Volunteering abroad has become increasingly popular throughout the world with hundreds of different programs to choose from. With so many programs to navigate, the choice can be daunting for parents and students so why choose IYCC?
Environmental Conservation Focus
Environmental conservation is at the core of each IYCC volunteer project and it is our goal to heighten local and global environmental conservation awareness through impactful volunteer work. During our projects students will get real-world, hands-on experience in environmental issues that our planet is facing and will help make a difference through scientific research, habitat restoration, wildlife research, endangered species conservation, trail building and maintenance, regenerative organic gardening, and more.
Our projects empower youth to learn about and participate in local and global conservation so they can make a positive impact for the environment and be inspired to continue being environmental stewards through continuing education, future careers, responsible tourism and everyday living.
Local to global
Most travel abroad volunteer programs lack a local component. Students pay their fee, secure airfare and visas and are shipped off to their host country not knowing who awaits them on the other end and with no regard to the needs in their own back yard. IYCC address these issues in the following ways:
Upon acceptance into the program students meet with their team once per month from November through May. During these meetings students learn about and are trained for a local project in conjunction with local land management agencies and then implement their project within their local community. Local projects vary and may consist of trail building and maintenance, river and land clean-ups, wildlife trail ambassador, and more.
During monthly meetings students become a cohesive team and learn valuable leadership and team building skills that will serve them well once abroad.
Team adult volunteer mentors also attend monthly meetings to mentor and hold students accountable on deadlines while building rapport and trust.
IYCC works directly with non-profits within the host countries to ensure all proceeds are going directly where they are needed most.
IYCC aims at giving students meaningful and impactful environmental volunteer experiences so they can not only make a difference in another country but then can take what they have learned back into their local communities.
Impactful volunteer work
IYCC staff have vetted and volunteered in all projects we offer to ensure they meet our high standards of safety, environmental responsibility, and local and global impact. It is not enough for students to come away feeling good about volunteering (which they will!). Our goal is for students to have made a meaningful and tangible impact for the local and global communities we serve as well as a better understanding of their role as environmental stewards. Each project provides on-site training and supervision and while work varies upon placement, each student can expect real world, hands-on experience in scientific research, wildlife research, habitat restoration, infrastructure building and maintenance, clean-up’s, trail building and maintenance, regenerative and organic gardening, and more. Our program is not a watered-down version of an adult volunteer program, we believe teens are capable of extraordinary things if given the opportunity which is why we hold both or project partners and our students to a high level of excellence.
Community Involvement
An important aspect of a successful volunteer program is community involvement, and for that reason, IYCC works with, not for, our project partners. Doing this provides a grassroots experience that benefits students as well as the local and global communities we help. When working abroad, we partner with other non-profits because they know what is important for the community, speak the local language and identify where volunteers are needed most.
Affordability
IYCC is committed to affordable program tuition which varies depending on the international project component. Other international conservation volunteer program fees are typically double what ours are and do not include airfare, trip medical insurance, or side excursions because they are for-profit placement agencies. We can keep program tuition affordable because we are a local non-profit program that partners with other local and global non-profit organizations, cutting out the middleman. In addition, we rely on volunteer mentors and hold a fundraiser once a year to raise funds to donate items to our partners and to offset operating expenses such as marking costs, website maintenance and development and other administration costs, so we do not need to build that into student program fees.
Student Leadership Position
We offer a student leadership role for those returning students who have excelled in our program. Student mentors help with all aspects of our program including distributing flyers and brochures in the community, deadline accountability, helping prepare for international travel, sharing social media posts once abroad, and helping new students move through the program successfully. Returning students who we feel would be a great fit for this position will be contacted prior to the application process each year.
Work hard, play hard
The conservation work we do is both physically and mentally demanding and while it is important for student volunteers to spend their time working hard and making valuable contributions to their project, we also believe it is important to have down time and experience more of their host country. While abroad, students are rewarded with several excursions that highlight responsible eco-tourism within the host country. These excursions vary depending on location and availability but are included in the program tuition. Examples of excursions are visiting certified wildlife rehabilitation centers, guided wildlife tours, hiking to and swimming in waterfalls, surfing, zip-lining, and visiting national parks. In addition to the excursions there is free time, typically in the evenings, for relaxing, guided nature walks, reading and chaperoned exploring.
Reference Letters
Those students who excel in our program may request a letter of reference when applying for work or college. The reference letter can be valuable additions to student resumes as employers and college admissions recognize that volunteer work and travel is beneficial for personal and professional development.