Make a volunteer vacation part of your summer vacation plans
Five Tips to Help you Fund an Alternative Spring Break for your Students
Providing your students with a safe, rewarding, alternative to the typical Spring Break experience can reap big benefits for both educators and students. In today' s international and interconnected world it is more important than ever to make sure that our educational system produces global youth. Organizing international volunteer service trips in place of traditional Spring Break opportunities is a great way to get youth to learn about another culture while serving others on the global scale (and fulfilling student volunteer hour requirements!) Below are the top five tips to fund a program for your students:
- Start planning early! If your group has at least 9 months to implement a fundraising campaign you are positioning your group to make fundraising a success!
- Choose a non profit organization to facilitate your volunteer program. By going with a non profit your sponsors are able to deduct the amount of their contribution from their yearly income taxes. This can be a huge motivator, especially for larger donations.
- More on donations: Large donations are great, but remember that every small donation can add up fast. What can your group offer? Monthly car washes, community poker nights, and bake sales are all easy ways to get kids involved in the fundraising efforts.
- Have students ask for individual sponsorships. You may want to consider setting up two different fundraising goals' one for individuals and one for the group. You can ask all student participants to individually raise a certain amount and then supplement those contributions with funds collected at your group fundraising events.
- Scout out local sponsors. Is there a community business or leader that would want to sponsor a student scholarship for the service program? Businesses have begun to acknowledge the need to be active in the community and show social responsibility. Don' t be shy about asking them for support and remind them that these kinds of opportunities shape the lives of the future workforce.
For more information on how to plan for a volunteer program for your students you can visit Globe Aware at http://www.globeaware.org/groups
About Globe Aware
Globe Aware(R) is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit charity that mobilizes short term volunteer programs around the world. These adventures in service focus on promoting cultural awareness and sustainability and are often compared to a mini “peace corps” experience. All volunteers are accompanied by a bilingual volunteer coordinator to assist the volunteer throughout their program. The program fee and the airfare to get there are tax deductible to the full extent of the law. Globe Aware is a member of International Volunteer Programs Association, Volunteers for Prosperity, the Building Bridges Coalition, maintains United Nations Consultative Status for the Social and Economic Council, and administers the President’s Volunteer Service Awards. Additionally, Globe Aware offsets its carbon emissions with Carbonfund.org, the country’s leading carbon offset organization. Our carbon footprint is estimated at less than 70 tons annually, and we have chosen to support carbon-reducing projects in renewable energy to offset the CO2 that is produced in running our offices worldwide, from powering our offices to the transportation used to get to and from our work sites. This commitment places Globe Aware as an environmental leader in the volunteer abroad community and demonstrates proactive steps being taken in the fight against global climate change.
Globe Aware featured as “feel-good” volunteer vacation provider
Helping Hands: Globe Aware’s Volunteer Vacations in Cambodia
Giving back isn' t just for grownups. Here, T+L' s pick of feel-good volunteer vacations to share with the whole family.
By Nicolai Hartvig
Cambodia is a remarkable destination to take a volunteer vacation. This South East Asian country' s natural, spectacular beauty and vibrant communities and people amaze Globe Aware volunteer vacationers.
1 Help an Elephant
Lampang, Thailand
WHY GO Elephants never forget, or so the saying goes.
Sadly, many of Thailand' s gentle giants are likely to have painful memories. Caught in the wild, they' re often mistreated by their caretakers, who put them to work with adventure-trekking companies or performance troupes, or remove their tusks to sell as ivory on the black market.
THE TRIP The Thai Elephant Conservation Center (from Bt3,500 per person, plus tip for mahout) in Lampang province welcomes volunteers.
Activities depend on your choice of program: you may find yourself bathing a baby elephant, learning the skills of a mahout' a fully fledged elephant handler' or, if you stay overnight, guiding your elephant into the wilderness and leaving him at his favorite spot for the night while you retire to one of three wood-and-thatch houses. The center cares for around 50 elephants and has an on-site hospital, which program fees subsidize. T+L Tip: For your own relaxing soak, try the nearby San Kamphaeng hot springs.
Sadly, many of Thailand' s gentle giants are likely to have painful memories. Caught in the wild, they' re often mistreated by their caretakers, who put them to work with adventure-trekking companies or performance troupes, or remove their tusks to sell as ivory on the black market.
