Volunteer abroad with Cross-Cultural Solutions to experience another culture like never before. As a CCS volunteer, you're making a meaningful contribution, working side-by-side with local people and sharing in the goals of a community that warmly welcomes you. Volunteers serve in the areas of caregiving, teaching, community development, and healthcare on programs from 1-12 weeks long. Choose from 12 countries in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe or Latin America, with start dates year-round.
Read about one CCS Volunteer's inspiring experience in Peru »
Working, volunteering, learning, living and traveling abroad for extended periods of time becomes the adventure of a lifetime for many.
Many venture to unknown lands to fill a gap of time in their lives, improve their fluency in a foreign language, meet new and interesting people, build self-reliance, or to help people and communities truly in need. Whatever your case, by traveling and working in a new land, you'll have the chance to immerse yourself in the culture and meet people on their own terms, rather than experiencing it as a tourist would.
Explore your short-term and longer-term options for working, volunteering, interning or teaching in unique locations all over the world. In this channel, you'll find some of the best organizations to help make your dream of living overseas a reality.
Experience the CCS Difference!
As a Cross-Cultural Solutions international volunteer, you'll work side-by-side with local people on dynamic and inspiring community-led initiatives. CCS is a trusted member of the communities where they work. Their service is valued because they bring together the local knowledge and expertise of community development leaders and the motivation of international volunteers. Enjoy the flexibility of choosing from 12 countries, start dates year-round and programs from 1-12 weeks long. All of the logistics will be taken care of so you can focus on your volunteer experience.
As a CCS volunteer, you may work with kids, adults, or people with disabilities; teaching, providing care, or offering companionship. But regardless of your specific placement, you can be sure that your work is always structured to be meaningful, and have a positive impact in the community. The CCS model of short-term volunteering is successful because they are dedicated to sustainable community development in each community, and each volunteer's program contributes to the ongoing, positive impact over time.
•Volunteers from diverse countries, ages, and backgrounds share their story on why they chose to volunteer abroad with Cross-Cultural Solutions.
Watch more CCS volunteers in action—hear their stories, get a glimpse of their daily life, explore the natural wonders of the country and learn more about the positive impact you can make in the world.
Greenheart Travel, a division of the Center for Cultural Interchange (CCI), is an international exchange nonprofit dedicated to the promotion of cultural understanding, academic development, environmental consciousness and world peace. At Greenheart Travel, students and adults have the opportunity to explore the world through unique cultural immersion programs in over 30 countries. Where will you make a difference?
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Volunteer Abroad: see the world with new eyes by volunteering in 2-12 week projects geared to working with children, health care, schools, environmental conservation, social services and much more.
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Teach Abroad: get paid to share your English language expertise with students in Bhutan, China, Georgia, South Korea or Thailand while earning your living expenses and a monthly stipend for a semester or year.
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High School Abroad: experience daily life like any teenager in your host community and gain first hand knowledge of a new culture.
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Work & Travel: hit the road on a working holiday visa to Australia or New Zealand. Land a job, earn money, and fund your travels as you go.
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Independent Homestays: get inside another culture through an intensive cross-cultural experience; enjoy a home-cooked meal, make new friends and learn new traditions.
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Language Schools: total immersion makes all the difference, whether in the classroom or with your host family.
All programs run year-round with flexible start dates; you'll also enjoy housing (most with a host family), meals, medical insurance, program orientation with local coordinator and 24-hour support. GreenHeartTravel.org
•Change your Perspectives. Change your Life. Travel for a Change! Greenheart Travel offers students, recent grads and adults the opportunity to discover the world through cultural immersion programs. Become fluent in a language, study in a new country, volunteer with grassroots organizations, teach English around the world and become a leader.
