A college break is a good window for volunteering abroad. Whether you have a summer, a winter break or a semester off, volunteering in India lets you work alongside local organizations, get to know a side of India that tourists rarely see, and come home with experience that means something on a résumé.
We’re a locally run organization in New Delhi, and since 2004 volunteers from more than 30 countries have joined our projects. At 18 or over, you can join any of our programs, including the ones closed to younger volunteers. These are the best fits for college students.
1. Medical internship, Delhi
For students of medicine, nursing, dentistry or physiotherapy, and pre-med students. Based at a private hospital in Delhi, you pick three or four departments for your rotation, from emergency and internal medicine to surgery, pediatrics or radiology, and spend your days alongside doctors and nurses. Expect to watch far more than you do yourself: your supervisor decides what suits your stage of training, and interns never treat patients on their own. Placements start from two weeks, so they fit a summer elective or a winter break. Read why students choose a medical internship in India for more.
2. Teaching in Jaipur
If you study education or are thinking about teaching, this gives you real classroom time. You assist local teachers at government, NGO and community schools, working with middle-school students on English, math or sports from about 8am to 1pm on weekdays. You don’t need a teaching qualification, just intermediate English and a willingness to prepare. Afternoons are free for lesson planning or exploring Jaipur.
3. Special needs care, Delhi
A strong choice for psychology, social work and special education students. You could be placed at a special education center, a skill development center or a school for autistic children, where you help trained staff with classroom routines, vocational sessions and one-to-one time with children and young adults with disabilities. Patience counts for more than experience, and therapy itself is left to qualified professionals.
4. Street children, Delhi
The shelter homes and non-formal education centers on this program support children from Delhi’s slums and streets with meals, care and a fresh start in education. You help the staff with English and numbers, games, art and sport, and make sure the quieter children get noticed too. You can stay anywhere from one week to 18 weeks, so it works for a short break or a semester off.
5. Women’s empowerment, Delhi
In Delhi’s urban slums, NGO-run community centers give women and girls the chance to learn English, read and write, use a computer and train in a trade such as tailoring. Most volunteers spend their time on English conversation with young women around college age; if you can teach computing or a trade, the centers will put it to good use. In Jaipur, our women and girls program works with teenage girls and women at a community center in a slum area.
6. Two-week mini break, Delhi and Agra
Two weeks, fully planned: eight volunteering days at shelter homes and day-care centers, a guided Delhi tour and a trip to see the Taj Mahal. It suits a winter or spring break when you want everything arranged.
Planning around your college breaks
Summer: you can join any program in June, July or August. It’s very hot until the monsoon arrives, usually in July, so pack light cotton clothes and save sightseeing for early mornings. See our summer volunteering page for start dates.
Winter break: December and January are dry, with pleasant days and cold mornings and nights in Delhi and Jaipur. Our post on volunteering over winter break has ideas.
Spring break: a week or two is enough for most programs. Our alternative spring break guide suggests where to start.
Delhi start dates fall on two Sundays a month; in Jaipur you can start any Sunday. If your college calendar fixes your dates, book early and check the start dates before you buy flights.
Why volunteer in India in college?
- Experience that counts. Time at a school, shelter, women’s center or hospital gives you real examples for graduate school and job applications. You can ask us for a certificate of participation, and for medical interns, we’ll do our best to get elective paperwork signed.
- A culture from the inside. You live with other volunteers, take the Metro or a ride app to your project and grab lunch where local workers do.
- Skills you can’t learn in class. Teaching without a shared language, improvising with few resources and adapting to a new place build confidence fast.
- Friends from everywhere. You share your accommodation with volunteers from other countries and other projects.
- A real contribution. Your time supports local staff who do this work every day of the year.
Tell us your major, your dates and what interests you, and we’ll suggest a program. Email info@volunteeringindia.com to get started.