Work, Volunteer, Intern, Travel Abroad

In the Spotlight

Featured Work, Volunteer & Intern Abroad Programs

As an international volunteer with Cross-Cultural Solutions, you will be making a meaningful contribution, working side-by-side with local people and sharing in the goals of a community that warmly welcomes you. You'll experience another culture like never before and really get to know its people. You'll gain new perspectives and insight into the culture and yourself. It's an exciting and personally inspiring experience, and you'll develop memories that will be with you forever. Enjoy the flexibility of choosing from 12 countries, start dates year-round and programs from 1-12 weeks long. CCS offers international volunteer programs in Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Morocco, Peru, Russia, South Africa, Tanzania and Thailand in the areas of caregiving, teaching, healthcare and community development. And all the logistics will be taken care of so you can focus on your volunteer experience. Wherever you choose, the in-country staff welcomes you to the CCS home-base, your new home away from home.

Cross-Cultural Solutions is a recognized leader in the field of international volunteering. Each year, over 4,000 people volunteer abroad with CCS. CrossCulturalSolutions.org

• Feature Video: A mother and her daughters teach English in China over a two-week period for their volunteer placement. Watch more Cross-Cultural Solutions 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 is a division of the Center for Cultural Interchange (CCI), 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?

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

• More than a vacation: Travel with a purpose. Make a difference on a global level as you learn about the world and yourself through a unique, hands-on international internship, volunteer abroad, work & travel experience, or cultural immersion opportunity with Greenheart Travel.

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 26 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, Portuguese, Russian or Spanish and 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, in-country staff support (available 24/7) 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 and internship projects worldwide.

Sustainable Development Projects. How Will You Touch the World?
With programs that form a comprehensive and challenging experience built around development work, language instruction, cultural immersion and adventure, ProWorld Service Corps offers 2 to 48 week projects in Peru, Belize, Brazil, Ghana, Mexico, India and Thailand. Volunteers develop meaningful relationships with host families and local community members by working and living together. New insights and understandings are forged daily, offering volunteers tremendous opportunities for cross-cultural learning and self-reflection. Whether participating in a semester program or NGO internship, all programs include extensive pre-program contact and personal website; comprehensive onsite orientation; full room and board; airport pick-up and drop-off at program site; all domestic program transportation; funding and staff support of development project; intensive language training (Spanish in Peru and Mexico; Thai in Thailand); academic credit; adventure and cultural activities; and health and travel insurance. Students, recent graduates, professionals, adults and families from all over the world contribute to ProWorld's sustainable development projects. Motivated and curious individuals will thrive in this program.

Now accepting applications for summer & fall internships and study abroad.
MyProWorld.org

ProWorld programs challenge volunteers physically, culturally and intellectually through experiential learning, hands-on development work and cultural immersion. Learn more about one alumni's inspirational return to Belize »

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 21 countries with flexible start dates year-round and programs lasting from 1-24 weeks. Enjoy a placement with a quality project, accommodations, meals, guidance, support and so much more. If you are at least 17 years old, 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: volunteer your time and efforts to improve the lives of those less fortunate. 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.

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 20,000 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 seven Latin American countries. 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 5-8 weeks during the summer months; the participation fee includes authentic food prepared by host families, your airfare to Latin America, training materials and more. Learn more about summer 2010 projects at 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 »

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.

If you've ever dreamed about traveling, working and learning in Africa, Ikando can provide the life-changing experience you are looking for. With headquarters based in Accra (the capital of Ghana) and ten in-country staff members to take care of your needs and ensure you have a unique adventure, Ikando knows Africa inside and out—and only recruits volunteers and interns for Ghana organizations. Teach orphans at a refugee settlement. Coordinate events at a music foundation. Assist with HIV/AIDS education awareness with a healthcare facility. Manage exhibitions with a contemporary arts organization. Design websites for an architecture firm. Become a teaching assistant at a school for the deaf. Whether you are looking to gain more experience in your field of study or taking time off to do something different and make a difference, Ikando has something to offer everybody. Depending on placement, you must make a commitment of 2-4 weeks (the average length is 10 weeks). The program fee includes arranging your volunteer or internship placement, accommodations in the heart of Accra, airport pick-up and drop-off, welcome pack, in-country introductory session and a team of experienced volunteer coordinators to assist you 24/7. You can expect a quick response to your queries, a detailed application process resulting in a work experience with an organization that needs you and that you will want to work for. Ikando.org

• Ghana boasts beautiful white sandy beaches, dense tropical rainforests and wild savannas. Ikando volunteers and interns usually spend their weekends together exploring the country.

Your adventure abroad starts here! Since 1994, Travellers Worldwide has offered 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, Brunei, Cambodia, China, 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 Abroad Programs to Explore

Explore. Experience. Expand. International Education Programs (IEP at Jacksonville University) offers affordable and immersive internship, volunteer, service-learning and study abroad programs in over 25 countries throughout Latin America, Europe, Africa, 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. Service-learning and volunteer abroad opportunities in developing countries around the globe provide students with intercultural experiences and opportunities for meaningful travel. All internship and volunteer programs include a customized placement from 2-26 weeks, housing, travel insurance, airport pickup, on-site orientation and support services. Additional amenities such as Internet, social events, and language training may be included. Traveling overseas is a process that begins long before the plane ride. IEP is committed to working with students individually through the decision-making process as they select and prepare for a study, internship or volunteer program. Learn more about your options and IEP destinations, begin the application process, or connect with IEP through email or by calling 800.IEP.3023 for more information.

• IEP academic and internship/volunteer programs offer experiences for a wide variety of majors and include direct-enrollment programs at large prestigious universities abroad, center-based culture and development studies, and customized internships in everything from banking in London to women's empowerment in India.

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 (six months), Work in Ireland (four months) and Work in France (three months, summer only). 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.

• BUNAC programs provide you with the opportunity to live and work legally in international countries, gain real world experience and internationalize your resume while making new friends and earning money to travel and explore.

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 programs in 26 countries; along with fundraising treks to Mt. Everest Base Camp, Mt. Kilimanjaro and Machu Picchu. A minimum time commitment of two to four weeks is required, up to a maximum of 52 weeks. 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.

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.

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.

Go where you want to be with InterExchange!

• Want to improve your second language skills? Experience a new culture? Or simply travel the world? The InterExchange Working Abroad program offers U.S. citizens the ability to work legally while traveling abroad.

Unique Resources

View the Work Abroad Directory

The Insider's Guide to the Peace Corps: What to Know Before You Go offers an insider perspective of the trials and tribulations of being a Peace Corps volunteer (the author, Dillon Banerjee, spent two years as a volunteer in Cameroon). As an essential reference guide for anyone contemplating the "toughest job you'll ever love," you'll find the latest information and resources on Peace Corps programs.

Explore these insider tips on living, working and traveling abroad.

Get inspired with these stories from the field:
• Intern Abroad Belize
• Teach in Costa Rica
• Find Your Inner Tarzan in Costa Rica
• Community Building Paraguay
• Volunteer Peru
• Teach in Thailand
• Volunteer Uruguay
• Experiencing "The More"
• Homestays Abroad Tips
• Volunteer Vacations Abroad

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.

Hot Links
Go to the Teach Abroad channel

Explore our hot list of work, volunteer and travel abroad guides and books

backdoorjobs.com
Your Home for Short-Term
Job Adventures & More!