Hands on help
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Provide Hands On Help While Volunteering

Volunteering gives you the chance to be a part of something bigger than yourself, find purpose, and use your civic responsibility for the greater good. On a Global Volunteers service program, you can provide hands on help to communities in need around the world. Without the help of volunteers, our partner communities would struggle to meet their basic needs. As a Global Volunteer, you won’t just be a bystander watching how local people are working for their communities – you’ll be an important part of that local development process. You’ll be right in there, working alongside local people who seek to better their community.

“I love rubbing elbows with young people of other cultures.”
– Dr. Bill Chase, 5-time Global Volunteer 

We have all kinds of projects around the world and so surely there is one that is the perfect match for your skills and interests. Join us. Take the leap to get your hands dirty, make a difference, learn about yourself and another culture, and help a community in need.

Here are the top 5 ways you can provide hands on help:

Top 5 Projects Providing Hands On Help

 

1) Paint and Repair Buildings

If you can wield a paintbrush or pound a hammer, we need your skills. Help preserve and maintain community facilities by renovating, repairing, and painting classrooms, community centers, health clinics, and childcare facilities. Brighten the lives of children by providing nicer facilities with a fresh coat of paint. Help with plumbing, electrical, and carpentry assistance. Teach young people to develop their trade skills. If you have experience in any of these areas, you can be of tremendous assistance in many communities.

Cook Islands | Cuba | Ecuador | Greece | Peru | Romania | St. Lucia | Tanzania | U.S.A. – Montana | U.S.A. – West Virginia

Hands on help

Volunteers Sue and Fran paint a mural in the Cook Islands

2) Tutoring and Classroom Teaching

Is math, chemistry, physics, geography, or biology among your passions? Tutor children at the primary or secondary school level. Work one-on-one and in small groups with students of all ages. In some communities, you will assist teachers and in others, you will plan your own lessons and activities. This may be the most fun you’ve ever had!

Cook Islands | Peru | St. Lucia | Tanzania

Hands on help

Volunteer Don tutors students in Peru

3) Gardening

Do you have a green thumb? Help establish, plant, weed, and harvest household, school, and community gardens. Help community leaders, students, and parents raise bountiful crops of fruits and vegetables.

Cuba | Peru | Tanzania

Hands on help

Student volunteers gardening alongside Cubans

“This has reminded me how good it feels to connect with others and how rewarding it is to give to others.”
– Melissa Ferrell, attorney and mother who volunteered with two of her sons in Ecuador

4) Parent Workshops

If you have a background in healthcare, food, nutrition, education, or business, we need your skills in Tanzania where volunteer professionals conduct interactive workshops with pregnant women and parents. Parents thirst for knowledge and want the appropriate technology so they can ensure the health and well-being of their children. You can present on a variety of topics, such as staying healthy during pregnancy; caring for newborns; healthy diets; child brain development; growing fruits and vegetables; raising poultry; preparing nutritious meals; positive discipline; psychosocial support; stress management; disease prevention ;and using games and toys to stimulate babies’ physical, social, cognitive, and emotional development. In coordination with our staff and Reaching Children’s Advisory Committee Chair, you select your topic. Our Tanzania staff will translate your presentation. Use your expertise to give hands on help in Tanzania!

Tanzania

Hands on help

Volunteer Ruth giving a presentation to Tanzanian women

5) Childcare

Offer the “extra” attention at-risk kids crave and deserve, while also mentoring them in social skills and hygiene. Stimulate their young minds and bodies. Work with children 1 to 5 years of age through co-creating arts and crafts, playing with toys, reading storybooks, teaching hand washing with soap and water, and more.