THE TRIP The Thai Elephant Conservation Center (from Bt3,500 per person, plus tip for mahout) in Lampang province welcomes volunteers.
Activities depend on your choice of program: you may find yourself bathing a baby elephant, learning the skills of a mahout' a fully fledged elephant handler' or, if you stay overnight, guiding your elephant into the wilderness and leaving him at his favorite spot for the night while you retire to one of three wood-and-thatch houses. The center cares for around 50 elephants and has an on-site hospital, which program fees subsidize. T+L Tip: For your own relaxing soak, try the nearby San Kamphaeng hot springs.
2 Build Wheelchairs
Siem Reap, Cambodia
WHY GO Cambodia' s tourism industry may be flourishing thanks to the draws of the Angkor era, but the vast majority of locals still live in poverty following years of civil war and repression under the Khmer Rouge. A week of volunteering will go a long way toward helping people in need, including children and adults injured by landmines.
THE TRIP Week-long programs from Globe Aware (globeaware.org; US$1,200 per person excluding airfare) run in Siem Reap once or twice a month, from Saturday to Saturday. Itineraries are flexible, but volunteers can expect a plethora of activities: think putting together wheelchairs and hand-delivering them to landmine victims, working with local street children and teaching English to Buddhist novice monks. Cultural-awareness and cookery classes are also on offer, as well as built-in downtime' essential for checking out Siem Reap' s unmissable attractions, from the ruins at Angkor Wat to the stylish boutiques that have sprung up in the city center.
THE TRIP Week-long programs from Globe Aware (globeaware.org; US$1,200 per person excluding airfare) run in Siem Reap once or twice a month, from Saturday to Saturday. Itineraries are flexible, but volunteers can expect a plethora of activities: think putting together wheelchairs and hand-delivering them to landmine victims, working with local street children and teaching English to Buddhist novice monks. Cultural-awareness and cookery classes are also on offer, as well as built-in downtime' essential for checking out Siem Reap' s unmissable attractions, from the ruins at Angkor Wat to the stylish boutiques that have sprung up in the city center.
3 Teach English
Bangkok, Thailand
WHY GOThailand' s dynamic capital is one of Asia' s most popular tourist hubs, yet it' s not without problems of its own. Young people from around the country arrive looking for big-city opportunities, but are often greeted with harsh realities, like poverty and overcrowding. Teaching English to underprivileged communities is one way to help.
THE TRIP Staying in family-sized rooms provided by Cross Cultural Solutions (from US$2,784 for two weeks, excluding flights), volunteers work in local schools, community hubs and day-care centers. Children can help out as teacher' s aides' or simply play with and inspire confidence in other kids, especially those with disabilities who tend to be stigmatized in Thai society. After school, volunteers can soak up the local color, exploring Bangkok' s myriad temples, bazaars and food markets. They can also take their turn at being students, with Thai"cooking and language classes.
THE TRIP Staying in family-sized rooms provided by Cross Cultural Solutions (from US$2,784 for two weeks, excluding flights), volunteers work in local schools, community hubs and day-care centers. Children can help out as teacher' s aides' or simply play with and inspire confidence in other kids, especially those with disabilities who tend to be stigmatized in Thai society. After school, volunteers can soak up the local color, exploring Bangkok' s myriad temples, bazaars and food markets. They can also take their turn at being students, with Thai"cooking and language classes.
4 Spy on a Rhino
Tabin Wildlife Reserve, Borneo
WHY GO The Sumatran rhino is one of the world' s most endangered species, with only 200 or so left. Not only are their habitats imperilled by deforestation and climate change, but poachers hunt their horns, prized in traditional Chinese medicine. Understanding these shy, solitary creatures, and their threatened environments, is the key to helping them survive.
THE TRIP On-the-ground info gathered on a trip with Hands Up Holidays (from US$3,750, excluding flights) will help protect these animals from extinction. An all-inclusive 15-day package has you and your family collecting invaluable survey data in Borneo' s Tabin Wildlife Reserve, home to an estimated 50 Sumatran rhinos, over three days. The rest of the time is spent on an action-packed jungle adventure, from white-water rafting in Kiulu to proboscis-monkey spotting in Sukau to a trek to the Lipad mud volcano. Jungle training and water sports also figure on the itinerary.
