LEARN, EARN, RETURN!
For more than 15 years the Thai Child Development Foundation -or TCDF- has been serving children and youth who fall outside the system in Thailand by empowering them through various education and healthcare programs. The Thai Child Development Foundation supports underserved children in rural areas all over Thailand but is operated from our center in the south: The TCDF FOREST SCHOOL ACADEMY. Hidden in the mountains of Phato village TCDF runs a school for special need students and a sustainable development farm with occupational training center open to volunteers and visitors all year round! A short stroll along the river brings you to the Ecologic nature lodge where everybody is welcome to join one of the many inspirational nature and self development programs, camps and even weekend retreats that are organized for all ages under the beautiful concept of LEARN, EARN and RETURN!
THE TCDF FOREST SCHOOL ACADEMY CONSISTS OF 4 BRANCHES:
Special needs school
A free day school with a free school bus service that reaches children high in the hills!
Food Forest School
24 circular economy learning stations.
An Inspirational group venue for workshops, camps and retreats.
Vocational training center
Production and occupational training center and shop for young adults with disabilities.
Scholarships
Changing predictable futures of underprivileged children through full scholarships all the way to university!
CURRENT TCDF FOREST SCHOOL ACADEMY PROGRAMS :
You are kindly invited to apply, join, volunteer or sponsor
Circular economy & the permaculture principles
The circular economy aims to keep products, equipment and infrastructure in use for longer, thus improving the productivity of resources -just like in permaculture.
Schools and teams can join customized camps and programs according to educational aims and budgets. All profit if any goes towards occupational training programs for children with disabilities.
Community outreach & healthcare programs
Working closely together with local schools, health care institutions and village leaders. Our social workers visit the homes of families that fall outside the system.
Medical Thai speaking volunteers can join this village outreach program, sponsors are needed for individual follow up cases. Introductions to private hospitals and are much appreciated.
Special Need Education
Children who can not go to their local village school due to either learning or physical disabilities are picked up with the school bus and get customized education and at the academy for free all year round.
Sponsors are much appreciated as well as introductions to parents of children with special needs from poor families in need of support. There are family guest rooms for visitors who want to join program parts and learn about special need education.
Scholarships
Children from underprivileged families can continue their education through the scholarship program. This program is a cooperation between the academy and government schools of which the teachers are the contact person and the whistleblowers.
Teachers and students can apply for individual support. Companies and individuals are requested to sponsor.
Youth Leadership skills training
Extended programs that guides teenagers to make the right choices, set big goals and plan the steps to achievement! From traveling solo safe to time management, financial management, communication skills to applying for university and more…
Schools can apply for their students.
Companies are invited to apply for internships or offer suitable workshops.
Woman & girls empowerment
Various workshops that focus on empowerment for girls, from self protection, to communication skills to 1 day workshops for women’s groups and girls to become less dependent by setting up small businesses and teaching the relevant communication skills for the progress.
NGO’s and groups can apply for customized programs. Sponsors are appreciated!
Environmental Education
Educational program that focuses on respect for the environment. The academy is situated in a unique environment with mangrove forests, jungles, waterfalls, rivers, national ,marine parks, hot-springs, national parks and secluded beaches just a day trip away!
Booking can be made for groups and families only. All profits go towards environmental education programs for local children.
Community Learning Center
Free educational programs every saturday for people of the local community to join. Language, health, sports, music, sustainable farming, and occupational training are offered weekly in this all year round program that is open to all visitors!
Visitors, volunteers and participants are welcome all year round! Please register in advance.
Internships
3-12 month internship positions available for students from Thailand and abroad at the Forest Academy venue.
A unique learning opportunity for students of many courses!
Students, schools, companies and individuals may apply for customized programs all year round!
U-pick-M cooking courses
The academy offers thai cooking courses, healthy cooking courses, vegan cooking courses, and food foraging courses for families with awareness.
Families or school groups can book 1 day to 5 day courses all year round: all profits go towards the nutrition program for children in need.
Eco- action events
Tree planting events, clean up the river events, setting up recycle banks in your community and more. Join the action at one of the many events at the tcdf-ecologic academy for circular economy!
Schools, teams and family’s can join customized events. according to budget and intentions. All profit is used for environmental education for local children.
Recycle bank scholarships
Cleaning up the village while raising educational funds and raising awareness on the environment . A win win win program that can be set up in every village, school or organisation.
Schools, teams and educators can request support and material for setting up the recycle bank in their own community in Thailand.
Wonder-full World of Water
From rivers to beaches, waterfalls, to hot-springs, mangrove forests to coral reefs.
Sponsor or come help clean up while learning about the ecosystems and enjoying the wonderful world of water that can all be found all around the unique location of tcdf-ecologic academy!
School camps
Focus on circular economy, yoga & mind-fullness, language, back to basic camps, digital detox camps and our most popular camp WWW: Wonderful World of Water, and environmental education camp that brings students from waterfalls, to oceans to hot-springs to mangroves!
1 day-1 week- 1 month school camps for students groups up to 40 students. Private schools are invited to sponsor public schools through our buy one give one program.
Please email us to request a customized program for your group.
LEARN, EARN, RETURN during a short visit to the forest school:
Fun @ Farm Fridays
Visit, join and show support at the occupational training center for young adults with special needs on the open day each friday. learn how to make soap, organic compost, print t-shirts and more.
Share a skill Saturdays
Art, language, sport, self defense, marketing…..
Share a skill and teach a class at the community learning center on saturdays.
Voluntourism
Combining a holiday with helping out 3 hours a day. Voluntourist do not take away jobs from local people and do not work directly with the children of the foundation. They support the foundation in a sustainable way by helping on the organic farm or sharing a professional skill with the academy team.
Artist nature inspiration retreats
No better place to find inspiration than in nature! all year round 1 month retreat places. all profits go to the community creative learning center for local children. However… Every september free rooms available for artists staying in thailand! Artists make the world a more beautiful place and the academy supports this!
Body & soul yoga retreats
All year round retreats that focus on self improvement thruough yoga & meditation.
The most popular retreat is our weekly yoga, nature & culture retreat that combines enjoying the best of Thailand with doing the best for your body & soul. All profits of the retreat go towards the medical care program of the foundation!
Child Yoga Teacher Training
Yoga is good for body and soul and yoga can help children in their overall development.
The academy offers trainings in several languages to become a certified children, yoga teacher. Expand your impact through education!
C.S.R & Teambuilding
The academy builds customized win win CSR programs for companies with awareness in thailand and the rest of the world! On-line volunteer programs, fundraising event organisation, or team-building at the academy’s forest school are all part of the options.
Visit our farm fresh restaurant
Hand picked, home roasted organic coffee, thai and western menu, vegan and raw choices. enjoy the mountain view at our farm fresh restaurant for a day, walk around, have a swim, book a massage and enjoy. All profits go to the nutrition program for underprivileged children!
Please email us to request a customized program for your group.
