Volunteer Abroad

Volunteering abroad provides opportunities for positive change, reciprocal learning, cultural exchange, new skill acquisition, personal transformation, and much more. Making a difference can range from simply sharing friendship to sharing specific skills and knowledge, and opportunities exist nearly everywhere in the world.

Many volunteer jobs require volunteers to cover their own expenses and may charge a fee. As you research potential roles, be sure to consider how much training and on-site support is provided, what expenses are and are not included in any fees, where you will live, and how long you can volunteer.

Credit or No Credit?

Volunteer programs abroad typically do not offer academic credit. If you don’t earn credit, you cannot use UI financial aid and are not eligible for Study Abroad scholarships. You could consider pursuing independent study credit (talk to your academic advisor). If independent study credit is approved, you will pay both the volunteer program fee as well as UI tuition for the number of credits you’ll earn (but are eligible for financial aid and scholarships).

Service-learning, an increasingly popular type of course, is a combination of volunteer experience and academic work. Many study abroad programs include credit-bearing service-learning courses in their program options. A credit-bearing service-learning course would allow you to use UI financial aid and apply for Study Abroad scholarships.

Also, consider taking the Global Leadership Initiative [1] course, a 1 credit online workshop (pass/fail), to explore leadership while you're abroad. This online workshop is supplementary to a study abroad, international internship, or cross-cultural experience and focuses on developing the knowledge, attitudes, and skills that are paramount for global leadership competence.

Volunteer Abroad Resource List

UI International Volunteers [2]: Join this UI student-led organization for the opportunity to volunteer abroad, gain hands-on experience, and engage with another community and culture. Open to all majors. Potential volunteer placements include healthcare, education, teaching English, women's empowerment, work with infants and children or the elderly, and sharing professional skills.

UI Alumni Association Iowa Voyagers [3]: Operation Romania: An annual two-week summer service trip to Barlad, Romania to help disadvantaged children.

Peace Corps [4]: Volunteers live, learn, and work with a community overseas for 27 months, providing technical assistance in six program areas: education, youth and community development, health, business and information and communications technology, agriculture, and environment. *Contact UI representative Meredith Gall [5] in International Programs for more information.

A Broader View [6]: Arranges volunteer abroad programs for spring break journeys, gap year trips, humanitarian mission trips. Teaching, orphanage/child care, medical and healthcare, environment, community development, youth sports, women’s support.

AIDE Abroad [7]: Offers a wide range of internship, work, teach, and volunteer opportunities worldwide.

Amingos de las Americas [8]: Participants develop leadership skills and increase multi-cultural understanding through training and community service in Latin America. Member of IVPA.

Amizade, Global Service Learning [9]: Offers volunteer programs and for-credit service-learning courses in 9 countries, focused on community-driven service and friendship.

BUNAC [10]: Volunteer programs in Peru, South Africa, or Cambodia

Camp Alegria y Esperanza [11]: Volunteer for 2 weeks in the Dominican Republic at a summer camp for kids with HIV. For dates and opportunities please contact the camp volunteer coordinator, Luis Lewis at derrickhlewis@gmail.com [12].

Child Family Health International [13]: An NGO, CFHI places health science students on global health education programs focusing on community engagement through service. Member of IVPA.

Connect-123 [14]: Internship, volunteer, and service learning opportunities in Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Cape Town, Dublin, and Shanghai.

Cross-Cultural Solutions [15]: Help address critical global issues in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, or Latin America. Member of IVPA.

Cultural Embrace [16]: Cultural Embrace offers resources for a variety of schedules, budgets, and interests.

Desvio Travel [17]: Language Immersion Travel in Honduras that includes service work (summer).

Dream Volunteers [18]: Non-profit organization with volunteer trips in Costa Rica, Ghana, Guatemala, India, and Vietnam.

Earthwatch [19]: An environmental charity which engages people worldwide in scientific field research and education to promote a sustainable environment.

ELAP (Experiential Learning Abroad Programs): [20] Offers structured volunteer and internship placements in Latin America, Spain and England in a variety of fields.

Esperanza International [21]: Volunteers help build homes and work on other projects in the under-served communities of Tijuana.

Foundation for Sustainable Development [22]: Internship and volunteer opportunities in health, microfinance, youth development, human rights, sustainability, technology.

Global Citizens for Sustainable Development [23]: Internship/Volunteer projects in India.