At night, you' ll be staying in three-star hotels, a jungle lodge and an island chalet. You' ll even get a chance to sleep under the stars, in open-air hammocks at a rainforest camp.
THE TRIP On-the-ground info gathered on a trip with Hands Up Holidays (from US$3,750, excluding flights) will help protect these animals from extinction. An all-inclusive 15-day package has you and your family collecting invaluable survey data in Borneo' s Tabin Wildlife Reserve, home to an estimated 50 Sumatran rhinos, over three days. The rest of the time is spent on an action-packed jungle adventure, from white-water rafting in Kiulu to proboscis-monkey spotting in Sukau to a trek to the Lipad mud volcano. Jungle training and water sports also figure on the itinerary.
At night, you' ll be staying in three-star hotels, a jungle lodge and an island chalet. You' ll even get a chance to sleep under the stars, in open-air hammocks at a rainforest camp.
5 Journey with Nomads
Terelj National Park, Mongolia
WHY GO Mongolian nomads travel the steppes their entire lives, herding livestock across sweeping grasslands and setting up gers, or yurts, their unique itinerant homes; the fireplace at their heart symbolizes the link to their ancestors. Following them on their journey offers an insight into a dying way of life, steeped in tradition and a reverence for nature. Meantime, hosts are happy to learn a little English' or a new ball game' on the way.
THE TRIP Projects Abroad (US$3,045 for two weeks, discounts for children aged 15 or under) organizes tailored two-week"minimum trips in Mongolia' s Terelj National Park. Between travels on horse- or camel-back, volunteers may find themselves tending to animals, cooking Mongolian food from scratch, drinking traditional airaag, or fermented mare' s milk (kids can try the non-alcoholic kind), and even engaging in the odd bout of local wrestling. The remote locations and range of physical tasks on this trip make it better for smaller families with older children. Be prepared to soak in the silence and beauty of the vast, empty landscapes' and to receive your own Mongolian name.
THE TRIP Projects Abroad (US$3,045 for two weeks, discounts for children aged 15 or under) organizes tailored two-week"minimum trips in Mongolia' s Terelj National Park. Between travels on horse- or camel-back, volunteers may find themselves tending to animals, cooking Mongolian food from scratch, drinking traditional airaag, or fermented mare' s milk (kids can try the non-alcoholic kind), and even engaging in the odd bout of local wrestling. The remote locations and range of physical tasks on this trip make it better for smaller families with older children. Be prepared to soak in the silence and beauty of the vast, empty landscapes' and to receive your own Mongolian name.
If you would like more information about taking a volunteer vacation to Cambodia,China, India, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Nepal or you are interested in voluntourism in South East Asia, please visit Globe Aware’s Destinations Gallery for program and trip descriptions, dates and Minimum Contribution Fees.
Globe Aware Awards Students with Scholarship
Three Dallas Youth Given an International Service Opportunity of a Lifetime
Globe Aware, a Dallas based nonprofit organization that mobilizes teams of volunteers to carry out international service projects in 15 countries around the world is proud to announce that 3 local Dallas Independent School District (DISD) students have been chosen to participate in Globe Aware' s Costa Rica Caribbean program free of charge as a result outstanding support for the Globe Aware Scholarship Fund.
Education is Freedom, another Dallas area nonprofit that works in the DISD schools helped to choose the students awarded with this opportunity. The lucky DISD students for this year' s inaugural scholarship are Alicia Santana, Adan Gonzalez, and Cristal Mendez.
Santana is a senior at Woodrow Wilson High School and is currently ranked 16th in her graduating class of 289 students. Her most recent volunteer experience was with Interact Club at school, where she helped raise money for water wells that will provide fresh water to 10,000 people in Ghana. She hopes to be involved in the Peace Corps after graduating college. Gonzalez is a senior at W.H. Adamson High School. He ranks 4th in his class of 298 students. He is the President of his National Honor Society Club and his passion is to help others "live, learn, and lead in our community." Mendez is a senior at North Dallas High School and is ranked 6th in her class of 302 students. She is very active in various school and community volunteer efforts; including volunteering with the Dallas Turkey Trot and working the pledge drive with KERA, Dallas' National Public Radio station.
"We believe that international experience broadens horizons, strengthens resumes, and brings the kind of perspective that can change lives and give shape to dreams. Many youth here, right in our own community, would never have the opportunity to take advantage of such an opportunity. This scholarship fund changes that," says Kimberly Haley-Coleman, Executive Director of Globe Aware.
