Online English Teaching Volunteer Programs

came to Shrestha for a couple of weeks, staying at Nitesh's house and with his family. It was great to meet all the children of the Shrestha Centre, who are all so happy and have so many talents. When starting my adventure of going to India, I thought I will be teaching them some valuable life lessons, yet as time went on I realized that the girls were actually teaching me a lot of things about life and how to appreciate the things we have.

My name is Sara, I am 25 years old, and I volunteered at the Shami Arabic institute for three weeks. At home I am a welder, but I have a love for Amman and have been wanting to do work in Amman and human rights. I decided to choose the Amman program to build up some experience and expand my portfolio, while getting to learn about Jordan and see and experience it in person. I also have always wanted to visit the Middle East in general, and learn Arabic, so to me it was a perfect opportunity that ended up being an amazing experience. Your time in the Institute is based largely on what you set out to do when you come here, with room for change and flexibility. I came to get experience in my chosen field and to learn Arabic, so my days would start off with Arabic lessons, and then afterwards either a trip to a site, a meeting with a journalist/human rights center/local activist, or touring local areas. The Institute will set up things in regards to your program, however they are open if you have specific things you want to achieve, and will work that into your program. The staff here, and the teachers, are fantastic. I had Arabic lessons with Sajida, and just with three weeks at 1-2 hours a day, I am now able to have (fairly simple) conversation in Arabic with Jordanians here in Amman.

Our group had an unforgettable experience in Tanzania with Safari Stride. The team was warm, professional, and always ready to help. The safari was well organized, safe, and incredibly educational. We highly recommend Safari Stride to anyone volunteering and wanting to explore Tanzania’s wildlife and culture.

Volunteering with Murphy Charitable Foundation Uganda has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. It is truly one of the best organizations to volunteer with abroad. During my time with them, I had the incredible opportunity to work closely with children and women in rural communities. The warmth, resilience, and joy of the people I met was deeply moving, and the entire experience was nothing short of amazing.

Under the roar of lions and shadow of leopards—an unprecedented safari experience! We recently had an amazing safari experience with the family! Everything was well planned from the beginning, which made our journey comfortable. The airport welcome was warm, the food was delicious, and the guide, John, was experienced and friendly, telling great stories about the wildlife to our children. During the game drive, we saw lions, elephants, giraffes, and a rare leopard, which was especially exciting for us children! They were amazed to see wildlife so closely for the first time.

My wife and I recently completed an 8-week volunteer program with Safari Stride in Tanzania, and it was truly the best experience of our lives. We spent most of our time volunteering at Costgan Primary School, where we helped the children in so many meaningful ways. The school staff and students welcomed us with open arms, and every day was a rewarding opportunity to make a difference. After our time at the school, we went on a 5-day safari through the breathtaking Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. From witnessing the majesty of lions and elephants in their natural habitat to the stunning sunsets on the endless plains, the safari exceeded all our expectations. Every moment was beautifully organized and stress-free, thanks to the knowledgeable guides and the incredible Safari Stride team. Volunteering and exploring Tanzania with Safari Stride has been a life-changing experience, and we wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone seeking an authentic, immersive adventure. Thank you, Safari Stride, for helping us create memories that will last a lifetime!

Spending time with the children and women in local Ugandan communities was truly unforgettable. The Ugandan people are so warm and welcoming, and I look forward to traveling there again in the future to support them in any way I can.

As some who needed a year off between high school and college, Carpe Diem was the best fit for me. As part of the Southeast Asia gap year program one of my favorite things was our partners and host families. At Punpun, a greenhouse building and seed saving organization, I’ve never felt more exhausted, but loved. The people there were so kind and caring as well as invested in educational and experiential learning. While there, I met people with similar interests who showed me that I can do exactly what I want to do in life.

If you’re thinking of taking a gap year, this gap year semester is amazing! I really got to develop as a person and had incredible experiences (and food). I also met really kind and down to earth people on this program, made such great memories, and friends! You really get the best of both worlds on this program - rugged nature adventures and city life activities, which I didn’t know about prior. My favorite part of the trip was going to IWP, which was a Buddhist feminist retreat. 10/10, would recommend this trip.

