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.
A volunteer learns that in working with children, you give and receive in Peru more than you expect. Each day is similar yet unique. We are in a much different place than we were a week ago. PPA now feels like a second home. Today we carried various bags of new toys, books, and school […]
This morning, as I was walking down the hall with Delia in the walker, we stopped to say hello to a boy named Bogdan. He looks to be about 13 or 14 and has a cast on one foot. As we walked back, he said, “Inspirat”, which means “inspired.” I’m not sure precisely what he […]
Busy day today at St. Nicholas Children’s Hospital. Today was the first day that I saw the importance of multitasking with the children. Bouncing Livinia, reading to Alina, and tickling Lucia all at the same time and it worked well! Today Mitchell discovered what makes Luca laugh! Luca loves having the big animal ball bounced […]
It was our last day of working with the children. Gabi and Alexandra left in the morning. Gabi will apparently be going to a foster family and Alexandra was going back to the placement center. As the afternoon drew to a close, we said our goodbyes to the children who have made such a special […]
Message of the day (shared by Olivia) – “A day without laughter is a wasted day” There are myriad reasons why volunteering has changed my life forever. I have often heard people talk about the benefits of volunteering, of it being a way to reach out and touch the lives of others in a positive […]
I appreciated having the weekend to reflect on my experiences to date. I continue to realize that coming to Poland is much more than just teaching conversational English. I must admit that I have been preoccupied with the flooding in my community and surrounding areas in Colorado. Thankfully Joanne is safe. Friends are finding ways […]
Is it only Thursday? Each of us is building our own student ‘clientele, ‘ people of all ages with varying English competency. Conversation, discussion, information sharing – all are means to develop the students’ English language and enhance our own appreciation of the richness of Italy, Puglia and the true Monopolitani. Some students are business […]
Message of the Day (shared by Pat): How wonderful it is that nobody need to wait a single moment before starting to improve the world. After a sumptuous breakfast of cold cuts and American cheese, fresh bread, veggies, cereal, and an assortment of juices, and coffee and tea, the 238th Team of Global […]
Our last day at Reymontowka Manor started as our campers preparing for the evening’s performance. Each volunteer teacher spent every possible moment reviewing their presentation. Each volunteer was so proud of their group and wanted to support the campers as much as possible. The third hour of the morning was a presentation by Veronica and […]
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 […]