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ScRoLL
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ScRoLL (Scottish-Romanian Language Link) is a programme which sends students from four Scottish universities to Romania for a month over the summer break to teach English in an informal summer school setting. Each placement is slightly different but all are voluntary; volunteers must be enthusiastic, flexible, up for a good time and able to take living in a foreign country in their stride!

Getting Involved

Most students find ScRoLL at the societies fair. Students who are interested are interviewed in first semester by the current committee (previous ScRoLLers). Those selected are told which town or city (or occasionally village) they will be based in and invited to take part in training and social events to get to know ScRollers from both St Andrews and other universities.

The Romanian Experience

Students fly either to the capital, Bucharest, or to the capital of Hungary, Budapest, and from there are taken to their Romanian home for the month. ScRoLLers usually live singly or in pairs with a Romanian family, but will sometimes live in a self-catered flat/hostel type arrangement. Families offer a free bed and food in return for the ScRoLLer's volunteering.

Schools in Romania are generally poorer than those in the UK but each varies in terms of the resources it can offer each volunteer. It's best to take supplies and plan on finding your own out there. Hours are not usually long; the content of lessons tends to be left up to the volunteer, but most schools expect a casual programme with lots of conversation and practice. The number of classes and number/age of the students varies between placements.

Cost

ScRoLLers must pay for their own travel to and from their placement (ScRoLL organises flights, but volunteers can book their own if they prefer). Some of this may be covered by fundraising beforehand. Accommodation and food does not have to be paid for.