Testimonials
"I'm sure when I ponder my life experiences, during the twilight of my years, I will regard my six weeks in Thailand as six of the most sensational weeks of my life... I traveled to Thailand hoping for an enriching experience. What I found exceeded my wildest expectations."
Chris Cox, International Health Program, Thailand
THE GSC VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE

                 

Participating in a GSC Service-Learning Program or SOS Fellowship Program is a unique way to explore a new country and culture while also making a significant contribution to a local community. Ranging from two-week volunteer experiences to longer-term programs of nine weeks to 6 months and year-long international fellowships, GSC’s international volunteer programs appeal to volunteers with a wide variety of ages, skills and backgrounds. 

                  

What sets us apart among choices you have in volunteering abroad?

  • GSC volunteers are guaranteed a placement in their particular area(s) of interest and country of choice.
  • Unlike some other volunteer organizations, GSC provides orientation and training for all our program volunteers. Whatever GSC service learning program you choose, you will first undergo a week of orientation and training. This will get you acclimated, introduce you to your new country and culture and, provide you with the tools necessary for successful and effective participation in your volunteer work. Participants in GSC’s service-learning and fellowship programs also receive in-depth technical training specific to their projects conducted by local and expatriate in-country staff.
  • The GSC volunteer experience is also differentiated from other volunteer abroad programs in that we pair our volunteers with supportive local counterparts and host families for true immersion into the local culture. GSC believes the best way to fully experience another culture is to live as part of it. That is why all GSC program participants have the opportunity to live with local host families who are extremely welcoming and delighted to share their culture with you. Whether you are working side by side with local university students, rural farmers, health professionals or school teachers, the bonds of friendship GSC volunteers make with their local counterparts often last a lifetime.

A respected leader in international volunteerism since 1993, GSC has partnered with numerous respected development organizations to provide support to communities that need it most. Working in collaboration with international NGOs such as Heifer International and Programs for Appropriate Technologies in Health (PATH), and multi-lateral organizations including the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), GSC has developed and shared its institutional knowledge to design meaningful and effective community training programs. GSC has gained NGO status in both Tanzania and Thailand in recognition of its contribution to these countries.

As a GSC program participant, you have the opportunity to be a part of this international development work that will benefit the community and enrich you in ways you will always remember. Your GSC volunteer contribution not only offsets your preparation and project costs, it helps support this ongoing development work and your community hosts who offer so much to you.

Read GSC program participants’ stories about their experiences on their community training projects, their local in-country counterparts, and their homestay hosts.