Community Partner since 1998.

Debbie O’Connor: “Volunteering is good for the soul…”

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, […]

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“I was no longer a tourist. I was part of the community.”

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. […]

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Kia Orana

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 […]

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“But do we make a difference?” You sure do!

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 […]

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ANZAC Commemorations in Rarotonga

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. […]

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Ron’s Guide to the Social Customs and Attitudes in the Cook Islands

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 […]

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And then there were 6……

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. […]

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Busy Day at Schools

Mary and Dave continued their testing of grade 8 students’ reading. Generally, students were able to correctly read the words but often struggled with their meaning. The highlight of their day was a teacher popping in to ask about her students’ progress and wanted to know which students most needed her attention. Three students in […]

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Successful moments with students

Message of the Day –  “A black pearl is small but it is a gem. “ (Traditional)   Even though our time here is short, it is very useful and a gem. Our first day of work and we were all anxious to learn more about our assignments. James took us to our sites and made […]

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A wonderful day at Takitumu school

We had a wonderful day at Takitumu school. We were greeted with many “hellos” and “good mornings” as we made our way off the bus. All of us spent time reading with the grades five and six while Jack spent time in his class. When we were done with the older children, we moved on to […]

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Global Volunteers
375 East Little Canada Road
St. Paul, MN 55117-1628 USA
(800) 487-1074 | toll-free
(651) 482-0915 | fax
globalvolunteers.org
email@globalvolunteers.org
Federal EIN: 36-3352680

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