Recommended/Favorite Summer Volunteer Program?

Graduate School Law School
1

<p>Hi everyone,</p>

<p>I just want some of your input and/or recommendation for a volunteer program I may participate in during summer -- 1-3months in length that is held abroad.</p>

<p>From googling, I found quite a bit of material and it's quite overwhelming to sift through it all and pick out the best one that accomadates not only my wallet (who knew I had to pay to volunteer!?) but also my spiritual well-being <3</p>

<p>My "ideal" volunteering experience would include fighting for women's rights and/or liberating them... I came across maybe one program that came close to that so I'm wondering if that was the only one. That particular program is held in India.</p>

<p>Oh and for those who are about to quick reply and scold me for posting this under the Law School forum... I'm just asking because this is going to be going on my extracurricular activity on my app., and seeing as how Boalt Hall was thrilled about having volunteering over a couple of months abroad, I decided to turn to here..</p>

<p>Opinions I seek are IDEALLY from people who have gone through or know someone who has gone through the programs you are about to suggest I investigate.</p>

<p>...and really, I am doing this to get the fuzzies in my heart to help out the world :)!</p>

2

<p>A friend of mine spent three months working with Projects Abroad (<a href="http://www.projects-abroad.org/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.projects-abroad.org/&lt;/a&gt;). She did it out of personal interest and during a gap year, not to strengthen an application, so note that when I suggest this, I'm only saying that I've heard good reviews about the organization...I'm not making any claims as to how it will actually look on an application.</p>

<p>Anyway, that last sentence pretty much summed it up: she gave the program excellent, excellent reviews. She said that it allowed her the perfect mix of independence and supervision...that she always felt free and independent, not like part of a big service group, but that she didn't feel totally alone or overwhelmed. She also liked that she really had the opportunity to travel and not just to work. For the record, PA sponsors a ton of different programs with all different costs, goals, locations, time periods, and requirements. She spent her time working at an orphanage in Ghana.</p>

<p>PA does sponsor some projects in India, but I don't see anything exactly like what interests you. That said, there is a bit of room for self-design and flexibility, but I don't know exactly how much. The closest thing I can find to what you describe is a human rights law option in Ghana, which doesn't require you to be a law graduate.</p>

<p>Something to start considering early, if you really do want to do something like this, is fundraising. It's one of the few opportunities you might have to legitimately fundraise for yourself :p Really, though...not only is it a helpful way to ease the cost, but I think that this type of service looks much better if you can show that you worked to be able to do it, rather than it just looking like something that you were financially privileged enough to add to your resume.</p>

<p>There are also relevant summer internships in the US, such as with Amnesty International or various Women's Rights groups/campaigns. You may want to find organizations that interest you and then write to them directly to see if they have any interest in a summer intern/volunteer. That's the route I took, and it was the best and worst. On one hand, the vast majority of responses were "Nope, we don't have an intern position, sorry" or "We'll see." On the other hand, when I finally did find something, I wasn't confined to a pre-defined intern role...I really got to use my skills and tailor the position to my strengths and interests, so I got a huge amount out of it. I was also able to work for a group that really interested me, rather than 'rounding' my interests to whatever organization happened to have a spot open.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

3

<p>Many language immersion schools offer volunteer programs that are pretty cheap, and you'll get to learn the language of the country that you are in either before volunteering or while volunteering. Some great programs in Central and South America are available here: <a href="http://www.spanishabroad.com/prog_volunteer.htm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.spanishabroad.com/prog_volunteer.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>For example, one of the programs in Guatemala is $720 (plus airfare) for a month, which includes language lessons, housing with a host family, meals, volunteering, etc. </p>

<p>I'm not sure if you'd rather volunteer directly for a non-profit (rather than being linked with one through a school), but it seems that the schools are often surprisingly cheaper.</p>

4

<p>Sorry, I also remembered some other programs that my friends have done after submitting the post above.</p>

<p>One of my friends did a program in Guatemala where she was only responsible for paying for airfare. Once there, she found an organization that housed and fed volunteers, as long as the volunteers committed to staying for a reasonable period of time. I don't remember the name of the organization, but I could find out.</p>

<p>Also, I know that you stated a preference for volunteering abroad, but as Student615 mentioned, there are a lot of fabulous programs in the United States too. For example, I spent a little time volunteering in the Gulf Coast. If you have an interest in this, this is also an opportunity where all you would have to do is purchase a plane ticket, as many organizations host volunteers for free right now. You'd also have an extremely rewarding experience.</p>