“I feel extremely fortunate to have spent the last week in Calderón with everyone at the daycare center. Although we did accomplish a lot in terms of SMART goals, it just doesn’t seem right to call it ‘work’. It truly is an opportunity.”
– John Fiegel, Cook Islands and Ecuador volunteer

Cook Islands | Ecuador | Peru | St. Lucia | Tanzania

Hands on help

Volunteer John, Teacher Karina, and children giving thanks for their lunch in Ecuador

 

“I wish every American could do a Global Volunteers adventure. To get “into the trenches” in another culture is deeply humbling.”
– Suzanne Cochran, Ecuador volunteer

 

Be the change you wish to see in the world by providing real hands on help, as requested by communities around the world. Work under local leaders’ direction to improve their communities, and be a positive force for change. You can do this! 

Hands on help

Teachers Jorge and Karen with volunteers Lena, Jen, and Justin in Costa Rica

Chat online with a Volunteer Coordinator about which of our programs best suits your skills and interests. Chat online about volunteering abroad

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volunteer experience for students
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University Students Teach and Learn Great Lessons

Global Volunteers’ service-learning program in Lima, Peru offers an incredible volunteer experience for students. Peru Country Manager Daniel Salazar reflects on the service of a recent group of student volunteers from St. John Fisher College. It was a wonderful life experience for both the students and the children they served.

A few days ago we received the visit of a group of students from St. John Fisher College. As a group of pharmacy and nursing students, they came to use their skills and knowledge to teach a series of workshops to both children and staff at PPA, a children´s home in Lima. It was great experience for everyone. The local doctor and the aides were glad to work improving their skills to have a safer environment for the children. The children loved the students because they came, because they were there to teach them, and above all, because they were there to just be with them and play with them.

volunteer experience for students

Volunteers playing with girls at PPA in Peru.

volunteer experience for students

Volunteers teaching children how to properly wash their hands.

True, no size of group can adequately handle the energy and curiosity of the children at PPA. No school or science can prepare you to deal with the antics of these children. But it is also true that you don’t quite understand how much these children crave for someone to pay attention to them until you come and see their faces when they realize you came just to be with them.

We tried to tell the students how good the food was, how beautiful the Malecon right behind the hotel was, and how majestic Machu Picchu was. But they didn’t quite get it, until they were there. And of course, we told them how cute the children were, but we failed again. Probably our biggest failure was trying to explain how meaningful the relationships they would form with the children would be. There again, like every volunteer or group of volunteers that has come to serve, the one thing they take with them in their hearts and never forget is the friendship they make with these children. Once more, a group of volunteers came to serve, but they got way more back in return. They not only applied what they had learned in school, to the benefit of the children, but also left having learned more about humanity.

volunteer experience for students

Volunteers with one of the aides and the children after teaching a hand-washing workshop.

Maru and I, the Peru Country Managers, will miss them. The children will never forget them. And we hope they return and that more groups like them can come, serve and experience what this group just experienced.

This is them:

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Girl Scouts Volunteer Abroad - In Ecuador

Girl Scouts Volunteer Abroad

Beyoncé sings about it; we know it’s true: Girls run the world when they work together with purpose and kindness. Redmond, WA Girl Scout troop demonstrated their influence can extend all the way to Quito, Ecuador! And, they earned mature new perspectives in return. Dedicating their spring break to service, the Scouts focused their energy caring for at-risk children from impoverished families in the South American capital. At the same time, they enhanced their Spanish language skills, and learned first-hand about a vibrant country and culture.

Girl Scouts Volunteer Abroad – Spring Break in Ecuador

The girls offered the “extra” attention the children at the daycare center in Quito crave and deserve. They played with them, fed them, changed them, and gave them love. On one of the days, the girls and tías (the daycare center workers) took some of the children to the park where they led a dance session. It was a hit!

Here are a few pictures of the day:

Maggie Bjorklund, our Ecuador Country Manager, expresses her gratitude for having the Girl Scouts in Ecuador:

“It was such a joy to have Lucy, Mary (the two Girl Scout group leaders), and the Girl Scouts in Ecuador. They were such a great help to the tías. They helped take care of the children – playing with them, helping them eat, washing their hands, doing art projects with them, and just giving them tender loving care. Everyone was very grateful for their contribution. It was truly a pleasure to have them on the team!”

