ISV (International Student Volunteers) Reviews

This trip to the township Langa with ISV is a life-changing experience. I cannot put into words how much it has impacted my life... when there you stay with a host family and are immersed in the culture of the family life there. They cook you traditional food and you get to see their daily activities and customs- I felt like a sponge taking in every detail I could! We worked every morning in the local preschools which are held in various homes throughout the township. The walls had holes in them, there was one cloth and bucket of warm water that was used to change all the babies diapers, and no heat (it is the beginning of winter there in June and colder than you would expect). The babies are as sweet as can be and smile all the time, they just want your love and attention. After school in the afternoons we would help out with a program called "Happy Feet" with the children ranging from toddlers to high schoolers. We would dance and play games with them and feed them dinner and help them communicate with us practicing their English. We also got to do some sight-seeing on the weekends. Overall this was an extremely rewarding experience, and one day I hope to go back!

The people, places, activities and the volunteering were all amazing! I was super nervous when I signed up for 4 weeks. But it was a really life changing experience that I wish would have lasted longer! I volunteered at Wildlife1 we helped feed animals, build new cages and a new volunteer space. Everyone I met were super nice and fun. During the adventure portion we did so many fun and physical challenging activities, (rock climbing, trekking, kayaking, snorkeling). It really pushed me. Being in Thailand was amazing, the culture was so fascinating and the food was always tasty! I would highly recommend this experience to anyone looking for something different, fun and valuable.

I absolutely loved traveling with ISV. The staff was amazing, support was fantastic as I got injured just before my trip and they still helped me along the way. Volunteering at the preschools was so rewarding and getting to know the kids was so much fun. Also the traveling we got to do in the weekends was great. Loved getting to know the fellow students on my trip. My trip with ISV is my most favorite travel experience ever!!

When an ISV rep came into my class freshman year at university talking about how great this program is, I never thought it was something I could actually do. I looked into it a bit more on my own and became certain that it was in fact something I could and should do. If you're debating whether or not you should take this opportunity, I recommend that you do it. The people I met will no doubt be a part of my life forever, as will the memories and experiences I took away from this trip. If you're looking for a spring break party drinking fest, this is not the trip for you. If you're looking for a cultural exchange with students of all ages and backgrounds from around the world, for a chance to travel while giving something back and doing something meaningful at the same time, then this is the program for you. Every day is a new experience with this program, from replanting coastal rainforests, to providing food for beautiful endangered species, no two days were the same but every day was memorable and meaningful.

it was a great expierence and I loved the people I was with. I have enjoyed on the idea of helping the community and also learning about a different culture all along the way. We see all the time people struggling but no one normally wants to help.

This program does so well because it attracts volunteers who are 150% dedicated to the cause. Not one single moment was wasted. I cannot stress enough how impactful and engaging the entire trip was, from the Spanish lessons in Santiago to the countless smiles I encountered in El Limon. This program changed my life for the better and I plan to eventually work as a program assistant in the future!!!

The trip to South Africa with ISV was amazing. Volunteering at the Ann Van Dyk Cheetah Centre was hard work, but totally rewarding. The staff was amazing and super friendly, and we all got a chance to try every job and work to help the centre. You really know you are making a difference when a group of ten can do something in a week that the staff probably couldn't do because there aren't enough of them. The volunteer leader was always there to help or to answer questions. our accommodations, both for volunteering and the adventure tour were fantastic! the adventure tour had a bit of everything, and really pushes you to try new and frightening things. i was never once scared for my safety, and i feel like everyone i went with, as well as what we did, really made an impact on me. i would 100% recommend ISV and South Africa to anyone thinking of it.

South Africa was my second ISV trip. I loved Costa Rica so much I wanted to do another trip and chose SA. I can honestly say all of the money I spent was completely worth it. I 100% recommend anyone even considering it to just do it and go because it will be the best time of your life. You have opportunities to do and see so many new things that you can't do anywhere else in the world. The ISV staff are always great and super helpful and the other volunteers are so much fun. I left both of my trips with over 20 new friends from all over the world.

The pre-vet program through ISV was an awesome experience! Not only did we get to shadow surgeries on cheetahs and wild dogs we also had the chance to play with and socialize cheetah cubs! Besides great food and great people my favorite part of the day was around 5pm. The animals would come from every direction and it was absolutely breathtaking to witness nature first hand that close!

This journy was more that i could ever imagine. The staff was beyone amazing (super fun and easy to relate to) and the experiances are something i will never forget! i was granted the amazing honor to work with wild dolphins and help make in mipact in gulfo dulce. the relationshsip i have gain with the other members are ones that i will never forget! the adventure tour was honestly amazing and i still dont believe that i would ever get the chance to do anything that amazing again! my favorite thing was surfing! My favorite over all experiance however, was buliding relationships withthe other "campers" and the staff there. It was truly a life changing experiace and i would do it again in a heart beat!