Be The Change in the World. Be a Global Volunteer.
China
Teach conversational English to enthusiastic learners in the fascinating cities of Xi’an and Kunming
Cook Islands
Tutor English & Math in the spectacular tropical island of Rarotonga
Costa Rica
Work with students and teachers in the the breathtaking Monteverde Cloud Forest region
Cuba
Build bridges of friendship through English conversation and community projects in Ciego de Ávila or Havana.
Ecuador
Nurture and educate young children on the margins of Quito in the Andes Mountains
Greece
Teach conversational English to students of all ages in a seaside town on the island of Crete
United States, South Dakota
Help Lakota people improve their quality of life on the plains near the nation’s prominent tourist destinations.
Italy
Teach conversational English to eager youth in a picturesque coastal community
Mexico
Teach conversational English to enthusiastic university students in Querétaro
Peru
Serve impoverished children and families, and teach English to adult students in the bustling city of Lima
Poland
Teach conversational English and immerse yourself in the Polish culture of Siedlce and the mountains of Zakopane.
Portugal
Teach conversational English to elementary, high school, and university students in historic Beja
Romania
Brighten abandoned children’s lives, and teach English to teens in Barlad.
St Lucia
Help women and children reach their full potential in an impoverished seaside village
Tanzania
Support a community’s quest for development through nutrition, health and education projects
United States, Montana
Work on community projects alongside members of the Blackfeet Nation outside Glacier National Park
United States, West Virginia
Serve youth and elders through community empowerment projects in the verdant “hollers” of Appalacia
Vietnam
Wage peace through service with conversational English classes for students and professionals in historic Hanoi
China | Cook Islands | Costa Rica | Cuba | Ecuador | Greece | Italy | Mexico | Peru | Poland | Portugal | Romania | St. Lucia | Tanzania | Vietnam | USA – Appalachia | USA – Blackfeet Reservation | USA – Rosebud Reservation
Volunteer Abroad
“Volunteering abroad holds magic on so many fronts, and is the springboard for my global explorations . . . I cannot imagine one without the other anymore.”
Seija Webb, Frequent Global Volunteer
This is service. Seriously. Volunteer abroad as a family, group, individual or couple with an internationally respected non-profit organization. We apply your unique skills, guided by our ethical philosophy of service, to life-giving community development projects. Reach out in compassion worldwide: Lend a hand in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, North America, South America or the South Pacific. We prepare you to serve. Our community partners welcome you as family. You experience daily life as local people live it. And, you return home with deep, informed insights on your place in the world.
Over three decades, more than 33,000 Global Volunteers of all ages and from all walks of life have served in 34 countries on six continents. The positive impact is enormous. Through volunteer opportunities abroad, children are fed, clothed, taught and cared for. Their health and cognition is improved. Schools are built, clean water is provided, dormitories are enlarged, teachers are supported, household gardens are planted, libraries are equipped, pregnant women and mothers are counseled, homes are restored, and so much more. All through the work of short-term volunteers! You can help provide these essential services to children and families. Choose your program – and make a significant difference as a volunteer abroad.
Volunteers
Volunteer Hours
Host Communities
“Volunteer service has changed my life.”
-Terry McGlasson, Ph.D., repeat Global Volunteer
Create, nurture and sustain the well-being of the world’s children and their families on international volunteer programs. With Global Volunteers, local people are in charge. Work alongside community members under the direction of community leaders on projects requested and maintained by our partners. Volunteer around the world in homes, classrooms, clinics, community centers, hospitals, orphanages, childcare centers, libraries, government offices, farm fields and wherever service and learning occurs. Exceed your expectations. On one-, two-, or three-week volunteer abroad programs, you help others reach their highest potential.
Be the change.
“Granddaddy of the volunteer vacation movement.”
“A model that has been replicated worldwide.”
“Global Volunteers has what are regarded as the best programs in the field.”
“Bud and Michele established Global Volunteers to provide people with an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of children around the globe.”
“The work they accomplish meets needs in little-known areas that might not be on the radar of large-scale efforts.”
“Global Volunteers is at the leading edge of the surge in popularity of volunteer vacations.”
“Travel with a conscience and help people on a Global Volunteers journey.”
“In 1979 Michele Gran and Bud Philbrook helped people in a poor mountain village in Guatemala. That lead to Global Volunteers — spiritually fulfilling, intellectually stimulating and incidentally tax-deductible volunteer vacations.”
Global Volunteers is one of the oldest nonsectarian organizations to offer short-term “volunteer vacations.”
“Though the volunteers may be vacationers, the aid they bring is real.”
10 Best Volunteer Abroad Organizations: “A pioneer of volunteer vacations organizations, Global Volunteers was founded in 1984 – that is, long before it was a trend.”
CONNECT WITH US ABOUT VOLUNTEERING ABROAD
Learn about international volunteer programs on our Facebook page. Share your own favorite volunteering abroad stories and photos with current and future volunteers.
Follow Global Volunteers around the world on Twitter, and keep us updated on your volunteer programs by using #GlobalVolunteers in your tweets.
Subscribe to the Global Volunteers YouTube channel to be notified about new videos of volunteers around the world and in USA partner communities.
Search #GlobalVolunteers on Instagram to find hundreds of inspirational photos of volunteering abroad submitted by our alumni and country managers.
Connect with us on LinkedIn for updates and articles on volunteer opportunities abroad, and career information for international volunteer programs.
RECENT BLOG POSTS ON VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES ABROAD
Journal Entry by First-time Global Volunteer in Portugal
Learning About Lakota Culture as a Global Volunteer
A Working Vacation in ¡Cuba, Cuba, Cuba!
Your Guide to Volunteering and Travel in China, Bao Li Wang