Every day that volunteers show the children at the daycare center that they care, they improve their self-esteem and confidence. Thank you to the Girl Scout troop for all that you did for the children in Ecuador!

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Global Volunteers in Partnership with Girl Scouts

The Girl Scout mission of building girls of courage, confidence and character, who make the world a better place goes hand-in-hand with everything Global Volunteers stands for. Global Volunteers’ commitment to girls’ education and the global role of women is a central focus on many of Global Volunteers’ service-learning programs. Our volunteers help families and community organizations prevent stunted growth and ensure quality education so every girl has the keys to a bright and productive future.

Contact us if you know a Girl Scout troop that would be interested in volunteering as a group for one, two or three weeks in one of our 17 host countries around the world. (Service programs start year-round and fees are 100% tax deductible!)

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Best Programs to Volunteer for
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Best Programs to Volunteer for by Season

Global Volunteers is recognized for offering some of the best programs to volunteer for worldwide. This is largely because of our focus on sustainable development in all our partner communities. Many volunteering families, couples, students, groups and professionals plan their service by season – summer vacation, winter and spring breaks, and fall “shoulder” season up to a year in advance. One-, two- and three-week options are available for most programs. To help you select the best programs to volunteer for, we’ve recommended our most popular service opportunities by season.

For further assistance, please contact our volunteer coordinators to discuss details:  800-487-1074. Or chat here now!

Poland Family Volunteer Vacations

Summer Volunteer Vacations

By far, the greatest number of service opportunities are offered in June, July and August. During the summer months, you have the widest choices for tutoring, childcare, labor, health care, summer language camps, and related assignments worldwide. Families and groups of all compositions are welcome on all teams – children under 12 are permitted on many of these programs. Check minimum ages here. The best programs to volunteer for during the summer months are:

Summer language camps in Greece, Italy and Poland: These are “family friendly” service opportunities to join two-week English language “camps” – helping local youth keep their skills sharp during summer break to with fun activities in English such as skits, games, songs, field trips and the like. Team members emphasize “real-life” speaking skills using the Global Volunteers English Teaching Guide as a resource — no previous teaching experience is necessary.

Teaching teachers in China: This unique opportunity is appropriate for adults or families with older teens.  You contribute to a 2- to 3-week “staff development” English program for Chinese teachers of English.  Share conversations to help them improve their English pronunciation, and broaden their repertoire of English language games and activities to apply in their own classrooms.  Previous experience isn’t required  – but current and former teachers are great resources!

Hands-on projects in Appalachia and the Blackfeet Indian Reservation: These are great group and family opportunities to experience service together in spiritually rich and resourceful American communities. Do you like to “dig into” labor projects? These two programs are rich in opportunities to contribute to home repair, painting, and landscaping. Added to that, on the reservation, you can entertain elders, tutor and play with summer school students, serve meals, and nurture children at a crisis shelter.

Winter South of (or at) the Equator

When it’s cold in many climates, it’s balmy in the southern hemisphere. Our full menu of projects are available in December through March in Africa, South America and the South Pacific. For instance, you can care for children in Ecuador and Peru, teach conversational English, math, science, nutrition and health in Tanzania, work on English literacy, numeracy and math with students in the Cook Islands, and lend a hand on labor project in all four countries! Student volunteers of all ages can work with local students on a wide variety of projects; groups, families and solo volunteers work together alongside local mothers, children and community leaders to help bring needed improvements to the communities. This is also the time when holiday programs are scheduled around the world, so if you yearn for a more meaningful holiday season, we can help you meet your goal.

best programs to volunteer for in Tanzania

Fall and Spring Break With a Purpose

What can be more meaningful than nurturing disabled children in Romania, tutoring youth and supporting pregnant women and mothers in St. Lucia? Retirees as well as professionals and students in the areas of education, health and nutrition, nursing, physical therapy, early childhood development and related disciplines can apply their skills to help children reach their full potential in structured projects. Meanwhile, this is a good time to share English conversation with teens and adults in Cuba, contribute to community sustainability as a group in Costa Rica, or teach conversational English to teen and adult students in Mexico, Portugal and Vietnam. April to May and September to November are the most desirable months for visiting these countries. And, you’re in luck!  We offer programs at these optimal times to enhance your experience!

