Volunteer Travel Adventures: FAQ
Volunteer Travel Adventures: What are volunteer travel adventures?
Simply put, these are service learning experiences and cultural exchanges that provide the chance to work on a project (or projects) in a part of the world needing helping with education and infrastructure-building. For travelers who aren’t already part of a religious organization that does mission work or who can’t devote 24 months to a Peace Corps assignment, a number of companies specialize in volunteer travel adventures that typically last from one week to one month.
Volunteer Travel Adventures: What kind of work can I do? Just how adventuresome?
Sometimes the term “adventure” implies that a trip is going to be full of physical challenges, extreme sports, and grueling but exciting conditions. In the realm of volunteer travel adventures, the concept of adventure is more cultural and social, though there may be physical components too. Many programs involve teaching English to children or adults. Others involve safe sex outreach, HIV prevention, and other public health initiatives. In some countries, the trips may involve working at an orphanage, assisting at a medical clinic, or helping to build houses or schools. There’s really a diverse range of opportunities out there, and previous skills or experience are rarely required.
Volunteer Travel Adventures: Where can I go?
The majority of volunteer travel adventures take participants to Asia, Africa, and Latin America, though some are in Europe and Oceania. From Nepal to Nicaragua and Kazakhstan to Kenya, if you can think of a country you want to visit, there’s a good chance you can find some kind of volunteer program there.
Volunteer Travel Adventures: Will I *only* be working?
The companies that run volunteer travel adventures tend to see them as chances for cultural exchange. Accordingly, just as the American (or other Western tourists) are sharing their culture and language with local peoples, those local people do their part to teach customs, share cuisine, and leave an impression on the visitors. Also, many programs, depending on length, include side excursions and some sightseeing here and there.
Volunteer Travel Adventures: How much does it cost?
The vast majority of volunteer travel adventures are all-expense included trips (or very close to it). The only additional thing that most participants usually pay for is airfare. Whatever company you volunteer through, they’ll let you know how much money to bring or at least tell you which expenses are your responsibility. Some trips are less than $1000, but others are much more. Because they vary so much by location and length, there are no hard and fast rules regarding cost, so do your research.
Volunteer Travel Adventures: Where will I stay?
Depending on the program you choose and the resources available in the region, you might stay in a modest hotel or with a host family (usually the former). While you shouldn’t expect a luxurious resort, you can probably rely on getting something between spartan and roughly cozy. Most of the volunteers are
Volunteer Travel Adventures: How many people participate?
In order for volunteer travel adventures to be feasible for the companies running them, they are operated as group events, with volunteers typically coming from all over the US (and sometimes from Canada, Europe, and other locations). Sizes are usually capped to ensure that participants have a quality experience, however. You may work in a small program with 8-10 fellow volunteers or a larger initiative with 30 or 40 other people.
Volunteer Travel Adventures: Why do it?
Participants cite all kinds of reasons for choosing volunteer travel adventures over traditional vacations:
– They want to do something active and socially conscious.
– They crave the opportunity for cultural exposure beyond the usual tourist sites in a country.
– They want to practice foreign language with native speakers. What greater way to improve your Portuguese than to spend two weeks in Brazil on a volunteer travel adventure?
– They are contemplating the Peace Corps or a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certificate, and this will help them clarify their goals.
– Students may be able to arrange a volunteer travel adventure as an independent study for credit. These are not “study abroad” programs, but they do have educational and transformative learning value that might be worth a course of credit.
– They seek friendship. In addition to making friends with the local people they are helping, participants often forge peer bonds that last after they return home. (I personally know of one married couple who met on a service expedition in Ghana.)
Sign me up!! Which companies offer this?
This brand of travel is increasing in popularity, and despite the good cause, it’s still part of the travel businessâÂ?¦.so prospective participants should research the companies thoroughly and be sure they’re comfortable with the program structures and missions. Some of the popular volunteer travel adventure agencies are:
http://www.volunteertravel.com
http://www.i-to-i.com/
http://www.globeaware.org
http://www.crossculturalsolutions.org/
