LEAPNOW Individual Internship Opportunities
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
– Mark Twain
College Internship | International & U.S. Based Internship Program Opportunities
The following are volunteer, educational international and U.S. domestic internships that are available to individuals. This list is added to on a semi-regular basis. Most of these internships need people throughout the year and many can accommodate multiple volunteers. Most internships are happy to have you stay for a long period of time.
LEAPNOW charges a one-time fee of $750 for each intern placement.
The application process is easy, to apply please visit our page
on application & logistics.
If you count the specific internships below that are available to individuals, you'll find there are 40. However, LEAPNOW's full internship database includes more than 6,000 internships, work exchanges, volunteer opportunities, language schools and apprenticeships, which we have been actively collecting and using since 1977. To find out how to access the full range of internships, visit our primary Internship page.
If, after reviewing the current list of individual internship opportunities, you have further questions, please visit the Internship FAQ. If there is something more specific you are looking for please let us know and we will try to and be of assistance.
The following list is sortable--click on the relevant heading to sort. Javascript must be enabled to use this feature.
Environmental Textile Service Project with Women in India (10115)
Volunteers are needed to help with a grassroots project in Northern India hat reuses plastic bags to make artisan bowls and baskets. The service work includes organizing materials for the projects, helping market the textiles and assisting the director with other administrative tasks. Volunteers will learn how to make the textiles themselves as well as work with local impoverished women and children who are making the textiles.
This volunteer project is run by a woman who also runs a small family style guest house. $300 a month covers room and board and volunteers get to stay at the guest house and enjoy the familial atmosphere. This is a fantastic project for people interested in working a local project that employs undereducated females in the area as well as learning about how to start and manage a grassroots organization. Internship volunteers should be mature, innovative, and prepared for long days in a culture that can be challenging. The guesthouse is in a semi-rural setting near a large city. Women should be prepared to dress in traditional and conservative clothing throughout the duration of their volunteer project.Environmental Conservation in Ecuador (2472)
Volunteers are needed at a cloudforest conservation project in northwest Ecuador. Volunteers assist with outdoor projects such as tree planting, weeding, creating fire breaks, erosion prevention, nursery development, clearing trails, and there are some possible opportunities for research, environmental education, and agroforestry studies. During the late spring and summer, they have positions working with children and doing environmental education, and they periodically run courses in permaculture, nutrition, and other related fields for their volunteers and paying guests.
Accommodations are in either a hostel or in cabins with running water and cooking facilities, and they ask for a minimum stay of one month though would love to have you stay longer. $240 per month covers room and board, and they make special arrangements for intern volunteers with special skills or those wishing to stay more than three months. Running water, toilet, shower, electricity, and phones are all available at the various volunteer sites. They ask that volunteers be comfortable with their Spanish before starting as little English is spoken at the worksite.
They have an office in Quito, Ecuador that can arrange to meet you at the airport and give you an orientation to Ecuador and the city before traveling overland to the actual volunteer site. They have 3 work sites, each of which are heavily tied into the local villages, and each of which has a strong biodiversity component to the work. Some sites are remote enough to necessitate having horses and knowing how to ride them, others are more centrally located, and volunteers are allowed to choose how they'd like to spend their months working. On each site there are at least 2 other international volunteers at any given time to assist with the work and form a sense of community.
There is no malaria in the area, and they recommend that volunteers have adequate medical insurance as the work can sometimes involve machetes and other physically challenging activities.
Service Work in Rural Peru (10565)
Work with a Peruvian non-profit that strives to improve the life of Andean people living in poverty. Volunteers work in small indigenous Peruvian villages and carry out projects in health, education, micro-finance, environmental conservation, counseling, construction work, orphanages, art instruction, and more. $95 per week for accommodation, three meals per day, activities with local grassroots organizations and weekend excursions
Teach at a School in Northern India (4545)
Opportunities to volunteer at a unique free school for approximately 400 poor children in northern India. The school has 300 day students and 100 evening students who are day laborers or street children. The school curriculum includes Hindi, English, Science, Math, etc., and also includes meditation, hatha yoga, music, massage, philosophy, emotional literacy, ecology, mythology, martial arts, astrology, and other non-traditional subjects. The school is a unique experiment in education inspired by two Tibetan spiritual teachers. It synthesizes Buddhist teachings with transpersonal psychology and modern progressive educational methods.
