options for the
under 30s
Even though it’s less common in the US
than in most of Europe and the UK, many
youngsters take a year out to see a bit of
the world, either before starting higher
education or after completing it. The
following organisations (often referred to as
‘gap-year organisations’) cater mostly to the
under-30 set, and send as many as 200,000
young people abroad every year. While
some of the following opportunities are
tailored to 17- to 25-year-olds looking for a
taste of the world beyond academia’s walls,
many also accommodate older volunteers.
International Organisations
afs Intercultural programmes uK
leeming house, Vicar ln, leeds ls 2 7jf , uK
%+44 (0)113 242 6136
fax +44 (0)113 243 0631
[email protected]
http://www.afsuk.org
with over 60 years of experience and
volunteering opportunities around the world,
afs has its hands in many placement projects.
You might work with children in brazil, rebuild
communities in honduras or work in an
orphanage in peru. because cultural exchange
and immersion are considered to be as
important as the development work itself, all
volunteers live with a local family. ness sellers,
who was with the programme for six months,
says, ‘I worked alongside the two directors in
planning and implementing projects within
the tumbes community which were aimed at
the development of the community through
education. Initially I worked on a project for
the prevention of hIV/aIds, which involved
training 150 volunteers and then visiting
house to house within deprived areas to give
information on hIV/aIds prevention, treatment
and where to go for support and help. I then
began my own project aimed at prevention
of domestic violence. as coordinator of the
project I was responsible for all the logistics,
administration, visiting schools, giving talks,
running workshops, trips with the children and
much more.’
status: International, voluntary, non-
government, non-profit organisation.
timing & length of placements: placements
range from three to six months with
departures in january/february and july/
august. apply six to seven months in advance.
destinations: worldwide, there are over 50
different member countries in the afs network.
Costs: a six-month programme costs from
£3300, including everything except pocket
money and visa fees.
eligibility: most applicants must be between
18 and 29 but some countries accept older
volunteers.
groups or Individuals: Individuals.
annual no. of Volunteers: afs sends 11,000
students, young adults and teachers annually.
annual projects: teaching, conservation and
development projects.
partner programmes: afs has partnerships
with hundreds of ngos, community
programmes and schools worldwide.
selection & Interview process: Initial
applications through the afs uK office are
followed by a selection interview. following
the interview, final forms are completed and
sent to the host country to help them decide
project and family placement.
In-country support: afs has a thorough in-
country support system.aIeseC
126 teilingerstraat, 3032 aw rotterdam,
the netherlands
%+31 10 443 4383
[email protected]
http://www.aiesec.org
aIeseC is an international student platform in
over 800 universities which has some 22,000
members, and as such is the world’s largest
student organisation. focusing on leadership
development, aIeseC offers over 5000
leadership opportunities each year to facilitate
their global Internship programme, which
sees the exchange of over 4000 students each
year to live and work in another country.
status: not-for-profit organisation.
timing & length of placements: to go on
an exchange through the global Internship
programme, recruitment takes place usually
at two or three points in the year. those
wishing to take part need to be involved with
aIeseC activities for a period of time prior to
their departure.
destinations: spin a globe and drop your
finger at random – chances are aIeseC has
a programme there. they currently haveplacements in 95 countries worldwide,
everywhere from bosnia-herzegovina to
Qatar (and most countries in between).
Costs: there are small administration fees
for the internship programme; contact your
national chapter for specific costs. the majority
of internships are paid positions and the salary
provides interns with enough money for basic
living costs in the country in which they will be
working. development traineeships are usually
unpaid, however, accommodation is provided
free of charge. the administration fees cover
assistance with getting your visa, finding
accommodation and cultural preparation and
integration. airfares are not included.
eligibility: Volunteers must be 18 or over.
there are no age restrictions, but most
members are between 18 and 30. each
internship position requires a range of skills
and experience based on academic or
professional backgrounds. the organisations
and companies who have agreed to hire an
international intern are aware that members
are students, so a lot of experience is
generally not required.
groups or Individuals: one of the goals of doing
an exchange through aIeseC is to challenge
your world view and experience a new culture.
for this reason, travelling to work in a familiar
place to visit friends, or accompanied by
partners or family, is discouraged.
annual no. of Volunteers: 5000
annual projects: 4000
partner programmes: over 3500
organisations at the local, national and
international level.
selection & Interview process: If you’re
interested, attend an information session run
by the local aIeseC chapter at your university.
You’ll need to submit an application, then
attend an assessment centre and an
interview with a review board.
In-country support: support structures vary,
depending on placement.bunaC (british universities north
america Club)
16 bowling green ln, london eC1 r 0Qh, uK
%+44 (0)20 7251 3472
fax +44 (0)20 7251 0215
[email protected]
http://www.bunac.org/volunteer
better known for working holiday and camp
counselling programmes, bunaC alsooffers seven volunteer programmes. among
these are school-based projects in ghana,
rainforest conservation in Costa rica and
community work in south africa or China.
status: non-profit organisation.
timing & length of placements: placements
last from five weeks to 6 months and run year-
round (there are monthly group departures).
apply at least 10 weeks prior to departure.
destinations: Cambodia, India, China, ghana,
south africa, peru, Costa rica and usa
Costs: five weeks from about £799, usually
including: programme literature, an arrival
orientation course, uK and in-country
support, accommodation and food (check
with bunaC for full details). flights, travel
insurance and pocket money are not covered.
eligibility: minimum age is 18 and some
programmes require you to be a student or
recent graduate. south africa and Cambodia
are only open to british or Irish nationals; all
programmes require that you be a uK resident.
for the peru and Costa rica placements, you
need to speak conversational spanish.
groups or Individuals: Individuals.
annual no. of Volunteers: 300 to 500.
partner programmes: In all six regions,
bunaC partners with local ngos.
selection & Interview process: all participants
complete a written application form and are
interviewed, either in-person at one of their
london offices, or over the phone. application
deadlines are at least 10 weeks prior to
departure.
In-country support: bunaC places importance
on independent experiences and different
projects have varying levels of in-country
supervision. In all cases volunteers will receive
an arrival orientation and our local partners
will provide guidance and supervision
throughout the trip. emergency phone lines
are operated 24/7 both in-country and also
in the uK.Cross-Cultural solutions
UK: tower point 44, north rd,
brighton bn1 1Yr, uK
%+44 (0)845 458 2781/2
fax +44 (0)845 458 2783
US: 2 Clinton pl, new rochelle, n Y 10801, usa
%+1 800 380 4777
fax +1 914 632 8494
[email protected]
http://www.crossculturalsolutions.org05: Organised Volunteer Programmes:Options for the Under 30s