Do you like our suggestions, but prefer a different season for a program you see here? No problem! Most of our volunteer opportunities are scheduled year-round, so search for your specific dates and countries on our website. Work with a volunteer coordinator to plan your personal, family or group service program to meet your service preferences.

Other blog posts that can help you choose the best programs to volunteer for by time and project:

Christmas in India

Holiday of Service in Peru

Top Holiday Abroad Programs

Spring Break “Top 5”

Top 10 Summer Programs for Families

“Celebrate” Thanksgiving Abroad

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Boy Scouts Explore, Serve, and Learn in Cuba

A Boy Scout troop recently went on a great adventure to Cuba. Michael, one of the leaders, tells us how Boy Scouts explore, serve, and learn in Cuba.

How do you end up in Cuba?

Boy Scouts are known for their commitment to service and their love for adventure. But Boy Scout Troop 845, from Chapel Hill, North Carolina wanted to take it a step further. The boys from the troop thought it would be great for them to explore and serve at a place where not everyone goes, something uncommon. At the time there were good news about the opening of relations between the U.S. and Cuba – which among other thing meant cheaper flight tickets. So the boys went for it. They talked their parents into it, and soon they had a team of adult leaders on board: John, Michael, and Thomas. All that sounds great, but going to Cuba is not that simple.

The group realized that there was paperwork to fill out, and there were concerns about safety and finding a flexible program. So they started to look for an agency or organization that could help them with all that. Soon enough they found Global Volunteers, which offered them just what they needed and made things a lot easier for them. With everything ready, they took advantage of the summer vacations and went to Cuba on August.

Boy Scouts Explore, Serve, and Learn in Cuba

In Cuba the team worked both teaching conversational English and doing labor. They did gardening at a community garden and then construction work at a community center in Ciego de Avila. There they found out how valuable it was for the community to learn English; the community really appreciated the opportunity. Also, they were able to have great conversations with the community. They found out what many volunteers have mentioned in the past:

“People in other communities have a completely different culture, but they are very similar to us at the same time.”

A note about the Castro regime

“Castro was obviously a strong figure in Cuba. You could see a lot of propaganda about the regime in the streets. But it was surprising to us how open the people there were open to conversations about this. Some people were negative about it and pointed out to all the challenges the regime brought, while others were positive and mentioned the benefits. The recent events in Cuba have created an opportunity to turn the page and work in a closer and friendlier relationship with Cuba.”

A wonderful experience

Michael believes that this kind of collaborative experience between the Cuban People and Americans only opens up the lines of communication and understanding between them. Overall, it was a great experience for them. Boy Scouts explore, serve, and learn in Cuba:

“We did enjoy everything Global Volunteers did for us. We selected them because we were looking for flexibility. And our team leader, Jennifer, was a great in everything.”

“There were many times were the service program felt like an amazing adventure, other times like work, and yet others like vacations. The combinations of these three made for a wonderful experience. I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a challenge, an adventure, and wants time to learn and to grow.”

Boy Scouts Explore, Serve, and Learn in Cuba

Boy scout troop 845 at a local library in Cuba.

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Alternative Spring Break Volunteer Programs
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Top Five Alternative Spring Break Volunteer Programs

Instead of sitting on a couch, binge-watching Netflix and ordering pizza for an entire week,  imagine spending your spring break contributing to meaningful projects, developing unique friendships with people from around the world, and experiencing a new culture. (Sounds great, right?!) Grab friends, family, or classmates and prepare yourself for one of our life-changing alternative spring break volunteer programs.

