ISV (International Student Volunteers) Reviews

Hands down the best experience of my student life. Beaches, sea turtles, sand, surf, and relaxation. What more could you ask for? The thunderstorms at night were the best part - and the howler monkeys would sing along!

Over winter 2014 my sister and I traveled to Thailand with ISV. It was a life changing experience which I cherish the memories of. ISV was an amazingly run program with a very helpful staff. Our project was located in the mountains outside of Chiang Mai which we helped local refugees with daily actives. A group of about 15 of us helped build a pig pen, make a path for rainy season, taught English in school, and visited local tribes. The experience was something one could not get being a tourist. I would love to go back on another ISV trip and would highly encourage everyone to go on one!

I was enriched on many different levels by this trip with ISV. I have a greater understanding and respect for the locals from staying with a host family and learning the way of life and culture in the Dominican Republic. I felt contented by the help we provided; there is always more that could be done in poverty-stricken areas like that, however I feel that the day camp and improvements to the school that we did improved the community as a whole. These two weeks volunteering taught me to appreciate what I have, and showed me that you don't need money to be happy. The locals had many needs and struggles but were the happiest people I've met. I also stepped outside of my comfort zone in the most adventure-packed week of my life; I am afraid of heights but forced myself to do one of the scheduled activities, rappelling down a 130 ft waterfall, the end result was increased confidence and overwhelming pride/joy in myself. The adventure tour made me push myself and showed me the true meaning of living life to its fullest with no regrets.

I am now using the experiences from this trip in my everyday life (appreciating the little things, volunteering more, donating to worthy causes, and pushing myself outside of my comfort zone), as well as in my academic and professional life (I am studying to become a social worker while working at a homeless shelter).

I went with ISV to South Africa in 2013, and it was the best experience of my life! It was an amazing opportunity, I would go back in the morning if I could!

It was extremely emotional at times but knowing that you are making a difference is the best feeling I have ever experienced l! I made the trip with my friend Emma and we still keep in contact with the friends that we made there. You get to meet people from all over the world, two of the girls have already made the long journey from Canada and Montana to Ireland to see us. I would advise anyone to do the 4 weeks as the adventure tour is just as brilliant as the first two weeks!

From building the classroom to elephant encounters, visiting orphanages to surfing it really has something for everyone! Not to mention all the beautiful places that we visited Mozambique, Swaziland and all the different cultures and languages.

If anyone is reading this review considering travelling with ISV to South Africa then I would say do it!
I can't put into words how much this experience has effected me and it is honestly a life changing experience!

T.I.A.

This adventure was one where you didn't know what to expect but the uncertainty of it unraveled a sense of freedom. From living in a remote wildlife conservation center in the jungle and traveling through Thailand, you were rewarded with a life changing experience. Volunteering started off being emotionally and physically painful as you had no idea what to expect. But the feeling of helping construct an area where animals could be protected and given the life they deserve was honestly the most amazing gift. Especially seeing baby bears moved from their cage into an enclosure we built for them, it was like seeing a child enter a playground for the first time.

But helping the animals was not the most important part of the trip, it was mixing with so many different people which was the highlight for me. You formed a little family who you would venture of this journey with, whether you liked it or not. Through being placed in an environment you are not familiar with and being surrounded by people you didn't know, you began to develop a tolerance to each others differences and thrived as a group; making friends you'll never forget.

Never in a million years did I ever expect to get the experience that I did when I decided to go on an ISV trip! To me this trip was priceless in so many ways it's so hard to even describe! First off, you get grouped with people from around the United States and around the world. This gives you a great opportunity to learn about all different cultures and about other people in our world today. Next, you get to volunteer and give back to such a wonderful cause! To me I think my group had the coolest project. We literally woke up everyday and got to work amongst all of the wild animals of the bush including kangaroos, koalas, emus, and wallabies. The feeling that you get that you were able to help achieve huge goals within a community is beyond amazing! The relationships that you build with the people you work with is so uplifting. You have so much in common with everyone that goes because honestly, we are one team and on a mission. I must admit that we did have someone that didn't fit into our group due to various reasons, but in the end that made me and the rest of the volunteers that much closer! Nothing is better than getting hugs and connecting with others on a completely different level, especially once you complete some awesome goals. Not only that but the experience of doing the adventure tour would leave you breathless. Whether its free falling out of the sky at 10,000 feet or scuba diving in the ocean, or repelling down the blue mountains there is nothing in Australia that will leave you anything but short of breathless. Thank you ISV for making my trip PRICELESS.

I had just finished my freshman year in college. I had heard a presentation from a very attractive Australian man about some program that had multiple location options and could "change my life." Usually I didn't fall for this kind of presentation, as I knew it was usually a scam to get some money out of adventuresome and wander-lusted college students. For whatever reason, though, this one latched onto me, and I thought about it for weeks after I had listened to the mesmerizing accent of the Australian man.

Once I finally agreed with my gut feeling and signed up to go, the program made it so easy for me to become familiar with fundraising resources and ways to prepare for my trip. I only had to pay a fraction of the total cost out of my own pocket, which was basically the best news I could have given myself as a college kid. May eleventh grew closer and closer, and I became more and more excited.

I was part of the first group of that summer to attend the Dominican Republic trip. I also attended the week-long immersion program that was an option to add on; and I'm so glad I did, as I learned more Spanish language and culture in that one week than I did for four years in elementary school. I became so close with my trip-mates, and when the next week rolled around that welcomed in another nine students to join us on the volunteer and adventure portion, it wasn't long before we all became a family. I know that sounds cliche, but really if you think about it, there's a certain type of person who signs up for these trips. We are vastly different in appearance and personality and mannerisms, but we all have a good heart, grounded by good feet. It's easy to become a family with such good people.