Carpe Diem is 100% an experience I would recommend to others. The mix of volunteer service work with explorative more touristy activities was excellent. A highlight of my trip was our experience at Pun Pun farm in northern Thailand. We spent a day helping build mud bricks for a community member’s house. The work was tiring but extremely rewarding. Tiring but very rewarding sums up the whole of my semester perfectly. I now have built great friendships with my fellow group members and wonderfully relationships with our various host families and organizations.

My time spent with Carpe Diem Education was one of the most impactful periods of my life. My group semester was spent in East Africa, exploring Tanzania, Rwanda, and Uganda. We learned about vast amounts of history and culture, spent time working with multiple orphanages and schools, learned to scuba dive, dug deep on self-reflection, went on a safari, completed a yoga and meditation retreat, stayed with incredible homestays and built relationships that have lasted the five years since the end of our semester. The relationships I built during Carpe Diem are some of my most treasured. My latitudes semester was spent at a school for children with special needs in rural Uganda, and it was empowering and impactful in ways that I continue to learn about and realize today. I finished my attitudes semester in the spring of 2018 after spending 3 months working every day with the most incredible group of students. In January 2022, I started a Master's Degree in Special Education. My time with Carpe shaped who I am in a dramatic way, and I can't give enough thanks to the incredibly purposeful design of my program. My group semester gave me the confidence and traveling know-how to travel to Egypt solo after my latitudes semester. In May of 2023, I am going to the wedding of a friend I met on group semester. If you are thinking about a gap year program, Carpe Diem Education will help you learn more about yourself and the world around you than you could in any other setting. Anytime I have the opportunity to tell people about Carpe is a privilege. Their programs are designed to push you to learn, grow and step out of your comfort zone.

The best 3 months of my 21 years of life has to be the most to the point way to describe my time in Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam with Carpe Diem Education. I am 21 and finishing up my college sociology degree this year. For fall term of my senior year, I wanted to do something different, and experience true hands on learning outside of the traditional classroom lecture setting. This trip to South East Asia truly went above and beyond what I could have ever expected to get out of my time abroad. From week one in Thailand when we each got placed in our own homestay with the most amazing and sweet host moms, to the last week of the trip directing our own student travel through vietnam, each experience I look back on with so much gratiude, knowlege, insight, and a smile. Carpe Diem truly does give you the ability to have such unique and amazing experience, and there is also such a good balance of volunteer work, weeks in homestays, and life off the beaten path, to city days for self care and relaxation. One of my fondest memories from the whole trip that I think about daily was out treck in Thailand. We went on a 3 day treck in Thailand led by 3 amazing locals who know the area and land so well. They led us through dense bamboo forests, that would open to the most amazing views on the hillside of a rice patty field. We stayed the night in village leaders home in a small Lahu village. The full day we were there was my favorite day of the trip. We got up and walked 30 mins through the village and into a rice patty field where to the left of the path was vegetables growing, ahead was a bamboo forest, and down the hill was a stream. We brought 2 chickens, a sack of rice and some eggs. We collected water form the stream, picked vegetables from the field, made a fire with bamboo and cooked the rice, chicken, and eggs in the bamboo logs over the fire. We also learned to carve spoons, chop sticks, bowls, and cups. We ate the meal we made on the beautiful hillside in Thailand. Something about that day was so special, peaceful, and such an amazing learning experience. Carpe Diem allows you to get to experience and connect with others so different from you. Each homestay family I stayed with showed me such kindness, love, and were so welcoming despite language barriers. I have shared so many laughs, hugs, and amazing homecooked meals with my host famalies. Most homestays are with at least two others in the group which is nice and comfortable. A quick trip recap of everything amazing Thailand: A week learning Thai, and homestays with sweet host moms. 10 days volunteering and staying off the beaten path in an amazing Akka village. 4 days of trecking through beautiful Thailand rice/ pineapple field hillside. Some amazing hostels and city days to explore beautiful tempels. A week on an organic permaculture farm learning about sustainability. 5 days of silent meditation with monks learning about buddhism, and mindfullness. A quick trip recap of everything amazing Cambodia: Days in Phnom Phen learning about the genocide, killing fields, and the Cambodian Center for Human Rights. Angkor Watt of course. A week on a village off the Mekong river working on a clean water project homestay living. A quick trip recap of everything amazing Vietnam: Days to explore the amazing city of Ho Chi Minh. A week with very funny Tan Tao University students staying in homestays, english teaching at primary schools, and a school for the deaf and disabled, picking pineapples, cooking, and singing a lot of karaoke. 5 days on the beautiful beach in Nha Trang getting suba certified, and tanning on the beach. Days in the city to go to museams and learn about the Vietnam War. And lastly student directed travel. Student directed travel is where we got to plan how to get from Nha Tang to Hanoi which was 800 miles in 1 week. We got to plan where we wanted to go, stay, forms of transportaiton, activites, and had to stay within a budget. It was so amazing. So there you have it, the best 3 months of my life by far! The guides for Carpe Diem are also amazing, and really made the trip flow well. They handled the tough situations with ease and are such wonderful, and positive people. Having 10 students and 2 guides total was also great! All Carpe Diem trips have 15 people or less. I would highly reccomend going abroad with Carpe Diem whether you have just graduated high school or are about to graduate college. I feel refreshed, and have a new motivation, and goals for my life becuase of my time abroad with Carpe Diem Education!!

