Where Can High School Students Volunteer?
Are you a high school student dreaming of exploring the world? Do you want to make a real impact on impoverished communities by sharing your passion for service work? Have you been wondering where can students volunteer?
When you join a volunteer abroad program as a high school student, you will have a life-changing experience. Not only will you travel to a new country and be immersed in a different culture, you will also make a direct positive impact in the lives of individuals every day while you’re contributing to this program. You will make lifelong friendships, broaden your personal and professional horizons, and feel the satisfaction that comes from working with locals to create a change bigger than yourself.
IFRE facilitates abroad volunteer experiences by connecting individuals to local organizations and projects in more than 18 different countries across the globe. We’re here to connect you with projects that utilize your skills and knowledge so that you can create the greatest impact wherever you decide to volunteer.
If you have been wondering ‘where should I volunteer?’, look no further because IFRE Volunteers has a variety of volunteer opportunities for you. Turn your compassion into action today by asking for more info or reading project details and selecting an program to pursue.
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Table of Contents
Benefits of Volunteering as a High School Student
No one can deny the powerful impact of volunteering abroad. Here are just a few of the many ways volunteering abroad will enrich your life:
Travelling to new places:
Travelling is the best way to gain experience and becomes even more meaningful when you incorporate volunteer work with travel. When you join a high school program, you will be exploring new places and meeting new people, which will expand your horizons. While travelling you will get introduced to different cuisines and you will be trying a variety of food.
Enhances your language skills:
Many times, volunteers are asked to teach English in the countries where English is a second language. While preparing to teach English, you will review often forgotten rules of grammar which will strengthen your command over the language and benefit you in the long run. During your stay you might also learn a new language, which will be a great addition to your resume.
Professional Benefits:
High school student volunteer abroad programs not only benefits people in need, but it helps you as well. Volunteering is the best way to know if you want to continue your profession or change to something new. It will also make you aware of your strengths, weakness, abilities and limitations. The experience of volunteering abroad will certainly boost your resume and increase your chance of landing your dream job.
Aids to your personal growth:
Volunteering activities will take you out of your comfort zone and expose you to challenging situations, which will improve your ability to cope with problems. It will give you an opportunity to learn new skills and increase your confidence level. While volunteering you will be interacting with many people which will enhance your communication skills.
Exploring new areas of interest:
When you volunteer, it gives you a chance to explore new areas of interest without making a long term commitment. While volunteering you will be doing a wide variety of tasks which will help you to understand your interests better. It also gives you the opportunity to indulge in your hobby or discover hidden talents.
Popular High School Student Volunteer Projects
It may feel intimidating when considering how and where can high school students volunteer internationally, but IFRE Volunteers offers a wide variety of safe, affordable, and quality abroad volunteer programs, and we will guide you every step of the way. Browse through some of our most popular programs for details.
Costa Rica
Organic Farming in Costa Rica
After realizing the adverse effect of chemical used in growing crops, many farmers are moving towards organic farming. What’s more, if not grown sustainably, coffee farming can seriously erode its soil which leads to future environmental issues.
While volunteering you will be working with farmers to plan and implement sustainable agricultural practices. You will also help cultivate nursery plants, weed, sow crops, and more!
Small organic coffee farms act as a sustainable model for other local farms, which leads the way to more ecological practices. When you learn and help promote sustainable farming methods you set an amazing example about positively impacting the environment.
Dig your hands into the mountain soil and sow the seeds of change! If you’re interested in sustainable farming practices, you should consider organic farming in Costa Rica as your volunteer program abroad for high school students.
Other Volunteer Opportunities in Costa Rica
Other Volunteer Opportunities in Costa Rica include working with underprivileged children, volunteering in healthcare, promoting indigenous tribes, and more. To read about these other amazing programs in Costa Rica, please follow this link
Peru
Teach English In Rural Schools (Cusco)
Despite tourism being a leading source of government revenue, many Peruvians don’t have the opportunity to learn English, which limits their opportunities for work. Schools in Peru are underfunded, and even though English is required, there are a limited number of staff who are qualified to teach it.
Junior and high school student volunteers in this program will work 4-5 hours per day on weekdays. You will teach basic English in local primary schools, and the rest of the day you will plan and lead extracurricular activities, health education, and potentially even contribute to teaching other subjects like math and science.
When you volunteer in Peru, you bridge the gap – providing children with English skills and a brighter future. Your support will improve the level of English education in Peru and allow disadvantaged children to pull themselves and their families out of poverty.
If you are interested in providing incredibly valuable English skills to underprivileged children in Peru, contact IFRE for more information today or view program details by following this link
Other Volunteer Opportunities in Peru
Where can high school students volunteer elsewhere in Peru? If you don’t think this program sounds like the right fit, please read about other volunteer opportunities in Peru like working with street children, supporting medical projects, working in orphanages and more.
Guatemala
Medical/Healthcare/Hospitals
Guatemala is a stunning country, but unfortunately a lot people in Guatemala live in poverty. Many individuals, especially in rural areas, have limited or no access to healthcare.
