Program Reviews

As someone who was down-sized from a corporate job and looking for "what's next", CCS was a great opportunity to finally spread my wings and give back. A spur of the moment decision had me "in country" within 2 months. I'd always wanted to visit costa rica. Working with seniors was a great way to help in the community even though I knew very little Of the language. Smiles are universal. The chance to exercise, dance and "play" with these lovely men and women each day was incredibly rewarding - especially without the distractions of tv, newspapers and media that distract us so much from our lives. I learned to count to 100 in espanol by calling bingo numbers daily, and I felt truly welcomed by the seniors who sat by the gates waiting for our daily arrival. At the end of my stay, I felt I had truly made an impact - evident by the smiles, hugs, and times these lively people told me to 'go with god'. The names and faces are etched in my memory forever, and i find myself wondering when I can escape from the working world again for another great CCS experience.

I spent each morning at the orphanage, caring for kids and babies who loved me simply because I gave them time and wanted to teach them. I taught them to bake cookies for the first time, painted, raced toy cars and helped with meal time. They wanted to know about where I came from, what I do for fun, what is important to me. The little ones wanted what every child, what every human wants and needs, attention and affection. Without even recognizing it at the time, I looked back and realized that the only thing bigger than the impact I left on them, was the impact they left on me. Love knows no language, it is universal, and it the most powerful tool we have as humans. I will always remember my CCS experience and value the summer I spend in Costa Rican culture.

It was a great program working with many different schools to help the students with English. They all were so appreciative and the teachers and faculty was happy to see so many of us there giving of our time. We had 80 to 100 students through our classes a day.

I have volunteered in Costa Rica, Thailand and Peru with CCS and they are so professional and caring. There are other groups going overseas but they don't offer the same things. You do have to make the comparison. NOT EVEN CLOSE !!!!

When our bus pulled out for the day, the students would line up along the driveway and reach for our hands (sticking out the window) so they could say "thank you" and each one had a beautiful smile shining through their tears.

I made two trips to Salvador de Bahia in Brazil with CCS. Both times I worked in an orphanage. The volunteer experience was excellent and I enjoyed every minute of both trips. Salvador is a unique cultural environment where there is much to learn and do and the people are very friendly. I would love to return there for another volunteer trip in the future.

I volunteered in Palampur, India in summer 2009. I worked in a daycare there. During that time I got to learn Hindi, wear the local clothing, visit a tea plantation, see beautiful Hindu and Buddhist temples, meet Tibetan monks, and so much more! I absolutely loved it, and met some great people I still keep in contact with. I also grew to enjoy Indian food, which I had not been familiar with before going! The staff was great and very friendly and I always felt very safe and looked after. The accommodations were great too! They planned a lot of fun cultural activities for us and allowed enough free time to do some independent exploring.

I had such a good time in India that the following summer I returned through CCS with two friends from college. This time we were in Dharamsala, and I worked in a women's group. I loved the new volunteer experience and would definitely do a women's group again. Being in Dharamsala was awesome, there was so much to see and do and great food to eat! The staff there were just as wonderful as in Palampur. My only regret was not staying longer! This time I got to take a weekend trip to Manali, and am so glad I took that chance too. I really couldn't have asked for a better trip and am looking forward to my next volunteer experience.

Ghana was the most primitive of my volunteer experiences. The town where I lived for a month had open sewer, mostly dirt roads, and lost electrical power daily. We slept under mosquito netting and took showers with buckets of cold water. We also washed our clothes in buckets as well. That said, I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. Each and every person in the community welcomes you with open arms. I felt such a sense of purpose everyday. I taught kindergarten in a school that lacked basic supplies we in the US take for granted, but still the children were happy to come and learn. As I would walk home from work I would see children playing with old bike tires or tin cans tied to a string or playing in a field with an old ball that was barely inflated. The remarkable thing about this is that the children were so happy with so little. Teenage girls and boys would help care for their younger brothers and sisters. There was such a sense of family and community in this town. It was as if they got it right and the rest of the world needed to follow their example. I have been many places in my life but I left my heart in Ghana.

Great group to work with. With highly reccommend.Great experience for young people! Students or future teachers wanting to learn about another country and that absolutely likes hands on situations would be thrilled to spend time with this organization.
A unique approach to teaching and helpping in a foriegn country! I think its a wise choice for many well rounded individuals with credidentals and a sense of accomplishment would benefit.

Volunteering with CCS was the greatest experience of my life. They provided great support before, during, and after our trip and I felt 100% safe. While in Tanzania we volunteered 5 days a week at our placements and then went back to the homebase for a variety of experiences. The in-country CCS staff made sure we were comfortable at our volunteer placements, provided us with cultural lessons, kiswahili lessons, and cultural experiences. We went to a Maasai market, a waterfall, neighboring towns, blacksmith, and many other things. I fell in love with the culture, people, and especially children of Tanzania. I hope that everyone can have an experience like this one and I would, without hesitation, recommend CCS as the program to volunteer through.

I woke up everyday around 630 a.m. and ate breakfast which was prepared by the host program we stayed at. The host program then drove us to our respective locations to work from 730 a.m to 100 p.m. Teaching was difficult because the students barley spoke English, and the teacher didn't either. However, the students were very loving (they were aged between 3 years old to 6 years old). I taught English, math, science, arts and crafts, and sports for about 45 minutes each. There wasn't a lot of teaching equipment to work with. I brought my own chalk, pens, and paper. Good thing I did because the school didn't really have any. The experience was very rewarding though and by the end the students did learn a lot. One of the students picked up on English extremely fast and by the end was able to have basic conversations with me. While the teaching was difficult because of the language barrier, I would defiantly do this again.

Staff support was very thorough and they make sure everything is taken care of - great for a first time traveler. Great experience - I loved the supplemental activities like language classes, etc. Great food too! =)