Stories from students, retirees, working professionals, couples, families, groups, solo travelers, first-time volunteers, volunteer veterans and everyone in-between from more than 20 countries around the world. Learn about your favorite country in their own words.
Volunteer Robert taught conversational English skills to high school students in the the cloud forest region of Monteverde, Costa Rica for a week. He sent us this list of 15 lessons he had not expected, but values above the photos she shares with his friends. Reverse Culture Shock Global Volunteers asks all team members on […]
It’s customary for each volunteer team of Global Volunteers to prepare a team journal for the service program. Each entry assumes the personality of the author, and many are greatly entertaining. One team member, Beverly Hall Burns, called on her expertise as a lawyer to declare one particular day of service extraordinary. THE SUPREME COURT […]
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 […]
Jed Pettit, a Montana volunteer and recent University of Alberta graduate, sent us this letter to students who are considering joining a Global Volunteers student volunteer program. Read on to learn what motivated him to offer this advice to other college students. Many young people today face challenges in getting into their college or university program […]
By Lori Wedeking, Repeat Poland Volunteer. “Hey, Lori, can I use your phone to check the weather?” This request came from a boy who had been my student two years ago at a language camp in Poland. He made this request while the language camp students were enjoying a disco dance evening. I was just […]
Journal from Jed, a volunteer on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation: There is a fire that burns on the Blackfeet Reservation. It has been burning for over a century. You can feel its heat, you can smell its smoke, and yes, like most North Americans, you can do nothing about it. Or, if you can find […]
Reflections on Ipalamwa, the village that is at the top of the mountain and the end of the road… From a Team #1 Tanzania Volunteer, Robi Kronberg: Images, experiences and memories of Ipalamwa will forever be a part of me. As a member of the inaugural team to the village of Ipalamwa, I experienced a […]
From Robi Kronberg, one of the Tanzania volunteers on the inaugural Ipalamwa team: My suggestions to future Ipalamwa, Tanzania volunteers… The children may initially be shy, but they will warm up quickly. They enjoy having their pictures/videos taken and seeing themselves immediately afterwards. This activity is a great way to “break the ice” with then. You […]
As a Montana volunteer, you serve and experience life on an American Indian reservation – the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. Jimmy describes the projects he worked on as well as reflects on the journey he took while making the decision on whether or not to serve. With meaningful friendships and breathtaking views, it’s easy to see […]
Many volunteers fund some or all of their service program by fundraising – through appeals to their friends and family members. New York teacher Kelly Malloy’s “crowdsourcing” covered her costs for two service programs – in addition to schoolbooks for students in Tanzania. It started when she planned to celebrate her 50th birthday by volunteering […]