“I believe the memories we created with the children will always
be with them. When they become adults, our gestures of friendship
and fellowship will still be part of who they are – influencing the
decisions they make. We indeed made a difference.”
Jane Nicholl, Greece Volunteer
You’re a role model for youth!
Help them reach their full potential in classrooms and caring shelters. Teach English – the international language of commerce and opportunity and demonstrate service – the international expression of peace, friendship and respect. Support mothers, children and refugees in social service programs. In exchange, you can gain a personal understanding of the pride and vitality of the people behind an ancient culture, cretan hospitality, engaging customs and spell-binding coastal and mountain vistas where we’ve worked since 1996.
Volunteer on Greece’s largest island, Crete, in the Mediterranean Sea.
Local time in Crete:
Required Mobility Level:
Mobile
Genuine development projects to help children thrive. Exceptional service-learning for families, groups and individuals.
Let your “inner teacher” bloom! You’ll be provided classroom materials and curricula to guide your lessons with students ages 8-16 at six local English schools. And, most often, you’ll be “team teaching” with another volunteer. Volunteering teens and families enjoy English language summer school in the picturesque village of Kroussonas. The school complex has air-conditioned classrooms, a large playground and basketball court for fun and challenging service opportunities to work with students on English pronunciation and usage.
Volunteers in the spring and fall have a secondary assignment working at the soup kitchen run by local volunteers, where home-cooked food is prepared with love and care for people in need.
Be sure to select all applicable discounts. All payments tax-deductible.
Groups of 10 or more participants interested in dates not shown below should inquire with our Partnerships Department about adding exclusive dates to the schedule. Please email any inquiries to groups@globalvolunteers.org.
Leave the details to us!Your service program officially begins with the evening meal on the first Saturday. You may arrive at Iraklion International Airport (airport code HER), before 8:15 PM on Saturday.
You must confirm your flight itinerary with us at least two weeks before the service program arrival date to confirm your team airport transfer to the hotel. Plan your departure from Iraklion for after 7:00 AM on the final Saturday of your service program.
Your health and safety are our highest priorities as a volunteer in Greece. Your secure, beach-side hotel in Amoudara features private bathrooms with hot water, twin beds, in-room safes and telephones and very friendly staff. Most rooms offer wireless internet, and private balconies.
You can expect meals featuring spectacularly seasoned beef and pork, a variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables, including fresh tomatoes and cucumbers, pita bread, and such traditional favorites such as feta cheese, and fresh black olives. A rich selection of fruits and homegrown vegetables accompanies the meals. Bottled water is provided. Vegetarian diets can generally be accommodated.
Your lodging, food and transportation are provided always with a mind to protect your health and security. Your team leader is trained in CPR and first aid to handle most emergencies. Global Volunteers includes emergency medical evacuation insurance in your service program fee. Read more about health and safety here.
We strongly recommend you consult your own physician, public health clinic and/or travel clinic for detailed travel health information. For general recommendations, consult the following sources:
Centers for Disease Control | Health Canada Online | Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
We also recommend health insurance that covers you while you are outside your home country, and trip cancellation insurance in the event you must cancel your participation on the service program. Your travel agent can refer you to travel insurance providers. Click here to read risks associated with international travel.
Samantha (Sam) Pinakoulaki got involved with Global Volunteers in 2005, initially assisting the Volunteer Team Leader as a translator. In 2006, she was offered and accepted the position of Greece Country Manager in Greece. She has successfully managed more than 100 teams consisting of adults, youth, and young children. Samantha is recognized by both volunteers and community partners for her dedication, leadership, and passion for cultural exchange.
Born and raised in England, Samantha has lived in Greece since 1989. She studied performing arts and traveled extensively with dance companies worldwide. Her last performance contract brought her to Crete, where she met her husband, Dimitris, they got married and together they have five wonderful children.
Read more about Sam Pinakoulaki – her job, her family, her passions.
