This program was the best experience of my life. The places, people and staff never ceased to amaze me. Everything was beautiful and I am a better person for having come here. Thanks ISV!
Steffanie Werner, Arizona State University

INTERNATIONAL STUDENT VOLUNTEERS, INC.

For the past 25 years ISV has conducted international travel programs for tens of thousands of students on six continents. During this time, students from around the world have participated in ISV's educational, volunteer, cultural and adventure programs, and experienced the ultimate in outdoor adventure travel.

International Student Volunteers, Inc is a non-profit public benefit corporation in the USA and is organized under the Non-profit Public Benefit Corporation Law for charitable and educational purposes. This corporation is organized and operated exclusively for public benefit and charitable purposes within the meaning of Internal Revenue code section 501 (c)(3).

ISV has offices in 10 countries, including Australia, New Zealand and the UK who send students from around the world to 6 continents on the volunteer/adventure experience of a lifetime. While all ISV global offices exist with the same purpose and mission; ISV’s Ecuador office and our International headquarters based in California (International Student Volunteers, Inc) serve as ISV’s non-profit (not for profit) offices.

The specific purpose of this corporation is:

To create an environment that combines conservation, education, community development and recreation into the ultimate adventure travel program for participants who desire to make a difference by volunteering in communities abroad.

This past summer (2008), students from over 600 universities and colleges across North America, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe participated in ISV's conservation and social community development volunteer and adventure travel programs in Australia, New Zealand, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Thailand, Croatia, and Ecuador (see participant "Testimonials" under each country page). Many college and university students who participated in ISV programs have also earned Academic Credit for their involvement. Similarly, university students from Australia and New Zealand participated in the same programs in Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, USA and Thailand during their summer months, November 2007 to January 2008. In January 2008, ISV started our first ever High School program for Australian students who traveled to Costa Rica, Thailand and the Dominican Republic on our "standard" one month program. The pilot program was extremely successful and many more High School students are scheduled to participate in our upcoming programs overseas in December this year.

Our philosophy:

• We are a team of people who believe in making a difference. We strive to set quality standards and lead the voluntourism field in ethical, quality and professional voluntourism programs.
• We aim to provide a life-changing volunteer and travel experience, with direct benefits to the environment and local communities of the countries that we work in
• We have a commitment to education by maximizing the experiential learning opportunities in our projects and tours
• We have a commitment to hiring local staff where possible to serve in our offices and as project and tour leaders. We also believe in offering selected ISV alumni the opportunity to lead new participants on the trip of a lifetime.
• We have a responsible travel ethic and continually evaluate the sustainability of our voluntourism programs

Partnerships with host organizations and local communities:

• ISV partners with approximately 100 host organizations and local communities around the world. We have first hand experience with every one of our partners and are committed to developing an ongoing and sustainable relationship with all of our partners
• We conduct thorough site inspections and risk assessments on our projects and maintain excellent partnerships with local communities and host organizations
• We believe in supporting a range of different initiatives, including government, non-government, university-sponsored projects to private and grassroots initiatives. All projects must meet our criteria for excellence in that they are safe, fun, meaningful and sustainable
• We believe in working with local communities and host organizations to customize programs for ISV's groups according to the needs of the local community
• We are results-oriented, and goals are set for every project to ensure that community development and conservation outcomes are achieved. To further achieve these goals, we host collaborative workshops for our partner communities and host organizations to improve our volunteer achievements and the overall experience for our participants. In 2008, we hosted workshops in Australia, Costa Rica, Thailand and Ecuador. These workshops provide an incredible opportunity for local community groups to come together and discuss and plan for how to maximize the volunteer experience of ISV participants

ISV's Staff:

• ISV program staff have a wealth of practical experience and educational backgrounds in the fields of conservation, community development and tourism
• Many of these staff members have previously been project and tour leaders with ISV, or are even past participants from years ago
• Many of ISV's project leaders have advanced academic credentials such as PhD's and Masters in their chosen field
• ISV has offices in major every country where our programs run, employing local staff to invest in the local economy and assist with the operation of our programs. Check out our staff page to see some of the faces behind ISV.
• During the program, our staff are available 24/7 to see to the needs of our students in case of illness or emergency situations
• We also have established administrative offices in the USA, Australia, New Zealand and the UK, who take care of the pre-departure needs of our participants in the lead up to their program

ISV PROGRAMS FOR 2009

• Australia - Conservation Projects/Adventure Travel Programs
• New Zealand - Conservation Projects/Adventure Travel Programs
• Dominican Republic - Community Development Projects/Adventure Travel Programs
• Costa Rica - Community Development & Conservation Projects/Adventure Travel Programs
• Ecuador - Community Development & Conservation Projects/Adventure Travel Programs
• Thailand - Community Development & Conservation Projects/Adventure Travel Programs
• Eastern Europe - Community Development & Conservation Projects/Adventure Travel Programs
• South Africa - Community Development & Conservation Projects/Adventure Travel Programs

Optional Additions to ISV’s programs

• Spanish Language Courses (prior to the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica and Ecuador programs)
• Galapagos or Peru Excursion (following the Ecuador program)
• Fiji Excursion (following the New Zealand and Australia programs)

(See list of programs by country - Updated on a regular basis)