Continue reading to learn about five popular spring break volunteer locations…

Costa Rica Alternative Spring Break Program

Alternative spring break volunteer program in Costa Rica

Join us in Costa Rica for an adventure in service! Plant a garden, paint a classroom, clear forest trails in the cloud forest region, teach conversational English, and motivate a student. Your contributions in Costa Rica as a Global Volunteer change lives in many ways. (Plus, the Costa Rican cuisine is simply delicious!)

Cuba Alternative Spring Break Program

Alternative spring break volunteer program in Cuba

As a Global Volunteer in Cuba, you promote civil society, support the Cuban people, and enjoy the true culture and daily life of Cuba – all in one or two weeks! Our community partners in Havana and Ciego de Ávila welcome you into their communities as family. This is the best way to experience and learn about this fascinating country.

Peru Alternative Spring Break Program

Alternative spring break volunteer program in Peru

Offer comfort and compassion to impoverished and abandoned youth on our service-learning program in Lima, Peru. You may never again feel so loved and appreciated! Other project opportunities include: English teaching, repair and maintenance, early childhood education, nutrition education, health care and hygiene education, tutoring numeracy and computer literacy.

St. Lucia Caribbean Island Alternative Spring Break Program

Alternative spring break volunteer program in the Caribbean

Our community partners in Anse la Raye, St. Lucia welcome you into their community centers, schools, homes and churches. Help primary school students with numeracy. Care for and stimulate children 1 to 5 years old through arts and crafts. Paint and help repair community buildings. And so much more! Plus, there is ample time available on evenings and weekends to enjoy this Caribbean island’s crystal-blue bays and soft sand beaches!

USA West Virginia Alternative Spring Break Program

Alternative spring break volunteer program in USA

You don’t have to jet-set across the world to be a Global Volunteer. Serve here in the U.S. on our alternative spring break program in West Virginia. Work one-on-one with children, teens, and adults on labor, education, and cultural projects – as a cherished volunteer in Appalachia.

Still not convinced?

Since 1984, we’ve engaged thousands of students in measurable and effective service-learning opportunities. Check out these reviews from previous student volunteers to read what they have to say about their experience. (In addition, you can choose to volunteer in any one of our 17 countries year-round – during summer vacation, J-term, or gap year!)

Request a free e-catalog below!

Stop dreaming. Start going.

Request a program catalog here or by calling 800-487-1074.







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Student serving in Cuba
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Go to Cuba. You will not be disappointed.

Brandy was part of a University of Central Missouri summer student volunteer group in Cuba. After two weeks of teaching conversational English to Cuban children and people and supporting the community of Sancti Spíritus in other ways, she wanted to share a message with anyone considering serving in Cuba. Brandy hopes you will pick up where she left off with her work – as do we!

Given the opportunity, I would go back to Cuba as often as possible. The people, the culture, the beauty of the Island, the food, all tied together to create a wonderful experience that I will never forget. Since I returned from serving in Cuba, the only thing I can talk about is the time I had there and how I want to go back someday.

Although the free time, the old cars, and the group were great, I think it was the volunteering I enjoyed most. Almost every time I volunteered I decided to practice English with the kids. Through this I learned that kids would get up early and walk to the church on their own just to work on their English during their summer vacation. This showed me that the kids truly wanted to be there and pulled the future teacher inside of me out. I wanted to be there for those kids.

Serving in Cuba

My favorite memory was the day we were able to assist with the water project. We helped the church fill containers with water. Then, the local people and the volunteers carried the water containers either back to their houses or to their makeshift carts waiting outside. What made this memory my absolute favorite were two different people. One, a man that said he was truly thankful for our help. He said that the work we were doing was God’s work and that they were blessed to have us that day. The second person was a lady who had originally planned to carry her containers full of water back to her house alone – along with some of her bags. Brooke (another volunteer) and I wanted to help her. As we carried her bags, she saw some friends and yelled “look at all the help I have!” several times. We could tell she was overfilled with joy.

Cubans are nothing like what I expected. They are prideful, happy, innovative, and caring people. If you are stuck between choosing which trip to go on, go to Cuba. You will not be disappointed.

