From student to teacher

Corinne Koch’s passion for positive change and development.

22.07.2024 | By Katie Noyed | Pictures: DRH Lindersvold

At the heart of DRH Lindersvold is a community of teachers who have chosen to dedicate their lives to promoting positive change in the world. This article highlights our very own Corinne Koch, who has been the dedicated teacher of the Volunteer for Change programme for the past two years.

Originally from Sicily, Corinne (30) has a degree in inter-cross communication and a professional background in working with Erasmus projects. In 2019, Corinne participated in DRH Lindersvold’s Volunteer for Change programme, where she contributed to the Humana People to People project ‘Preschools of the Future’ in Malawi. She describes her experience as ‘life-changing’:

“In ten months, I learned so much in terms of skills and knowledge, from the world situation and which forces are behind it to practical skills, such as painting or even building a greenhouse. The time at the school supported the expansion of my worldview while also getting me ready to spend six months in a completely new culture and environment. The time at the project allowed me to experience working shoulder-to-shoulder with the people of the communities, making me understand what can’t be understood from a book. Everything I studied, everyone I met, and everything I had been part of has given me a much better understanding of the world and the conviction to be part of changing it for the better – something I can continue to do by supporting new DIs as my teachers had done for me.” 

As a teacher, Corinne enjoys guiding her students through the theoretical and practical elements of the programme while also helping to support their personal development. For Corinne, seeing the amount of growth her students experience reinforces her passion and dedication to this programme.

“Listening to their stories, following their work while they are at the projects, and seeing how they come back at the end of the six months has not only inspired me, but it also has made me realise even more just how big of an impact our programme has – not just at the projects but also for our students.”

If you could see yourself joining the Volunteer for Change programme in the future and training with passionate teachers like Corinne, we encourage you to book a call with one of our enrolment advisors to start your journey today! Our next team will begin on the 7th of October, 2024.