Post-College Service Opportunities
United Way is a great resource for students during and after college. The United Way Volunteer
Center acts as a vital link between people who want to volunteer and organizations
that needs them. For a plethora of short term volunteer options in the United States,
please access the McKendree University's United Way Page by clicking here.
Below are long term international and domestic service opportunities.
International Volunteer Opportunities
Cross-Cultural Solutions is a not-for-profit international volunteer organization that operates volunteer
programs in Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Peru, Russia, Tanzania,
and Thailand. Our programs offer a unique opportunity for participants to work side-by-side
with local people, on locally designed and driven projects. Our volunteer programs
are designed to facilitate hands-on service and cultural exchange in the aim of fostering
cultural understanding. As an international volunteer, you will participate in meaningful
community development and gain a whole new perspective of the world. To learn more,
visit www.crossculturalsolutions.org.
The European Volunteering Center, there are a great many organizations throughout Europe who do place volunteers both
locally and overseas, or who can offer advice. In the first instance you should contact
your National or Regional Volunteer Centre. Alternatively, you could look at the following
list of European and international databases of volunteering opportunities. They offer
a tremendous range of possibilities both within Europe and around the globe. From
arts and culture to community and political action, the environment, education, health
and much, much more. They may well be able to help you find what you want.
The Foreign Policy Association (FPA) is a national, nonprofit, nonpartisan, nongovernmental, educational organization
founded in 1918 to educate Americans about the significant international issues that
influence their lives. FPA provides impartial publications, programs and forums to
increase public awareness of, and foster popular participation in, matters relating
to those policy issues. To learn more, visit www.fpa.org.
Go Overseas, an online social network for all things international travel, is a great resource
for students who want to go abroad. They offer scholarships for students already accepted
volunteer, teach, intern, and study programs as well as program reviews from past
participants, including programs listed on your site. To learn more, visit www.gooverseas.com/volunteer-abroad.
The International Volunteer Programs Association (IVPA) is an alliance of nonprofit, non-governmental organizations based in the Americas,
that are involved in international volunteer and internship exchanges.
Any program that regularly sends groups or individuals to work abroad as volunteers,
interns or lay missionaries, for any length of time, falls under the broad category
of "International Volunteer Programs." International volunteer programs offer unique
hands-on learning experiences which promote cross-cultural understanding, cooperation,
and solidarity among individuals and communities around the world. They encourage
participating volunteers to examine how their work and daily choices back home can
have an impact on economic and social conditions in other parts of the world. To learn more, visit www.volunteerinternational.org
Involvement Volunteering is a unique, cost effective way for people of all ages to gain practical experience;
or to learn from practical experience while helping others as a real volunteer, and
meeting the local people and their culture when traveling in a foreign country(s).
To learn more, visit www.volunteering.org.au.
Jesuit Volunteer Corps is an organization that encourages those who give service to those who are less fortunate
through volunteer programs, both domestically and internationally. These programs
may include school programs, non-profit programs, and different sites around the world.
They held accustomed to four main core values that include: spirituality, simple living,
community, and social justice. “JVs are working for justice in 39 U.S. cities and
6 countries abroad with and for people who are disenfranchised, marginalized, or vulnerable,
such as children with limited educational opportunities, people who are homeless,
patients diagnosed with AIDS, survivors of domestic abuse, low-wage earners, former
gang members, refugees, or the elderly.” To learn more, visit www.jesuitvolunteers.org.
Open Mind Projects is a grass roots education and international volunteer organization, with international
volunteering opportunities overseas to teach English and computer skills. To learn
more, visit www.openmindprojects.org.
Peace Corps is an organization that sends Americans abroad to areas around the world that are
in need. They are determined to advocate world peace and friendship. They intent
to help those countries to meet the needs of trained men and women. They plan to create
a better understanding of what Americans do on those that serve. They also want to
help others to understand other peoples from an American point of view. To learn more,
visit www.peacecorps.gov.