Help, learn and explore with Projects Abroad by participating in a worthwhile international volunteer placement or internship. Spending time overseas with Projects Abroad can last from two weeks to a year in 27 different countries around the world in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe or Latin America and the Caribbean. Whether you teach in a Mexican school, work on a veterinary internship in India, help with English classes in Peru or participate in a medical project in Ghana, you will be joining a community of volunteers and local people, all working together to better their lives and their community. Along with a life-enriching volunteer or internship project, you will also live with a host family and experience the culture of your host country intimately. The full-time, in-country staff will meet you at the airport, introduce you to your host family and make sure you settle in well. Volunteer placements and internships include care, teaching, conservation & environment, sports, culture & community, archaeology, building, performing arts, medicine & healthcare, journalism, law & human rights, business and veterinary medicine & animal care. Language courses in Arabic, French, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and a variety of local languages as well as university dissertation research options are also available. The fee includes project placement, housing with a host family, three meals a day, comprehensive travel and medical insurance, 24/7 in-country staff support, and social activities with other volunteers. Projects-Abroad.org
•Whether you are looking to gain international work experience, help others less fortunate than yourself, or simply experience a new culture, Projects Abroad offers unique and worthwhile volunteer placements, internships and language courses worldwide.
ProWorld offers volunteer, study and internship projects in Belize, Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Ghana, India, Mexico, Nepal, Peru, and Thailand. Volunteers, students and interns can work on projects in fields such as the environment, health, microfinance, ecology, education, journalism, women's empowerment and community development. Volunteer for as little as one week, or intern for up to six months—projects are flexible and geared towards your interests, while committed to the communities and ProWorld's long-term partnerships.
Whether participating in a volunteer project, a NGO internship or semester study abroad, programs include accommodations (either homestay or group housing in the community), meals, airport and local transportation, excursions, language training, health and travel insurance, community development work, and most importantly, cultural immersion and an experience to remember!
Build a cleaner-burning stove, help develop clean water filtration, teach young girls about finance or help construct a school—with ProWorld, you'll experience real projects and real experiences through a unique combination of cultural immersion and community development. Accepting applications for spring and summer internships, volunteer projects and study abroad.ProWorldVolunteers.org
ProWorld programs are customizable and fit your interests: whether construction, education, engineering or beyond, you'll gain cultural understanding through hands-on service learning and immersion within the local community. Learn more about how one volunteer can make a difference.
Building a World of Youth Leaders, One Volunteer at a Time. Are you ready to challenge yourself, make a commitment and a real contribution this summer? Through the unparalleled AMIGOS Experience, more than 24,000 high school and college-aged Volunteers have completed extensive leadership and service training programs in preparation to become community development promoters in Latin America. Last year alone, AMIGOS Volunteers made a positive difference in over 250 communities in nine Latin American countries (Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay and Peru). These unique programs give you the chance to take on sustainable health, education, environmental service and technology projects by collaborating with local partners. Immerse yourself in the lives of your host family and community while improving your Spanish. As you build your own leadership and language skills, you'll make a genuine difference and friendships that will last a lifetime. Programs run from 6-8 weeks during the summer months; the participation fee includes authentic food prepared by host families, international airfare to Latin America, training materials and more. Explore summer 2012 AMIGOS volunteer projects. Amigoslink.org
Youth Leadership. Multicultural Understanding. Community Development. These are the three pillars for the AMIGOS challenge. One Volunteer shares lessons learned while on her five-week summer experience in Paraguay »
Whether you are traveling solo, with a friend or family member, on a spring or summer break, gap year adventure or medical mission, A Broader View can arrange a rewarding volunteer experience especially for you.
Experience the happiness, struggles, aspirations and dreams of the people you assist—all while discovering the beauty, history and culture of a foreign location. Work on education, social, medical, conservation, or community development projects side-by-side with members of the community and actually see the results of your hard work. Expect to immerse yourself in the community—eat local food and drink, learn common phrases, listen to local music, really get to know the people you serve. See what really makes a destination truly unique—the people, not just the tourist sites.
