2-4 Weeks Teaching Volunteer Abroad Programs

I cannot recommend working with Give and Surf more. Overall the experience is fulfilling and super fun! A huge part of the success of my visit was the flexibility and supportiveness of the staff - they make traveling abroad and living in a new place a really smooth experience! Another thing that is extremely important to me when traveling or working with organizations abroad is that the organization is ethical, and I can unequivocally say that you can feel good about working with Give and Surf because it is community embedded, in it for the long haul, stable, and collaborative. The work they do is greatm and the experience they provide is worth it!

Staying in a local house is something you have to experience at least once in life, also have the ability to see how life works in another country and the local people, is an amazing way to find another version of yourself, and learn how you can live the life with “pura vida”. It was also too beautiful the volunteering with the kids, you are always welcome by them and they are expecting you with a lots of love and happiness. The only thing I don’t like about this experience is saying goodbye and had to come back home. Also I recommend takes some tours because you get to know better this beautiful country!! (Specially Nauyaca Waterfall tour if you like risks)

I found the program very enjoyable. It was easy to fit in and meet other volunteers. ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

Everybody who is willing to embark on such journey will definitely not be disapointed!ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

Everything was excellent, great support from Maximo Staff. Good introduction session as well as bases covered. And good offers of support from Maximo staff. ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

You guys were great! There was great support, info, and involvement. Thank you!ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

My experience in Peru with Maximo Nivel was above excellent. I had such an amazing time. The atmosphere of my project, school, homestay, and city of Cusco was so comforting, especially as a solo traveler. Everything was excellent!

I was incredibly impressed by the speed and efficiency of the team when I submitted my application. I signed up for the IVHQ program just over a month before my departure, yet everything was organized smoothly and efficiently from the very beginning. The organization was excellent, and the people on site were incredibly kind. Cambodian people are genuinely warm, welcoming, and friendly. The staff and teachers at the school where I volunteered gave me a wonderful welcome and made me feel comfortable from the start. Neth, who showed us around Siem Reap on our first day, was incredibly kind, attentive, and always willing to help. Our host, Lin, was also absolutely wonderful—always cheerful, smiling, and taking great care of us. She prepared our meals and cleaned our rooms once a week. The food was always delicious, generous, and filling. Lin paid close attention to everyone’s preferences and dietary requirements, including vegetarian diets, which was greatly appreciated. It was also a wonderful experience to share meals and spend evenings out with the other volunteers. There were around six of us living in the house: two people from New Zealand, one from the UK, two from the US, and me, from France. It was a great opportunity to meet people from different backgrounds and share this experience together. That being said, I was also very happy that I had chosen a private room with air conditioning—which I definitely made good use of in the Cambodian heat! Siem Reap itself was absolutely beautiful, and there is so much to see and do in and around the city. I was lucky enough to experience the Bon Om Touk Water Festival during my stay, which made the trip even more special. There are also many amazing places to visit, such as Tonlé Sap and its floating villages, the Angkor National Museum, the incredible Angkor temples, and the famous Cambodian circus, Phare. There are plenty of activities and excursions to enjoy during your free time, making Siem Reap a fantastic place to combine volunteering with discovering the local culture, history, and surroundings. The volunteer house was also very comfortable and pleasant, and conveniently located just a 10-minute tuk-tuk ride from the school. Overall, I had an amazing experience and would highly recommend it to anyone considering volunteering in Cambodia. Everything—from the organization and accommodation to the people I met and the work at the school—made this an unforgettable experience.

The whole experience was very well organised. The Ivhq team was very present and always responded to my emails and questions. Would totally recommend this experience to everyone no matter their age. Loved it

Give & Surf is such a special organization, and I’m incredibly grateful to have been able to volunteer with them multiple times. Every visit has been such a rewarding experience—not only because of the incredible work they’re doing, but because of the amazing people who make the program what it is. I’ve formed genuine friendships with several of the teachers and staff, and some have become lifelong friends. There’s such a strong sense of community, kindness, and purpose within Give & Surf. It’s one of those organizations that stays with you long after you leave, and I feel very lucky to have been a small part of it. I would highly recommend getting involved or volunteering if you ever have the opportunity!

I went to Costa Rica thinking I was going there to teach. I came back realizing how much I had learned myself. I spent three weeks volunteering through IVHQ, and it became one of those experiences that is difficult to fully describe until you live it yourself. From the very beginning, IVHQ made the entire journey feel simple and well organized. The application process was straightforward, the information before departure was clear and detailed, and I always knew that support was available if I needed it. That structure gave me the confidence to travel to Costa Rica and focus completely on making the most of the experience. Once there, I taught English to people of different ages, backgrounds and ability levels. Every day challenged me to adapt, improvise and find new ways to communicate. I became more independent, confident and open-minded than I expected in just three weeks. But perhaps the best part was realizing that volunteering does not have to stop with the role you are given. Inspired by the people I met, I decided to start a fundraiser through my own network, eventually raising €850 to further support the community. I arrived in Costa Rica hoping to leave a small positive impact. Instead, the experience left an enormous impact on me. IVHQ gave me the opportunity, the structure and the support to take that first step. What followed became a memory I will carry with me for the rest of my life. Three weeks on paper. An experience I will remember forever.

