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Group Volunteering

  • Best-in-market price and value
  • Expert local staff available 24/7
  • Ample free time to explore the area
  • Improve the lives of needy locals

Is your college group eager to embark on a safe, life-changing volunteer project overseas and keen to soak up the local culture of the place they want to volunteer? Then look no further. Helping Abroad's college programs combine adventurous travel with humanitarian work that adds to a valuable learning experience.

Under Helping Abroad's College Volunteer Abroad Projects, college students will be getting a unique opportunity to travel to a different part of the world, and at the same time utilize their time and energy for a noble cause in a group. The group activities in the project will include orientation programs, group travelling and group volunteering. This will help the college group hone their ability to work in teams by travelling, volunteering and living together; polish their leadership skills and fortify bonds with other volunteers. As they mingle with the locals and visit famous sites, your group can improve their language skills by practicing languages like Spanish and Portugese.

Helping Abroad chooses projects carefully to ensure that the effort of the group is channelized towards a worthy cause, and that the group experiences an excursion that is fun and soul satisfying. Contact Helping Abroad to customize your group program and dates.

A customized itinerary

Helping Abroad will individualize your group's volunteer and travel itinerary carefully to meet your unique preferences and goals. Indicate what interests your group most: cultural immersion, travel, humanitarian services and/or education. Our expert coordinators and staffs use great care in customizing our itineraries.

Begin your group's program planning process with a group representative emailing or calling Helping Abroad. Whether you're an educator, professional organization participant or someone else who will oversee students, we'll collaborate with you to select a project area, set goals and compile a preliminary schedule. Incorporating your feedback, our expert guides and in-country coordinators will finalize an itinerary that matches your group's vision and interests.

Most group itineraries include 3 phases ranging from 1 to 3 weeks each.

Orientation phase (1-3 days): Orientation takes 1 to 2 days depending on your group's available time. If it is limited, we will only include local culture, society, ways of life, religions, safety issues and your project. Then your group goes to the volunteer site. But when orientation runs more than 2 days, we add language, cultural immersion and tourist sites.

Volunteer phase (4 days–3 weeks): Humanitarian service is the program itinerary's primary function. Depending on your group's available time, service spans 4 days to 3 weeks. According to your group's interests, we can arrange diverse programs including orphanage, teaching, HIV/AIDS, construction, women's assistance, etc. Normally, one project cannot host over 4-5 volunteers. So we separate larger groups into subgroups of 4-5 members each. We do our best to keep every member nearby to spend free time together. Depending on your location(s), most volunteers reside in host family homes, hostels or hotels. Helping Abroad also coordinates daily transportation.

Travel phase (2-5 days): Exploring other locations is an exciting perk of your gratifying volunteer trip. Matching your particular interests, the travel phase can span 2 to 5 days or possibly longer. Your group will have the opportunity to marvel at your chosen country's historic sites, landscape, forests and wildlife. Delight in the magnificence and peacefulness of another land first hand and on foot as you travel and hike through the wilderness.

Is your group larger than 3 people? Would you prefer developing your own volunteer and travel itinerary? We'll coordinate with you to make affordable, fulfilling, small-group volunteer projects coincide with your ideal working vacation abroad.

Safety and supervision

Because your group's safety is very important to us, Helping Abroad assures it in four ways. Your group's leader, on hand day and night, is responsible for all students and their safety. Helping Abroad also assigns one or two local support leaders or in-country coordinators to assist in student supervision. They will be available to the group 24/7. Our local experts know the area, culture and language. They'll expedite communication and offer tourist advice on safe famous places to visit during your ample free time.

To keep your party together, we secure group accommodations. Everyone may share a hostel. But if smaller subgroups stay with several host families, their homes will be nearby so everyone can get together during free time. Helping Abroad screens and selects all volunteer projects, hostels and host families carefully to ensure a comfortable travel experience. So everyone will feel safe and secure, we conduct background checks and use gracious English-speaking host families who have been with us for years.

Popular group destinations/projects

Destinations: Helping Abroad offers group volunteer programs in 20 countries. Our most popular destinations are Costa Rica, Peru, Guatemala, Ecuador, Mexico, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Ghana, Kenya and Tanzania.

Popular programs

Groups are welcome to select any program they prefer. In many countries, they may choose multiple projects like teaching, orphanages, community development, etc. Based on our experience, the following volunteer services are the most popular.

Costa Rica—Construction and repair
Build a school/orphanage

In many popular tourist spots of Costa Rica, the local residents struggle to keep a roof over their heads. Orphanages and homes require repair while others need volunteers like your group to build them. Even people with little or no construction experience can help out. A strong desire to make a difference comes in handy.

Costa Rica—Work in an orphanage
Uplift disadvantaged kids

Orphaned, abused and abandoned children and those born to addicts are eager to receive the kindness of positive role models. Donating just a few hours a day can make a real difference. Teach basic English and organize fun activities like games, singing, art and more. Leaving Costa Rica and these sweet kids behind may be tough, but your help will leave a lasting mark.

Peru—Show concern for orphans
Bring a smile to needy children

Many orphaned and abandoned children need attention and affection. Helping Abroad's orphan projects in Peru feature the atmosphere of a large family with full-time care and support. Volunteering just a few hours a day can improve their lives. Teach English, enjoy playtime and encourage basic education and life skills. To give from the heart, all you need are compassion and the desire to enrich their world.

Guatemala—Work with orphans
Enhance displaced kids' lives

Without parental love and support, Guatemalan orphans lead limited lives. Orphanage personnel and resources are scarce. But your group can provide much-needed assistance. Teach English and supervise games while encouraging, playing and laughing. If you care about improving needy children's lives, this is the project for you.

Mexico—Help orphans succeed
Spread joy in a children's home

Orphaned and abused kids find respite in a home in the busy Pacific port of Manzanillo. Your group can aid the devoted local staff. Assist with homework and share your music or art skills and helpful tips for success. Leaving them behind may be hard, but these deserving kids will be grateful for your care and time.

Teach English
Help locals improve language skills

Assist children or adults in learning or improving their English language skills. What comes naturally to your group can bring hope to non-native speakers with little or no formal English education. Sharing the basics will increase their communication capabilities, confidence, socialization and job prospects.

Mexico—Turtle conservation
Save endangered sea turtles

Every year, anglers and traveling volunteers save approximately 4000 Olive Ridley turtle nests. But people still kill turtles for their meat and eggs while others die when trapped in illegal trawl nets. The conservation effort at Campamento Majahaus' beachside camp needs help. Your group will collect and relocate nests to a protected incubation corral and count hatchlings as they reach the sand's surface. Education and data collection go beyond supporting this project. They also preserve these endangered animals' future.

Fees and dates

Dates: year round. Helping Abroad tailors your group volunteer experience to coincide with the dates you choose.

Costs

If you've looked at other college volunteer programs, you must have already known that Helping Abroad offers the lowest price compared to any US-based company. We are a 501 (C) 3 non-profit organization, committed to providing safe, affordable volunteer opportunities to individuals and groups alike. Your price for a one-week program starts at $599 and varies by your destination/project/itinerary choice.

Find project details, what's included and what's not at http://www.helpingabroad.org/program-fee-date.php

Sample prices—Nepal

One week: $590
Two weeks: $705
Three weeks: $820

Group discounts

Volunteers often expect group discounts. This is natural. But our experience tells us that running a group program costs more. We need extra funds to coordinate the program (cost of group leader, group transports, daily transportation to projects and logistical support for group). But we still consider discounts depending on the size of your group.

Contact us

Contact us for further details, samples of past program itineraries and references by emailing: info@helpingabroad.org