Best Volunteer Abroad Programs for High School Students
Are you a high school student who is looking for a volunteer abroad opportunity that’s affordable, meaningful, and fun? Do you want a meaningful way to spend your vacation? Have you ever thought about traveling and volunteering abroad?
Joining the best abroad programs is a wonderful way to gain valuable experience, while exploring a new country. You will have the opportunity to for you to broaden your horizons on both personal and professional levels while exploring and advancing your future career. Because you will be volunteering internationally, you’ll also develop new skills and sharpen existing abilities related to cultural awareness and communication.
IFRE offers a variety of what some consider the best volunteer abroad opportunities for high school students. Project opportunities exist in over 18 different countries, and we will work with you to choose the program that fits your schedule, budget, needs, and interests. We hope to connect you with an organization where you can utilize your skills and passion to make a real change in peoples’ lives.
IFRE Volunteer invites you to start your abroad volunteer adventure today by learning about the different projects we off and contacting us for more information.
Take a minute to complete the form and we will be in touch.
Table of Contents
Benefits of Joining the Best Volunteer Abroad Programs For High School Students
Travel through volunteering is a great way to explore a career that you might be interested in while visiting a new country and contributing to a good cause. Although everyone’s experience from a program like this will vary, the benefits you get while volunteering abroad are undeniable.
Immersed in the new culture and expand your mind:
You will spend time in an exciting new country where you will have the opportunity to get acquainted with the local culture. This opportunity helps you expand your mind, broaden your world perception, and open your eyes to a different way of life. This will promote positive personal growth and allow you to return home with amazing stories and memories that will be a part of your life forever.
Shape your career:
International volunteer opportunities for high school students offers a great way to explore a career that you might be interested in. You will gain practical experience in your chosen field, and make a significant difference in the lives of those who are less fortunate than you. Such experience looks exceptional on a college or career resume. Volunteering also looks good on your resume. It clarifies that you are willing to work for a good cause, leaving monetary benefits.
Learn new skills and boost your self-confidence:
Volunteering abroad provides you with a great opportunity to learn and develop valuable skills that will boost your self-confidence. As a volunteer, you will work in a new country with volunteers from around the world. While working with them, you get to learn interpersonal skills, relationship skills, teamwork skills, problem-solving skills, leadership skills and more. These skills you learn as a high school volunteer will develop your confidence and help you achieve your goals.
Makes you more social and a better person:
Helping and making a change in underprivileged people and animals life also helps you leave negative thoughts and become a more mentally healthy person. By joining one of IFRE’s volunteer abroad projects, you get to develop a variety of skills that build a better foundation for your social and professional life.
IFRE’s Best Volunteer Abroad Programs for High School Students
IFRE has an awesome selection of affordable, reputable, and well-organized volunteer programs that are suitable for any students’ needs and interests. Please take a look through some of our most popular program below.
Costa Rica
Turtle Conservation in Costa Rica
Costa Rica is rich in its biodiversity, marine life and natural beauty. However, the illegal fishing industry, ongoing construction works, and tourism have seriously threatened marine life and nature. Sea turtles in Costa Rica are in danger and need a lot of help to help the declining numbers.
Our summer program allows you to work in collaboration with local sea turtle conservationists, and when you join this project, you will work together with staff to offer protection and care to the marine life in Costa Rica. Your role as a volunteer includes protecting the area where turtles lay eggs, catching turtles for tagging, cleaning the beaches and more. You will also get to learn about the marine life, including sharks, turtles, crocodiles and more.
Embarking on and being part of the conservation project gives you an experience of a lifetime. You will gain practical experience working with turtles and making a difference in the livelihood of these beautiful species. Apart from volunteering, you will also get to experience the vibrant local culture, traditions and pristine beaches.
If you are a high school student with a strong passion for saving threatened turtles, then this turtle conservation project in Costa Rica may be the best budget summer volunteer for high school students program for you! To learn more about this amazing opportunity to help sea turtles, please follow this link:
Other Volunteer Opportunities in Costa Rica
If you would like to explore other options for volunteer work in Costa Rica, such as teaching English, working with children, supporting healthcare efforts, or more just follow this link to read about all the opportunities IFRE offers:
Peru
Medical/Healthcare Project (Cusco)
The Peruvian healthcare system gives medical care to all citizens regardless of income, but still over one third of the population still does not have access to basic healthcare. Because of this, deaths from treatable and preventable diseases and illnesses are surprisingly common.
