An alternative vacation in the idyllic South Pacific. A hearty and self-reliant Maori people traveled the seas to settle distant volcanic islands – and created a distinct, colorful culture reflecting the natural beauty of their homeland. But today, the Cook Islands’ vitality is challenged by economic pressures which drive the country’s youth abroad. Volunteer in the Cook Islands and help turn this trend around! This is a small island – just 26 miles around – so you become acquainted with the local people quickly while volunteering in one of the most beautiful places on Earth!
Service program fees are tax-deductible for U.S. taxpayers when you follow our itinerary. Select program options below to see upcoming service program dates for The Cook Islands. Then select a program date to hold your place on a team with your $350 deposit. Call a volunteer coordinator at (800) 487-1074 for help if needed. If you prefer, you may print a text application and submit it by mail or fax. Minors – under age 18 – must complete a minor application and travel with a parent or adult legal guardian.
Most partner community lodging is double-occupancy, with a single room option for an additional fee. Click for single room fees in countries where this option is available.
Married team leaders James Puati and Debi Futter guide your service in the Cook Islands. Native to the Cook Islands and New Zealand, James and Debbie share their life-long love and knowledge of island life with every volunteer. They both are professionally invested in the human and economic development of their homeland. James taught Physical Education and Maori language skills at both elementary and high school levels, and now owns and operates the Matutu Brewery on Rarotonga. Debi previously worked for both the Cook Islands Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health. She is a health and physical education lecturer for the University of Waikato, and is currently completing her doctorate on youth sexuality. They’re revered by their volunteers:
“James is a very genuine person. He is always willing to answer any questions, and his positive and even-tempered personality kept everyone comfortable and at ease.”
Kim Leibel, Cook Islands Volunteer
“James is a wonderful man!! He was so accommodating, gracious, generous and delightful. He had us really laughing and brought us together as a true team.”
Ardys Noreen, Cook Islands Volunteer
“As a nine-time Cook Islands Volunteer, I’ve experienced James and Debi Puati as a ‘team’ and James solo. Debi adds the ‘yin’ to the ‘yang’ of their team leader duality, and enlarges the experience. She brings her own informed points of view ranging over the many topics we cover as a team. She truly has unique insights into the program as well as Cook Islands culture. When you think about it, we’re quite lucky to get two team leaders for the price of one!”
Dennis Killeen, Repeat Cook Islands Volunteer
“A huge part of the success of the Cook Island program is due to James and Debi. They are very involved and respected in the Rarotonga community; kind and caring individuals and as a team, balance each other very well. A trip to the Cook Islands is not a vacation or a volunteer trip; to me it feels like I’m going home.”
Ellen Holzschuh, 9-time Cook Islands Volunteer
“James is wonderful in very way. His in-depth knowledge and deep love of his Maori culture was intently shared with us.”
Dee Wenzelburger, Cook Islands Volunteer
“James is a pleasure to work with! He has a great understanding of the people on the island and is quickly able to address any issue. He is a caring and fun leader.”
Gevenie Delsol, Cook Island Volunteer
The Service Program begins the first scheduled week with dinner and team orientation. Plan to arrive before 9 am on program start date (Sunday). If you are serving on a one- or two-week service program, you may depart anytime on the final Friday, Saturday or Sunday. For the three-week service programs, you may depart anytime on the Friday the program ends. There are limited flights into Rarotonga International Airport (airport code RAR), so please confirm the flight window with our staff before you buy your ticket. Our Country Manager will meet you and your teammates and transport you 10 miles to the hotel. If you choose to spend time in-country before the service program begins, you can meet your team at the airport or at the KiiKii Hotel.
Your health, safety and security is our top priority. Your lodging, food and transportation are provided always with a mind to protect you while at the work site and in your hotel. Your team leader is trained in CPR and first aid. Read more about health and safety here.
Most community projects are indoors, but sunburn and heat stroke are risks in tropical climates. You’ll be provided with plenty of bottled water to keep yourself hydrated. Surprisingly, in this laid-back culture traffic accidents are one of the most common hazards on this small island. Your team leader will advise you how to protect your safety while walking along the road, crossing the street or riding in a vehicle. Dengue fever and Chikungunya, transferred by mosquitoes, are sometimes present on the island. We provide mosquito nets for your bed. Wear loose-fitting cotton clothing and apply mosquito repellent daily to prevent mosquito bites.
We strongly recommend you consult your own physician, public health clinic and/or travel clinic for detailed travel health information and preventative measures. For general recommendations, consult the following sources:
Centers for Disease Control | Health Canada Online | Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
Global Volunteers includes emergency medical evacuation insurance in your service program fee. We also recommend health insurance that covers you while you are outside your home country, and trip cancellation insurance in the event you must cancel your participation on the service program. Your travel agent can refer you to travel insurance providers. Click here to read risks associated with international travel.
