Ever wondered what dancing in Costa Rica looks like? Costa Rica’s central geographical location and colonial history have resulted in a varied musical culture that incorporates elements from North and South America and the Caribbean islands. Popular dance music includes tropical Latin rhythms such as salsa, merengue, bolero, and cumbia. Cumbia is perhaps the most […]
Journal by: Jamie Huntley First day of the volunteer work projects for Team #206: This day was a big one. In the morning, we all got up probably thinking the same thing, “today is the day we get to find out why we are here.” Excitement, anticipation, and curiosity of the unknown was in the air around breakfast and […]
Our host partner in Costa Rica is Colegio Técnico Profesional de Santa Elena or Technical Professional Secondary School of Santa Elena, located in a small town in the cloud forest region of Monteverde. It is called Colegio for short, which means secondary school, and houses grades 7 through 12. This technical high school has over 400 […]
Team Journal Entry for Friday, July 10 Today was so bittersweet. We concluded our service at daycare center one today and those kids and tías have made such an impact on me. The love and fun and humor and respect and value shared within the freshly painted walls of the small building sitting inside a […]
If you’re interested in visiting a unique country with a charming culture, an extraordinary history, and welcoming people, then Cuba is for you. Our Cuba service program combines the best of volunteerism and people-to-people exchanges. Hear from the volunteers themselves and experience the Cuba service program from their perspective – through photos (click on each […]
We are often asked by volunteers whether their support of literacy with children really makes a difference. We can tell you emphatically – YOU DO make a difference in the Cook Islands! The Cook Islands culture is predominantly an oral culture with most homes having no books other than a bible. This impacts the literacy […]
It has been a most satisfying progression. First, we were asked by the community of Alto Progreso to help build a wall next to the community Pre-K and soup kitchen (which serves 120 children). This wall was needed to protect the children from a 12-foot drop, which recently led to two children to fall and injure themselves. The following […]
Greece Global Volunteer, Lesley Rainey, shared her heart on her first service program in Greece back in 2013. Since then, she’s loyally supported the people she met in Greece – through not only returning to serve, but also through spreading the word on social media. Her optimistic and caring outlook on life shines through brightly […]
Good morning Saint Lucia. Our third day on the island and Saint Lucia’s beauty is only surpassed by the beauty and resilience of her people. Today we did assessments on 3, 4 , 5 and 6th graders. The children all loved mathematics and were well mannered and neatly dressed with smiles like the sun. I […]
It’s the Duanwu or Dragon Boat Festival in China on June 20 this year. The festival is celebrated on the 5thday of the 5th Chinese lunar month and has a history of over 200 years. The festival commemorates the life and death of the famous Chinese scholar Qu Yuan, who was a loyal minister of […]