Waves
of Words

A nonprofit foundation rebuilding the children and village torn apart by the 2004 tsunami — through laughter, love & language.

Apply to intern → Read the story
Professor WOW waving
The Mission

Bridge cultures one laugh, one conversation, one song at a time.

How the internship works

Six ways you'll bring English to life.

Interns don't drill grammar. They play, eat, sing, and explore alongside the children — so English becomes a friend, not a subject. Here's what a day actually looks like.

01 / 06
Games & recess

Learn verbs by running them.

Tag, duck-duck-goose, hopscotch. Kids learn English through their bodies first. You'll be out of breath by 10am.

02 / 06
Field trips

The village is the textbook.

Beach, temple, market, mangrove. A long-tail boat is a vocabulary unit. Every outing is an English lesson in disguise.

03 / 06
Shared meals

The best English happens between bites.

Tom yum, sticky rice, curry, laughter in two languages. You'll eat with students, teachers, aunties, uncles — and pick up more Thai than you planned.

04 / 06
Classroom co-pilot

You assist. You don't replace.

Local teachers lead the room. You give kids a real voice to practice with — a friend, a listener, someone who makes English feel human.

05 / 06
Songs & stories

Songs they'll sing forever.

Head, shoulders, knees & toes. Itsy bitsy spider. The kids carry the melody home and sing it for years — your worst singing voice is more than welcome.

06 / 06
Creative projects

Your ideas shape this program.

Murals, short films, puppet shows, photo walks. This program is new — your creativity and feedback help design what it becomes.

WORLD · OF · WONDER
WAVES · OF · WORDS
Professor WOW
Meet our mascot

Professor
WOW.

The elastic, expressive embodiment of founder Seldon Young's life — Swan Princess producer, tsunami survivor, village rebuilder. Mr. Bean meets Jacques Tati meets Pixar. His pink argyle is permanent. His eyebrows do the talking.

Meet Professor WOW → Play game with Prof WOW
The Story

Born from the sea.

In 2004, the Indian Ocean tsunami struck the coast of Thailand. I was there. I survived. And I never left — not really.

Read the full story →
Join the Mission

Ride the Wave.

Become an intern. Live in the village. Teach through laughter. Leave a mark on the children of Ban Nam Khem that no ocean can wash away.

Apply now → About the internship
Room & board covered Round-trip travel Cultural immersion 30 days → 1 year