Choose from 20 countries with flexible start dates year-round and programs lasting from 1-12 weeks. Enjoy a placement with a quality project, accommodations, meals, guidance, support and so much more. If you are at least 17, have an open mind, a dedication to fostering cultural exchanges, a passion to help and a sense of adventure, gain a broader view of the world.
A Broader View Volunteers is a registered 501(c)(3) charitable organization based in the USA.aBroaderView.org
•Teach English at a primary school. Help construct a new orphanage. Support women's empowerment projects. Assist with an HIV/AIDS prevention campaign. Volunteer your energy at a children's center. Embark on a medical mission. Experience a world of discovery with A Broader View Volunteers.
Volunteer abroad on critical community and conservation projects!Global Vision International (GVI) runs responsible volunteering programs in over 40 countries around the world, working locally to promote sustainable development through environment research, conservation and education. Work with indigenous communities in Central and South America. Participate in a rainforest conservation and community development expedition in Ecuador. Teach Buddhist monks in Laos. Monitor humpback whale activity in Brazil. Volunteer opportunities are available from 1 week to 2 years, with program that focus on helping local communities to achieve their goals of sustainable development through long-term partnerships and education. The GVI international network of over 150 field staff ensures your peace of mind, cultural orientation, in-depth training, and 24-hour support throughout your stay. GVI program costs generally include all food and accommodation, transport to and from the project, airport transfers, pre-departure support, discounted services, in-country support, and emergency phone. GVI participants come from a range of different backgrounds and locations all over the world. Volunteers must be flexible, self-motivated, and enthusiastic with a reasonable level of fitness and over 18 unless joining a family program. Generally no previous experience is required as all training is provided in the field. GVIUSA.com
•By volunteering abroad through GVI, you'll have an amazing travel experience, gain a unique insight into a foreign culture and make a positive contribution to the world we live in. Over 150 critical conservation and humanitarian projects worldwide rely on Global Vision International for volunteers, promotion and direct funding. So can you!
Are you looking for that amazing feeling knowing you've made a difference in the life of a child, assisted a rescued animal so that it can be returned to the wild or built a much needed shelter for the homeless, all while living in the community you are working with and viewing life through different eyes?
Whether participating in a short-term volunteer vacation or a prolonged gap year, the Global Volunteer Network provides challenging and affordable international projects in 21 countries throughout South America, Africa and Asia; along with fundraising treks to Mt. Everest Base Camp, Mt. Kilimanjaro and Machu Picchu. Projects are available year-round and placements range from one week to six months in length. The program fee offers you choice, value and convenience. The in-country fee covers housing and meals, orientation and airport pickup upon arrival to your host country. Volunteers come from all walks of life: singles, couples and families; those with specialized skills or those embarking on a post-college adventure; all of whom want to make a difference, to offer their skills and talents to a community that needs the help of volunteers. Make the big leap today by completing the comprehensive online application. GlobalVolunteerNetwork.org
The reason I travel to volunteer, not climb mountains, not lay on a beach (although I love all of those things and try to do them as much as possible), but make volunteering the point of the trip, is because of the more. Learn about experiencing "the more" through the eye's of a Global Volunteer Network volunteer.
Global Volunteers: this is travel that feeds the soul. Contribute to genuine community development projects in 19 countries worldwide! Teach conversational English in elementary classrooms. Nurture homeless and disabled children in orphanages and child care centers. Repair and paint community buildings. Provide basic health care services to children and adults. Help improve natural resources and contribute in many other direct ways. Global Volunteers mobilizes teams of volunteers to work alongside local people in more than 100 host communities year-round by helping to advance ethical, long-term community development partnerships. Live and work with local people on life-affirming service programs for one to three weeks, with extended-term service option from six to 24 weeks. Unique and powerful service opportunities also exist within U.S. borders. No specialized skills are needed to contribute genuine, long-term development assistance.
