Community Partner since 1998.
by Denise Miller My first experience with Global Volunteers was in 2005, when I read an article in The Washington Post about volunteer vacations. When I looked at the Global Volunteers website, the Cook Islands was featured on the front page, and I was hooked. This was a place I had always wanted to visit, and […]
Danielle Silver visited the Cook Islands Global Volunteers program earlier this year. She provided support to Takitumu School and met some amazing young people. Victor was one of them and here she shares her poem about the experience she had while providing service in the Cook Islands Victor A bright sunny island day, the […]
This is the last week of service for the remaining Vaka Team members. We were 15 and are now 7 members strong as the others completed their service. (it is yet to be determined if we are the Magnificent 7 or the Seven Dwarfs!) I want to share some of the team observations and learnings […]
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, […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
25 April is a Day that Australian and New Zealanders set aside to commemorate their fallen soldiers. In the Cook Islands, it is no different. With the Cook Islands strong connection to the British Empire via a New Zealand Administration, Cook Islanders were also asked to take up arms in the two great World Wars. […]
Third time Cook Islands volunteer, Ron, has come up with some reflections about life in the Cook Islands. Here, we will share a few with you – some are tongue in cheek. So enjoy our programme through the lens of a Canadian volunteer who loves providing service in the Cook Islands. In the photo, Ron […]
Journal Entry for July 15, 2014 – Author: Glenda And then there were 6…The six of us gathered for our morning briefing over breakfast. This was a typical Monday morning was clothes day as a few of us gathered laundry to be taken to the cleaners which James kindly offered to drop off for us. […]