Family volunteering is a service to the community and each other.

Childcare, labor and tutoring projects in St. Lucia are “family friendly,” and because of the congenial Caribbean culture, children 8 and up serve as full team members with their family. We work with you to arrange volunteer assignments to provide variety and appropriate family supervision. For instance, the youngest child volunteers can encourage, care for and play with pre-schoolers – helping on the playground and with story time. Teen volunteers can tutor local young adults and assist with on labor projects. Moms and dads, together with their children, practice English pronunciation with primary school students in classrooms or small groups. The pace is gentle, and the community is inclusive of families of all backgrounds and compositions. Even a walk around town turns into a lesson on resource allocation and conservation, living within meager means, and how we’re all more alike than different.

Chose program dates during school breaks and summer vacations. Parents and guardians are expected to supervise their minor 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, they gain a personal understanding of the country’s modern history and current events beyond what they can find online, in school or in personal study. They may also create life-long friendships with local youth who share their interests and experiences.

Volunteering together, you gain a rare, “insider” perspective of daily life in St. Lucia. Participating in local dance and music, and experiencing customs and local events with local people takes you beneath the veneer. At the end of the work day, you compare notes to paint a mural of true understanding and respect. Nothing can replace the experience of volunteering as a family and experiencing the Caribbean culture as you live it.