Volunteer Sign Up Event (01:46)

FREE PREVIEW

At a national volunteer conference the public is invited to shop around for organizations that suit their interests. Many cater to college students looking for a meaningful educational experience. A positive attitude and eagerness to solve challenges are essential.

Teaching Elementary Students in Ecuador (03:23)

In Otavalo, Ecuador a group of college students spend three months volunteering with Global Routes. Elizabeth Claffey makes progress in organizing the children. Kids are taught about clean drinking water, garbage sanitation, and taking care of land.

Local Economic and Political Problems (02:05)

Part of working in a developing nation is being able to adapt to regional issues. One week after arriving in the village, local teachers go on strike. Volunteers support and sympathize with the teachers while encouraging kids to attend school.

Creating Teaching Tools (02:29)

Global Routes volunteers incorporate the use of teaching aids for visual stimulation and salvaged unused flip-charts. Despite initial community distrust, the team wins over the skeptical medicine man in the village.

Homestay Families (03:22)

Global Routes requires volunteers to immerse themselves in the community by living with host families. Adjusting to living in a new culture is uncomfortable at first. Everyone in town seems to be all one family.

Community Center Project (02:09)

Building a basketball court is a secondary project. Female volunteers from Seattle, WA were surprised that men agreed to let them help work on the basketball court.

Breaking Stereotypes in Africa (04:15)

Global Routes sends volunteers to Kenya where they teach classes to secondary school students. Africans in Kakamega think that white people are rich, lazy and spoiled. Rachel Murchison from North Carolina makes works hard in order to present a different image.

Schools Lacking Basic Needs (01:42)

Global Routes team members in Africa find their teaching experience defined by economic circumstances. Problems include a lack of teachers, school supplies, organization, and commitment. Some local teachers are volunteers.

Homestay Living in Rural Kenya (04:04)

Chai Saechao from Oakland, CA cooks with the family. She has a positive attitude. Chai is constantly surrounded by extended family members. She believes this lends itself to a stronger social fabric.

Teaching Computer Classes (03:25)

A group of American college students in Montpelier volunteer their time to work with disabled children through the New York based International Partnership for Service Learning. The school has special tools that allow handicapped children to receive the same level of education as their non-handicapped peers. The work is rewarding.

Personal Story from Semester Abroad (03:12)

International Partnership for Service Learning combines service learning with traditional university study. Evaluation sessions help volunteers in Montpelier reflect on their experiences working with handicapped students. Shana Harry, from Indiana, talks about her time spent with a 30 year old man.

Broadening Horizons (02:24)

Harry recalls the first time she heard French and explains why she was inspired to learn the language. She hopes her students develop a sense of adventure and learn the benefits of taking risks. Teaching volunteers travel to learn new things and have fun.

Living With a Single Mother (02:50)

Harry lives with a French woman who sees the volunteer as intelligent and resourceful. Working abroad with the physically challenged is hard, but the rewards are big. Service work in the United States is easier because it does not entail travel, language barriers, or cultural differences.

Guayaquil Ecuador (03:37)

Genesta Landrum does volunteer work at an international adoption agency. She attends Espiritu Santo University to improve her Spanish speaking. Provost Albert Eyde strongly supports community service learning. He believes that action combined with reflection is a powerful educational concept.

Masai Village Experience (03:50)

MSID students share a story about waking up in the Rift Valley and seeing giraffes. This program combines classroom and experiential education followed by internships and community service. Students hear about a tradition surrounding warriors and circumcision and some participate in the ritual drinking of a goat's blood after it is slaughtered.

Perception and Reality (01:57)

MSID students listen to a lecture about how tourists are perceived. The program offers information that is lacking in other study abroad programs. Students are placed with families and immersed in the culture.

Dispersing for Community Service (04:36)

In Ambu, a town 100 miles from Nairobi, Amy Shnettler does community service at a local hospital. She chose the MSID program because it offered an intense academic program and a long internship outside the classroom. John Ogola, Field Coordinator explains several placement problems that are mostly culture related.

Learning About Development (03:49)

American Student Kristen O'Grady interns with a traditional Masai healer. She was inspired by anthropology classes to study the spiritual and clinical aspects of healing. Volunteers help improve the standard of living for poor community members.

Credit: Making a Difference: College Volunteers Abroad (01:14)

Credit: Making a Difference: College Volunteers Abroad