Though France is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, like everywhere else on earth life in the big city has its way of leaving some people behind. There are a variety of social work and community development opportunities for volunteers in France who are interested in tackling the problems of French urban life and helping the country’s poorest populations.

Education is perhaps the most common field of placement for volunteering in France. Positions can vary from teaching in a classroom setting to conducting private tutoring sessions to even living with a French host family as an English mentor. Generally, these positions are open to participants who speak a high level of French, and can communicate effectively with their students. However, there are also a variety of volunteer programs in France which combine French language learning with English teaching for those who are not up to fluency.

Another placement for volunteers in France is working on one of France’s plethora of vineyards or agricultural fields. This can be a good way to live a more leisurely paced life in the French countryside, but is understandably also hard work. Some programs will offer a combination of agricultural work with ecological or environmental preservation studies.

Volunteer programs in France typically last from two weeks to a few months.