Teaching and administrative volunteers are welcome any time for a minimum of one month. The volunteers must be self-supporting for lodging and food, but you can expect to pay no more than $150 per month total. Former volunteers have been able to design and teach their own curriculum, or if that is too overwhelming, to assist in the teaching of the staff's curriculum. This is a volunteer placement where you can experience the true India in its rural form - with homestays and interactions that enfold you fully into the village life. There is ready access to amenities like telephone, internet, and hot water, though the setting is very traditional. Great medical attention is readily available within a 30 minute drive.
Service Work to Empower the Rural People of Ghana (4123)
Opportunities to volunteer with an organization that focuses on solving rural problems in Ghana. Volunteers teach adult literacy classes and school children, work to empower women in rural communities, stimulate small business activities, initiate environmental awareness programs, provide support for abused women and children, integrate the disabled into the community and provide occupational therapy. No specific skills or experience is required. Registration fee of $200, which covers one monthÂ’s accommodation, airport pickup and administrative costs. $25 for additional weeks up to 3 months, $15 per week after that.
Teach Indigenous Children in Argentina (4138)
Volunteer at an Argentinian school for indigenous Mapuche children set in a beautiful location in the foothills of the Andes. The opportunities for volunteers are plentiful: tutoring in English, assisting with art classes, maintaining the grounds and for females to work in the girl's dorm. They also have a big farm with an extension store in town. Knowledge of Spanish is not required, but highly recommended. The director and his wife speak fluent English. Opportunities to explore the impressive nearby national parks and Chile is accessible by bus. Volunteers stay at the school, and eat with the students. They ask for a contribution of $ 350 per month, and a minimum commitment of three months. Work year-round save between December 20 and early February.
Trekking in Guatemala (3788)
A constituent of a children's rights advocacy group in Guatemala, this trekking company currently runs trekking trips through the Guatemalan highlands. Volunteers participate in the treks until they are capable of guiding them, and work in the office the rest of the time. Trekking skills are required, as well as an understanding of Spanish (inexpensive language school available within a 5 minute walk) and First Aid/CPR certificate. The profits of the organization support programs benefiting street children, and volunteers can work directly with the children on the streets. Volunteers commit for a minimum of 3 months, plus one week of training to start. Food and housing during the treks is provided. $31 per week for accommodation when not trekking.
Orphanage in India (9723)
Volunteers are needed at an orphanage and homeopathic clinic run by an energetic American woman who has been living in India for many years. She is open to having volunteers come for a minimum of one month, but you would be welcome to stay for longer. Previous volunteers stayed at a decent hostel in town, but some construction has been completed recently and volunteers can now stay at the orphanage itself and save money that way. Basic accommodation (shared double room and bath) and food are provided for about $150 (or 3000 rupees) a month, but cheaper if you can stay longer.
Volunteers should be physically fit, mature and emotionally prepared for hard work in a difficult setting. Not only would you be working with the kids at the main orphanage, but you would also be visiting other villages and orphanages on a periodic basis to teach hygiene, art, or a variety of other subjects. It can be difficult living and working with orphans and hearing their stories over time, so volunteers must be prepared for some of the difficulties inherent in this kind of work. The orphanage is in desperate need of volunteers to work and play with the kids, do small construction projects, teach English, organize the volunteer program, and coordinate with fund raising over seas.
Work with Disabled Children and Their Families in Peru (4666)
Volunteer with an organization in Cusco, Peru that provides education for deaf and mentally handicapped children and adults. The organization has a faculty of 26 staff , a psychologist, language therapist, and physical therapist who work together to develop the children mentally and physically. The organization also provides special training for parents, teaching them ways to work with their disabled children in order to stimulate the child's development. Classes are scheduled daily from 8 AM to 1 PM, during which time volunteers are expected to assist teachers in the classroom. In the afternoon, volunteers are needed to play with the children. Volunteers can take the children for walks, or can organize special workshops for the children such as theater, music, or cooking.
