Group Opportunities

VFP specializes in cross-cultural group volunteer projects abroad!

We will work with you to create and customize each group volunteer experience to ensure it meets the goals, skill level, and length of time your group desires, while also meeting the needs of the local host community.

College and University groups, Community Clubs, High School groups,
Alternative Spring Break Chapters, Church groups, and more….

Our affordable group volunteer projects stem from collaboration with our partner organizations on the ground in the host country.  We guarantee all projects are mutually beneficial and will provide many opportunities for cultural engagement and service-learning. Groups are always hosted by community organizers and youth leaders from the country where they will be serving in order to provide maximum opportunity for deep exchange and maximum impact.
Contact Us today to begin planning your group service adventure.

VFP coordinated a flawless trip from the first email to the moment our wheels touched down at the airport. You made sure that our educational mission was fulfilled and that we had fun at the same time.” Jean L Weingarth, PhD, University of South Carolina

Some of our top group volunteer project locations are:

Ecuador
Partner Organization: Fundación Para La Educación y El Voluntariado Internacional (FEVI) is a small, Ecuadorian, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting community development projects such as child care centers, summer schools, libraries, and community centers in low income communities. FEVI works in native communities in the Andean region of Ecuador, and also in Tonsupa town, in Esmeraldas province, in the Pacific Coast of Ecuador.
Project Themes: Working with babies, kids, youth or the elderly, Agricultural work, Health Education
Past Experience: VFP has sent individual volunteers to Ecuador for various lengths of time up to 1 year. We ran our first group volunteer project at this location in December 2015 and have a high school group serving here in June 2016.
Notes: Some Spanish will be very beneficial in this location. Opportunity for Spanish language instruction if desired.

Estonia
Partner Organization: International Youth Association (EstYES) is non-profit non-political NGO established in 1991 to promote youth and cultural exchanges for better understanding and a fair world. It is a pioneer organization in the field of international voluntary service in Estonia.
Project Themes: Environmental, Agricultural, Work with Disabled Individuals, Work with Kids
Past Experience: VFP sent a teen group from Camp Betsy Cox in 2013, as well as many individual volunteers. VFP Ex. Director has visited Estonia and met with the Director or EstYES many times.

Haiti
Partner Organization: Volunteers For Peace directly organizes, leads, and plans the logistics of all projects in this location in collaboration with a variety of schools and community organizations. Each year more than 100 volunteers experience the joy of Haiti with VFP. Our projects put volunteers at the heart of the community with unlimited access to the culture, friendship, collaboration, and Haitian life.
Project Themes: Working with Kids, Environmental, Health and Hygiene Education, Community Development, School Construction
Past Experience: VFP has sent more than 500 volunteers to Haiti in the last 5 years including volunteer groups from Norwich and Lesley Universities, the University of North Alabama, and two high school groups.

Hong Kong
Partner Organization: VolTra is a non-governmental voluntary organization founded in 2009. VolTra is dedicated to promoting international voluntary service in Hong Kong through a well-established worldwide network of international workcamp organizations.
Project Themes: Environmental, Agricultural
Past Experience: In 2014, VFP sent a group from the University of Hawaii, School of Agriculture to study agriculture and food production issues. We also send individual volunteers to Hong Kong each year.

Iceland
Partner Organization: SEEDS Iceland was founded in 2005 as a non-governmental, non-profit volunteer organization. Their main activities relate to the promotion of environmental protection and awareness and intercultural understanding through social, cultural and environmental projects throughout the country.
Project Themes: Environmental, Agricultural, Cultural Heritage, Work in Botanical Gardens, Awareness Campaigns
Past Experience: VFP sends more than 30 individual volunteers to Iceland each year. In 2014, VFP sent a teen group from Camp Betsy Cox. In 2015, we sent an alternative spring break group from the University of South Carolina for a group volunteer project.
Notes: It is difficult to plan trips in the winter and spring due to the unpredictability of the weather.

Japan
Partner Organization: NICE was founded in 1990 by the 7 youth who had done the workcamps or other types of voluntary service programs abroad. In 1990, the first international workcamp of NICE was held at the foot of the Mt. Fuji of Japan. NICE is a member of the Network for Voluntary Development in Asia (NVDA), The Alliance of European Voluntary Service Organizations, and The Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service (CCIVS).
Project Themes: Environmental, Agricultural, Cultural Preservation
Past Experience: VFP sends more than 15 individuals to Japan each year. We have created opportunities for university groups to serve in Japan. In 2014, VFP hosted a Japanese group from Meiji University in Vermont. VFP has organized individual projects for students from Antioch College to volunteer for a semester.
Notes: Opportunity for Japanese language instruction if desired.

Nepal
Partner Organization: Volunteers Initiative Nepal (VIN) is a non-religious, non-political, non-governmental, non-profit organization which was founded in 2005 by a diverse group drawn from development workers, educationalists, social activists and other professionals. VIN focuses on community-based projects involving local volunteers backed up by international volunteers in Nepal. VIN’s mission is to empower marginalized communities, with a focus on women and children, through enhanced educational programs and community training to promote equality, economic well-being and basic human rights.
Project Themes: Education, Working with Kids, Environmental, Sanitation, Construction
Past Experience: VFP sends many individual short and long term volunteers to Nepal each year. In 2014 a former VFP Staff member served with VIN for 3 months. We sent a volunteer group from Champlain College to serve in 2014 and they will return in 2016. 
Notes: There will be a continuing high need for volunteers in Nepal to assist with earthquake relief, construction, and support.

Tanzania
Partner Organization: UVIKIUTA is a youth development organization guided by the spirit of “volunteerism for sustainable development”. Their mission is to develop and enhance social and economic capacity of young men and women so as to be self-reliant and able to address their challenges using available local resources. Established in 1983, they work with youth and volunteers in partnership with communities to build their capacities through holistic experience that broaden minds, expand horizons and empower them to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens.
Project Themes: Environmental, Agricultural, Community Development, Working with kids
Past Experience: In 2013 VFP sent a group of 20 teens from the Latin School in Chicago to serve in Tanzania on a group volunteer project.

Turkey
Partner Organizations:
GENCTUR has been organizing work camps since 1979. GENCTUR aims to create possibilities for young volunteers to meet young people from other cultures, learn about traditional way of life in Turkey, to improve their foreign languages, and to discover traditional Turkish hospitality and delicious Turkish food. Most of the camps are organized in small towns or villages in non-touristy areas where you can find the real side of daily Turkish life.
Youth Services Centre (GSM) is a non-governmental, non-profit youth organization that was founded by a group of young people in 1985 in Ankara, Turkey. Their main aim is to support common understanding, peace, friendship and intercultural learning among young people coming from different cultural backgrounds by organizing international youth activities.
Project Themes: Working with Mental and Physically Handicapped, Environmental, Agricultural, Working with Kids
Past Experience: VFP has sent many individual volunteers on both short and long term projects to Turkey with positive feedback. In 2011 VFP sent a volunteer group from Camp Betsy Cox to serve in Turkey. VFP Ex. Director has visited these organizations in Turkey and met with their Directors several times.