Global Volunteers pioneered short-term international service opportunities in 1984, and works in special consultative status with the United Nations and UNICEF.GlobalVolunteers.org
If you are considering a volunteer vacation this year, examine options to ensure you help, rather than harm, while abroad. Mutually beneficial international volunteer opportunities are full-time programs, and prepare volunteers to serve ethically and sensitively in the host country.
Your Adventure Abroad Starts Here! Since 1994, Travellers Worldwide has been offering rewarding project placements for students and adults throughout the world. Volunteer in a community development project. Teach conversational English or academic subjects. Coach or play a sport. Engage in hands-on conservation projects with dolphins, lions, pandas, a coral reef or national forest. Land a professional work experience internship in fields from business and journalism to tourism and medicine. Live, eat and breathe a new language. Take a cultural course: learn martial arts or how to salsa dance, become PADI scuba certified or obtain a pilot's license. Combine multiple placements in these exciting destinations: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, China, Ecuador, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Kenya, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mozambique, New Zealand, Peru, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Everyone is welcome on a Travellers project (from 17 years old upwards and all nationalities). Costs vary depending on length of placement and you can participate from two weeks up to one year, subject to visa requirements. Included is full support from the moment of booking and throughout your placement to your return home, all meals, accommodations, and comprehensive information about every aspect of your placement. Applications are accepted year-round. TravellersWorldwide.com
•With placements suitable for students, career-changers, grown-up gappers or retired adventurers, Travellers Worldwide provides voluntary work overseas in teaching, wildlife conservation, orphanage care, work experience internships, language study and cultural courses.
Additional Overseas Programs to Explore!
Looking for a way to spend extended time living, working and traveling abroad while adding a line to your CV and gaining real world experience? BUNAC work and volunteer programs offer an easy, low outlay and rewarding way to experience another culture.
BUNAC's internship program, Intern in Britain, provides students and recent graduates a once in a lifetime opportunity to undertake an internship in the UK for up to six months. Expand your skills while you discover Britain.
Work abroad opportunities for full-time US students include Work Canada (up to twelve months) and Work in Ireland (four months). Participants can take almost any job anywhere. BUNAC's Work Australia program, with up to a year for work and travel, is open to US citizens aged 18-30, while Work New Zealand provides similar opportunities for 18-35 year olds in the land of the big white cloud. BUNAC volunteer programs offer challenging and rewarding opportunities to make a difference in a local community project in Cambodia, Peru or South Africa. Placements are in environmental, wildlife, education or social welfare projects and last from 5-17 weeks.
On all BUNAC programs full assistance and support are available throughout your stay. Visit BUNAC USA or BUNAC UK for more information.
•BUNAC programs provide you with the opportunity to live and work legally abroad, gain real world experience, make new friends, and internationalize your resume while earning money to travel and explore. With work, travel and volunteering opportunities around the world, traveling with BUNAC will be one of the most fun, challenging and rewarding experiences you'll ever have!
Seasonal jobs, volunteer programs, internships and au pair placements available in the U.S., Europe, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, China, India and Central and South America. InterExchange offers placements throughout the U.S. for international citizens and placements for U.S. citizens to travel and work abroad. All programs include job placement, full support and access to low-cost international insurance. Many programs also include housing, meals, orientation and social and cultural activities.
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Au Pair AbroadAustralia, France, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Turkey
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International VolunteerArgentina, Australia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Galápagos Islands, Ghana, India, Peru
•Want to improve your second language skills? Experience a new culture? See the world? The InterExchange Working Abroad program offers U.S. citizens the ability to work legally while traveling abroad.
Intern. Study. Live. Explore.
The Center for International Studies (CISabroad) offers affordable and immersive internship and study abroad programs in a total of 18 countries throughout Latin America, Africa, Europe, Asia and Oceania. Customized internship abroad opportunities allow students and recent graduates to focus their academic studies, gain relevant work experience and immerse themselves in the workplace and society of a foreign country. All internship programs include a customized placement from 4-26 weeks, housing, travel insurance, airport pickup, onsite orientation, and support services. Additional amenities such as Internet, social events and language training may be included. With internship options in Australia, China, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, Ireland and England, CIS is sure to have what you're looking for! CIS is committed to working with students individually through the decision-making process as they select and prepare for a study abroad or international internship program. Learn more about your options with CIS, start your application or get your questions answered by contacting them via email or calling (877) 617-9090.