Wildlife Refuge in Bolivia (9998)
Work with endangered species at a wildlife refuge in Bolivia. The workday starts at 7:30 AM and ends around 6:00 PM, with an hour and a half lunch break and one day off every 15 days. Work varies greatly, from tending sick or newly arrived monkeys to preparing birds for their return to the wild, or even walking some of the wild cats (pumas, jaguars, etc.). The refuge houses about 200 monkeys of six different species (spider, capuchin, squirrel, nocturnal, titi and tamarin). They also have dozens of birds, from toucans to hawks to the big macaws, as well as coatis, turtles, snakes (at times) and a few wild cats (ocelots, pumas and a jaguar). Many of the animals are of endangered species. Volunteers also guide visitors who are visiting the reserve, giving explanations about the animals and the importance of wildlife and habitat preservation. Minimum commitment for volunteers is 15 days, but the longer you can stay the more opportunities you would have to work with a greater diversity of wildlife. For example, volunteers that stay for the minimum amount of time are only allowed to work with primates, whereas those volunteers who can stay for 2 months are allowed to pick what animals they would like to focus with. Cost for volunteer housing varies. Food is no more than $7/day.
They need self-starters to do the work needed, and are looking for people who don't shy from sometimes messy work. The internet is a good 30 minute bus ride away, although there is a phone at the actual worksite that volunteers can use with a phone card. The nearest hospital is not spotless, but volunteers have access to a better hospital if need be, that is about 5 hours away by bus. English is the primary language spoken, although volunteers have the opportunity to practice their Spanish with the local workers. Please be aware that you would be working with wild animals and they should be treated as wild. There are adequate safeguards in place for volunteers, but you'll have to be assertive enough to use them.
Here's what a previous volunteer had to say about some unexpected perks: "Oh yeah - the jungle, some of the people I met, being licked by a puma, getting a good scar..."
Mama Tesha - Teacher's Assistant in Tanzania (3566)
A Tanzanian woman, Mama Tesha, who is based in Arusha, and also is the director of a school for kindergarten and primary age children (3-10 years old) that has 170 children (half in nursery school, half in primary school). They have an ongoing need for volunteers at the school, and may have future need for people to do construction work. The school is run by an all-women board, is a registered non-profit in the United States, and relies on volunteers to relieve the excess work at the school. The LEAPNOW contact is also a great Kiswahili instructor and can arrange and orient new volunteers to the area.
Typical volunteer duties may include: researching grant opportunities, primarily on the internet; writing grants; talking with Mama Tesha and other school staff about project ideas and structures; meeting staff, students, and families. Volunteers are asked to work about 30 - 40 hours per week, and must be proactive, as the workload itself doesn't allow for a volunteer coordinator to tell you what needs to be done. Access to computers and the internet as well as telephones is readily available. Medical facilities are good, and transportation routes are well traveled and not too expensive. Count on spending between $8-$10 per day for room (with Mama Tesha in a true village setting), board, and Kiswahili lessons.
Volunteer in Cambodia (10352)
A terrific organization that offers various volunteer options:
advocacy training, HIV/AIDS, English/ IT Teaching, Health, Rural
Development, Human Rights Protection, Legal Rights Work and
Environmental Issues.
Empower Women and Children in Guatemala (10559)
Volunteer with a non-profit organization in Guatemala to empower indigenous women and children. Help to break the cycle of poverty through education, construction projects, environmental awareness and health projects. This organization looks at what a community needs and creates it together with the local people. Their mission it to empower the Guatemalans and not have them rely on help from outside. The organization has an organic garden, runs micro-finance projects, works in schools, offers a park for the community, puts stoves into the huts for the women to cook with, provides clean running water, builds school, and initiates other local projects. Volunteers contribute $50/week for a room and use of the kitchen, to ensure that all the organizationÂ’s profits go into their projects.
Outdoor Leadership School in New Zealand (2027)
Volunteers are needed at an outdoor center in New Zealand. They have constant need for volunteers willing to commit a minimum of one month to assist with general program and grounds maintenance. Free room and board in exchange for work. For volunteers with experience leading outdoors trips or with specific outdoor skills, this can be a great place to nurture your own outdoor skills in your personal time amongst like-minded people and professionals. The center itself teaches rock climbing, river and sea kayaking, mountaineering, ski touring, trekking, backpacking, bushcraft and bush survival and is one of the most reputed organizations in the South Pacific. Past volunteers have equated the organization to a New Zealand NOLS or Outward Bound type experience. For volunteers willing to stay longer, there is the opportunity to build up credits enough to observe the programs being led or attend a skills course using the credits accumulated. Volunteers work a full week, but the workload is light enough that you could take a week or two off at any point to travel the North and South Islands of New Zealand. The work itself can be pretty basic if you don't have some hard skills and there can be opportunities that the staff hang out with you and teach skills during their down time.
