Video #1: Finding a Responsible Volunteer Placement

If you have decided that you want to volunteer abroad but are looking for a placement that is responsible and effective, watch this video and use the following prompts for further discussion:

• What are your motivations to volunteer abroad?  Who will benefit and how?
• What are your goals? What are the goals of the organization you are considering traveling with, and how do you know? How might these different goals converge or diverge from each other?
• The video suggests researching the approach and activities of the volunteer work you will do overseas. Who do you think you could speak to in order to find out this information?
• What things do you think are important to learn before you decide to go abroad? How can you do this?
• Based on what you heard in the video, what do you think might be some possible negative impacts of volunteer travel, if not organized “responsibly”?