My Two Cents: Volunteering in China

Don't let your kids come to China to "volunteer" unless you directly have evidence that it truly is volunteering. This doesn't mean going through companies like China Horizons, ILP, Travellers Worldwide, etc. (Please note, I am just trying to point out that even established companies such as these have issues, I am not trying to call out any specific company). Many of these companies are looking for cheap labor, and "volunteering" is the easiest route to that. What we have seen here is that many of these companies are hooked up to the "middlemen" that find foreign teachers for schools. Many of these schools are not for poor children in remote areas of the countryside, that could really benefit from volunteers. Many volunteers end up teaching very well off students in cities. Some of these middlemen, such as one that we know, are quite dishonest. This specific one has been kicked out of nearly every job-hunting group in Xi'An for lying, cheating, stealing money, vulgarity, and threatening violence. Once a friend of mine contacted him about a job (not knowing it was him until later) and requested the going rate for foreign teachers, he replied "are you kidding? I get native speakers who teach for free." By "volunteering" in this way, you are placing yourself in a vulnerable and potentially dangerous situation. You are making the rich here richer, not helping the poor. You are also disturbing the marketplace, becoming slave labor that says no English teacher must be treated with respect and fairness. If you want to come to China as a "volunteer" very careful think through what you are doing. Work directly with a school, as these companies are generally set up to profit off of you. After paying for your plane ticket, visa, and housing, the middleman will earn AT LEAST $16,000 USD a semester per teacher. It is better to work for a semester earning that $16,000 for yourself and pay the money for your plane ticket and visa, rather than putting yourself in this situation.
Many of these companies bring teachers here on a tourist visa rather than a working visa. This creates a lot of legal problems if the authorities catch you. A big question to ask the companies is what legal help if any is available to you. Not getting teachers a working visa is a red flag.
 If you know anyone who really wants to come to China to volunteer, and can't find a legit school we are more than willing to help while we are here.  My recommendation is don't volunteer. Accept the money they are willing and able to pay. There are plenty of places in China that can't get foreign teachers due to the low salary they are able to provide. If you want, you can donate that money you earn to an orphanage before you leave (but be careful about which orphanage there is a lot corruption, but that is a whole different blog post).