ISV (International Student Volunteers) Reviews

In June of 2011, I joined ISV for three weeks in the Dominican Republic. My first week was spent with a host family in Santiago. There I went to Spanish immersions program and learned about the Dominican culture. For the last two weeks, I stayed at Tubuaga an eco plantation outside of Puerto Plata. We ran a summer camp and did beautification projects in Caraballo. We got to interact with children that lived in the refuge camp that had absolutely nothing, but were the nicest most caring kids you will ever meet. Volunteering with ISV opened my eyes and realize how lucky I am to have what I have. I also got to meet amazing people from around North America that I will continue to communicate with.
If you want a life changing adventure, do ISV. Although you are there to volunteer, you do more than that. You experience the culture through traveling and going places where you interact with the locals. The accommodations are out of this world as well as the food. This is a wonderful way to travel because you aren't just hanging out at the resort all day. I think about those three weeks daily and know that it has made me a better person. I liked ISV so much that I'm volunteering with them again in Summer 2012.

Travelling with ISV was the best decision I ever made. I went to Australia on the 4 wk standard program. I did work with wild Mountains Trust in Rathdowney. We planted trees, did building work and looked after the rainforest. We stayed in A-Frames at night. The people up there were inspirational.
After that we travelled from Cairns down to Sydney by bus. At night we went out and explored the night life and during the day we went ocean rafting, rappelling in the Blue Mountains and scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef. WE saw dolphins, whales and sea turtles.
I had the best time travelling with ISV, made a tonne of new friends and would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to volunteer and have a great experience at the same time.

Traveling with International Student Volunteers changed my life. I had the chance to meet new people from around the world while giving back by volunteering. I liked learning a lot about myself as well as learning about the environment. Seeing the influence my actions helped in the rain forest gave me satisfaction.I also tried new things that I would not of considered like repelling off the Blue Mountains in Australia. I love that I had the opportunity to travel with ISV during my college years to really learn who I am.

Traveling through ISV to Costa Rica was the most life changing experience ever!
I stayed for 5 weeks and through that duration I never wanted to go home, I never felt let down, I never felt unsafe, and I never once wanted to be doing something different.
ISV gives you so many options to have the most amazing experience. I got to take part in both a Spanish immersion week and an Adventure tour of activities across the country along with my 2 week volunteer project. Each time I was accompanied by unbelievable leaders whose organization was impeccable, and people from around the world who I couldn't have been closer with.
I stayed with host families and found out that life is not always about material things, but rather community. I learned so much about myself and I felt like I was a daughter in another family.
We ate like gods, I had alot of rice and beans, but the americanized food was also abundant.
Living out of a back pack for 5 weeks was amazing, you realize how much you don't need at home.
I knew no one when I left and it was very scary, but I would do it again in a second, and I would have payed double the price for the accommodations and the unforgettable experience I had.
It was the type of trip for everyone, if you like to site see, if you like culture,if you like to party, if you like adventure, I got all of that and sooooo much more in a matter of 5 weeks.
I am so much more of an outgoing and happy person. I think more of others now, and all I want to do is travel, it doesn't get any better than this.

I honestly can't express how rewarding I felt this trip to Ecuador was for me. Within two weeks we accomplished SO much: planted over 1,000 mangrove trees, rebuilt a kindergarten fence, cleaned up the river and streets of El Morro, helped teach english at local schools, began building a greenhouse, and so much more. What made the experience even better was that we got to communicate with the locals and see how much of a difference we were making to the people. Relationships were formed with complete strangers within minutes just because of our kindness and willingness to help. Even in a place in need of so much help, the culture and environment are extraordinary and a delight to explore and help preserve. I will always hold this experience with ISV close to my heart, and I would go back in a heart beat. Yes, it is quite expensive, but the experience is worth it.

Volunteering through ISV has changed my life completely. After arriving in Johannesburg, doing conservation work in the Lapalala wilderness reserve, and trekking through Swaziland, Mozambique, Botswana, Zambia, and briefly to Zimbabwe, I realized that the world we live in such a beautiful, unique, friendly, and amazing place.