Rostro de Cristo, or also called Face of Christ, is a Catholic program that takes place in Ecuador
that involves both volunteering and retreats. You may choose to stay for a year and
volunteer or you may stay for a short period of time on a retreat while in Ecuador.
Their goals is to get to know and understand people because it is on a much personal
level which is their main focus, support one another, and live a simple life. You
encounter both educational and spiritual opportunities for those who volunteer to
those who live in Ecuador. To learn more, visit www.rostrodecristo.org.
Service Leader will provide you with the right volunteer opportunity and ability to make the most
out of your volunteer activities can be crucial to making a real difference and having
a rewarding experience. Many of these resources are written by internationally-recognized
volunteerism and volunteer management expert Susan Ellis. To learn more, visit www.serviceleader.org.
Volunteers for Peace, or VFP, is an organization that supports and promotes the service of volunteering
in both the US and in international countries through service learning, intercultural
education, and development of the community. Volunteers are able to broaden their
leadership skills and global connections. “VFP empowers host communities to work
cooperatively for environmental sustainability, social justice, and peace.” To learn
more, visit www.vfp.org.
World Teach is an organization that is associated with both governments and other organizations
in developing countries that was created in response to educational need. It also
represents the how many people from the US and from other countries are interested
in helping to serve, teach and learn as volunteers being overseas. The communities
that volunteers have been placed are Asia, Latin American, Africa, Eastern Europe
and the Pacific. Volunteers can be placed in a school setting or a host community,
who would otherwise never be able to afford a teacher. To learn more, visit www.worldteach.org.
WorldTeach currently accepting applications for college graduates to serve as volunteer English teachers in their yearlong program in Thailand. Volunteers are full time English teachers in elementary and high schools in rural communities in the northeastern Nakhon Phanom province. After receiving additional funding from local Thai schools in 2014, the volunteer fee has been reduced from $3,590 to $1,500 for 2015. This volunteer fee covers visa sponsorship, housing provided with a host family or teacher apartments, monthly stipend of US$250, option for TEFL certification, health & emergency evacuation insurance, training upon arrival, etc. Volunteers are responsible for their own airfare
Volunteer Period: April 2015 – March 2016
Domestic Volunteer Opportunities
AmeriCorps is a domestic organization that enhances communities, better lives, and cultivate
civil engagement. This is the nation’s largest grant maker for service and volunteering.
This is a federal agency that enlists more than 5 million through its programs that
include: Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and the Social Innovation Fund. To learn more,
visit www.nationalservice.gov.
Jesuit Volunteer Corps is an organization that encourages those who give service to those who are less fortunate
through volunteer programs, both domestically and internationally. These programs
may include school programs, non-profit programs, and different sites around the world.
They held accustomed to four main core values that include: spirituality, simple living,
community, and social justice. “JVs are working for justice in 39 U.S. cities and
6 countries abroad with and for people who are disenfranchised, marginalized, or vulnerable,
such as children with limited educational opportunities, people who are homeless,
patients diagnosed with AIDS, survivors of domestic abuse, low-wage earners, former
gang members, refugees, or the elderly.” To learn more, visit www.jesuitvolunteers.org.
Teach for America is an organization that is committed in giving children the education that they need.
Their sole purposes is that change is possible, enlisting committed individuals, developing
leaders, and fueling a long-term impact. Education can be provided no matter what
class you are and to every student. A group of leaders are chosen to work to engage
in educational opportunities by working two years at a low-income community. They
provide training, development and support to leaders to realize what it takes to give
an education to those that are in need. To learn more, visit www.teachforamerica.org.
Volunteers for Peace, or VFP, is an organization that supports and promotes the service of volunteering
in both the US and in international countries through service learning, intercultural
education, and development of the community. Volunteers are able to broaden their
leadership skills and global connections. “VFP empowers host communities to work
cooperatively for environmental sustainability, social justice, and peace.” To learn
more, visit www.vfp.org.