Staff usually spends the weekends outdoors
practicing skills and playing in nature.
Teacher's Assistant in Honduras (10098)
Volunteer at a bilingual School in Honduras. The school is about a 45 minute bus ride from San Pedro Sula in Honduras where there is also an airport. This primary school was just constructed over the summer months of 2004 and everything is brand new, so there are lots of challenges. Volunteers are needed to work on general construction projects, to support the role of the staff and community in further efforts to improve the school, and to assist with the teaching responsibilities at the school. Volunteers need not be fluent in Spanish, but they do ask that you have a good understanding of the language - enough to have a basic conversation with the kids. Room and board are very inexpensive, and access to email and telephones is fairly easy to gain access to. Volunteers can be met at the San Pedro Sula airport and transported directly to the school. They are looking for a minimum commitment of two months.
The thing that makes this school unique is the level of community involvement it has: from the donation of the land, to the construction and materials, to the petition and local transport. They are currently trying to establish the model and hopefully be able to transport it to other areas of need within Central America.
The school currently has about 85 students, eight classrooms, and 11 teachers. A former LEAPNOW client and intern is currently running the school! (This could happen to you!!!).
Ayurvedic Center in South India (10769)
A traditional Ayurvedic treatment center in Kerala, India. They promote the knowledge and practice of traditional Ayurveda and Siddha Vaidya, the oldest systems of medicine on the planet, rooted in Nature. They encourage sustaining relationships among women from East and West with KeralaÂ’s medicinal and nutritive botanicals. Many of the medicines and medicinal oils used are made by hand at the center. They are also in the process to develop an outreach program to inspire younger indigenous women and girls to maintain the traditional healing and medicinal plant stewardship practices their mothers and grandmothers have always been involved in, but which are now slipping away. These practices are important for ecological, medical and emotional reasons. The visible support of this idea by college-age western girls would truly be listened to, and be particularly inspiring to their target group. Volunteers are asked to contribute $450 per month to cover accommodation and food expenses.
Teach at a Remote High School in Micronesia (9761)
Interns have the opportunity to work in any of six schools on tiny Micronesian islands of the Woleai Atolls; the largest need is with primary and secondary school children. High school subjects they most need support are English, Math and Science. An intern might be a teachers assistant, or teach by themselves, depending on what the school's current needs are. Free room with a host family (usually the principal or a fellow teacher at the school) is provided, but a small donation for food is expected. Any intern would have to be super-careful of native customs and very, very sensitive to the requirements of a very traditional community. The cultural difference is profound, and this internship requires a great degree of flexibility: up to 4 days on a boat to get to the island school may be required. There is access to email on most of the islands, and in those without, they have access to a satellite phone to make necessary emergency calls.
Please be aware that this is a placement that is both very authentic, and can be very challenging with its remoteness. Accommodations are basic, and food standards don't have much variety. There will likely be no other Americans or foreigners on the island you're teaching at, and the cultural norms are quite different there. Women find it a more difficult place to volunteer as the society is fairly patriarchal and they ask that volunteers not try to effect 100 years of change within the three months that you'd be there.
Typically, they need people for the academic year which mirrors the US's approximate dates, though there is always a need for ongoing English classes should you desire to take part in this program over the summer or winter months.
Carmelite Monastery in Ireland (2586)
Construction work at a Catholic (Carmelite) monastery in Sligo, Ireland. For students interested in doing a retreat, they are willing to negotiate the prices in exchange for 3 to 4 hours of work per day. The normal price for a retreat is $240 per week (including full Room and Board). Everyone is welcome to join the community and other retreatants for daily Mass and prayer, but it is not required.
Volunteers can do construction work in exchange for room and board.