“Sam was very organized, informative, helpful, flexible, resourceful, and great fun to be with during dinner, meetings, and other activities.” ~ Vicky Hoagland, Greece Volunteer
“Sam was consistently responsive and thoughtful, energetic, and had a good sense of humor. She was also great at facilitating communication with the kids during our sessions.” ~ Lee Park, Greece Volunteer
“Sam is a warm, caring leader. She is passionate and committed to the goals and mission of Global Volunteers, but at the same time, she cares about each of us, our well-being, our experience, our energy levels, and even our health. I consider Sam a friend and an exceptionally talented leader.” ~ Andrea Kingman, Greece Volunteer
“Very welcoming and kind. She was a great support to my dad and me throughout our time in Crete.” ~ Prem Garg, Greece Volunteer
“Experienced Global Volunteers staff with local ties that really help to provide a good experience for volunteers and community partners. She gave us the freedom to lead our classes but was always there to help if needed. Helped us work and feel like a team.” ~ Thomas Leonard, Greece Volunteer
“Excellent team leader, everything was thoroughly explained, and clarified, and is an optimistic person! Sam also always made me feel safe.” ~ Karen Griffin, Greece Volunteer
“Sam is a wonderful team leader and one of the reasons I return to the program.” ~ Susan Brandler, Greece Volunteer
Ample time is available on evenings and weekends to enjoy the numerous nearby natural and cultural attractions. Soak up the Mediterranean sun at various uncrowded beaches. Or, mingle with tourists and local residents at the nearby shopping areas. A short bus trip takes you to the island’s capital, Iraklion, with its Archaeological Museum, Venetian port, and excavated and reconstructed palace of King Minos at Knossos. Or walk through the birthplace of painter El Greco in nearby Fodele, and explore nature in parks and wild areas. Crete boasts a rich variety of plants -including 130 unique species of wild flowers and herbs.
Hiking is a popular diversion for those who aren’t beach-goers. Three mountain ranges stretch in a spine across the island. The same geological forces that created the mountain ranges also created awe-inspiring gorges. Faragi Samarias (Samaria Gorge) is the most famous, with a length of 16km, making it the longest gorge in Europe.
Some resources for afternoon and evening trips:
Weekend Destinations:
You don’t need teaching experience. You don’t need to speak Greek. You only need to enjoy working with kids. Your children can work with students from the villages and rural neighborhoods of Gazi County and the major city of Heraklion. They’re growing up in a world where English proficiency is a global given – and they want and deserve to become as fluent as their urban peers. That’s where you come in! Families of all ages can work together in summer language school with students of all ages.
You emphasize speaking skills, not the formal rules of grammar in many different ways. Practice pronunciation, talk about mutually interesting topics, and read texts. You might share stories or play games. You might sing or dance or take your students on a scavenger hunt.
Parents and guardians are expected to supervise their minor volunteers, and collaborate with our team leader and local partners to maximize the service experience for everyone. Youth are invited to offer their own perspectives in team meetings and fully participate in free-time activities. In this way, your child gains a personal understanding of the Greek culture as well as the role and responsibilities of a team member. They likely also will create life-long friendships with local youth who share their interests and experiences.
Picture your group volunteering together in Crete!This is the inspirational center of Minoan civilization and mythical birthplace of the Greek god Zeus. Our program offers diverse Greece volunteer opportunities and a flexible schedule to enable people of all backgrounds and skills to fully contribute. Teaching English conversational skills to Greek students or encouraging young adults with special needs, or Greek children displaced from their homes can be many times more enriching than a traditional Greece “tour” experience. We work with you to meet your group’s unique goals and personality.
Greece service-lerning for high school and college groups
Groups volunteering together on Crete discover what tourists never experience. Inside Greek classrooms, a day activity center, a women’s association and a children’s home, you gain a rare, “insider” perspective of daily life in Greece. Participating in local Cretan dance and music, learning raki making from the experts, hearing the Greek language spoken, and experiencing Greek customs and local events with your hosts take you beyond the typical island tour. Around the pool or on the beach with your teammates, you compare notes to paint a mural of true understanding and respect. Nothing can replace the experience of volunteering together in Greece and experiencing the Greek culture as you live it.
Read details on group volunteering:
“Global Volunteers are priceless….It is not just the work they do within the community; it is also the broader impact they have on our children, teaching them that they too can become volunteers within our community”
“I’ve learned more conversational English tips from these volunteers over the past two weeks than I ever did during my years at college.”
“If people of all cultures could get together on a Global Volunteer program, we might not have to listen to jet fighters outside our homes anymore.”
“I just wanted to thank you for giving me and my students the opportunity to interact with such wonderful and interesting people for the past 6 years. My students always look forward to Global Volunteers teaching in our classrooms, and it’s such a great experience for all of us.”
“My students get so excited every time they come that they can hardly contain themselves. They get to meet and interact with real people who come from much different cultural backgrounds and upbringing. For most of the students it is the first time they get to speak and spend time with foreigners. They get to look through “ a window” and find out about places far from their hometown or village. There are so many things out there waiting to be discovered.”
“I never really felt like a tourist or even an outsider in Crete. Everywhere I went, I was welcomed and felt as if I belonged. It’s hard to imagine getting to know a place so well any other way. I learned that the world is a lot smaller than I had imagined.”