When you embark on one of the best budget summer volunteer programs for high school student as a medical volunteer, you will work in local hospitals and clinics to shadow and assist medical professionals. Other responsibilities may include assisting with lab work, distributing medicine, administrative work, or treating and diagnosing patients.
This volunteer opportunity will allow you to have a direct impact on the patients you treat. In addition to serving the community by assisting with medical needs, you will also impact the community by helping individuals become more culturally aware. As a volunteer in Cusco, Peru, you will also be contribute your energy toward something much larger than yourself, helping the world become a better place.
Other Volunteer Opportunities in Peru
If you would like to learn about other programs in Peru for high school students, such as working with teenage mothers, teaching English, working in an orphanage or more, please follow the link
Guatemala
Women’s Project in Guatemala
Women in rural and poorer areas of Guatemala are being trapped in the endless cycles of abuse, torture and poverty. The life of these women has been quite challenging for a long period of time. This is mainly because these women are uneducated, and don’t have the skills required to produce an income, meaning they have to depend on their male partners.
One of the best volunteer abroad programs for high school students that IFRE offers is Guatemala’s women’s project. As a project volunteer, you will work with disadvantaged women in rural communities to providing essential education and support that these women may not have on a regular basis. This includes teaching them about their rights, handicraft skills, accompanying women to court trials, helping staff with planning, and helping with educational workshops on reproductive and preventive health
This project aims to empower underprivileged women and make them independent. Your encouragement will help these women create thriving businesses in their community, generate additional income for their family, and help them develop confidence and self-esteem as individuals.
If you would like to embark on one of the best cheap volunteer abroad programs for high school students in Guatemala by working with disempowered women, please follow the link to learn about more project details today.
Teach English in Rural Schools in Guatemala
The number of English-speaking tourists visiting Guatemala increases every year. In order to compete globally and locally for lucrative jobs, Guatemalan youth must speak English.
Responsibilities of student volunteers in this program include assisting local educators and language institutes with pre-established English curriculums involving younger students throughout Guatemala. Volunteers can expect to offer their expertise with the design of language activities for younger learners, support in administrative tasks, teach personal hygiene, and plan out extracurricular activities for younger learners.
The English teaching volunteer opportunity for high school students in Guatemala aims to support the country’s youth. When children learn English, they have a greater opportunity of getting a good job to support their families in the future. When you volunteer with this program, you will be extending this opportunity to young students, making a lasting impact in their lives by providing them with resources they otherwise would not have.
English programs are not strong, which is why this volunteer opportunity in Guatemala is so important. If this program sounds like the right fit for you, please read more program details through this link:
Other Volunteer Opportunities in Guatemala
Other Guatemala volunteer opportunities for high school students includeworking with street children, supporting orphanages, women’s projects, and more. Click the link to learn more about these alternative projects in Guatemala:
Take a minute to complete the form and we will be in touch.
Argentina
Volunteering with Underprivileged Children
Poverty prevails throughout much of Argentina. Many parents are unable to sufficiently provide for their children. Children grow up without an adequate nutrition, education, companionship, guidance and personal attention.
One of the best budget summer volunteer programs for high school students IFRE offers is volunteering with the Argentina Children and Youth Outreach project. During this project you will participate in the Disadvantaged Children/At-Risk Children Program, supporting children educationally, emotionally and physically to give them a change to live healthy and productive lives. You will also assist care centers with various tasks such as preparing meals, helping children with their homework, and implementing and developing activities to enhance and promote creativity.
In association with a number of Argentinean non-profit organizations, municipalities and schools, IFRE places volunteers in “buddy roles” in an attempt to provide love, friendship, support and care for underprivileged children. Through your support, children will be off the streets and away from negative situations, which are counter-productive to their education and brighter future.
While this project requires patience and dedication, it is one of the best volunteer abroad programs for high school students as you will have a unique and unforgettable experience while making a positive impact on the lives of the children who need it the most. For more program details please follow this link:
Other Volunteer Opportunities in Argentina
Other opportunities to share your passion with underprivileged communities in Argentina include working with local NGOs, providing professional support, assisting in dental projects, and more. To learn about these alternative projects in Argentina, please follow this link
Ecuador
Galápagos conservación in Ecuador
San Cristobal Island is home to a variety of flora and fauna, but due to several adverse effects, it is now listed on the World Heritage list of endangered places. Human development on the famous Galapagos Islands has led to a destruction of the fragile habitats and an introduction of invasive species that threatens to disrupt the delicate balance of this ecosystem.