Ample time is available after the work day and on weekends to enjoy the numerous natural and cultural attractions on Rarotonga. Your country managers provide basic language instruction and arrange for cultural talks and demonstrations (such as flower garland or ‘ei’ (lei) making, coconut art, island conservation activities and the like.) You can also expect to be invited to church socials and dance performances each week. Cook Island dancing is considered the most sensual in the South Pacific, and each island has its own special songs and dances to tell stories of history. Cook Island children learn and practice dancing from a very young age, performing regularly at various events throughout the year. Considered among the finest Polynesian singers and dancers, Cook Islanders often win international awards for their expression. Traditional costumes for dancing are made from bark cloth, grass or raffia and are decorated with leaves, feathers, shells and flowers, topped with magnificent traditional feather headgear.
While our non-profit status prohibits us from planning your free-time activities, our local staff will provide a list of the many opportunities to explore the island. Most volunteers enjoy walking the beautiful beaches at all times of day, biking along back roads, swimming in the clear blue lagoons, and engaging in other water sports such as snorkeling, sea kayaking, sailing or windsurfing. You can participate in off-road mountain trips and reef-walking, whale-watching, and glass-bottom boat tours. Shopping the traditional market as well as the popular downtown shops is an engaging pastime. A highlight is a weekend trip to the outer island of Aitutaki, reknowned as the most beautiful island in the South Pacific.
Volunteering together in the South Pacific can be the highlight of your family life! Children ages 8 to 18 can serve along with their parents or guardian in classrooms and small groups of children and teens. Your volunteer coordinator will work with you to find the ideal program schedule and partner community to meet your family volunteering goals.
For instance, pre-teens can often tutor children the same age – and practice English through stories, songs, games, skits, art projects and the like. Cook Island children are bright and accepting of volunteers of all ages – and like children worldwide – love to talk about friends, movies and family life. Our partners readily welcome child volunteers into their classrooms! Mature teens can team-teach with a parent, paint and help landscape, work in a library, or nurture pre-schoolers.
Chose program dates during school breaks and summer vacations. Parents and guardians are expected to supervise their child volunteers, and collaborate with our team leader and local partners to maximize the service experience for everyone. Youth are invited to offer their own perspectives in team meetings and fully participate in free-time activities. In this way, your child can form a rare, personal perspective of this remote country beyond what they can find online, in school or in personal study. What’s more, they’ll gain life-long friends in one of the most exotic, beautiful islands in the South Pacific!
What can be more exotic than volunteering as a group with Global Volunteers in the Cook Islands? Because of the wide variety of community projects, every member of your group can fully engage their unique skills and interests in meaningful service to children. Learn about each other in a non-traditional way as an intact volunteer team, and know that your unique contributions on genuine development projects advance the futures of those you serve.
Opportunities for high school and college groups.
Groups volunteering together on Rarotonga discover what tourists never experience. Inside classrooms, community centers, homes, clinics, libraries, offices and museums as a short-term community member, you gain a rare, “insider” perspective of daily life. Participating in local dance and music, learning lei-making from the experts, hearing the Maori language and experiencing customs and local events with your hosts take you beyond the typical island tour. Around the pool or on the beach with your teammates, you compare notes to paint a mural of true understanding and respect. Nothing can replace the experience of volunteering together and experiencing the culture of the South Pacific as you live it.
Regardless of your age or background, you’re assigned to essential projects through the Ministries of Health, Agriculture and Education. On Rarotonga, your creativity and energy are shared across more than 80 local organizations to improve educational, health and social services. As a volunteer in the Cook Islands, you work alongside teachers, families and community leaders we’ve served since 1988. Review a standard work day schedule here.
1, 2, 3 weeks year-round
Tax-Deductible Fees From:
$2,695 – $3,095
Projects Include:
Teaching, Labor, Health Care
Local time:
Your health and safety are our highest priorities in the Cook Islands. Your secure, private hotel outside Avarua, Rarotonga features a spacious seaside room with a kitchenette, private bathroom, comfortable chairs, ceiling or upright fans, and solar-heated shower. Fall asleep to the rhythm of waves crashing the shore outside your door. Steps away, the hotel pool is surrounded by a lovely garden area, and fruit-bearing trees.
You can expect meals of spectacular seafood, meat, tropical fruits, vegetables, and rice at local restaurants and prepared by a local cook. Breakfast is self-serve in the private kitchen/meeting room, where you can also pack your lunch and enjoy snacks. Bottled water is provided daily.
Be The Change.
Through important, full-day volunteer assignments, cultural activities and time for personal adventures, you’ll learn about the Cook Islands and remain forever invested. Our time-tested and proven philosophy of service ensures your efforts help advance the host community’s vision and goals. You contribute to genuine development projects, and in doing so, you‘re accepted as family. Our commitment to work in partnership on long-term community projects enables you, in just a short time, to serve as a critical link in a chain of volunteer support spanning three decades.
Read more about our Cook Islands service program though the prospective of our volunteers below or on our program blog.