Funds to send Alicia, Adan, and Cristal came from the "Globe Aware Youth Scholarship" Golf Tournament which was held in November of 2009 at Tenison Highlands Park Golf Club. With funds contributed at the tournament, in addition to generous sponsorships by Travelocity Global, Kindred Spirits in Lakewood, "Super-Volunteer Supporter" Mary Croft from Colorado, and many other Globe Aware supporters and raffle ticket purchasers, these students are primed to make a difference on a global scale and take their education to the next level!
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About Globe Aware (R)
Globe Aware(R) is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit charity that mobilizes short term volunteer programs around the world. These adventures in service focus on promoting cultural awareness and sustainability and are often compared to a mini “peace corps” experience. All volunteers are accompanied by a bilingual volunteer coordinator to assist the volunteer throughout their program. The program fee and the airfare to get there are fully tax deductible to the full extent of the law. Globe Aware is a member of International Volunteer Programs Association, Volunteers for Prosperity, the Building Bridges Coalition, was recommended for United Nations Consultative Status for Social and Economic Council, and administers the President’s Volunteer Service Awards. Additionally, Globe Aware offsets its carbon emissions with Carbonfund.org, the country’s leading carbon offset organization. Our carbon footprint is estimated at less than 70 tons annually, and we have chosen to support carbon-reducing projects in renewable energy to offset the CO2 that is produced in running our offices worldwide, from powering our offices to the transportation used to get to and from our work sites. This commitment places Globe Aware as an environmental leader in the volunteer abroad community and demonstrates proactive steps being taken in the fight against global climate change.
About Travelocity Global
Travelocity® is committed to being the traveler’s champion — before, during and after the trip " and provides the most comprehensive and proactive guarantee in the industry (www.travelocity.com/guarantee). This customer-driven focus, backed by 24/7 live phone support, competitive prices and powerful shopping technology has made Travelocity one of the largest travel companies in the world with annual gross bookings of more than U.S. $10 billion. Travelocity also owns and operates: Travelocity Business® for corporate travel; igougo.com, a leading online travel community; lastminute.com, a leader in European online travel; and ZUJI, a leader in Asia-Pacific online travel. Travelocity is owned by Sabre Holdings Corporation, a world leader in travel marketing and distribution.
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If you would like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Globe Aware' s founder and Executive Director, Kimberly Haley-Coleman, please call Catherine McMillan at 214/824 4562 or email Catherine@globeaware.org .
Top Five Items to Add to your Volunteer Vacation Packing List
Top Five Items to Add to your Volunteer Vacation Packing List
Preparing for your upcoming volunteer vacation shouldn' t be a chore and your luggage need not be so full that it is ripping at the seams! With just a little planning, preparing a vacation packing list for your upcoming volunteer experience will make packing a breeze!
Of course, your specific packing list will ultimately depend on what country you will be visiting, but Catherine McMillan, with Globe Aware, a nonprofit leader in the world of volunteer vacations, names the top five items to add to any Volunteer Vacation Packing List:
1. Number one essential to add to your packing list, advises McMillan, is a copy of your passport and extra credit/debit cards stored in a different location from your primary ones. If for whatever reason you lose your wallet you will still have a photocopy of the passport and a back-up way to get your hands on cash. It' s also a good idea to email yourself a copy of these scanned documents in the event you lose access to your luggage.
2. Your packing list should include a refillable water bottle. Plastic water bottle waste is becoming a huge issue. Do your part by using your own washable and refillable water bottle.
3. Does your packing list include sun block? It should! Even in a cold environment or a high altitude location you need protection. Ideally the sun block should be sweat/water resistant.
4. Umbrellas or rain ponchos are a common item volunteer vacation travelers tend to leave off their packing list. Especially in tropic regions, chances of at least some rain are very high. Don' t dampen your volunteer vacation by getting stuck out in the rain unprotected.
5. Flash lights are also commonly left off of many volunteer vacationers' packing list. Flash lights don' t take up a lot of room in your luggage and can really help you out, especially if you are working in a community where electricity might go out. Also, don' t forget some extra batteries!
The above items should be on any volunteer travelers' packing list. To get specifics on other items needed for your particular volunteer vacation location, visit Globe Aware' s website at www. Globeaware.org or call 1-877-588-4562.
