something, without emptying your bank account? Volunteering India’s programs let you spend a week or two supporting local projects in Delhi and Jaipur and still see some of the country. Spring is also one of the best times to visit: February and March are warm and dry, and if your break falls in March, you may catch Holi, the festival of colors.
Here are the six best alternative spring break volunteering programs in India for 2027.
Street children program, Delhi
Our most popular program for years. You spend your days at a shelter home or non-formal education center serving Delhi’s slum communities, helping the staff with informal lessons and play. Project days run Monday to Friday, about 10am to 4pm.
What volunteers do
- Teach through activities and games, so learning feels like play.
- Run sports, art and music sessions.
- Help children build habits such as hand-washing and greeting people.
- Join occasional outings with staff to a museum or the zoo.
- Give children time, attention and encouragement.
Special needs care, Delhi
A more demanding role, for patient people. The project brings together three centers in Delhi that support children and young adults with disabilities, most from low-income families: a special education center, a skill development center and a school for autistic children.
What volunteers do
- Skill development center: join vocational sessions such as baking, paper-bag making, clay modeling, tailoring, candle making, book binding and computer work, plus music and dance.
- Special education center: help teachers with classroom routines and activities.
- Autism center: help at mealtimes and with daily tasks and simple lessons, and teach songs, dance, origami or painting.
Trained staff lead all therapy. If you are a qualified occupational therapist or physiotherapist, tell us and we will discuss how you can help. Volunteers on this program must be 18 or over.
Women’s empowerment, Delhi
In a society where many women still struggle for opportunities, community centers in Delhi’s poorest neighborhoods teach women and girls the skills to earn and speak up. Read why this work matters.
What volunteers do
- Teach spoken English to young women, most aged about 17 to 20.
- Share a vocational skill such as beauty work, stitching or crafts, if you have one.
- Help with basic computer lessons and reading and writing classes.
- Lead discussion groups that build confidence.
Childcare and elephant rescue, Delhi, Agra and Jaipur
A 15-day program for people who want to travel as well as volunteer, and spring is a lovely time for it. You start at children’s projects in Delhi, then travel the Golden Triangle: Delhi, Agra and Jaipur.
Highlights
- A week with children at day-care centers and shelter homes in Delhi.
- Three days at a rescue center for elephants near Agra, preparing food and enrichment with the keepers. There is no riding or performing.
- Delhi’s monuments, including Qutub Minar and Humayun’s Tomb, on a guided tour.
- The Taj Mahal in Agra.
- A tour of Jaipur’s palaces and forts.
Medical internship, Delhi
For pre-med, nursing and medical students looking for a meaningful placement. You join a private hospital in Delhi, shadow doctors and nurses as they see patients and carry out procedures, and see how healthcare works in a busy Indian city.
What interns do
- Shadow and observe in the departments you choose.
- Help with basic tasks where your training and your supervisor allow.
- Learn from case discussions, ward rounds and clinics.
Placements start from two weeks, so they suit a longer spring break.
Two-week mini break, Delhi and Agra
Another two-week program, planned from start to finish. You spend eight days with children at shelter homes and day-care centers in Delhi and see the city’s monuments and the Taj Mahal.
What volunteers do
- Take informal classes in English, math and general knowledge, through games and activities.
- Help staff prepare and serve the children’s meals.
- Lead songs, stories, music and craft activities.
- Brighten up the centers with charts, paint and decorations.
What one volunteer says
Rachel, from Aberdeenshire
“Apart from being an absolutely beautiful country where I made so many fond memories, I will always remember India as the place where my awareness of other ways of life grew tremendously. Spending time in the slums of Delhi made me realize that not only am I incredibly fortunate and that there are still so many things to be happy about in life for those who have much less. The children in the school we volunteered in were so full of happiness and stories to share with me. I have never been more inspired by a group of people that I was of those children. As one of the youngest members of our group of volunteers, I feel I learned a lot about independence and responsibility, both from my surroundings and from other group members. Most importantly of all, the volunteering journey to India has taught me things I never realized about myself, and I hope to be able to apply my newfound hope and open-mindedness to my everyday life.”
Where you stay and what you eat
In Delhi you stay at our base in the south of the city, a short walk from the Metro, sharing a room with other volunteers. Breakfast and dinner, vegetarian Indian food, are served Monday to Saturday, and Sundays are free for trying Delhi’s restaurants and street food. In Jaipur you choose between our volunteer house and a local host family, with three meals a day.
Want to know more? Email info@volunteeringindia.com, or see dates and prices to plan your spring break.