National and International Volunteer Opportunities
The Caring Catalog is designed to provide potential volunteers with a wide variety
of volunteer opportunities at almost 200 local organizations. The Caring Catalog is updated periodically by the United Way’s Volunteer Center. The
Center acts as a vital link between people who want to volunteer and organizations
that needs them. The United Way’s Volunteer Center created The Caring Catalog of Volunteer
Opportunities as a way to inform potential volunteers of available opportunities throughout
the St. Louis region.
Each agency has been certified through the Volunteer Center. Certification is based
upon nationally recognized standards of quality volunteer management. Certification
helps promote quality within the volunteer management fields as well as ensure that
the Volunteer Center refers potential volunteers to organizations ready to receive
them.
Certification helps encourage professionalism in volunteer management and improves
the image of volunteerism by recognizing that there are defined management principles.
The Caring Catalog provides the volunteer with an alphabetical listing of 174 Volunteer
Center certified agencies within the Greater St. Louis region. Each agency listing
contains the following information:
1.) A brief description of the agency and its services.
2.) A listing of up to 10 volunteer opportunities at each site operated by the organization.
3.) Minimum age requirements for each volunteer opportunity.
4.) Information on opportunities available for specific populations (e.g., families,
students, groups, etc.)
https://www.stl.unitedway.org/volunteer.aspx
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. IVPA encourages excellence and responsibility
in the field of international volunteerism and promotes public awareness of and greater
access to international volunteer programs. IVPA offers a forum for international
volunteer program representatives (staff, board members, etc.) to share information
and resources, develop new skills, and collaborate on cost-saving initiatives. Organizations
that are members of IVPA are encouraged to follow IVPA's Principles and Practices
as guidelines for good programming.
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.
IVPA can not guarantee the quality of programs operated by its member organizations
but it does strive to collaborate together to ensure the highest quality within the
field of international volunteerism.
If you represent an organization that is involved in international volunteer exchanges,
and would like to become a member, please contact ivpa@volunteerinternational.org.
http://www.volunteerinternational.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 about opportunities visit Go Volunteer Abroad.
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.
Involvement Volunteering is an 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).
http://www.volunteering.org.au/
There are literally hundreds of opportunities for volunteering abroad. This page contains
links to related web sites, as well as listings of some of the more well-known programs
that exist. The most helpful resources, those with which we suggest you begin your
search, are noted with gold stars. If you are a UCI student and decide to participate
in one of these, or any other program abroad, you are an IOP participant and need
to pick up an IOP Packet from CIE!
As of 1993, there is a special program which allows some individuals to receive a
"forgiveness" or cancellation of up to 15% of certain US federal student loans for
giving one year of service with approved volunteer organizations. For more information
on how this offer might apply to you, contact the voluntary organization through which
you would like to work.
Is a project of Action Without Borders, contains an extensive database of volunteering
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.
http://www.crossculturalsolutions.org/
A grass root education and international volunteer organization, international volunteering
opportunities overseas to teach English and computer skills.
http://www.openmindprojects.org/
The following list was compiled in order to allow students to get an idea of some
of the possible opportunities that are available with a Social Justice and Peace Studies
degree. This list is far from exhaustive and it is only meant to provide students
with a starting place when looking for volunteering opportunities, internships or
employment. Whenever possible information about the following organizations have been
taken directly from their.
A website that contains searchable links to volunteering web sites.
http://www.dmoz.org/Society/Philanthropy/Volunteering/Opportunities/
Here you will find information on finding the right volunteer opportunity and making
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.
Local and International Volunteering. VolunteerMatch.com Tips on Volunteering. Contains
links and a database to volunteering.
http://www.thelivingweb.net/volunteers.html
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.
This pilot website aims to discover whether an independent team of volunteers can
make a worthwhile and sustainable knowledge resource for aid workers. Right now, we
are concentrating on building up useful content and developing a network of specialists
who can validate pages and answer questions from readers. Would you like to get involved?
Miscellaneous
Actions Without Boarders: www.idealist.org
Americorps: http://www.nationalservice.gov/home/site_map/index.asp
"The Andean Village Experience": www.globeaware.org
Airline Ambassadors International: http://www.airlineamb.org/
Center for Civil Society International (CCSI): http://www.civilsoc.org//
Charity Commission: http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/
Corporation for National and Community Service: http://www.nationalservice.gov/
CUSO: http://www.cuso.org/
Gap Year: http://www.gapyear.com/
Global Crossroads: http://globalcrossroad.com/
Global Giving: http://www.globalgiving.org/
Global Volunteer Network: http://www.globalvolunteernetwork.org/
Global Volunteers: http://www.globalvolunteers.org/
India With Pratham: www.prathamusa.org
Language Course: http://languagecourse.net/
Let’s Go: http://www.letsgo.com/
Love Volunteers: http://www.lovevolunteers.org/
National COOL Conference: www.cool2serve.org
National Council for Voluntary Organizations in England (NCVO): http://www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/
National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness: http://www.studentsagainsthunger.org/?id2=7182
Oxfam: http://www.oxfam.org/
Peace Brigade International (PBI): http://www.peacebrigades.org/
Peace Corps: http://www.peacecorps.gov/
Project America: http://www.project.org/
Quaker Peace Centre: http://capetown.quaker.org/
S. T. A. Travel: http://www.travelcuts.com/
Service Civil International: http://www.sciint.org/
Teach for America: http://www.teachforamerica.org/
United Planet: http://unitedplanet.org/
Voluntary Organizations Internet Server (VOIS): http://www.vois.org.uk/
Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO): http://www.vso.org.uk/
Volunteer Abroad: http://volunteerabroad.ca/
Volunteers for Peace: http://www.vfp.org/
World Teach: http://www.worldteach.org
