What are some good volunteer websites?

I'm looking to volunteer abroad (outside of US and Canada). What are some good websites to use?

• I am playing with a few ideas right now: - volunteer to teach piano - volunteer to teach yoga*** this is one I would really like to do, but I'm having difficultly finding a place to this. I am seeking an opportunity for about 1-3 months longs

• Answer:

  Finding work of any sort abroad can be real tricky. Even volunteer opportunities are tricky -- not because there aren't lots and lots of positions available but because the field has come to be dominated by what are called third-party providers and/or voluntary service organizations. These providers are not, for the most part, "using volunteering as a way of making money" as has been suggested elsewhere (though clearly they are in business and providing services) but rather are functioning to connect potential volunteers (often with limited skill sets and language abilities) with communities and organizations that can use them and some additional funding. They can be great options -- especially for those without clearly defined (and in demand) skill sets, limited experience abroad and/or foreign language background, etc -- but the fees involved can often seem prohibitive. I would be surprised if you could find an opportunity to teach piano or yoga *exclusively* but as part of a larger volunteer program (say, working in a community center with children)... possibly. You will need to get more specific about what sort of work you'd be open to and, perhaps more important, what skills you possess that you could offer. Also... what languages do you know and how well? Where are you interested in going? With all those caveats in mind, some of the resources below might be of some use: A whole host of low to no cost (generic) volunteer options can be searched at any and all of the following pages & sites: http://www.vaops.com/ http://www.independentvolunteer.org/ http://www.vfp.org/ http://omprakash.org/ http://www.the7interchange.com/ http://www.sci-ivs.org/new/ For general information, Transitions Abroad also offers extensive articles and resources on the ins and outs (benefits and expense too) of volunteering abroad. Heavy on the provider-side of things: http://www.transitionsabroad.com/listings/work/volunteer/index.shtml A firm called Coyote Communications also offers some good informational resources well worth exploring: http://www.coyotecommunications.com/stuff/fundingabroad.html http://www.coyotecommunications.com/volunteer/international.html Good luck -- get focused -- and I hope some of the above helps. Best, Mark. -- Go Global! @ UW-Madison Mark L Lilleleht, Program Coordinator go.global.wisc.edu http://twitter.com/Go_Global www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=4071801 [email protected] Ph 608.265.6070