Current News, Field Reports and Volunteer Voices

Several times each week, we post stories about work we do in our host communities – through the voices of our partners, volunteers, and those we serve.  Subscribe using the form below to receive updates in your inbox when they’re published.  If you’re looking for deeper insight into service in a specific country, on a particular type of project, how you can share your unique skills or volunteering as a family or a group, you can find a wealth of information here.  Use the categories next to the posts here or on any page (below right column) to explore more stories that suit your interests.

We welcome your ideas on topics you’d like to see here.  Please contact us at marketing@globalvolunteers.org. Enjoy our blog!

teaching in Cuba

“Reluctant Teacher” Says Cuban Teens Inspired Her Confidence

When first-time Global Volunteer and Ameriprise Financial Director, Cindy Hanson, prepared for her Cuba Service Program in 2022, she "overlooked" the expectation she'd be teaching basic English skills for part of every day. Once onsite, she…
active retirement

Welcome to Cuba! Travel Legally and Meet Amazing People 

Visiting Cuba is a remarkable experience that we wish everyone could enjoy. Since Global Volunteers’ first group of travelers visited Havana in 2012, our focus has centered on the Cuban people – their hopes, dreams, and goals. We have worked…

Summer of Conversational English in a picturesque, mountainous village in Crete!

Since the summer of 2005, Global Volunteers has partnered with the Municipality of Malevizi to conduct the English Language Summer School, focusing on basic conversational English, pronunciation, and motivation for learning for elementary school…

40 Years of Service: Global Volunteers’ Guiding Principle – We Serve Only Where We Are Invited

Global Volunteers relies on ten guiding principles. These principles have proven essential to the success of our partnerships with communities around the world. We share them with all our volunteers as they prepare for their service program…
High school volunteering abroad

Students Volunteering Abroad Gain Résumé-Enhancing Experience

International service, when properly administered, has the potential for mutual benefit to those who serve and those who are served. When this is achieved, a deeper understanding between cultures produces greater and more long-term outcomes.…

Sicily Volunteer Lodgings Boast Historical Roots

We always strive to provide secure, comfortable lodging in all partner communities; a bonus is sometimes, the building where we stay also is culturally and historically significant to the area. Such is the case in Castelvetrano, Sicily, where…

Building a Better Future: The Importance of Volunteering as Teenagers and Young Adults

The teenage and young adult years are often full of challenges as children move toward adulthood and make increasingly important decisions about their futures. During this time, teens are finding their niche in their communities, forming relationships,…
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Beyond Tourist Trails: A Volunteer’s Journey of Cultural Immersion in Sicily

The curiosity of meeting new people and sharing knowledge with young minds, combined with her desire to visit the land that her paternal grandparents were born led Gail Licciardello, a retired Occupational Therapy Professor from Maine to serve…

40 YEARS OF VOLUNTEER SERVICE WORLDWIDE! 

It started by four people who had a simple idea, about waging peace . . .   In the past 40 years, Global Volunteers has mobilized over 39,000 volunteers to serve children and families in partner communities in 36 countries on…

Loyola Students’ Embrace of Service Learning Offers Model of Effective Volunteering

High school students from Loyola Blakefield School in Towson, Maryland partnered with Global Volunteers on the Blackfeet Reservation of Montana in 2022 and 2023 to apply their school's values to people's real-life needs. Read on to learn how…

Christmas & New Years’ Traditions In Greece!

Christmas (Xristouyenna- Christouyenna), meaning "the birth of Christ," is one of the most important celebrations within the Greek Orthodox church. Traditions vary depending on which region or Island one is from. Here are a few of the popular…
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Work With Us For Children’s Sake, Says St. Lucia Educator

Flavian Isembert, Anse la Raye Elementary School Principal and Global Volunteers Community Partner, sat down with our November volunteer team to answer questions about the challenges of leading an under-resourced school, and volunteers'…