A must read for anyone considering volunteer tourism.
Elizabeth BeckerA manifesto for doing good well, this is an indispensable book for anyone volunteering overseas.
Noam ChomskyThis is recommended reading for all those considering volunteering in a developing country.
Philip GoodwinThe pedagogy of Learning Service is foundational to responsible travel.
Reed HarwoodOrder the book now
This year, over ten million people will go abroad, eager to find the perfect blend of adventure and altruism. Volunteer travel can help you find your place in the world–and find out what you’re made of. So why do so many international volunteer programs fail to make an impact? Why do some do more harm than good?
About Us
International volunteering has grown in popularity, and with so many people going abroad to “serve”, we worry that we are often forgetting a really important step: we have to learn before we can help. If we don’t research our options thoroughly, understand the context and culture of the communities we visit, and ensure that our skills and experience match the needs, volunteering can be wasteful, and at worst, cause a lot of harm.
We are promoting a movement of learning, designed to better prepare young people about to travel abroad for the first time, and travellers of all ages looking to give back through their time, with the skills and mindsets they need to be of “service”, not just for a few weeks on a volunteer trip, but for the rest of their lives.
Videos
We’ve produced an excellent video collection to give you more information. Check out some of the videos on responsible tourism here.
Library
Want to learn more about responsible volunteer travel, but don’t know where to start? We created a few guides to help!
Consultancy
The Learning Service Team offer bespoke trainings and consultancy to travel companies, schools and non-profit organizations. Find out more
From Our Blog
What Can Go Wrong When You Don’t Do Enough Research?
Today’s guest post comes from Jake Calhoun, who shares his story of social impact gone wrong. When I was at Columbia Business School, I teamed up with a group of classmates to volunteer with a non-profit organization called ‘The Cambodia Project’ led by an alumnus of...
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How to Get Into a Learning Mindset
One of the key ideas we talk about in the Learning Service book is about embracing a learning mindset. In fact, we believe that it is one of the most important factors in trying to ensure your work as a volunteer is effective. Having a learning mindset means becoming...
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Before We Get Started – A Disclaimer
We are gearing up to relaunch our blog with insights and articles from the Learning Service authors, guest posts from inspirational friends and experts, and anyone who would like to share their reaction to the Learning Service book (so get in touch if that is you!) In...
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