Traveling with a cohort of students was the best thing I have ever done. I learned more about myself in 3 months than I have my whole life. I learned how to live independently and how to travel independently. I got to experience a culture that was close to mine in the textbooks but in the real world it was different and very eye opening.

We read often of the benefits of gap years, how they are life-changing, prepare young adults for college, and often termed "the best year ever." While these claims hold much legitimacy, few programs can unequivocally fulfill all of them; that is, except Carpe Diem Education. I was lucky enough to find Carpe Diem for the year after my high school graduation, 2010-2011, and can to this day stand by them as indisputably the best gap year program internationally. I could never imagine how my life would appear today had I not participated in the Latitudes Program, spending one full semester in Central America on a group trip and another semester on an independent internship in Ecuador. I gained essential skills in organization, writing, budgeting, and leadership; I tackled fears head-on while cultivating an insatiable curiosity; I grew more confident in my abilities scholastically and personally; I became completely fluent in another language equivalent to the level of my mother tongue; I created life-long friendships with other participants and locals to this day. Carpe Diem stood by me, answering my plethora of questions before the trip, appeasing my nervous mother during the trip, and accommodating me to practice my religious observances as a modern-orthodox Jew throughout the program. The coordinators supported me in arranging my internship placement, while simultaneously giving me enough space to be independent too. My trip leaders on the group trip were inspiring, confronting, and were the catalysts toward driving the personal developments of participants as we all pushed our comfort zone together with volunteer work that included arduous physical labor, language school, teaching English, and working with wildlife. My independent internship at an Inca ruin Hacienda gave me ample opportunity to dabble into a variety of fields, including farming, local cooking, horseback riding, translating, writing, and being a tour guide to hone my interests for my future career and quench my diverse interests. Carpe Diem pushed me emotionally and physically every day to find comfort through discomfort, to understand and be proactive in my surroundings, and to cultivate empathy. I was also able to earn college credit through Portland State University (PSU), which was an incredible opportunity considering that at the time of my gap year, I was unsure where I would attend school. Today, I have finished a degree from an ivy-league institution, consider myself a world traveler (whatever that really means), and am confident in following where the wind blows for my next steps. And for my accomplishments, strengths, attitude, determination, courage, and drive, I will forever be indebted to Carpe Diem. If you want a program that will open you up and allow you to carve out who you hope to be, to gain inspiration for your future, to truly make a difference, to build life-long relationships, and to push your comfort zone, look no further, because you’ve arrived at the best possible place.