Center for International Studies (CISabroad)
17 New South St., #205
Northampton, MA 01060
(877) 617-9090 info@cisabroad.com www.cisabroad.com
•Internship and study abroad experiences with the Center for International Studies (CISabroad) offer opportunities for a wide variety of majors, lengths of stay and completely customized, pre-professional internships! Gain a global perspective and set yourself apart with CIS today!
Working to build a truly sustainable community, Kalu Yala is founded on the core tenants of culture, new urbanism architecture, organic food, wellness, recreation, education, preservation, and conservation of the natural environment. The Kalu Yala Valley is located in the rainforest highlands of Central Panama in a 7,000-acre valley that backs up to the Chagres National Park. The internship program allows students and young professionals to come to Panama and gain cultural exposure, work experience, and knowledge in order to create a project that will ultimately help shape this sustainable community. The Summer 2012 Internship Program runs from May 21st through August 6th, with interns needed in the following areas: Agriculture/Animal Science (create a sustainable organic farming & livestock system), Outdoor Recreation (provide a variety of sustainable recreation opportunities for residents & visitors), Biology (catalog all varieties of flora & fauna and preserve the Valley's abundant biodiversity), San Miguel Community Outreach (grassroots community organizing, leadership training, and education in rural Panama) and Business (help accelerate entrepreneurship and shape the real estate development model). Tuition starts at $2,500 (for regular admission) and includes rent, meal plan, Internet access, laundry service, utilities, mailbox and transportation between locations. Connect with Ashley Davis for more information or to apply (view the internship packet). Applications are reviewed on a rolling admission basis.
•Interested in helping to create the world's most sustainable village? Discover a new and conscious way of living in Panama! Kalu Yala is seeking passionate, self-starting individuals from all backgrounds who would like to flourish in a whole-systems, entrepreneurial research environment. View the Kalu Yala intern experience »
Looking to Volunteer Abroad? Original Volunteers offer affordable placements to over 19 worldwide destinations. With over 100 volunteer projects that will suit every need, budget and passion, options include work with children, building or conservation projects, sports volunteering and work with animals. No set departures, no fixed itineraries. Original Volunteers will tailor your projects to your requirements with destinations to Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Ghana, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Kenya, Malawi, Mexico (Merida or Puerto Vallarta), Morocco, Nepal, Paraguay, Peru, South Africa, Tanzania, Thailand and Uganda. Once overseas you won't be on your own. At most projects you will be sharing with other volunteers and at peak holiday periods there may be many volunteers. Volunteer coordinators and local staff are there on hand to help you and offer the support you may need during your time spent volunteering. The £125 registration fee covers 12 months access to Original Volunteers programs. Within that time, you can volunteer as many times as you like. All projects include accommodations and some include board as well. Apply online, watch a video or learn about who else is going. Confirmation of your reservation is made by email within 24 hours.
•Original Volunteers offer affordable volunteering abroad, unlimited choices, fantastic volunteer work opportunities, and a flexible approach. See what volunteers are saying about their volunteer abroad experience.
Travelers who want to combine a little adventure and personal growth with service to others should include Volunteer Vacations in their research. The 10th edition of this classic profiles more than 250 organizations who need volunteers along with vignettes from previous volunteers.
Need a passport for your journey abroad? Download helpful passport information, including application forms, from the U.S. Department of State.
If you're looking for the perfect flight, hotel or rental car deal, we recommend Kayak.com (they'll compare hundreds of travel sites at once and show you the best prices).
Explore these insider tips on living, working and traveling abroad.
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