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  • International Student Volunteers

“The Tanzania Program is a great and noble project with great benefits both for the local communities and for the volunteers looking to provide heartfelt service to people in need.  I had the special opportunity to visit and work in Ipalamwa and surrounding communities for two weeks this past summer.  I will forever cherish the honor, and look forward to serving many more times in Tanzania and other Global Volunteers’ programs across the world.”

  • Henry Wambuii
    Professor of Political Science, University of Central Missouri

651.222.9565

Give back to the world and bring back a world of understanding. Service-learning abroad enables you to apply your academic training to comprehensive development programs. Join your classmates and faculty in an adventure in service for one to three weeks. You’ll gain on-the-ground experience and understanding on life-changing work projects – directly serving youth and families. Are you coordinating volunteer opportunities for high school students or a college student group? Group Service Options Explained Here.

Service. Seriously.

As an international NGO founded in 1984, we’re respected worldwide for engaging college and alumni groups in measurable and effective service-learning and for-credit opportunities. We’ve collaborated with over 100 academic institutions and campus groups to meet study-abroad criteria for service-learning abroad and in the USA.

Spring break, J-term, summer vacation or gap year service-learning abroad is our specialty. Genuine development projects focusing on children and families enhance your curricula as well as your global perspective.  We’ll certify service-learning hours so your student group can meet study abroad and academic requirements.  If you’re coordinating volunteer abroad programs, we’ll help you arrange academic credit through independent study and research. Don’t just meet your requirements; exceed your expectations.

Be The Change. Be a Global Volunteer.

Student Volunteers in China

Students in the Cook Islands

Student Volunteers in Cuba

Student Volunteers in Greece

Student Volunteers in Nepal

Student Volunteers in Italy

Student Volunteers in Peru

Students Volunteers in Poland

Student Volunteers in Portugal

Student Volunteers in St. Lucia

Student Volunteers in Tanzania

Student Volunteers on Indian Reservations

International Student Volunteers in Vietnam

University and college student volunteers change lives – theirs and those they serve. Service-learning opportunities teach youth and young adults to reach out beyond borders to care for vulnerable and at-risk children, teach conversational English, math, nutrition, and disease prevention, contribute to labor projects, and so much more.

Working together, student volunteers of all ages help children reach their full potential and learn about comprehensive, sustainable development. Choose opportunities for: high school students, college students and graduate students to advance your cultural sensitivity and global vision.

Apply your academic training on projects to help local parents and organizations in our partner communities deliver one or more of these 12 essential services:

  • Eradicating Hunger (1. School & Household Gardens, 2. Child Nutrition, 3. Micro-nutrient Supplementation, 4. Fuel Efficient Stoves)
  • Improving Health (5. Hygiene, Health and Nutrition Education, 6. Malaria and Dengue Fever Prevention, 7. De-worming, 8. HIV/AIDS Prevention)
  • Enhancing Cognition (9. General Education, 10. Girls’ Education, 11. Potable Water and Sanitation Facilities, 12. Psycho-social Support).

Nearly every undergraduate and graduate discipline is fully utilized for one, two or three weeks (longer in some countries by arrangement) under the direction of local community partners.  Call, email or chat with us today – for information on the many ways your skills are needed.

This is service. Seriously.

College Volunteer Abroad Programs

Volunteering as a student individually or in a group will enhance your college career in many ways! And it may change your life forever. Count on us to maximize your contributions, whether for one week, or throughout a multi-week school break. Specifically, you’ll work on full-day assignments in the areas of hunger, health and cognition. We’ll engage you on the ground floor of long-term community development projects with measurable outcomes. The most important question you can ask about your own volunteer service is: What impact do I hope to make?

Help families and local leaders improve children’s futures. Challenge yourself in serious service! Engage your academic knowledge for the greatest benefit of local people. Gain skills for a fulfilling career. Elevate your perspective on global issues, and refine your life’s goals. Experience new cultures and traditions firsthand— through those who live them.

student volunteers abroad

High School Volunteer Abroad Programs

We’re a recognized leader in high school volunteer opportunities in the USA and abroad.  In over three decades, cooperating with hundreds of community development organizations worldwide, our safety record and itineraries are rated as among the best. Because we’re a 501C-3 tax-exempt organization working in special consultative status with the United Nations, we meet and exceed the highest standards for volunteering abroad. If you’re seeking premier volunteer abroad for teens, we have the programs!

Head over to our high school volunteer abroad programs page for all the details on our opportunities.

high school group teach English in India

“We experienced more than I ever thought we could in one week. This is a great way for a group to get to know another culture. I have visited a number of reservations over the years and have worked with people on a number of them. These have been among the most meaningful and beneficial experiences in my life.” 