The next four weeks were the most amazing weeks of my life: not amazing in that it was awesome and stellar and butterflies and rainbows all the time, but amazing in that I was amazed at what I experienced. I helped children learn about health and fitness (en espanol!), competing in push-up contests. I spent long days bent in half, pouring and smoothing cement floors into homes that were barely the size of a typical American bedroom. I helped children as young as eight and nine understand the importance of safe sex - something that is extremely dangerous in their lifestyle. I laughed and cried with families who were more grateful for cement than anything else in the world. I gave kids piggy-backs, shoulder-rides, high-fives, and encouragement. I sat in the ranch cafeteria, listening to the sound of the rain on the over-sized palm leaves. I admired the greenery. I smelled the soil and humid air. Dominican coffee each morning was the most amazing taste I could ever imagine. I was living in the poorest condition I had ever experienced, and I was amazed at how absolutely satisfied I was with my life.

Just as I was loving the serenity of the community, it was time for the two-week adventure tour. As hesitant (and truly teary-eyed) as I was to leave the volunteer ranch, I couldn't wait to adventure and explore the wonders of the Dominican.

I hadn't prepared myself quite enough.

We went from the poorest of poor, to the richest of rich. We stayed in luxury hotels, suites, even places with full-sized kitchens (with which we took advantage and made a family dinner, multiple nights). We went horseback riding to waterfalls, repelling into caves and spelunking, zip-lining into freshwater lakes, kayaking in pretty vigorous island waves, hiking on the sides of cliffhangers, snorkeling in the clearest water I've ever seen. We stayed in hotels with water slides, we stayed in cabins that could only be reached via a truck ride across a river, we stayed in places that had flowers spread throughout the room for a more luxurious and genuine scent. We went out to dinner, we visited beaches, we made jewelry out of exclusive Dominican rock, we went dancing.

I was in awe. I was amazed. I was also upset with myself for not bringing a stronger sunscreen.

There were bumps in the trip, I'm sure. Especially considering we were the first trip of the year, there were some leadership issues we encountered. Looking back, though, I wouldn't take it any other way - because we came so much closer together as a group to take on that leadership role as a whole and make the trip something unforgettable.

And, that's what it continues to be. Unforgettable. I made a 3 ft by 2 ft collage of pictures, tickets, maps, and our bus bingo card that is still hanging on my wall. I think of inside jokes that were made on this trip. I still chat with a majority of the "family", and I visit the ones who live close by (relatively). I think of the lessons we learned while helping these families who were so grateful for everything we did. I think of the smiles on the children's faces when we would challenge them to a sit-up contest. I think of the support that was shouted to any of us who struggled with heights, speed, or deep water.

Three years have come and gone since my trip, and the memories that were made still travel with me every day.
Would I go again? Yes.
Would I go somewhere else to create more memories? Absolutely.
Will I forever find adventure in what I do, rooted from the experiences of this trip? Forever and ever, yes.

Hi reader,
Kuei speaking. I went on this ISV trip in the first summer of my college career, leaving as an ex-high-schooler and coming back feeling like a real person. I have done some pretty crazy travelling and cultural immersions, as well as outdoor excursions, in the past but never have I felt like it was more than just for fun or eye-opening wonder. This trip not only did all 3, but it also gave me the opportunity to stick my hands in the mud and live a couple of hours per day in poverty. Seeing the world from the lives of Haitian-immigrants in the DR gave the world "helplessness" another dimension of meaning. I'm not talking about waking up and realizing you have too much work to handle or don't know what to do with your day in the middle of an empty campus on a thanksgiving in America (and you don't celebrate thanksgiving). No, I'm talking about the kind of helplessness where one has literally nothing to do because there is nothing they can do. Not only is human capital so in need of development there, there is rarely anything the locals can do to fix problems either due to resource scarcity or due to lack of awareness.
Imagine running into a man that hasn't showered for half a year and wondering why he has skin infections. No, it is not a spirit cursing you nor is it disfavor from a supernatural being. It's simply a lack of awareness to shower as well as a lack of showering facilities! I taught hygiene for the next half month. And English.
Using that same perspective, I resolved many bad personal habits and used this trip as an example of leadership and human service to apply for my first job/internship at a refugee resettlement agency, ultimately landing me the professional job developer position.

This trip let me grow as a person, develop professionally, and have fun and learn Spanish while doing that.

I volunteered at the Life Development Center in the Chiang Dao region of Thailand with my sister and 11 other group members. Not only did I get to see and experience the coolest things, but I made great friends along the way. ISV did a great job of keeping us busy and filling every moment of the day with activities. We did everything from laying cement, to hiking, to teaching English in schools, to exploring the city of Chiang Mai. It was an experience that I know I will remember for a lifetime. We slept in plywood cabins, pretty much in the jungle, and only had very cold water showers. So we lived the way people in that region live, which was really eye opening. You would never get this view and understanding of the culture in Thailand going as a tourist. ISV did an amazing job of making volunteering fun and exciting everyday.

This trip was one of the most rewarding things that I have done. Not only did I make some friends that I will keep for a lifetime, I have memories that will last a lifetime. The program offered the opportunity to get to know the how the people of Thailand live and what they believe in, to learn about some of the issue there are in Thailand and also provided our tour group with some varied and fantastic opportunities to travel as tourist in the country. I loved spending time in the north of Thailand, it was beautiful and relaxed but bustling and busy at the same time. The trip was very full on, which was great because I was never bored, I do recommend that you spend the few extra dollars and get the additional activity pack, it really is worth it.