A year ago, upon going into my 30th year of teaching Special Education, (Wallenpaupack Area School District, Hawley, PA), I made the decision to celebrate by planning to do service work In Rarotonga, Cook Islands. My friend, Kim, had referred me to Global Volunteers after sharing her previous experience. She said it was a journey beyond words, […]
Today we were launched on the first day of high school. We each met the teachers we would work with. My wife, Margaret and I are working with Annamaria in the scientifico concentration. We met several other teachers in the teachers lounge, as well as Annamaria’s daughter, Mara, who is attending the high school for […]
I am so fortunate to have the opportunity to be a part of an extraordinary service program in Monopoli Italy. As a team leader for Global Volunteers, I have made new friends, renewed friendships and I am kept young at heart with my time spent with the Italian high school students at Polo Liceale “Galileo […]
Carol Ann signed up for the Tanzania Volunteer Program with her husband, Ray, and their two teenage daughters, Mary Kathryn and Emma (19 and 17 years old). Read as Carol Ann beautifully reflects on her meaningful experience with her family volunteering in Tanzania together with Global Volunteers: “This experience is hard to put into words, but I hope that […]
Recent Global Volunteer Sharolyn Fredrickson returned from her adventure in service with an enthusiastic outlook on international volunteer work after sharing her professional skills in Rarotonga, our host community in the Cook Islands. Sharolyn is a Speech Pathologist for the Northside Independent School District not far from San Antonio, Texas. My experience in the Cook Islands was incredible. […]
It is one thing to visit a touristic site and take pictures; it is a whole different thing to be invited by a local person to her home and into her life, and to have a chance to help women support their family. Today I took two of my volunteers – a doctor and his 12-year-old […]
Two seemingly different worlds united on the Blackfeet Reservation this summer. Suh Ning Yeoh journied from Malaysia to explore and lend a hand to the people in our host communities of Browning and Heart Butte. How beautiful to hear that the eyes and minds of both Suh Ning and our host partners were opened by their differences and […]
During this past month, we gave way to our first motivational workshop titled “I am strong!” (or as our Spanish version reads: “Soy fuerte!”). This workshop was specially catered to one of our most vulnerable populations inside the children’s home: the teenagers soon to leave Puericultorio Perez Aranibar (also known as PPA). During the workshop many […]
“I am humbled by these all too brief, two weeks in Cuba, ” said Seija Webb – long-time Global Volunteer. “There may be economic hardships here, but there is also much generosity, love, kindness, goodness, and oh yes, unbridled happiness!” Significantly more meaningful than a standard tour, the service program through Global Volunteers enabled Webb […]
Kia Orana (click on this link to see how to say “hello” in Cook Islands Maori!) As we count down to the 4th of August, our countries 50th birthday of being independence, the island is full of people – some being members of Team 149! Team 149 has made such a difference to our small community. We had two […]