Internship in Laos 2025 – by Meike Becker (Team XIV)
My internship in Vientiane, Lao P.D.R.
My internship in Laos was made possible through the international commitment of the University of Education Karlsruhe (PHKA). The university actively supports students in organizing and carrying out internships abroad and strongly encourages international practical experiences as part of teacher education. Through its programmes and international partnerships, students like me are able to gain valuable intercultural experience and develop a broader, global perspective on education, both abroad and at home.
Key factors in making “The Laos Experience” possible were Prof. Martin’s Bi-directional Decoloniality project with several Lao institutions and the financial support I received from the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD). Thanks to my DAAD scholarship, I was able to cover travel and living expenses during my stay in Laos. This kind of funding not only makes international internships financially feasible, but also motivates students to step outside their comfort zones and apply for opportunities abroad. The long-standing contact between PHKA and Sunshine School made this particular stay possible.
Editor’ Note: Sunshine School in Vientiane became one of our university’s cooperation partners in Lao P.D.R. in 2017 and has continued to host our student-volunteers and staff with the utmost grace and care. Ms Meike Becker was our only volunteer in “Team XIV“, but then found her team at the school. Our last visitor from PHKA to the school was Dr Ralph Hansmann from our Physics & Technics Department; our last volunteer at the school was Ms Marie Pogerth (Team XII), the first ones were Ms Juliana Kase and Ms Julia Kessner (Team III) . Dr Hansmann co-edits the PHKA Education Journal and invited me to write an article in the “Space and Movement” issue on our cooperation with this special school, which Ms Pogerth co-authored (cf. “References”).
Settling into Everyday Life for school work in Laos
After the first intense impressions of arriving in a new country and the many overwhelming moments, my everyday life in Laos slowly settled into a rhythm that felt natural and harmonious. The initial sense of amazement turned into routine – but it was a routine that still felt special every single day. While my first article focused mainly on my initial feelings, surprises, and first encounters, I would now like to give a deeper insight into my daily life at the Sunshine School in Vientiane, the capital of Lao P.D.R.
Sunshine School – A place of community
Sunshine School is a very special place, above all because of the way people treat one another. From my very first day, I experienced an open, respectful, and friendly atmosphere, which continued throughout my entire stay. Mutual appreciation and positivity shape everyday school life.
Sunshine School in Vientiane is a private pre-, primary and secondary school within the Neo-Humanist Education system, providing a pluricultural, ethically based education that supports the holistic development of the child. Founded in 1996 and managed by the Ananda Marga Women’s Welfare Department, the school emphasizes integrated learning, compassion, and community values. The school is led by “Didi 1” and “Didi 2” (Didi = “sister”). While both share overall responsibility, Didi 2 was mainly present during my time there and managed the daily activities on site, as Didi 1 was not in Laos at that time.
The children interact openly with each other and with the teachers, laugh a lot, and show an impressive joy in learning. I always felt welcome and truly enjoyed going to school every day.
In the following link you can see a colorful visual recap of Sunshine School’s March to June 2025 highlights in Vientiane, featuring Lao New Year celebrations, an ASEAN-themed Open House with performances, exciting student excursions, awards, projects, and campus developments that bring school life to life.
Sunshine School March – June 25 highlights_compressed
Daily routine and teaching life
The school system is structured so that primary school goes up to fifth grade, followed by secondary school. My main area of work was in secondary school, where I taught English in grades six to ten. I worked closely with the English teacher, helped with various tasks, planned lessons together, and we regularly took turns teaching during class. My timetable depended on the English lessons of these year groups.
On many days, my lessons did not start until midday. I often used the mornings for lesson preparation, correcting exams, or planning new topics – usually in one of the many cafés around Vientiane. This calm start to the day was a welcome balance to the busy school life later on.
The school is located a bit outside the city nowadays,1 so I usually rode there by scooter. Once at school, I either taught on my own or together with the English teacher Ms Saba. What I found especially enriching was the close cooperation and the respectful, personal way teachers and children interacted – approachable and warm, yet always professional.
Project-Based Learning in Practice
One example of my own lesson planning was a project with an eighth-grade class on the topic of nutrition. Over the course of one month, we worked on how nutrition affects the human body. I started with an introductory lesson that covered basic knowledge. After that, I divided the class into groups, each focusing on a different aspect.
Using guiding questions, the children researched independently, worked on their topics, and presented their results at the end.
