In the first part of her essay excerpted here, Nilusha Jayasinghe, winner of Global Volunteers’ Bi-Annual Student Volunteer Abroad Scholarship, talks about the importance of high school volunteering and international service in shaping her career choices and worldview. My International Service Beginnings In May of 2010, at the age of 19, I departed the United States […]
Meet Your Guide to Volunteering While You Travel in Ecuador Having joined the Global Volunteers team in 2011, Maggie Bjorklund is our Ecuador and Costa Rica Country Manager. She manages all aspects of those two programs and leads all teams in those countries. Maggie lives in Quito, Ecuador and travels to Costa Rica each time […]
A four-time volunteer tells why Global Volunteers programs are the best volunteer vacations available. In an interview with Matt Mayes, a Florida-based videographer, Lynn describes her experience looking for, and finding, meaningful travel. Matt: You were searching for the best volunteer vacation. How did you learn about Global Volunteers? Lynn: About three years ago, I was looking […]
Volunteer Robert writes about his “reverse culture shock” upon returning home to Washington after volunteering at a secondary school in the the cloud forest region of Monteverde, Costa Rica for a week. Here’s his list of 20 things he had not expected! Reverse Culture Shock Attention Global Volunteers Costa Rica Team #233: There is a […]
Ten-year anniversaries are cause for celebration! Marking 10 years of service in Beja, Portugal, Global Volunteers anniversary team (February 17-March 3, 2018) will be out of the ordinary in so many ways. Unique community events, stimulating conversations with community leaders, and exceptional meals are just the icing. Teachers, students, community partners, and returning Beja volunteers will […]
Powerful reflections written by volunteers while serving at a daycare and after visiting a family in their home in Calderón, Ecuador. They write about the relationships they formed while volunteering with children in Ecuador. Volunteering with Children in Ecuador I find that I am truly able to lose myself in the needs of the children […]
A guide on what to expect in rural Appalachian culture written by Global Volunteers’ community partners at Southern Appalachia Labor School (SALS). While on a volunteer service program, you will be immersed in Appalachian culture. Many things might come as a surprise to visitors, and so we’ve written this guide to help you better understand […]
Team Journal Entry for September 6, 2017 from Team #2 to Ipalamwa, Tanzania Each volunteer team of Global Volunteers prepares a team journal for the service program. Each entry assumes the personality of the author, and many are greatly entertaining. We find this entry by team member Beverly, an attorney, especially creative! See if you […]
More than 1,400 volunteers have positively impacted the lives of children, families, and community leaders on the island since 1998! We’re anticipating the 1,500th volunteer to serve in the idyllic South Pacific island of Rarotonga in the Cook Islands this February. Join us, and you can expect a special celebration of all our volunteers and […]
Reflections in Tanzania from Global Volunteers Team #1 to Ipalamwa by Ruth Curran, Team #1 volunteer, Global Volunteers board member, and Reaching Children’s Potential (RCP) advisory committee member I know that journal entries are about creating a diary and chronicling the events of each day – that is important and that will give us all […]