Volunteering in Lima, Peru with Aprendo Contigo, taught me how to be a positive light in tough times. I was a full time student at a local university and volunteered twice a week with Aprendo Contigo. At the hospital, Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Neoplasicas, I provided therapy to children with cancer. Every morning, volunteers and I would work and play with children of all ages, as they sat in their hospital beds receiving chemotherapy. From the fun of finger painting to playing an intense game of Jenga, we as volunteers brought a bright, smiling face and a positive attitude to their bedside. I will admit, this opportunity is not for the faint of heart. Working with sick children, was something I had never experienced before. I was used to teaching happy healthy kids. There were down moments that brought tears to your eyes, but there were moments that brought tears of laughter and joy. Volunteering with Aprendo Contigo taught me how to be a positive light in a time of sadness. I was a light to the kids and their families. It was the most rewarding experience I had in Peru. I wouldn't trade my time for anything. I encourage people to take time to see how you can be a positive light for someone in need.

Overall the experience was excellent. The locations where I conducted volunteer work were very flexible in terms of the hours that I needed to complete. In addition, the people I worked with were very friendly and patient in terms of the language barrier. Moreover there are a variety of volunteer opportunities abroad. I recommend this program to anyone looking for a volunteer experience abroad.

Studying abroad in Lima, Peru with ISA was my first study abroad experience and it was amazing! In fact, I loved it so much that I chose to study abroad again in South America two semesters later! I lived in Lima, Peru for 10 weeks with a host family. The first four weeks of my experience was spent taking classes and the last six weeks was dedicated to volunteer service at Casa McDonald del Peru and with Aprendo Contigo at Hospital del Nino. During the first month, I spent much of my time exploring the dynamic city of Lima. The city is so beautiful and vibrant. I loved the food, the rocky beautiful beaches, the museums, the night life, the cute little Inca Markets, and, most of all, the very patient and helpful program administrators.When I wasn't touring downtown Lima or Paragliding in Miraflores, I was studying for my classes. The professors were very friendly and both of my business classes were taught in English. Before delving into my volunteering experience, I must comment on the trip to Machu Picchu! This trip is already including in the cost of the program. Machu Picchu is one of the seven wonders of the world and rightfully so as it is the most beautiful and majestic monument that I have ever seen. Our trip to Cusco, without a doubt, is one the most memorable moments of my study abroad experience. The last 6 weeks of my trip were spent volunteering at two locations: Aprendo Contigo and Casa McDonald del Peru. The administrators and leaders at both locations were extremely patient in terms of the language barrier. They really welcomed all of the American volunteers and helped us improve our Spanish. While working with Aprendo Contigo, I worked very closely with ill children. The experience was very valuable because it taught me how to interact with patients and it gave me a little bit of insight on healthcare in Peru. For example, while I was there, I learned that many of the doctors in the public hospitals were on strike because they wanted higher wages. Conversely, while working at Casa McDonald del Peru, I had very little contact with ill children. Although they were living with their guardians in the house, most of the children spend most of the day in the hospital. My duties were to help out around the house in any way that was needed. My favorite aspect of volunteering here was the relationship I was able to build with the residents as well as the other volunteers. Overall my volunteer experiences at both locations were very fulfilling emotionally and mentally. I highly recommend this program.

I was pleasantly surprised how nice it was to be without internet access at the national park in Peru. I had such an amazing time getting back into my body's natural rhythm, waking up at 6am with the sun and going to bed around 8pm! :) You need to bring ALL biodegradable substances: shampoo, toothpaste, and bug spray. However, you can also support the program by buying their products once you arrive. They sell all three of these products there for 40 soles. I had a truly eye opening 2 weeks and I have A Broader View to thanks. I learned so much from being in the jungle, and it really changed the way I think about the World. I hope I can use this experience to help better my own country!