Thinking about volunteering abroad? Great! Now it’s time to determine where to lend your time and passion, and how. With options as varied as teaching English in Africa, working to support the elderly in South America, and volunteering with individuals with disabilities in Asia, you need to make sure the experience you choose is a perfect fit for you.

Whether you plan to spend one week volunteering abroad or twelve, here are some great tips to ensure your experience is everything you hope.

Talk to an Expert:

Researching and planning your volunteer abroad experience can be daunting. There are nearly 200 countries out there and roughly 6,500 spoken languages. That’s enough to drop the jaw of even the most travel-savvy adventurer. So, how will you decide on the right experience for you? After you do your initial research and determine some regions of interest, contact one of our rockstar Program Advisors – they’ll be there to support you every step of the way.

Whether you’ve got questions on what volunteer opportunity best matches your unique skills and experience, the best way to get to Zanzibar after wrapping up your volunteer work in Tanzania, or some first-hand insight on what it’s like to enroll as a solo volunteer with Cross-Cultural Solutions (CCS). in Morocco, we’ve got folks here who’ve done it, love it, and live it! So why not ask for a little input?

Meaningful Volunteer Work:

We know that the most impactful approach to international volunteering is one designed by the community. With CCS, you’ll do meaningful work that addresses a specific need. In every community in which we work, we have relationships 10+ years strong with local organizations who communicate, in real-time, the local needs and objectives to the CCS team so we can ensure that your volunteer experience is impactful. You’ll work side-by-side with local people to help address the issues they face every day. And as you immerse yourself in the community, you’ll find beauty in every connection and commonality discovered, large or small.

As a volunteer with CCS, you’ll have an opportunity to put your unique skills and interests to work. So whether your ideal volunteer experience includes leading a dance class with the elderly in Peru, teaching English to children in Tanzania, or leading crafts projects with people with disabilities in Morocco, we’ll help you find the right experience for you.

Join a Community:

While it’s important to explore your independence and wiggle out of your comfort zone during your time abroad, international volunteers shouldn’t feel like they need to “go it alone.” When you volunteer abroad with Cross-Cultural Solutions, you’ll find an instant community in your fellow-volunteers, the CCS in-country staff, and your new neighbors.

With CCS, not only will you live and work in the community – a truly immersive experience – you’ll also enjoy the unique experience of living with your fellow volunteers in the CCS Home-Base. Specifically designed to ensure that our volunteers feel safe, comfortable, confident, and completely immersed in their new community, the Home-Base offers everything you’ll need in order to have the best experience possible. That means that you’ll enjoy the benefits of an incredible staff of local experts, healthy home-cooked meals, transportation to and from your volunteer site, and a safe place to make genuine connections to your new community.

Immersive Cultural Activities: We know that a chance to learn about the culture of the community in which you’re volunteering is what truly makes the experience complete. As a volunteer, it isn’t only the work that you do that will leave a lasting impact on the local community, but the cultural exchange in which you openly participate, as well. This is why we include plenty of cultural activities to complement your volunteer efforts. From engaging lectures on local history and customs to language lessons and traditional dance classes, every CCS cultural activity offers a deeper understanding of the local community.

Free Time for Adventures: We’ve designed our programs with free time built right into the schedule. This means that on some afternoons, most evenings, and every weekend, you’ll have time for incredible adventures in and around your international volunteer destination. Whether you choose to go it alone or set out exploring with a crew of your fellow volunteers, every CCS destination offers plenty of time and options for some
off-the-charts excursions.

Need more convincing?

Just see what some of the CCS alums have to say about their CCS experience: