<p>I'm currently a junior in high school, and I'd love to take the summer and volunteer in another part of the world. I'm from New York and I'm on a Model United Nations team, so I am very involved with international relations and global issues, but I'd really like some hands-on community service and cultural immersion.</p>
<p>The only thing is, is that my family cannot afford to be paying 5000 dollars for a two week trip in Africa. My father is a single parent, and we are middle-class, so it's not like I can really get need-based scholarships anyway. We live a little more-than-comfortably, but not comfortably enough for some programs like GLA. The extra money we have is for college, because we will encounter the same problem.</p>
<p>I don't really understand why it costs so much to volunteer abroad. I understand flight prices and what-not, but my friend went to Costa Rica to build houses with her church last summer for a very low price. Unfortunately, I am not affiliated with any churches or temples though. I mean, I'd like to go with a program/organization since I am only 16, but I still don't see why some programs have to be so costly (if I am really only going to volunteer). I really don't care for exquisite accommodations. Also, I'm really not doing this for college. I honestly just want the experience.</p>
<p>Are there any programs that you can think of off the top of your head that would suit me? Somewhere in the eastern hemisphere. Also, if there are programs that you think would give academic-based aid (writing an essay or sending a transcript, etc), then that would be very helpful. I don't mind having to be interviewed or writing some essays. I've applied to college summer programs before and as a matter of fact, I would probably prefer it if applicants were chosen on an academic basis.</p>
<p>Thank you so much!</p>
<p>I think it is great you want to do this. When my son was in HS I did investigate various programs and they were all pretty costly partially because the organizations that offer them are doing it as a business and partially because it is a real liability to be responsible for young people under the age of 18 so there must be enough adults to provide supervision. </p>
<p>As you have identified, churches and other community service groups are the ones who arrange these type of programs. What you might be able to find are opportunities here in the US through organizations such as Habitat for Humanity. From a cultural perspective, going to places (New Orleans or rural west Virginia) here in the US are so entirely different than NYC that you will get exposure to those who live a totally different way of life.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>When do you plan on volunteering abroad? Would you, for instance, be willing to take a gap year between HS and college? They’re very common for students in the UK, where they commonly include a period of travelling and / or volunteering abroad, and the idea is starting to catch on in the US. If you’re willing to wait until you’re 18, then a lot more options, many of which are cheaper, do open up.</p>
<p>I agree with Lakemom regarding high costs because the programs are run like businesses. The service they offer is to eliminate the supposed hassles of doing something international, i.e. for an exorbitant price, they remove the anxiety and effort required to find something yourself. At any rate, what you risk getting into is a program offering a canned experience designed more for resume inflation than actual work.</p>
<p>I would recommend that you seek out programs or opportunities directly, both by networking or on the internet. While you have to be careful and vet the organizations and groups yourself, you may be surprised at how easy it is to find interesting things at a fraction of the cost. Doors could open in unexpected ways. </p>
<p>Getting experience abroad is a very worthwhile endeavor. I wish you luck. What kind of thing do you want to do?</p>
<p>$5000 for 2-weeks in Africa or anywhere is way too much. Finish your school, go to a good college and when you graduate join Peace Corps <a href=“http://www.peacecorps.gov/”>http://www.peacecorps.gov/</a>. You’ll get to do all that you’ve ever wanted and you’ll get paid as well.
If you really want to help people, America’s inner cities can use your help. You can build peoples homes and lives here in America. For that check <a href=“http://www.nationalservice.gov/programs/americorps”>http://www.nationalservice.gov/programs/americorps</a></p>
<p>Hi goldlionm,</p>
<p>One of the reasons the programs are so expensive is because, in reality, you (the volunteers) are paying for the program to work. Your money buys your food, your accommodation, contributes to the employees salaries, and helps the volunteer program pay for whatever it needs to pay for in order to perform the services that it does.</p>
<p>Here’s a site that deals with volunteer programs: </p>
<p><a href=“http://abroadreviews.com/”>Abroad Reviews | Volunteer and Study Abroad Reviews and Feedback;
<p>And here’s one that deals with affordable study abroad:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.budgetstudyabroad.com/”>http://www.budgetstudyabroad.com/</a></p>
<p>It wasn’t clear to me if you wanted to do a volunteer program because you see it as an affordable option to study abroad, or if volunteering is really what you want to do.</p>
<p>If studying abroad is your objective, and you’re interested in languages, you can usually find a language school abroad for around $1,000 (sometimes less) for a month, which covers your classes and housing. </p>
<p>For language schools I used:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.languageschoollinks.com”>http://www.languageschoollinks.com</a></p>
<p>The site’s a bit old-school but I found some schools on it (affordable ones) that I didn’t find on other sites, so I keep using it.</p>