Photos from Brandy’s experience serving in Cuba:

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Get started today!

Experience Cuba now before things change – through the unique perspective of a volunteer. Visit our Volunteer in Cuba page or chat online with a Global Volunteers Cuba Specialist to learn more and get started.

Learn more about serving in Cuba

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High School Group Volunteering in Costa Rica

Arizona High School Students in Costa Rica

A team of 34 Arizona Fountain Hills High School students and chaperones united with Colegio students on Global Volunteers’ high school group volunteering program in Costa Rica. Working together, they carried out maintenance on the forest trails on campus – an outdoor classroom at this ecotourism-focused school, shared the “pura vida” culture in Monteverde, learning about commonalities in their teen lives. The students cleared the forest floor to maintain the walkways and create new pathways, shoveled and bagged gravel, and delivered it to the places where we the trails needed it. The group was surprised by how much they were able to contribute to the labor projects, and how much they learned about different work styles and expectations. Ticos (Costa Ricans), they said, balance exertion and rest – and don’t fall victim to unrealistic time pressures.

Read an expanded post by the students in Costa Rica.

Kiley, Fountain Hills High School senior,  elaborated:

“This experience gave me a better sense of empathy and a solidified understanding that the way things work can be very different and still be 100% right… it becomes much harder to dehumanize a culture when you immerse yourself and see the people as people who are similar to those you know.”

A highlight was some dancing in the school gym. The high school students mixed, enjoyed salsa music, and practiced Latin dance steps with each other. They also were intrigued by the ecological diversity of the Monteverde region – observing (and sometimes capturing!) critters of all sorts – some exotic, some common – frogs, birds, insects,  beetles, porcupines, snakes, two-toed sloths, and a kinkajou (an arboreal nocturnal mammal).

These images from Fountain Hills’ High School group volunteering in Costa Rica captures the students’ service, learning, and free-time experiences. Costa Rica was the school’s second group volunteering program with Global Volunteers. Read more about Fountain Hills’ high school volunteer abroad program in St. Lucia.

 

Interested in learning more?

The next step is to chat online with one of our Volunteer Coordinators about opportunities for a high school group volunteering in Costa Rica (or in one of our other 16 volunteer program locations). We’re ready to assist you with project descriptions, travel questions, registration guidance, and other program details. Let the adventure in service begin!

Chat online about high school group volunteering in Costa Rica

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Student Volunteers Making Friends in Cuba

Bennett, a Global Volunteer in Cuba and Blake School student, discovers that making friends in Cuba comes easily with shared interests and activities.

Friday was truly something to behold. From working in the fields, alongside friends, to tutoring a group of four Cubans who collectively spoke only a small sliver of English, I personally found Friday to be a day of profound delight and wholesome joy.

handshake in cuba

Bennett and Sonia learn the Salsa – Cuban style – at the Moran Theater.


As a group, we watched Dion hit the dance floor not once but twice in a state of pure disco frenzy. At the same time, we also waged volleyball war in the river and enjoyed a wonderful improvised performance by two Cubans in the community center.

When I reflect on it, there was absolutely no one moment that wasn’t filled with mind-blowing enrichment and reward. For at the end of the day, what I learned more than anything is that we Cubans and Americans aren’t that different. We may be separated by 100 miles and two distinct cultures, but we nonetheless share our humanity and our love for human life.

Would you like to make new friends through a student service-learning experience?

Visit Global Volunteers’ student volunteering webpage to learn more about life-changing volunteer experiences worldwide. Or, chat online with one of our Volunteer Coordinators. We’re ready to assist you with project descriptions, travel questions, registration guidance and other program details.

life-changing volunteer experience

Meanwhile, you can learn more from other student volunteers on Global Volunteers programs in Cuba.  Start with this journal entry : “What does a day of service-learning in Cuba look like?”

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High School Volunteer Abroad
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High School Volunteer Abroad

Searching for summer, spring or holiday break service-learning programs?