Teach Underprivileged Children in Sikkim, India (1687)
A unique opportunity to work at a boarding school in Sikkim. This school provides free education (from kindergarten up to 10th Grade) and boarding to around 250 destitute and underprivileged children from tribal rural areas. They have ongoing needs for volunteer teachers, who are welcome to teach English, Science, Geography, History, and Computer skills. Most of their lessons are conducted in English. Volunteers can also work at the bakery, tea plantation, carpet weaving initiative, yak farm, and nursery. Volunteers must be able to commit to a minimum of two months. Volunteers should be aware that Sikkim is a restricted part of India, and that as things stand at present, obtaining a volunteer visa can take more than a month. This organization also has schools in West Bengal, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
Service Work in the Dominican Republic (10711)
Community service projects in the Dominican Republic which include: library/community center, youth camps, arts & crafts, health, sports, environment, & literacy. Basic knowledge of Spanish is recommended. The location is beautiful with miles of endless beaches, mountains, great restaurants, waterfalls, springs, caves, trails, humpback whales, and national parks. Volunteers pay for their own food and lodging. There is a volunteer house available for $7 a night, and food costs between $5 and $15 a day depending on the volunteer. The sponsoring organization charges a one-time placement fee of $350.
Ashram in India (1279)
Volunteer at this small ashram in India, near Mumbai. It is a gathering place of a wide spectrum of people, men and women, Indian and foreign, Hindus, Christians, and agnostics, resting travelers, elderly priests, and students of ancient Indian arts and sciences. There is a daily schedule of prayers/meditations, meals, and meetings, as well as chores and projects to attend. There are sometimes regular classes, and an extensive library of Hinduism, Christian mysticism, and related topics. Volunteers are welcome to stay, help out with tasks such as flower and vegetable gardening, library work, fixing and shelving books, painting, repairs, etc., and immerse themselves in ashram life. It is recommended that volunteers be open-minded, helpful, and interested in community living, and these are more important attributes than having a chosen spiritual path or an active interest in religious dialogue. While there are opportunities for dance, yoga, and music classes in the area, duties at the ashram should be a volunteer's primary focus. There is no need to understand Hindi, since everyone speaks English. Volunteers contribute 200 Rupees (about $5) a day for food, and can stay in either shared rooms, which are divided by curtains, or pitch a tent in the garden. 3-month minimum commitment.
Outdoor Environmental Project in Patagonia, Argentina (9880)
Volunteers opportunities to work on a beautiful ranch in Argentina doing all the work on an estancia plus some extras that go along with a drive to achieve self-sufficiency in an organic and fun way. The program offers horse use and some of the best fishing in South America at the rivers and streams that are on the property. Also volunteers have full use of the recreational facilities; squash court, volleyball, sauna, running trails and all of the camping spots over the 100,000 acre ranch. The property reaches up to the border with Chile in the high Andes, including a 500 acre lake and a hot spring - the place is lovely beyond compare and offers a wondrous energy hit, largely due to the clement weather and the isolation - no cars, no planes overhead, no television etc.
At the winter ranch (May - August) volunteers (up to 4 at a time) live with the gauchos, do ranch chores and ride horses daily to check on the resident guanaco (related to the llama) population as a semi-scientific task. The summer ranch is located near the fishing and here the volunteers will again live with gauchos and help with the preparation of the garden and with other chores. They charge $100 to pick up volunteers at the local airport; otherwise they can hike in from the nearest town, El Huecu, an all day hike, much of it on the actual estancia. In order to get there, volunteers will have to fly to a remote airport, and then take a jeep to a stable before embarking on a four-hour horse ride.
They seek self-starters, non-complainers, and competent people who enjoy pitching in and also enjoy the time off in this setting. They have room for up to seven volunteers in various housing arrangements; shared bathrooms and kitchens. Spanish is not required but is helpful to enjoy the native folk who work on the ranch. It is a small family community of writers and artists, involved in permaculture and self-sustainable ideals. The ranch is also the site of a book and film project currently underway. A Spanish teacher can be provided on the ranch for $25/day. Room and board cost $17.50 per day
for the first month and drops down to $12.50 per day after the
first month, with optional activities and trainings costing slightly more.
Conservation Work in Australia (142)
Volunteers work on crews doing physical conservation work outdoors that includes erosion control, re-vegetation, tree planting, trail-building, fire hazard reduction, flood control, landscaping, simple construction, fencing, and non-native plant eradication. Projects take place throughout Australia all year round. Each crew of 6-10 workers is led by 2 trained leaders in bush and urban locations – teaching useful techniques and carrying out the important work required for rehabilitation, restoration, and reforestation of the Australian environment. Volunteers can choose their region in Australia. Projects run Monday to Friday, 8 AM – 4 PM. Part of each weekend may be spent traveling to the next project site. Accommodation will vary because of the wide variation in the nature of the projects and locations.
