Blog

This is a reflection from student Kayley Gould, on how volunteering in her local area has shaped her views on how volunteering can be done right. Last year, I explored in depth what it means to volunteer. I researched and wrote my senior thesis on the dangers of...

This is a reflection from guest writer Manju, who is currently on her gap year in Nepal. I’m a Nepali-German kid who grew up in the Bay Area in California. The diverse nature of my environment and international upbringing in my life deeply shaped my outlook on the...

This is a guest post from educator, volunteer coordinator and volunteer Jane Carpenter, on how she found the Learning Service book useful when reflecting on her own experience.   Learning Service is a brilliant, thought-provoking and practical book which gently guides...

This is a guest post written by Sarah Dyer of Voice4Lions.   So you love lions? Me too! Learning about how desperate a situation our lions are in nowadays, who would not want to try and do something they felt would improve their situation? People have many reasons for...

This is a guest post from Shawn Humphrey which was first published on his own website.   “Here’s your check and there’s the parking lot.”  That’s how one civically-engaged college campus responded to my talk on global poverty. Ouch. It stung.  And, on my lonely walk...

This is a guest post by recent graduate and volunteer Natalie. From quite a young age I knew that I wanted to travel, see the world and meet new people, and I also knew that I wanted to “make a change” and help people that needed it. Being young, we often had quite a...

This is a guest post by Learning Service follower Elizabeth Bezark.   Part I Thank You for Staring: A Day in the Life of an Unengaged Volunteer During my first international community engagement experience, my group and I took a daylong break from learning how to...

This is a guest post by consultant and campaigner Martin Punaks.   Rising awareness of orphanage voluntourism A decade ago very few people had heard of the term ‘orphanage voluntourism’, but now barely a week goes past without the media covering it.  For anyone who is...

This is a guest post from Jenny Adhikari, a tourism professional based in Nepal.   As someone who works in the tourism industry, and who tries hard to ensure that the company I help to run is responsible and sustainable, I am often dismayed when I see travellers...