During our time volunteering we went on game drives and counted populations of zebra, impala, kudu, wildebeast, giraffe, hippo, and more. We watched the sunrise while doing 6 am bird counts. We hiked through african bush and were scratched from head to toe by the impenetrable thorn bushes. We were taught about the plight of wild rhino populations suffering from poachers, and we discovered that the stars in an unpolluted African night sky are unbelievably brilliant. The meals we shared were basic but hearty. The bungalows we stayed in became home. And the people we worked with became good friends.

On the adventure tour we swam with whale sharks, jumped off of cliffs, and sang songs around camp fires. In a beautiful open air craft market traded a tee shirt for a handmade bag. In Kruger National Park I was 5 feet away from a pride of Lions. In Mozambique we learned to surf on one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen. We ate delicious seafood, warthog, crocodile, ostrich, eland, and impala. In Botswana elephants trumpeted around our camp. In the cities we were stunned by the sadness of the children living in poverty. We haggled with fishermen, rode in a tuk tuk, and saw traditional african dances. The local people were incredibly friendly and welcoming. Nights at local backpackers made me feel more like family than a tourist. Listening to someone speak Afrikaans is a magical thing. I spent a month with new friends who shared every sleep, every meal, every hike, every early morning, and every late night with me. They are now friends for life.

ISV made international travel safe and fun. The tour leaders were very responsible, knowledgable, and exciting. I chose to go to South Africa because I had always been drawn there, and I knew the trip would change me, but I wasn't prepared for just how profound that impact would be. ISV has inspired me to plan future trips abroad, and to volunteer more. I feel like I have made a difference in this world. It was worth it in every way. A trip with ISV will change you. You will learn about a new place, meet new people, eat new food, try new things, and ultimately see this world with a new perspective. If you have the money do it. If you don't have the money; fundraise, hit up your parents, search through the couch cushions, sell your stuff and go!

I have recommended volunteering with ISV to everyone who will listen. The only thing I would have done differently would be to have cancelled my flight home. I discovered a wide open world and have the International Student Volunteers to thank. I will cherish the time I got to spend in South Africa and the lifelong friends I made while I was there. It was an epic adventure!

ISV was the perfect choice for me. I knew I wanted to spend time in Africa and looked into other volunteer programs there. However I wanted to see more of Africa than just one village or country. With ISV I was able to volunteer with an organization that matched my background perfectly, as a biology student and hopeful teacher I was placed teaching health and sex ed to township teens. But what made this experience really unforgettable was the guided adventure travel after my volunteer project. Through ISV I was able to see 3 separate countries including South Africa, Swaziland, and Mozambique, an opportunity I'm sure I will never have again. Along the way I did things with a group of new friends that I never thought I could, like cage dive with great white sharks, go on safari, caving and cliff jumping. I would do it all again in a heartbeat. It is without a doubt the best way to travel.

On ISV's volunteer abroad program in Australia, I had the time of my life. I left feeling that I made a profound impact on the world around me. The food in Aussie was basically multi-cultural including asian food, barbecues (barbies they call them), and anything you can basically think of! I would go again on one of these trips again in a heart beat. The friends I made and the people I met will be in my life in the long run. While we were abroad, we began to feel and act like family. The ISV staff was great at making you feel safe, making sure you got an amazing experience, and explaining the culture around us. I enjoyed volunteering abroad because it allowed me to make an impact on another culture and it allowed me to travel as well! I would recommend this to everyone interested in traveling abroad!!! It changed me because I learned the importance of preserving our world and the ability each person on this earth has to make an impact. I recommend EVERYONE to do ISV if they have the time. The cost of the trip is amazing for what it all covers. GO GO GO!!!

ISV is a great organisation and I had the time of my life! This was no ordinary volunteer trip. Not only did we get a sense that we were accomplishing something worthwhile, but the experiences lived on the adventure tour were amazing!

I really enjoyed this program overall. Volunteering really made me feel like I had earned the privilege of visiting a beautiful place. Between volunteering sessions they had a good combination of activities that were fun and interesting as well as an experience I probably wouldn't have thought to do on my own and free time to explore whatever aspects of the local community you choose. Our group had a wide variety of volunteer tasks related to conservation and that variety kept it interesting and allowed you to have the opportunity to learn about different aspects of conservation and the environment as well as experience different locations with in the host city. By the end of the two week volunteer session you feel apart of the city you are in and almost don't want to leave for the two jam packed two week adventure/travel tour...almost! :)