“Our students were grateful for how truly incredible the trip was. The trip’s logistics were perfect every day, with each detail of transportation and meals and events worked out ahead of time. There were no issues, and our time on group activities and the service projects was filled effectively and manageably. We are so appreciative for how well-planned and under control Global Volunteers was!”

“I realized how my contribution made up a piece of the relationship between the United States and India … and how, when combined with other (volunteers) it’s very influential. This experience gave me a unique and unparalleled educational growth, especially at such a formative point in my life. It definitely will affect my future career plans.”

“This experience reiterated the importance of service in my life. I now look into traveling that includes volunteering. I hope to bring more college students on Global Volunteers programs. If more people took the time to understand each other’s perspectives, before voicing their own, the world might be a bit more friendly.”

“Since my Global Volunteers program in Tanzania, I have given talks on the experience throughout the world highlighting the positive contributions your organizations makes.  Thank you for all you and Global Volunteers is doing.”

“It was one of the best weeks of my life. I really enjoyed learning about the Blackfeet culture and getting to know the people. I was happy to help out in the community wherever I was needed, and could not have asked for a better team. I hope to participate in more Global Volunteers trips in my future. My program was amazing!”

“The program allowed me to re-assess what’s truly important. I taught children who barely had clothes covering their bodies who were happy and laughing. Their smiles were the largest things about them. A warm smile truly transcends any language barriers and creates memories that linger long after the experience has ended.”

“This week has been a gift to me. The people I’ve met and gotten to know are a gift to me. I can only say thank you. The things that we are capable of doing for other people shouldn’t be done simply because we feel we should be good, or we feel we should ‘give back.’ It seems to me that everyone here is creating a world of good simply by living outside of their boxes.”

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Voices of International Student Volunteers

Learn more about volunteer abroad for teens and college groups:

We need you! Find out where and how your group can help:


Please take a moment to answer these questions so that we can best help you.


We will immediately direct your inquiry to our Group Coordinator, who will contact you shortly. In addition, please answer the following:



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Global Volunteers is a U.S. based NGO in the central time zone (UTC -6). Because tax-deductibility, visa requirements, and language proficiencies vary, please choose the country you’re inquiring from to enable us to provide you the most appropriate information.



Thank you for your interest in a development partnership with Global Volunteers. We're unable to expand our programs at this time. As our website portrays, our current service programs center around providing the 12 Essential Services for our Reaching Children's Potential Program. But for future reference, please send any information to: partnershiprequest@globalvolunteers.org


As a private, non-profit organization independent from government and religious funding, Global Volunteers’ programs are financed almost entirely by volunteer contributions. This is important because our community partners cannot afford the “open market” costs of the services and materials we provide. Your tax-deductible service program contribution pays your expenses in the partner community. These include your food, lodging, work site transportation, program materials, team leadership, emergency evacuation insurance, and administrative costs. In addition, we provide supplemental financing to help meet our host’s many, on-going and special needs.


While English fluency does not disqualify you from participating on any of our programs, Global Volunteers is a U.S based NGO with your teammates, training materials and other communications being conduced primarily in English.

We’re unable to provide any assistance in obtaining your passport or visa. You'll need a passport to travel abroad and for some countries, you’ll need a visa.  Please keep this in mind when planning your travel schedule. If you live outside the U.S., you may have additional restrictions for participating on U.S. programs.

To provide you with information to match your specific interests, please tell us a little about you:




Many employers help cover part of the service program contribution. Providing this information can help us determine if this is available to you.



Our volunteer coordinators are available from 8:30AM to 4:30PM Central Time and will email you during that time on the next business day. If you prefer, you may chat now, or call 651-407-6100 if you’re inquiring during office hours.

Please choose up to 4 program locations and projects that interest you.
















By providing my phone number to Global Volunteers, I agree and acknowledge that Global Volunteers may send text messages to my wireless phone number for any purpose. Message and data rates may apply. We will only send one SMS as a reply to you, and you will be able to opt-out by replying "STOP". For more information on how your data will be handled please visit https://support.8x8.com/business-phone/voice/work-sms/SMS_Campaign_Registration%3A_SMS_Usage_and_Content_Policies. No mobile information will be shared with third parties/affiliates for marketing/promotional purposes. All the above categories exclude text messaging originator opt-in data and consent; this information will not be shared with any third parties.
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Global Volunteers
375 East Little Canada Road
St. Paul, MN 55117-1628 USA
(800) 487-1074 | toll-free
(651) 482-0915 | fax
globalvolunteers.org
email@globalvolunteers.org
Federal EIN: 36-3352680

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