Intern
with Theater and Sustainable Living Organization in New England
(10204)
This is a chance to work with a dynamic theater and sustainable living organization. Based in New England, this organization's mission is to cultivate high quality theater with a commitment to simple living, environmental sustainability, and social justice. It was founded in 2001 and is currently run out of an office with a small farming and biodiesel processing operation. This is an opportunity to participate and learn about the arts, sustainable living, and activism in the community.
Teach at a School in The Gambia, West Africa (4227)
After-school enrichment program in The Gambia, West Africa. This learning center was started in 1998, and has 300 children and 11 teachers. Their program is designed to supplement the public school curriculum - students come to the center during non-school hours and work on school subjects to make much better educational progress in a very supportive environment. The Gambia is a safe and stable country - a good first place for volunteers in Africa. It is also bordered on two sides by Francophone countries - lots of opportunity to speak French, though this program teaches primarily in English. The director of the school is a Gambian woman who attended college in the U.S. Volunteers receive free accommodation with a Gambian family, and make a $160 monthly contribution for food.
Creativity and Education in Bolivia (9958)
Volunteer work in transitory state home for 6-12 year-old children who have been abandoned or mistreated, have parents in prison, have run away from home, have legal problems, have been orphaned or are lost. This is a temporary home where the children are cared for sometimes for just a short time, but in some cases, for years. Each child's situation is different, therefore after careful evaluation, the children move on from this home to be returned to their parents or to other family members or are transferred to a 'stable' children's home, where they will be cared for until they finish their education. The organization has recently established a similar volunteer program for children with hearing loss. The children stay at a similar home, which also cares for some mentally disabled children. There is a lot of opportunity to develop the program here, and the work is very rewarding. They can arrange lessons in sign language for volunteers who want to work in this home. Many volunteers combine the work in these two homes. Volunteers need to have a good knowledge of Spanish, although they are willing to consider receiving assistant volunteers who are learning Spanish. For volunteering in any of these homes they require a commitment of a minimum of 2 months – longer stays preferred.
Environmental Work in Hawaii (2977)
Volunteer at a national park in Hawaii. Duties include working in the visitor center and museum, leading guided hikes, manning a coastal lava entry site, or assisting with environmental education programs. The staff is willing to give volunteers extensive training. Off-island volunteers are picked up and dropped off at the Airport, given worker's compensation insurance and housing in a three-bedroom house with up to five other volunteers. A three-month commitment is required, and there is a $10 reimbursement per 8 hour work day to help meet daily expenses. Volunteers must work a five-day week for a minimum of 3 months in order to receive housing.
Cooperatives Costa Rica (3095. 3753, 3097, 3098)
Volunteer at one of four different cooperative communities in Costa Rica. These communities are primarily made up of refugees from El Salvador and other Central American countries. They decided to petition to collectively own, farm and sustainably manage around 1000 acres of fields and forest rather than receive small personal plots in which each family would try to make an individual living. On the cooperatives various crops are raised, such as coffee, sugar cane, rice, and beans. They also have cows and chickens.
The residents all live in simple homemade houses and eat a very basic diet. As a group they have built a church, a grade school and kindergarten building, community center. The hope is to supplement their income through ecotourism and other programs bringing a circulation of people, ideas, and money into their community. Several of their young people are studying ecotourism.
Volunteers may choose between the cooperatives, depending on the work they would like to do: working on a butterfly farm, palm oil farm, cocao and coffee farm, plantations, forest reserve, trail maintenance, construction, rain forest preservation, tree nursery, cooking, teaching English or German to village children, teaching sewing, art, music, computer skills, etc.
Some understanding of Spanish is required, but English is also spoken. Volunteers must be self-motivated, because there is not a lot of structure. The cost for accommodation and food varies among the cooperatives, and is around $10 - 12 per day.Conservation Work in England and Ireland (1730)
Volunteer with a British version of our conservation corps. They use volunteers for short conservation projects, which last from one day to a week. They also give short training courses in practical skills such as tree planting or chainsaw use. Work includes erosion control, scrub clearance, stonewall repair, tree planting, footpath construction, creating wildlife habitats, etc. Tools, transport, expertise, accommodation, and meals are provided for small project fee. They work all year-round at 3000 sites in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. They have a residential farm and regional office in Wales at which individual volunteers can stay very cheaply (about $35 a week) and do farm chores as well as help coordinate visiting volunteer crews. Relaxed atmosphere, community living and five live-in long-term volunteer staff.
