Connexpedition 2026 Application
Applications will be accepted beginning January 3rd at 12:00am and ending January 24th at 11:59pm.
+ 2026 Program Information
Application and Interviews
Each year, we look for mature and personable individuals who display a passion for service, an interest in intercultural learning, and a desire for personal growth and leadership development. Connexpedition members are selected following an application and interview process designed to help our staff understand your strengths as a teacher, a team player, and a leader.
Applications are open from January 3, 2026 through January 24, 2026
Online group interviews: January 17 through January 31, 2026
Decisions via email: February 3, 2026
Orientation and Training
When selected to join this year’s program, the first training/orientation is mandatory. There will be a total of 8 trainings to prepare you for the service trip in June and the online lessons throughout the year. At these trainings, you and your team will develop a comprehensive English language curriculum for middle school students.
Mandatory Orientation (Training 1): February 22, 2026
Training period: February 2026 through June 2026
Please review the training schedule in the Program Application Packet
Summer Service Trip
You will be assigned to one of five volunteer teams. Each team serves a unique municipality, region, or school. With your teammates, you will host a two-week English language summer camp and instruct classes of about twenty students. Our camps and classes are designed around the core principle that English learning can be fun and exciting. We aim for you to employ interactive activities and engaging teaching methods in the classroom to create unforgettable experiences with your students.
Summer Service Trip: June 27, 2026 through July 12, 2026
Online Volunteer Service
Our program also provides online English lessons before and after the 2-week summer camp. You will teach 4 online lessons before the trip and 5 online lessons after the trip. In partners, you will design and lead online lessons with your students to help build confidence in their English speaking and listening.
Online Volunteer Service: April 2026 through October 2026
Please review the Program Application Packet for more detailed information
+ Qualifications
Applicants must meet the following qualifications:
- Applicants must reside within the San Francisco Bay Area and be able to travel to in-person orientation and training sessions.
- Applicants must be currently enrolled in grades 9-12 at the time of application.
- Applicants must be a holder of a passport eligible for a visa (or visa-exempt) that allows them to stay in Taiwan for the duration of the entire program.
- Applicants must be able to demonstrate an intermediate to advanced proficiency in Mandarin Chinese during the interview process.
- Applicants are preferred to have prior leadership experience, experience working with younger children, and demonstrated interest in service-learning/volunteering.
- Applicants must show a high degree of competency in the following skills or display the following qualities: strong aptitude for teaching, maturity and professionalism, public speaking, leadership, teamwork, punctuality.
+ Travel Information
Flight to Taiwan: Meet at airport the night of June 25, 2026 (flight arrives in Taiwan the morning of June 27, 2026)
You may choose to travel earlier to Taiwan and meet us in Taiwan on June 27, 2026
Volunteer Trip Begins: Saturday, June 27, 2026
Volunteer Trip Ends: Sunday, July 12, 2026
You may choose to remain in Taiwan after the program ends on July 12, 2026 or travel back with us back to the US
+ 2026 Program Cost
Non-refundable application fee: $45
Program fee: $615 (Due by first training)
Refundable deposit: $200 (Returned after completion of training and service trip)
You are responsible for the following expenses:
- Airfare
- Accommodations and travel prior to June 27, 2026 and after July 12, 2026
- Transportation within the United States
- Any personal expenditures
Application Procedures
We process hundreds of applications each year. All applicants must carefully follow all steps below to avoid any errors or missing documents. Missing documents, incomplete or false information, or missed deadlines will be taken into consideration during our application review process.
Step 1: Download the Program Application Packet
Download the 2026 Connexpedition Program Application Packet and review all pages with your family before deciding to apply. The application packet contains important information, including but not limited to the training schedule, program policies, and trip information.
Carefully review and complete the pages that require a signature.
To prepare for the online application form, scan the signed pages separately (one PDF file per page) with a printer or scanner application on your mobile device.
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Step 2: Online Application Form and Payment
Complete the online application form and pay the application fee. Proceed to the bottom of this page to access the online application form.
Please note: Each applicant must complete a separate application form. Families with multiple applicants will have to complete multiple transactions. For example, Sibling A will complete the form and checkout. Then Sibling B will repeat the same process. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
Please note: The online application form does not automatically save your responses. Do not refresh or visit a previous page when you are completing the application. We recommend having all required documents ready before starting the application, including your responses to the short answer questions.
Please note: In the past parents have reached out to us about accepting one sibling and not the other. Please understand that capacity is very limited, and we do our utmost to select the volunteers we believe will be most fit for the program at the time. We do apologize for any planning inconvenience this may cause, but the decisions are made with all parties’ best interests in mind.
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STEP 3: Schedule an Interview
We will hold online group interviews from January 17 through January 31, 2026. We will reach out to applicants via email to schedule your online interview after review of your application. Keep in mind that we will only be selecting up to 150 applicants to be interviewed.
Please note: If you are a returning member, you will not need to complete an interview.
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STEP 4: Committee Review and Application Decision
Read about our application review process to understand the criteria and qualifications we judge applicants on.
We will notify you of your decision via email on February 3rd. Accepted applicants must follow the instructions in the decision email to accept or deny the position offered by February 10th. If you are not accepted into our program, your confidential application information will be securely destroyed.
Ready to Apply?
When you are ready to apply, click the button below to access the online application form. Remember, the form does not automatically save your progress, so we recommend having the necessary documents and your responses to the questions ready beforehand—see Section K in the Program Application Packet
The online application form will open on January 3rd at 12:00am.