On a previous post, Ken, a U.S. and international volunteer, explained why he’s dedicated much of his life to volunteering abroad. His wife Suzanne offers her take on the reasons behind her family’s volunteering abroad experience. Why do you volunteer abroad? I think it is really enriching to volunteer abroad. My husband is a geographer […]
Ken is one of those people who not only tries to live happily without harming anyone, but actually invests his time helping others. He has helped in his home city of Seattle building houses for low income families, teaching at a school for homeless children, and serving at the Board of his local Girl Scouts […]
In 2011, the United Nations declared October 11th as the International Day of the Girl Child. Its mission is “to help galvanize worldwide enthusiasm for goals to better girls’ lives, providing an opportunity for them to show leadership and reach their full potential.” It’s a day when humanitarians worldwide unite under the same goal to highlight, discuss, and take […]
College is a time when millennials are told that they are supposed to find themselves or a deeper purpose in life. For many young people, it can be a harrowing task to discover the “real world, ” especially when the real world isn’t much more than campus and home. But what if you volunteered abroad while in college […]
Recalling his memories of Poland as a volunteer, one recent team member says he’s grateful for the meaning his service with Polish teens brought to his life. Winding down our individual English conversation lessons (but also speeding up our final preparations for the closing ceremony) we reflect on our weeks at Reymontowka. Not only the teachers, but the dance […]
Georgianna, a Poland Global Volunteer, talks about her first day teaching and learning in Poland. My beginner English class started by lining up outside the door, where the young students greeted one another, asked how each other were, and introduced the next person in line. The objective is to have them speak, speak, speak, in English. It’s not easy because these […]
Barbara Morris, a Volunteer Team Leader, provides a glimpse into her work supporting and enabling her team of volunteers in Cuba. Bright and early, our gardeners, clad in hats, sunscreen, and gloves headed out with their host to work in the garden. Kind of like sending kids off to their first day of school! Next the “maintenance” crew, […]
A family home visit in a shanty town outside Lima and a conversation with a displaced child’s grandfather raises conflicting questions for Peru volunteers Jody and David. Our final day of volunteering has come WAY too quickly! I’m honestly conflicted, feeling we’ve experienced so much in such a short time, but at the same time have barely scratched […]
Global Volunteers Lauren and Jayce describe Blackfeet cultural experiences on their service program. After a productive day of service, a couple of us headed off to the sweat lodge offered by a local family. It was sure to be a unique and educational cultural experience with our new Blackfeet friends. Everyone gathers in a small […]
Jim, a recent Poland Global Volunteer, describes his personal technique for teaching conversational English to Polish students. This morning was a mixture of excitement and some anxiety. Exciting because I would meet my class of Polish English students for the first time. I’m a bit anxious because I didn’t know for sure if the activities I planned […]