The project allowed the children to actively engage with an everyday topic, take responsibility for their own learning process, and present their results in a structured way. At the same time, I gained deeper insights into project-based learning in an international school context and into the learning and working styles of the children.
Beyond the Classroom
During free periods, I prepared lessons and helped organize school events, which allowed me to experience school life beyond regular teaching and become more involved in the school community. At the time of my placement (October to December), this included seasonal projects related to Halloween and Thanksgiving; throughout the year, however, the school regularly designs projects around a wide range of international and local festivals as opportunities for cultural learning and exchange.
On days when my lessons started early, I took the school bus together with the children. These shared rides, as well as having lunch together at school, strengthened the sense of community. Fresh meals were cooked every day, and eating together was a fixed and meaningful part of the daily routine.
Once my timetable was established, I also began teaching English in primary school. Since I study primary school education in Germany, this was a particularly valuable experience. Due to the children’s language level, another teacher was always present to assist with translation when needed. Especially in primary school, I worked strongly with visual and interactive approaches, focusing on basic vocabulary such as family members. Together, we assigned English terms to corresponding images, added the Lao translations, and repeated the vocabulary collectively to support understanding and language acquisition.
Life After School
My school day usually ended around five in the afternoon. In the evenings, I spent my time doing sports, meeting others, or going for walks through the city and the Night Market. I especially enjoyed ending the day at the Mekong River, watching the sunset.
Through acquaintances in Germany, I was also in contact with two girls from Switzerland who were doing a one-month internship at a clinic in Vientiane. Apart from that, I often met up with different friends I had gotten to know while going out on weekends.
Saying Goodbye
Saying goodbye to Sunshine School was very difficult for me. For my farewell, a goodbye party was organized in the schoolyard, where we ate together. I also received a traditional farewell blessing (“Baci“), which made me realize once again how strong my connection to the school community had become, and how the school values every person.
Outside of school, I formed close relationships as well. Regular exchanges with colleagues, shared activities after school, and weekends together gave me deep insights into family structures, cultural traditions, and everyday life in Laos. These encounters expanded both my personal and professional network in a lasting way.
Looking Back
Looking back, I am extremely grateful for this experience. I gained insights into a different school system in a distant country, collected countless cultural experiences, and made new friendships. I hope that one day I will return to Laos and to Sunshine School.
Sunshine School was not only a place of learning for me, but a community built on mutual respect, care, and togetherness.
My time at the school was far more than what one understand by the word “internship” – it was a profound learning experience that has shaped both my personal and professional outlook. I learned that good education is not defined by material resources, but by relationships, respect, creativity, and a genuine sense of community.
To future applicants, I can only say: be brave enough to step out of your comfort zone. An international internship may feel overwhelming at first, but it will reward you with growth, new perspectives, and unforgettable connections.
This experience will strongly influence my future work at German schools. I want to integrate more intercultural learning, project-based approaches, and a stronger sense of community into my own classroom practice. Above all, I hope to pass on the openness, appreciation, and global awareness that I experienced in Laos to my future students – encouraging them to look beyond their own horizons and to see diversity as an enrichment.
Supporting Sunshine School
Recently, I became aware that Sunshine School has been facing financial difficulties, due to the recession and inflation after Covid-19. At the moment, donations would be needed for the construction of sanitary facilities for the primary school.
If you would like to support Sunshine School, it would mean a great deal to me if you took a moment to look at the donation appeal below. Every contribution, no matter how small, helps provide the children with a dignified school environment.
Thank you very much for reading and sharing, and possibly supporting.
Text by Meike Becker
Photos by Meike Becker, Khenphachan Naovalath & Ella Lalaine Palacio
Media (“Highlights” PDF) by Didi1 and Didi 2 of Sunshine School (uploaded here with their kind permission)
Note
1 Running costs in the centre rose after Covid-19 while student numbers dropped. Some parents could no longer afford to send their children to school, due to recession and inflation.
Additional Reading
Article (in German) about the bi-directional learning and teaching project with institutions of education in Lao P.D.R. and education at Sunshine School in particular, published in the PHKA Journal.
Martin, Isabel & Pogerth, Marie (2024). “Aus dem Brunnen über die Ozeane [Out of the well across the oceans]”. Dialog: Bildungsjournal der Pädagogischen Hochschule Karlsruhe (11/1: “Raum und Bewegung”). 35-41. https://www.ph-karlsruhe.de/www/st/publikationen/pdf/2024_07_PHKA_DIALOG_Bewegung_und_Raum.pdf
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