Environmental School in Kentucky (24)
This environmental school is located in the Appalachian Mountains of southeastern Kentucky. Their mission is to develop and reinforce in students an awareness and appreciation of the natural and cultural environments. Using the schoolÂ’s 800-acre campus of mountains, valleys, forests, and streams the staff introduces students to natural ecosystems, regional culture, and environmental issues.
They host overnight and week-long programs for visiting school groups, ranging in age from elementary to college. Activities include hiking, orienteering, stream and forest ecology, Native American traditions, early settlers, medicinal plants, night hiking, folk dancing, caving, water & land, and astronomy. The school has been a community center since 1923, and continues to host a small clinic and Appalachian archives. Internship positions are available every fall and spring. There is no college courses or extensive experience required, as all training for interns is provided. Teaching classes will involve hiking, demonstrating weaving, digging for artifacts, chopping wood, using a compass, exploring streams, answering questions from parents, and handling toads, snakes and turtles. Room and board is provided, and a small stipend may be available.Sustainable Community and Permaculture in Argentina (4259)
An eco-village project in Argentina located 120 km from Buenos Aires. The farm is based on permaculture principles, sustainability, alternative technology, natural building, and community living. The property includes over 20 hectares with an organic vegetable garden, many fruit trees, a forest, a community area and housing. Knowledge of Spanish is recommended, but English is also spoken on the farm.
Work with Sea Turtles in Costa Rica (1681)
Leatherback turtle conservation work on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. Sea turtle work involves a night patrol (walking 8-12 km) of the nesting grounds on beaches (Caribbean side) in search of turtles and eggs. Days are free for sleeping, reading, or beach activity. There is a minimum commitment of 7 days, and no Spanish is required. Volunteers must be physically fit. February through the end of July.
Outdoor and Environmental School in Maryland (2587)
An outdoor/natural sciences school on Chesapeake Bay in Maryland that teaches visiting groups of children about Bay studies, low impact camping, boating, adventure/ropes courses, orienteering, swamp ecology, Native American studies, and historical exploration. School groups, grades 3-9, stay overnight and take classes for 3-5 days; day groups also visit. Their staff consists of 30 teachers during busiest seasons (spring and fall) and 22 teachers during the summer. All groups are divided into classes of 8-12 children with two staff members per class. Intern positions are available during the spring and fall seasons. Interns observe and teach, create and implement new course ideas, supervise children, do some campus maintenance, and complete special projects of their own design. Interns receive full room and board and a weekly stipend of $100-160 (based on experience). Accommodation is comfortable and quaint; meals are served in the dining hall when school groups are there, otherwise interns have access to a fully stocked kitchen. Spring Term: March - June; Fall Term: August - late November. Dates are somewhat flexible.
Work at an Agroecological Farm in Costa Rica (10916)
Help to spread awareness of environmentally sustainable agricultural practices in Costa Rica: soil regeneration and conservation, medicinal herbs, enhancement of the natural environment, etc. The farm accommodates animals, fruit trees, spring-water wells, an area of rainforest, red worm composting for soil regeneration, and a pond. Volunteers needed to work on construction, feed the animals, plant trees, maintain medicinal plants and perform other tasks as assigned. 3 meals a day and accommodation is provided for a daily fee of $22. Ideal opportunities for graduate students and researchers to extend knowledge, pursue specific interests, find field work or extend opportunities for thesis material. Spanish lessons are available.
Coastguard Station on the Coast of Ireland (10970)
A 19th century Coastguard building on the shores of Ireland which is open to the public during the months of July, August and early September. Volunteers could occupy part of the building during the summer months, to include June if that suited, on the basis that they would show the property to the occasional tourist who visits it. The property is situated in a very scenic location on the waterfront, looking out on the islands and Croagh Patrick, Ireland’s Holy Mountain directly to the South. Accomodation provided in a separate apartment at the Coastguard Station. Sailing and lots of work apart from meeting occasional visitors if volunteers wishes. Many other activities are available locally. Challenges: Unpredictable weather - coping with 4 seasons in one day! The letter of invitation can be provided, if needed for visa. Minimum 6 weeks, maximum 3 months
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Leap Now international & U.S. based internship opportunities in a wide spectrum of environments
From environmental causes to teaching, wildlife rescue and more...
Become an intern during your College years and gain invaluable experience and memories that will last a lifetime!