Program Reviews

I have been waiting to take my first ever out of country travel experience with ISV Australia since I was a freshman in college and I was beyond happy to finally make the trip happen the summer before my senior year! I went back and forth on it so many times, but ultimately I am so thankful I made the decision to participate in the program. I met some of the most incredible people on the volunteer project who shared my passion for learning and volunteering in order to make a difference in the world and I truly believe we did. Wild Mountains was an amazing place and I would never trade my time there for anything in the world. The adventure tour was also beyond anything I could have imagined. It forced me outside of my comfort zone more times than I could count, but the friends I made, laughs we had, and memories I now carry everywhere with me were 100% worth it! International Student Volunteers is a wonderful program and I would recommend it to anyone and everyone even the slightest bit interested! :)

This summer of 2015 I went To Australia with International Student Volunteers. I didn't know what to expect and it was my first time out of the country but it was by far the best experience of my life. Every time I read someone's review about how the people they meet are now their best friends I was like "yeah, sure ok" but I met the most amazing people and still talk to them. There is something about this shared interest in helping the world and traveling that brings people together and this trip did just that. I made the most amazing friends that I would not trade for anything and I have never laughed so hard for 5 weeks straight in my life. Australia is the most beautiful place in the world and all of the adventures we went on there were outstanding. If you are looking for a trip that is going to make you feel worthwhile, this is the trip to go on. Spend the money, deal with all the logistics of going and get on that plane. You will not regret it. Every activity you do is planned to the very last detail. You want to white water raft in the oldest rainforest in the world and you definitely want to scuba dive/snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef, and of course you want to learn how to surf in Byron Bay (my favorite location on this trip). Trust me, you wanrt to do it all. And trust me even more when I say you are going to be in good company. ISV picks the most amazing team leaders. My group cried when we left our project leader, Meg and we bawled our eyes out when we had to leave each other and that is only after 4 weeks! This experience is life changing and I recommend you go to isvolunteers.org and you sign up today because you will never have another experience like it.

This trip was the best decision of my life. On my project, my group of 8 people became like a family. During our volunteer weeks we stayed in a sustainable community and did conservation work to help connect 2 rain forests. We had so much fun during our volunteer weeks. I loved where my project was at because in the community we got to meet people from all over the world and hear about their travel experiences. I was surprised how much people in Australia encouraged us to continue to travel. The next 2 weeks was the adventure tour. I got to do so many things in 2 weeks that most people do not do in their life. We did things that made me step out of my comfort zone and conquer my fears (rappelling). I also got to do things I have always wanted to do (snorkel the Great Barrier Reef). I made so many friends during this month and I want to go back! It is a great experience for a first time traveler.

In the community of El Castillo, there was this little boy named Leo no older than 4. Everyday we were out working to reinforce Luce's home he would be running around wrecking havoc with the other children in the community. My goal by the end of or volunteer project was to get him to smile for more than a minute! He was so stubborn. On the last day i decided to run with him through the community (his preferred way to get around). The joy on his face when we began to play was infectious and unforgettable. Just by being carefree and childish I was able to make memories with a kid who didn't necessarily warm up to everyone. These are the kinds of memories you will make going on this trip. You won't just have fun traveling and trying new things, but you will interact with the most loving, happy and selfless kids there are. We can only hope to impact their lives as much as they have and will continue to impacted ours. I will never be able to look at my life and not be happy. Leo taught me that happiness comes from running around and exploring, not having the latest material items. I am so grateful to have met the wonderful kids and community members of El Castillo.

My ISV experience is hard to sum up in a single review just because the experience itself is so much more powerful and distinctive than words can describe. The trip was filled with memorable experiences and was shared with even more memorable people. I started out my Costa Rica trip with a week of Spanish lessons, which were very helpful especially when realizing just how little Spanish I knew and the language barriers I had to face as soon as I landed. The Spanish week was a great way to get ahead of the game and really get to know everyone in your group as well. The two weeks of volunteering in Ostional Costa Rica were beyond amazing. Our project involved working with the sea turtles that came to nest on the beach of Ostional. The work involved counting the eggs that the turtles would lay as well as taking measurements of their size, and tagging there fins. The work was never dull especially during the arribada week when there were literally hundreds of turtles nesting at the same time. Ostional is the second biggest beach in the world for the nesting of Olive Ridley sea turtles and watching the monthly arribada occur was like a natural wonder of the world. Our project leaders were great and taught us so much about our project, Costa Rica, and more. The host family I stayed with was incredibly kind and made me incredibly comfortable in a home far away from my own.
The final two weeks consisted of the adventure tour, which basically was travelling all around Costa Rica doing awesome activities. We toured a few national parks and saw so much of the wildlife beauty that Costa Rica contains. Some of the other activities included white water rafting down the Pacuare River that runs through the middle of the rain forest and then lodging a night in the rainforest. The sights and experience of this were unbelievable and this was just the start of the adventure tour. Other activities included zip lining, rappelling, horseback riding, surfing, tubing, hot springs, and more. I made great friends bonding with people over these many awesome adventures and would do it again in a heartbeat. I recommend this ISV project to anyone looking to travel and have a life changing experience.

The children there impacted me the most. They don't have much, but yet they have more energy and positivity than I have ever seen. It is always so hot in Dominican Republic and while we were sweating our butts off and would complain that we were tired, the kids were having the time of our lives with us. It showed us to take a second and think about the things we have to be thankful for and not take the things that we are fortunate for for granted. The kids were just thankful to be there and to have us there to play with them and teach them. Throughout the days, we stopped complaining and just enjoyed our time there with them and forever have those memories.

Volunteering in Costa Rica with ISV was an amazing adventure! As a first time international traveler, I was a little nervous at first but ISV offered so many resources to assist in my project preparations. The Spanish language immersion program is definitely a must for anyone considering volunteering in Costa Rica. The classes were really helpful and the extra activities and evening excursions were always fun. The volunteer project that I did in Gulfo Dulce was incredible! I got to work with sea turtles almost every day as well as help local research assistants with their mangrove restoration, community development, and education program development projects. Every aspect of my volunteer project was worth it and I can't wait to return one day!

ISV is absolutely incredible. The expensive price throws a lot of people off, but you get so much out of it. I formed incredible friendships with people whom I still speak with on a daily basis today. I was assigned to the El Castillo project. The ISV project leaders were amazing. They were friendly and genuinely cared about us. I was never nervous about safety issues. ISV allowed us a few free days which was nice to see Constanza, a nearby city, and hang out with our friends. My project was in the mountains so I had zero signal; which ended up being a blessing. The food on the trip was delicious. We rebuilt the community and taught children. My group alternated days, so MWF we taught children, and T TH, we did construction work. It was the most rewarding experience of my life.

Signing up with International Student Volunteers for a summer session was the best decision I have ever made! Along with doing some amazing conservation and preservation work, I met many friends from all over. I learned a lot about myself and about the culture from where I stayed while abroad. This volunteering opportunity looks great on applications and is well worth it!

This was an absolutely life changing experience. Living with my host family was one of the best parts, because even though we barely spoke each other's language, my host sisters taught me so much and we played and had fun. By the end of the two weeks, it was tears all around and promises to be back. We joked and laughed and danced while working and the breaks were filled with fun games and getting to know the other volunteers. I wouldn't trade this experience for anything on the world and I can't wait to go back!