Short-term volunteer strips abroad can build significant cross-cultural understanding. While working as a professional massage therapist in the US, Uma has taken a number of short-term insight volunteer trips to, among other places, Guatemala and Peru. On every trip, she tries to immerse herself fully in her host culture, and to really understand the local way of life.
Read more in the Stories from Abroad section. Been abroad? Tell us about it!
Bushra's story offers a great example of a student who makes the most of her trips abroad, viewing the excursions as learning experiences, but also as tools for self-reflection and self-assessment. Her story of a short-term volunteer trip to Guatemala highlights the important realizations that become possible when a student rises to the challenge of going abroad. Check out Bushra's story here. Been abroad? Tell us about it!
Alyssa is a great example of how even short-term volunteer trips abroad can have a big impact. Each reading week, Alyssa travels to a new location to participate in a different volunteer program. Here, she recounts what she learned working with Habitat for Humanity in New Orleans, and with a medical outreach group in Nicaragua.
Read more in the Stories from Abroad section. Been abroad? Tell us about it!
Katie volunteered at the Sandipani Muni School in Vrindavan, India, working in a school, teaching basic skills to children as they learned the English language. Katie was studying occupational therapy at the time. Check out her story to learn how this short-term volunteering term both challenged and invigorated her course of study. Read it now.
Been abroad?
Volunteering is one of the most popular go abroad experiences; and people do it for a variety of reasons: some want to have an adventure, while others are hell-bent on saving the world. Whatever your goals, MyWorldAbroad's main site (for registered users) has advice for you, as well as hundreds of resources to get you in touch with your ideal program. Here are a few of the key tips from the section:
Top Tips Up your intensity: Volunteering in a third world country or pushing your limits with an international organization might require a little elbow grease, but you will come home... Read the full article
After completing tours of duty as a reservist with the Canadian Armed Forces, Scott knew he wanted to become involved in community development work on the ground in Africa. Spending several months working with a grassroots NGO in Uganda, Scott was able to gain a valuable, eye-opening perspective on the challenges facing the populations he was working to assist.
Read more in the Stories from Abroad section. Have a story to share? Tell us about it!
By volunteering in a physical therapy clinic in Yucatan, Mexico, Mariah was able to build her professional resume while improving her Spanish language skills and experiencing the color and warmth of the Mexican people. In a children’s health clinic, Mariah shadowed a professional physical therapist and provided a crucial service for members of the local community.
Read more in Stories from Abroad. Been abroad? Tell us about it!
Do you have an interest in international development? So does Salina! She spent her time as a volunteer in Guatemala immersing herself totally in the local culture and traditions – from food to dance to the Spanish language. Find out exactly what she got up to in San Miguel Dueñas.
Read more in the Stories from Abroad section. Been abroad? Tell us about it!
Katie combined her passions for travel, volunteering and the Spanish language and spent two months working on two volunteer projects in Oaxaca, Mexico. A positive attitude, adaptibility and a love of learning helped Katie overcome minor challenges and have an extraordinary, successful term abroad.
Read more in the Stories from Abroad section. Been abroad? Tell us about it!
Ariana participated in the unique We Build service learning program, which allowed her to complete coursework while working on a house-building project in India. Her experience demonstrates the importance of keeping an open mind and a positive attitude while abroad, even if things become challenging.
Read more in the Stories from Abroad section. Been abroad? Tell us about it!