Taking the Road Less Traveled
Forget the Ferrari: travel can transform your life. Here are 10 trips to make it happen.
Teaching English in Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Why Go Now: Philanthropy is fantastic, but a one-week, hands-on stint volunteering in Cambodia' still in need of much aid' can be much more personally satisfying. It can also pretty quickly make a person grateful for his life back home. Globe Aware' s volunteer vacations in Angkor Wat engage travelers in making a genuine influence on others' lives in a very short time: teaching English, working with children, distributing wheelchairs to adults and children in rural villages. The accommodations will be modest, but the Khmer food and magnificent Angkor Wat temples make the authentic experience entirely welcome.
Read the full article.
What a vacation!
BY ANNETTE ARNOLD
When Tom Shumate decided to take a vacation this year he didn’t want to go to Disney World or on a cruise.
He wanted to go on a “volunteer vacation.”
He found on the Internet a group called Globe Aware, a nonprofit organization which offers volunteer vacations in Peru, Costa Rica, Thailand, Cuba, Nepal, Brazil and India. These 1-2 weeks in service focus on cultural-awareness.
So Shumate got in touch with the group and took a 10-day vacation to Peru.
I wanted the vacation to be more of an experience-type thing and I wanted to help out the kids who are there,” shumate said.
Shumated helped special needs kids who were in an orphanage in Peru.
The 19-year-old 2002 Chesterton High School graduate still beams when he talks about his experiences there with all the children.
“I was working with the children from 6 a.m .to 8 p.m. every day and would play with the kids,” shumate said. “Many of them taught me sign language. About 70 of them were deaf.”
The children at the orphanage ranged in ages ffrom infants to age 16.
“It was very hard to leave there when my trip was over,” Shumate said. “I bonded with many of the older boys and got along with the girls as well. The kids really made this trip enjoyable.”
The kids made it so much fun that Shumate didn’t mind the 17-hour flight to Peru.
“My parents were a little nervous before I left on the trip but now they are happy that I had a good time and know I was there doing something good.”
Shumate hopes to return there and do another volunteer vacation through Globe Aware. When he went the first time he took soccer and tennis balls with him because the kids there don’t have too much as far as sporting equipment.
“Seeing the kids and how happy they were made it all worth cominghere and makes up for what the trip costs,” Shumate said. “People from all over take these trips and volunteer their time in different countries.”
Shumate said people are welcome to check out the Web Site at www.globeaware.org. The group is always looking for people to either attend the trips and they also are looking for donations. “THey are in need of sunscreen and all types of sports equipment,” Shumate said.
When Shumate does go back he will be a volunteer coordinator for a few months while there. He eventually wants to be a policeman.
The Latin American and Caribbean Student Health Organization, Harvard School of Public Health community, generously donate funds to Globe Aware
The Latin American and Caribbean Student Health Organization (LAC Health) and the greater Harvard School of Public Health community, generously donated funds to Globe Aware to buy medical supplies for the medical clinic in San Pedro de Casta, Peru. To raise these funds, LAC Health engaged in a week long sale of handmade Peruvian jewelry to the students and faculty at the Harvard School of Public Health.
LAC Health is a student organization aimed at promoting, analyzing, and resolving health problems affecting Latin America and the Caribbean.
Our objectives are:
- To increase awareness throughout the Harvard community of health problems effecting the countries of Latin America And the Caribbean;
- To promote healthy practices and give exposure to successful health programs unique to LAC;
- To create an arena for raising concerns and discussing issues about public health problems and policies with experts from LAC;
- To create an informal setting/environment for all students interested in making LAC a healthier place to share experiences, ideas and concerns with fellow students and faculty.
Sharlene Bagga, who collaborated with Globe Aware, Harvard’s attention the need for medical supplies at the clinic in San Pedro de Casta and they were happy to work with her on this fund raising event.
Their hopes are that their contribution will benefit the workers and clients at the medical clinic in San Pedro de Casta. They reiterated how much they enjoyed working on this venture to help Globe Aware’s Latin American activities.
Special thanks to the Organizers:
- Leah-Mari Richards, Founder and Co-President LAC Health – Harvard School of Public Health
- Moira Breslin, Founder and Co-President LAC Health – Harvard School of Public Health