Throughout my placement in Croatia, IVHQ provided me with the relevant help and support needed to make my stay as stress free as possible. I would highly recommend this company and encourage anyone contemplating a placement.

IVHQ did a wonderful job in organizing a beautiful volunteer program in Costa Rica. I took part in the teaching project in San José for two weeks, and I was welcomed into a loving home, with delicious food and several roommates (fellow volunteers from all over the world). The locals are so welcoming and sweet; teaching them english was the best experience ever, and they taught me a lot about life as well. IVHQ sent me multiple emails before, during and after the program to make sure that everything was going alright and I received my volunteer certificate once the project was over. Absolutely recommend!

I will carry this experience in my heart; it was absolutely wonderful. Volunteering was one of the best things I've ever done, especially with animals, where I met so many kind and joyful hearts. It was so lovely to share moments here with such a Maximo Nevel of care and be a part of it. I'm grateful for being made to feel welcome and for the opportunity to help. Thank you so much for everything.

I will carry this experience in my heart; it was absolutely wonderful. Volunteering was one of the best things I've ever done, especially with animals, where I met so many kind and joyful hearts. It was so lovely to share moments here with such a Maximo Nevel of care and be a part of it. I'm grateful for being made to feel welcome and for the opportunity to help. Thank you so much for everything.

I will carry this experience in my heart; it was absolutely wonderful. Volunteering was one of the best things I've ever done, especially with animals, where I met so many kind and joyful hearts. It was so lovely to share moments here with such a Maximo Nevel of care and be a part of it. I'm grateful for being made to feel welcome and for the opportunity to help. Thank you so much for everything.

I will carry this experience in my heart; it was absolutely wonderful. Volunteering was one of the best things I've ever done, especially with animals, where I met so many kind and joyful hearts. It was so lovely to share moments here with such a Maximo Nevel of care and be a part of it. I'm grateful for being made to feel welcome and for the opportunity to help. Thank you so much for everything.

Volunteering in Brazil ranks among the most eye-opening experiences of my life. As an American, spending time there showed me a completely different way of living. The children I worked with had very little compared to what we're used to, yet they were some of the most joyful, welcoming people I've encountered, sprinting out to play soccer and pulling me into their world despite the language barrier between us. That same warmth met me everywhere I turned. Brazilians who spoke almost no English still made me feel like one of their own. From the hostel staff to my coordinator Vivian, whose energy and warmth made her easy to talk to from day one, to my fellow IVHQ volunteers, an international crew I genuinely loved being around and still stay close with today, the sense of belonging never let up. Spending three weeks actually living within a different culture, rather than just passing through it, gave me a new perspective on how vast the world truly is, and how much of what I considered "normal" is really just an American mindset. Success isn't only measured in money, careers, and jobs, the way it often is back home. I watched people define a good life in entirely different terms, and thrive doing it. Beyond the volunteer work itself, I also got to experience Brazil as a country: Christ the Redeemer, its beaches, the favelas, and food unlike anything I'd had before. Exploring the favelas came with its own eye-opening moment. At one point I ended up somewhere I shouldn't have been and found myself surrounded by armed men who weren't police, which was one of the most nerve-racking moments of the entire trip and one where staying calm mattered a lot. It was a stark reminder that real immersion also means staying aware of your surroundings. Even so, it was the mix of giving back to a community and fully experiencing a new place, harder moments included, that made the trip what it was. If I could give one piece of advice to anyone doing this program, it would be to go in with an open mind and stay grounded in who you are. Arriving in Brazil was eye-opening in ways I didn't expect, from the buildings to the visible poverty, it forces you to see a version of the world you don't encounter at home. Don't let the language barrier scare you off either. I remember stepping off the plane and realizing almost no one around me spoke English, and I didn't speak a word of Portuguese. It was intimidating at first, but it stops being a barrier once you let yourself lean into it. The pace of life there is different too, and in a good way. It's slower, more grounded, more cultured. There isn't that constant rush to get to the next thing that I feel so often living in America, and honestly, that shift was one of the best parts of the experience. The culture is incredibly welcoming overall, but I'd still tell people to stay aware, especially in the favelas or any unfamiliar area. Most people you meet will be genuinely kind, but not everyone has good intentions, so pay attention to where you are and who's around you. Go in open-minded and respectful, but don't let that openness turn into carelessness. Volunteering abroad is something I'd recommend to anyone, and something I'd do again and again.

My experience in Cusco was such an amazing time. The people and atmosphere were amazing. Only after a short while this place and these people became a second home and family. The dental program was a great experience especially for a pre-dental student, you learn so much and meet so many great doctors, great for people who are ready for hands-on experience, learning, and giving a helping hand. I have already planned my return and can't wait to explore more of the programs that Maximo has to offer!

I loved the experience, I stayed in Yuri's house with his family which was super sweet and available for whatever me and my friends needed, I also met a lot of people who now I consider friends and with whom I'm gonna stay in touch.