Look no further than Global Volunteers’ life-changing, world-changing high school volunteer abroad program. Global Volunteers excels in high-school service-learning opportunities. This is because the long-term community development projects students work on are directed by local leaders, managed by development experts and completed by working hand-in-hand with local children and adults. Over three decades, we’ve engaged thousands of students in projects to help children on six continents reach their highest potential.

High School Volunteer Abroad in Tanzania

As Global Volunteers, students obtain “hands-on” educational, cultural, and occupational experience unavailable through a cultural or study tour. Students who cite their service with Global Volunteers – “Granddaddy of the volunteer vacation movement“ – on a college application or resume are recognized as driven, culturally aware leaders.

Much can be learned from Arizona’s Fountain Hills High School volunteer abroad experience. In the past few years, nearly 60 Fountain Hills students served with Global Volunteers in St. Lucia and Costa Rica. While others chose the beach or pool for their spring break,  the Fountain Hills students transformed their good intentions, curiosity, and adventurous spirit into genuine and useful assistance.

Fountain Hills High School Volunteer Abroad in Costa Rica

In addition to volunteering, the Fountain Hills students also experienced the cultural and natural attractions of the host country – visits to coffee farms, wildlife walking tours, exploring the local beaches, plus more. We have you covered if you’re searching for a meaningful, educational, and fun service-learning program!

What type of high school volunteer abroad projects are available?

The type of volunteer work students can do depends on (1) what our host communities have requested from us AND (2) the preferences of your group. Global Volunteers’ unique vision and philosophy of service require volunteers to work at the invitation and under the direction of local community partners – and one-on-one with local people. While remaining faithful to this philosophy of service, we will also do our best to tailor to your preferences.

In many cases, the students in your group may have a mixed skill set. This is wonderful! We allow our volunteer groups to work on a variety of projects – some students can teach conversational English at the local secondary school while the other students head off to a construction project on a local building.

High School Volunteer Abroad in Costa Rica

Where can high school volunteer groups serve?

We can accommodate a high school volunteer abroad group on almost any of our 17 service programs around the world: China, the Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Greece, India, Italy, Mexico, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, St. Lucia, Tanzania, the United States, and Vietnam. Just let us know where, and we will do our best to make it happen!

The length of your stay can be between 1 and 4 weeks, with free time in the evenings and on the weekends. That’s when you will be able to add cultural activities and excursions!

What about funding? How can my school afford this?

The lessons learned and the skills gained through participating on a Global Volunteers service-learning program are unique – they’re hands-on and cannot be replicated in a classroom. Many states value these opportunities for their students, and do their best to ensure they’re affordable for all. Global Volunteers’ programs meet the requirements for service-learning credit programs.

The State of Arizona’s Department of Revenue provides a full credit to tax-payers who make a contribution to a public school for support of these types of extracurricular activities or character education programs. Because our service-learning fees qualify as an approved educational program, this credit covers the cost of students’ participation! Click here for details about “Credit for Contributions Made or Fees Paid to a Public School.”

Why choose Global Volunteers? We’re serious about service.

High School Volunteer Abroad in Costa Rica

Global Volunteers pioneered short-term international volunteer programs in 1984 – mobilizing volunteers on sustainable community development projects around the world. To date, we have engaged over 32, 000 volunteers in 34 countries. Our educational partners choose us because:

  1. We adhere to a strict “Safety trumps everything policy.”
  2. Our international development focus ensures the integrity of our work.
  3. We commit to lasting partnerships with local communities.
  4. We help students achieve their learning objectives through authentic community experiences.
  5. Our volunteer satisfaction rating exceeds 95%.

THE NEXT STEP!

Get inspired with this volunteer-created video from our India service-learning program, visit our Student Volunteering website page, and then chat online with one of our Volunteer Coordinators about our high school volunteer abroad opportunities. We’re ready to assist you with project descriptions, travel questions, registration guidance, and other program details. Let the service-learning adventure begin!

Chat online about High School Volunteer Abroad opportunities

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