Your responsibility as a medical volunteer in Guatemala will depend on your education, skills, and experience as well as the needs of the community. Tasks may include assisting medical staff, doing administrative work, direct patient basic care, and more.
Your efforts will be rewarded with significant opportunities for learning through practical experience while directly impacting the lives of individual Guatemalans. You will also help overworked Guatemalan doctors and nurses by providing some emotional and physical relief in the form of support.
This program is perfect for high school students volunteering abroad to get medical experience. If you would like to pursue a career in the medical field, and think this internship sounds like a great fit for you, please read more project details by following this link
Other Volunteer Opportunities in Guatemala
If you would like to explore Guatemala, but want to investigate other opportunities in this amazing country like working in an orphanage, teaching English, or empowering women, please follow this link
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Argentina
Medical/Healthcare Project
Many of Argentina’s social issues stem from their country’s violent past. One of the most prevalent issues is many Argentinians’ lack of access to health care, especially in rural areas.
As a high school student volunteer hoping to get medical experience, you will have the opportunity to have a direct and positive impact on peoples’ lives as you work 4-5 hours per day assisting doctors and nurses to treat patients desperately in need of care. You may also help lessen the workload by assisting in administrative work, planning educational workshops, performing sanitation outreach, and more.
You will gain an invaluable professional experience when you work in the medical field while helping people work toward a healthier community at the same time. When you participate in this unique abroad experience you will also foster idea sharing amongst your host community, one of the many benefits of cultural exchange.
If you are you interested in enriching your professional medical experience while making a difference for people in need through junior and high school student volunteering, then contact IFRE to learn more about medical volunteering in Argentina.
Other Volunteer Opportunities in Argentina
Other Volunteer Opportunities in Argentina include working with an NGO in community development, assisting in a dental project, volunteering with disabled children, and more.
Ecuador
Orphanage Project
While Ecuador is rich in both natural and manmade features, many people in this fascinating country are very poor. One population affected greatly by poverty is children. Sadly, Ecuador has over 200,000 orphans living within its borders.
When you join the Orphanage Program in Ecuador as a volunteer high school student, you provide love and compassion to children who are desperately in need of attention. Some of your volunteer responsibilities include helping serve them food, teaching children about hygiene, organizing games, planning day trips, and more.
The time you devote to these children will show them that they can have a bright future. You will demonstrate that they are worthy of love, which will help them go on to lead prosperous lives despite their rough beginnings.
Working with orphans is one way to make a huge impact while volunteering abroad. If you want to provide love and care to abandoned and overlooked children in Ecuador, then contact IFRE today or visit our program page to learn more about this lifechanging opportunity.
Other Volunteer Opportunities in Ecuador
Where can high school students volunteer elsewhere in Ecuador? Other opportunities include working with street children, teaching English, working in conservation in the Galapagos, and more. To browse these other Ecuador programs, follow this link
Skill and Qualifications
When considering where you can volunteer as a high school student, you should keep program requirements in mind. All medical and health volunteer abroad opportunities require that you are a pre-med student so that you have a strong foundation with respect to healthcare basics
Other programs, such as English teaching projects, may require a certain level of English fluency.
All IFRE high school programs require that you have a strong passion for helping those in need, as well as a good attitude and open mind for learning about different cultures.
To learn more about specific program type qualifications, please follow this link
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The Start Date(s)
IFRE Volunteer programs that allow you to volunteer as a high school student always start on Mondays. If you have a travel conflict, we will work with you to select a start day that works with your plans.
The Fee
IFRE is a non-profit organization trying to change the world. We promote global humanitarian efforts and volunteer experiences at the most affordable rate.
In general, IFRE asks for a $299 registration fee which goes toward paying for local support, airport transfers, program donations, etc. You will also be asked to pay a weekly program fee which is goes directly to your host family and service project.
Even with low program prices, IFRE maintains outstandingly high-quality volunteer programs. We do everything we can to ensure safe, fun, and meaningful volunteer abroad experience.
Housing and Food
Your housing and food will depend on your specific project and what that community/organization can offer. Most high school student volunteers will stay with one of our wonderful host families, who provide three meals per day in the style of traditional cuisine. Some 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?
Junior high school and high school student volunteer applications are very straightforward. Just fill out the online application and submit it 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?
Are you wondering where can high school students volunteer? They can volunteer in almost any program when you travel abroad with IFRE.
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IFRE Volunteers is a well-respected global non-profit whose goal is to make a real and lasting impact on the world through our volunteer programs. We are an experienced and honest organization. Established in 2006 and trusted by more than 22,000 volunteers, our programs encourage community growth and change individuals’ lives daily.
When you volunteer with IFRE, you know where your money goes because you pay your program fees directly to the locals involved in your project.
Despite being the most affordable program in the world, we still deliver impeccably high-quality and outstandingly safe programs. When you volunteer with IFRE, you’ll form strong bonds with our unparalleled field staff and heart-warming host families, who will enrich your experience and make your time abroad worth so much more than you expected.
How can I volunteer as a high school student in 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.
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.
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