Working World: Careers in International Education, Exchange, and Development, Second Edition

Chapter 8: Volunteer Opportunities

172 CHAPTER 8 VolunteerOpportunities Introduction When Sherry was in her late twenties and newly married, she spent time at the University of Rhode Island with her husband, who was a faculty member there. In addition to finishing her dissertation and teaching a few courses, she also engaged in several international volunteer activities at the university. She served as the president of a volunteer organization that matched international students with American host families. She also coordinated orientation and cross-cultural training sessions for international students. Directly after graduating from college, Mark moved to the city of Yanji, in China’s Jilin Province, as a volunteer with the Salesian Lay Missioners. His primary duty for his year in Yanji was as a teacher of English conversation at a technical high school managed by Catholic priests. He organized after-school activities for his students (such as “extra English” and guitar groups), chaperoned weekend field trips for students, and taught English in several other venues around the city. As we discussed in the introduction to the book, idealism is typically a driving force for those interested in a career in international education , exchange, or development. Coupled with this idealism is a desire to serve. Volunteer opportunities give professionals the chance to feed this desire while gaining international experience. Sherry did international volunteer work in the United States, whereas Mark did international volunteer work abroad. We both gained rich experience and new perspectives from these activities, all while satisfying our desires to serve. Volunteer Opportunities 173 It is certainly true that not all people are in the position to take a year or two off from the real world in order to volunteer abroad for no pay. Certainly, the decision to volunteer requires much reflection on your part to discern whether the experience will be both beneficial to your career and feasible within the confines of your life situation (e.g., repaying student loans, taking care of bills, or family obligations). Yet, as Sherry’s experience demonstrates, you do not have to go abroad to volunteer. Certainly, your career in international relations will benefit immensely if you do indeed go abroad at some point. (Sherry later worked as a paid English teacher in Brazil for a year.) But if your situation mandates that you remain in the United States, there are still myriad opportunities for valuable international volunteer experience. Such experiences, whether in the United States or beyond, will help you acquire solid experience in the field, increase your foreign language proficiency, gain further regional expertise, and equip you for future success in multinational and cross-cultural settings. Sample Volunteer Organizations American Refugee Committee International 430 Oak Grove Street, Suite 204 Minneapolis, MN 55403 Telephone: 612-872-7060 and 800-875-7060 (toll-free in the US) Website: www.arcrelief.org Twitter: @ARCrelief Founded in 1979, the American Refugee Committee is a nonprofit organization that provides health care and health care training to displaced peoples in developing nations worldwide, including Liberia, Pakistan, Haiti, Rwanda, South Sudan, Thailand, and Uganda. Volunteer positions are categorized by country or service; position descriptions include job qualifications, responsibilities, and time and financial commitments necessary from the volunteer. 174 Selected Resources and Profiles Amigos de las Americas 5618 Star Lane Houston, TX 77057 Telephone: 713-782-5290 or 800-231-7796 (toll-free in the US) Website: www.amigoslink.org Twitter: @AMIGOS_Americas Amigos de las Americas is an international, nonprofit organization that provides volunteer experiences in Latin America for high school and college students interested in public health service and leadership development . Participants live with host families and work with a team of two to three other volunteers in a small community. Participants must have some knowledge of Spanish or Portuguese. Amigos has supported more than 25,000 volunteers during its nearly fifty years in operation. Art for Humanity (AFH) 635 South 25th Street Arlington, VA 22202 Website: www.artforhumanity.org Twitter: @artforhumanity AFH is a completely volunteer-based charity with the objective of “helping the poor to help themselves.” Working primarily in Honduras , AFH distributes used items to families who can then use, distribute , or sell the donated products. Volunteers for the organization may work within the United States at the Arlington, Virginia, office, from their homes, or onsite in Honduras at the university and other facilities established by Art for Humanity. Catholic Relief Services (CRS) 228 West Lexington Street Baltimore, MD 21201 Telephone: 877-435-7277 Website...