Volunteer with AIESEC Australia in Hungary

Name: Volunteer with AIESEC Australia in Hungary
Brand: AIESEC Australia
SKU: 52614
Rating: 4 (1 reviews)

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Location

Hungary

Project Types

Arts Business Community Development Service Learning Education Teaching Computer Literacy Professional Development

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Program Details

Language

English

Housing

Host Family Hostel

Pricing

Starting Price

500

Price Details

$AUD 700 (one-off administration fee), which excludes flights, visas and other costs. Most projects, however, should provide some form of accommodation via hosting with a local family or in student dormitory.

Last Updated: Jul 15, 2019

Last Reviewed: Oct 12, 2014

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About Program

Our two main projects in Hungary are the 'Magellan' and 'GlobeKids' projects.

Magellan is a project designed to contribute to the competitiveness of the Hungarian educational system. Volunteers will work in primary and big schools (with children aged 14-19), delivering English language education and extra-curricular activities to establish a global mindset among the children.

GlobeKids involves working in a kindergarten in Hungary where volunteers for this project will have the opportunity to interact with young children, take care of them and teach them English in a fun and interactive way. The work is on weekdays, with evenings and weekends free.

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I've always been that one spontaneous friend in the group; that one friend who consistently and conscientiously brings up ideas that we could do. I always change my mind and half the time I change them over. AIESEC in Hungary was something I never even thought of. At the beginning of 2013, I had no plans to travel alone. Little did I know, a random 'what-if' had sprung up and I applied. In my head, it was all just something I would apply for to see what would happen or if I could even get in. I did. And so, this little 'Jess-Plan' as my best friends name it became a 'Jess-ends-up-in-Hungary-for-Summer-Vacation'.

I never really thought I'd be into teaching. My program with the Bolyai Janos School in Szombathely, a city near the border of Hungary and Austria, was as far off my entire life direction had ever been. By the end of 2013, I had finished my second year of a Bachelor of Engineering and Arts degree. I had no experience in teaching (especially English as a second language), save for a few tutoring students.

I chose Hungary because it was a country I had never known anything about. I did not know the language (which happens to be by far one of the most interesting and intricate languages in my experience), or the customs. So I decided to take a leap. Even the city I was staying in (a whopping 3 hour train trip from Budapest), I did not know until I decided to Google it in a hotel room in Hong Kong two nights before my arrival.

I was assigned to two host families to stay. With their help, I settled in. Hungarian customs are interesting. The Hungarian word for Hello AND Goodbye is 'Szia!' (see-ya). They also said 'Hello' as a farewell. You can imagine the confusion for about the first week or so.

I was assigned to aid teachers in the Language Department. A majority of my days were in the office reading and taking walks around the school where I could meet the students, many of which were too timid to approach a native English speaker. Although I was bored quite often, my positive experiences had overtaken the negative. My host family took me skiing in the Austrian Alps, they took me to see the neighbouring castles and they made delicious food every night!

The children I talked to were really enthusiastic. Regardless of the language barrier, we all cried together at the end of my stay. I have never thought that I would be so attached to strangers and students in this environment.

I had a wonderful white-summer. This experience had opened my eyes to the world around me.

What would you improve about this program?

A more diverse range of opportunities and a higher inclusion rate.

Questions & Answers

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

What position do you hold at AIESEC Australia? What has been your career path so far?

I am currently the President of AIESEC Australia where I manage all the strategies and activities that are going on in Australia, ensuring alignment to our global direction.

I started out back in 2011 in Business Development where I was liaising and forming partnerships for our organisation. I then became in charge of this department in my local office back in the University of Western Australia, Perth.

Since then, I have had the opportunity to work in Singapore as the Vice-President of Incoming Operations. I then came back to Australia to manage Business Development on a national level as the Vice-President of Business Development.

Did you volunteer or intern abroad? If so, where and what inspired you to go?

Yes, I did a volunteer exchange abroad. I chose to go to Egypt through an AIESEC exchange. I went in the midst of the revolution in Egypt, in December 2011.

The reason I chose Egypt was because I really wanted to step outside of my comfort zone and experience working in a culture that was really foreign to me. I wanted to challenge myself to see how far I could stretch.

Besides, being part of AIESEC, I had heard many good experiences of people who had returned from their exchanges and I really wanted to experience it for myself.

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What makes AIESEC Australia's programs special?

There are a few things that makes the AIESEC program unique. Firstly, AIESEC's global learning environment. The AIESEC exchange allows you to go to a foreign country where you will be received by the local AIESEC members also known as "AIESECers". In addition, you will usually be teamed up with AIESEC volunteers/interns from other parts of the world, who are also going through the same experience.

Secondly, AIESEC fully immerses you in the culture and environment you are going to. You live like the locals and the local AIESECers take you where they usually go.

Finally, and this is the best part, AIESEC allows you to shape your own experience. It is up to you to see how far you want to take the program, how much you want to commit. The principle is simple: The more you give, the more you get out. That is also the principle I live by in everything that I do.

What is your favorite story of an AIESECer's experience via AIESEC Australia?

My favorite story of an AIESECer's experience in Australia is that of David Pirozzi's. He was from the University of Sydney and was the President of the Local Committee there.

After his experience, he decided that he wanted to start up AIESEC in Laos as he believed that young people in Laos should have the same opportunity to enjoy these experiences through AIESEC and be more connected to the world. Since then, he applied to be the Expansions manager of Laos and has been there since 2013.

This is my favorite story because it showed me the wide-ranging opportunities AIESEC provides and where you can take your own AIESEC experience. So long as you decide to do it, and commit to the opportunity, anything can happen. Also, it shows AIESEC Australia's contribution to our global network. Now, young people in Laos can also have the opportunity to enjoy the experience of our programs.

Any tips for someone considering an AIESEC Australia program?

I would give this same tip that I received back in 2011, which helped me decide about going on an AIESEC exchange. If you are thinking about joining the AIESEC Australia program, just sign up and commit yourself to it.

We always make excuses for ourselves such as "but I haven't decided what to do over summer" or "I might be visiting my friends in...".

The best thing I did for myself was to go home that night, sit myself down and sign up for an AIESEC exchange program. Not only did it help me decide what to do for my summer, it really allowed me to see the world from a different perspective and through the experience, gain so much more confidence in everything that I do.

About AIESEC Australia

AIESEC is the global youth network impacting the world through leadership development experiences. Present in 124 countries and territories, AIESEC is the world's largest youth-run organisation. Run by youth and for youth (18-30 yrs), we envision the 'peace and fulfilment of humankind's potential'. In a world, which faces many different global...