Global Volunteers’ regularly scheduled Team Leader training has always been anticipated by staff and volunteer team leaders from every corner of the globe as one of those welcoming “yay,” can’t wait “highlights” of the year. Typically conducted in St. Paul, MN, the program was suspended in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic. The bi-annual […]
In 2005, Global Volunteers launched the popular English summer school at the invitation of the Mayor’s Office of Malevizi, Crete. Its purpose? To help improve students’ conversational English skills and build up their confidence in using English as a second language. This story about Mihali* is representative of the significant impact English language skills building […]
Christmas or (Xristouyenna- Christouyenna) meaning “the birth of Christ” is one of the most important celebrations within the Greek Orthodox church. Traditions vary depending on which region or Island one is from. Here are a few of the popular traditions celebrated in Greece as reported by Greece Country Manager Sam Pinakoulaki: Kalikantzari During the 12-day […]
Septuagenarians Bob and Judy Nix have always had a passion for making a difference, especially in the lives of children. Volunteer travel had always been on their bucket list, so when Bob’s sister Linda Murphy asked them to join her on a service program in Greece with Global Volunteers, they were ready to go. In […]
When you think of Greece, what comes to mind? The rise of democracy? The Olympic Games, ancient history and philosophy, Minotaurs and mythology? Perhaps you think of magnificent temples, the clear waters of the Aegean Sea, sandy beaches, mountain villages, or small windy roads blocked by sheep and goats. Greece is also known as the […]
Since 2014, Global Volunteers has worked alongside the Union of Women Associations of Heraklion (UWAH) to improve the lives of vulnerable women and children in Crete. Our partnership has mobilized volunteers to help Association members learn English, paint and clean their shelter for abused women and children, and produce crafts projects to raise money for […]
When Cassidy Matz arrived as a volunteer in Crete in 2019, she was an early childhood education student, and anticipated teaching preschool after graduation. But, she admitted her focus was lacking. After teaching teens English for two weeks, she gained a profound sense of purpose and her career vision became clear. She changed her major, […]
In the year since Greece began its first (of many) national lockdowns due to the fast-spreading Covid- 19 virus, Greek students and teachers have struggled to sustain a reliable school routine. Celia Kopaka, one of our phenomenal community partners in Greece, describes her efforts to keep her students up to date via online learning, and […]
In 2020, Global Volunteers welcomed 57 babies to the Reaching Children’s Potential Program (RCP) family. The RCP Program is a child-focused, parent-driven, family-centered, and community-led comprehensive approach that begins with pregnancy and continues through the 18th birthday. The program invests in children’s and mothers’ nutrition, health, and education, focusing on the first 1,000 days of life to […]
Congratulations and thank you to our fourth group of unique individuals who, during the last months of 2019 and January and February 2020, reached their “milestones in service.” We recognize Alumni Volunteers who completed from five to 27 service programs with Global Volunteers in this fourth post in November (the month of “giving thanks”). We Salute each and every […]