IFRE’s conservation team works hard to preserve and maintain the natural diversity of the area and invites high school students looking for budget summer abroad volunteer programs to contribute. You will work on the island of San Cristobal to promote sustainable agriculture, low-impact tourism, and preservation/reforestation of the natural environment. You’ll help out with trail maintenance, collect and classify seeds, and help establish much needed biological corridors throughout the island.
Your time at this project will make your dream of visiting the Galapagos come true, and also have a huge impact on protecting and saving this natural wonder of the world. As you fight invasive ‘mora’ and educate locals and tourists about the importance of sustainable agriculture and conservation, you feel proud to protect this unique island ecosystem.
If you are a nature and animal lover, this Galapagos conservation project in Ecuador is the best. Follow the link below to learn more.
Other Volunteer Opportunities in Ecuador
IFRE Volunteers offers a variety of other opportunities in Ecuador. To learn about these other programs, such as teaching English, working with orphans, working with street children, and more, please follow the link
Skill and Qualifications
Most of our best volunteer abroad programs for high school students do not require specific skills or qualification. They only require a good attitude, compassion, and an open mind.
However, there are still some programs where a certain level of skills to volunteer abroad. Medical programs require that you are at least be a pre-med student, and English teaching program quire fluency in English.
The Start Date(s)
IFRE Volunteer programs start on Mondays. If you have a travel conflict, we will work with you to select a start day that works with your plans.
Take a minute to complete the form and we will be in touch.
The Fee
Since 2003, IFRE has been the most trusted and respected volunteer abroad organization in the world, and also the most affordable. We’re dedicated to providing the highest quality volunteer abroad programs for high school students at the lowest fees, which make it possible for everyon , especially students, to volunteer internationally and make a positive impact in the lives of others.
We believe in 100% transparency. Rest assured; we never use middlemen. Your one-time registration fee of $299 covers our administrative costs. The low weekly program fee is paid in the host country directly to your service project (via country coordinator), and includes housing, food, and minor expenses. IFRE is a non-profit organization, so your program fees are tax deductible.
To learn more about volunteer abroad fees, please visit
Housing and Food
Your housing and food will depend on your specific project. Most of our best volunteer abroad programs for high school students have students stay with one of our wonderful host families, who provide three meals per day in the style of traditional cuisine. Some student volunteers, however, may be asked to stay in a cabin, hostel, or home with other volunteers.
No matter what type of accommodation you receive, IFRE will ensure that you are happy, comfortable, and safe because we know that your living environment can make or break your experience.
To learn more about food and housing, please follow this link:
How can you apply?
You can apply online. The process is straightforward. Just fill out the application and send it back to us. We will be in direct contact with you within 24 hours of your application submittal.
To learn more about the application process, please follow this link:
Why go with IFRE Volunteers?
IFRE Volunteers is a global humanitarian non-profit who has partnered with over 22,000 people and hundreds of local organizations since 2006 to facilitate outstandingly significant and incredibly safe volunteer and intern abroad experiences.
We offer the most affordable international volunteer abroad programs for high school students, and we use the tax-deductible registration fee to support your experience and enhance local projects while the program fee gets paid directly to your service project.
During your abroad experience you will to create long lasting connections with your home-away-from-home host family, project coordinators, and fellow volunteers. If for any reason you feel uncomfortable during your time abroad, our unparalleled support staff will do everything they can to improve your situation and ensure that you have a good experience.
How can you go as a group?
IFRE Volunteers understand the importance of volunteering abroad with a group. Please contact IFRE directly to customize your group travel and dates. We will work with you to find the perfect project.
Take a minute to complete the form and we will be in touch.
IFRE Volunteers is one of the top volunteering program providers in the world. We offer amazing volunteer programs in 20 countries across Latin America, Asia and Africa. If you are interested to volunteer in other countries than mentioned above, check out our best affordable programs in Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Bali, Cambodia, Thailand, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Morocco and Brazil,
Check out A Complete Volunteer Abroad Guide: Everything You Need To Know to learn more about what is volunteering abroad. If you want to know how to volunteer abroad for free, go through our Volunteer Abroad for Free article. If you are a college student and searching for meaningful summer volunteering programs, check out our popular articles Community Service Trips For College Students and Summer Volunteer Programs For College Students.
Other Possibilities are Featured in our:
High School Student Travel Programs
International Camps for High School Students
Community Service Trips for High School Students
Service Learning Projects for High School Students
Volunteer Abroad for High School Students
Volunteer Camps for High Schoolers
Where can High School Students volunteer
Cheap volunteer abroad programs for high school students
Mission trips for high school students
International mission trips for high school students
Spring break mission trips for high school students