2019 AID Summer
常見問題 (Q & A) >> Application

What is the AID Volunteer Summer Program?
The A.I.D (Assisting Individuals with Disadvantages) Volunteer Program is a four week program where volunteers will spend two weeks in various elementary and middle schools in remote regions in Taiwan teaching English to the students there. It includes a four and a half day long training workshop prior to the teaching weeks and a week-long tour afterwards.

What is the purpose of the AID volunteer program?
The purpose of the program is to help students who don’t normally have access to resources for learning English other than the little knowledge they may receive from school. English is an important language to know; by assisting these students and showing them that studying the language can be fun and rewarding, this program aims to promote a lifelong interest in learning English in these students so that they can overcome any disadvantages they might face when competing with their peers from larger cities and higher income families. As for the volunteers themselves, this program will give them a one-of-a-kind experience as well as the chance to learn about local cultures, develop a wider worldview, and meet people from all over the world.

Does the program require fluent Mandarin language skills?
Fluent Mandarin skills are not necessary, but some understanding of Mandarin is needed. If you do not understand Mandarin at all, you may want to select the OCAC’s Youth Language Learning Program that also includes one week of touring in Taiwan.

What is the admission rate?
Last year, there were 590 applicants admitted out of 1092 applicants. 590 applications will be selected this year.

When will the admission letters be sent?
The admission letter can be accessed online around the 10th of April. A few applicants will be put on the waiting list. The time period of sending notification to applicants on the waitlist will be from June 1 to June 30. Past records show that more than 85% of applicants on the waiting list were later admitted.

What is the standby waiting list?
In the past, there have been cases where a few volunteers do not show up on the first day of the program. In such cases, pre-registered applicants on the standby waiting list will be immediately subbed into the program. Spots on the standby waiting list are limited, and there is no guarantee that we will be able to admit all registered standby applicants. All applicants on the regular waiting list can choose to be placed on the standby waiting list without affecting their chances of being admitted from the regular waiting list. However, because notice may come last minute, applicants must be prepared to be on standby and ready in Taiwan by the start of the program. Program registration is on June 30, 2018; if spots open up then, we will contact applicants on the standby waiting list the night of June 30, 2018. Applicants who are in Taiwan at the time will be immediately admitted to the program and will register the next day at 7:30am on July 1, 2018.

When will applicants on the waiting list receive an admission notice?
The process for admitting applicants on the regular waiting list will start around mid-June. Applicants will receive a notice on their online account followed by a phone call from staff in a nearby local Culture Center office. All applicants on the waiting list will be qualified for registering for the standby waiting list as well.

Can more than one family member apply?
More than one family member can apply, but the admission of one family member will not guarantee the admission of the other(s).

Can previous volunteers apply again?
Previous alumni are not eligible for the program this year.

What are the most common mistakes made during the application process?
1. Mailing the application package without the Internet Registration Sheet.
2. Uploading the essay without the required information (ex. name, school, etc) in the header.
3. Using parents’ email address or some other not-as-often-used email address for the account name. We will send notices to the user’s account, so please use the applicant’s most frequently checked email account to open your account.
4. Forgetting the account password.
5. Not completing the online registration within 90 minutes. If you find you are running out of time and need an extra 45 minutes, please click the “Update” button at the bottom of the application page to save your information or the page will timeout and you’ll lose your progress.
6. Wrongly entering the grade year. The grade year is your grade year at the present time (the time at which you are filling out the application). A wrongly entered grade year may cause the organizer to assign you to a group with fewer people around your age.

If my passport has expired, can I still apply?
Yes, you can apply if your passport has expired and you haven’t applied for a new one yet. You can fill in the information of your expired passport or mark it as expired in the application. The passport agency states on its website that it will take 2-3 months for you to receive your new passport. After receiving your new passport, please mail in a copy of it.

What will be received after the completion of this program?
Volunteers who successfully complete the program will receive an 80 hour service certificate confirming their volunteer work with the program. Only volunteers who complete and submit an online survey, reflection essay, and revised teaching plan after the completion of services will receive a DVD of the volunteer program activities, as well as be qualified to receive an US White House’s President Volunteer Award. This award will be awarded to selected volunteers who performed excellently during the program by helping students and fellow volunteers and were highly recommended by school and program staffs.


Can I be assigned to the same school with my friends or to a school of my choice?

No. The assignment of schools is a time-consuming and complicated process in order to group volunteers with similar backgrounds together. We can not take care of your individual requests. However, we will do our best to assign volunteers to same age groups with balanced gender ratios.

How do I remove a wrongly uploaded file and upload a new file?
Reloading another file with the same file extension will overwrite the old file in the system.

My scanned document file is too large to upload. What should I do?
Please scan your document in JPEG format. This format can be more easily compressed into small file sizes. There are several free photo resize software packages available on the web. Please go to any internet search engine to find one.

Where can I find the Submit button on the online application form?
The Submit button will automatically appear at the bottom of your online application form after all required documents are uploaded and all required fields are filled.

Can my school submit official transcript in electronic format?
Yes, schools can email official transcripts to contact@aidsummer.org