Global Routes [24]: Teach, volunteer, or intern in Belize, Costa Rica, Ecuador, India, Kenya, Tanzania, Thailand.

Global Service Corps [25]: Volunteer in Thailand, Cambodia, or Tanzania in community development, sustainable agriculture, health, orphanage care, and HIV/AIDS education and prevention. Also offer semester and summer for-credit programs in Tanzania. Member of IVPA.

GoAbroad.com [26]: Volunteer, Teach, Intern, Jobs, EcoAdventure Travel.

GO! Overseas [27]: Lists Study, Teach, and Volunteer abroad programs across the world.

Habitat for Humanity [28]: Global Village volunteer program builds safe and affordable housing for low-income families worldwide. Member of IVPA.

Humanity in Action [29]: Educates and connects students, professionals and leaders to promote human rights, diversity, and active citizenship. Offers fellowships, seminars, workshops, and conferences.

Idealist [30]: Idealist connects people, organizations, and resources with a focus on practical solutions to social and environmental problems.

India Corps [31]: Offers one or two-year grassroots service Fellowships for young professionals of Indian origin who want to make a lasting difference in India.

International Student Volunteers [32] (ISV): Supports sustainable development initiatives with volunteer and adventure travel programs.

International Volunteer Programs Association (IVPA): [33] Member organizations must adhere to IVPA’s Principles and Practices criteria to be listed.

Operation Crossroads Africa [34]: Offers a 7 week cross-cultural grassroots level exchange program designed to promote understanding of Africa and the African Diaspora.

Outlook 360 [35]: Focus on children growing up in impoverished neighborhoods in Nicaragua or the Dominican Republic.

Pardada Pardadi Educational Society [36]: Improves the lives of females in rural India by providing free education and job opportunities. Volunteers provided with full room and board.

Projects Abroad [37]: Offers a wide range of volunteer and internship projects throughout the world including conservation, sports, archaeology, medicine and healthcare, journalism, human rights, and performing arts. Member of IVPA.

ProWorld Volunteers [38]: Topics include Community Development, Education, Environment/Conservation, Health, Children, Journalism, Women’s Empowerment. Member of IVPA.

Sarapiqui Conservation Learning Center [39]: Community development, service and environmental studies in Costa Rica.

Stirring the Fire [40]: Volunteer opportunities to empower women and girls worldwide.

Unite for Sight [41]: Global health volunteer experience to support eye clinics in Ghana, Honduras, and India.

Verge Magazine [42]: A resource to help people experience the world in a meaningful way, through opportunities for study, work, and volunteer abroad.

Visions in Action [43]: Offers international development volunteer programs in the areas of food security, education, international exchange, and HIV/AIDS.

Volunteers Australia [44]: Learn from and provide volunteer support to local Indigenous or Torres Strait Islander communicates.

Volunteers for Peace [45]: Offer 2-3 week service opportunities in more than 100 different countries.

VolunTrek [46]: Volunteer with non-profit organizations in Mexico, from 2 weeks to 6 months.

World Endeavors [47]: Volunteer, intern, and study abroad programs worldwide.

Service-Learning / Credit-bearing Programs

*Iowa Regents Summer Program in Peru [48]: Study Spanish and engage with communities through service work in and around Cusco, Peru – the original Incan capital city.

*UI International Perspectives: Xicotepec Program [49]: This service-learning course provides discipline-specific service projects to improve community life in Xicotepec, Mexico in collaboration with Rotary International.

Broadreach College [50]: (Summer, Winter, Gap Year) Experiential learning programs for credit with hands on field work and service work. Multiple programs in Marine Science, Natural Science, Leadership & Professional Development, and Culture & Anthropology.

Central College Abroad [51]: Offers a variety of internship and service learning opportunities in each of their international program locations.

CIEE Service Learning programs [52]: Offer many study abroad programs with service learning and/or internship components.

IfSA-Butler [53]: Most of their programs in Latin America and many English-speaking programs offer volunteer opportunities as part of the academic program.

International Partnership for Service-Learning and Leadership [54]: IPSL programs combine academic studies, community service, and full cultural immersion.

Jamaica Field Service Project [55]: An ongoing service learning program accredited by the State University of New York. Open to all majors. Volunteer in the local community, schools and care centers of Jamaica. Trips include music-therapy and community health students who work with accredited supervisors and professors.

Living Routes [56]: Live and learn in Eco-villages around the globe. An internship or service learning component is included in the academic curriculum of these experiential, sustainability-related programs.

*UI program