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 27 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. The ISV 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 12 offices in six continents worldwide. ISV program outbound offices are located in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and the USA. ISV sends students from around the world to six continents on the volunteer/adventure experience of a lifetime. ISV program inbound offices are located in Australia, Costa Rica, Croatia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, New Zealand, South Africa and Thailand.

ISV's Purpose:

ISV's purpose 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.

Students from over 800 universities and colleges across North America, the UK and Europe have participated in ISV's conservation and social community development volunteer and adventure travel programs which take place May through September in Australia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Eastern Europe, Ecuador, New Zealand, South Africa and Thailand. Similarly, university students from Australia and New Zealand participated in ISV programs in Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, South Africa, Thailand and the USA during the November through February months. A few seasons ago, ISV also started our first high school program for Australian students who traveled to Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and Thailand on our program. The pilot program was extremely successful and many more high school students are scheduled to participate in our upcoming programs. See participant "Testimonials" under each country page to read what past ISV participants have said about their Program. Many college and university students also earned academic credit for their involvement in the ISV program.

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 firsthand 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, and 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 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 in order to improve our volunteer achievements and the overall experience for our participants. ISV hosts workshops in Australia, Costa Rica, Croatia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador and Thailand. These workshops provide an incredible opportunity for local community groups to come together, discuss and plan how to maximize the volunteer experience of ISV participants.

• ISV program staff have a wealth of practical experience and educational backgrounds in the fields of conservation, community development and tourism.
• Many program staff members have previously been project and tour leaders with ISV, or are even past participants.
• Many ISV program staff have advanced academic credentials such as a PhD or Masters in their chosen field.
• ISV has offices in every major country where our programs take place, and we employ local staff in order 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 have established administrative offices in the USA, Australia, New Zealand and the UK, which take care of the pre-departure needs of participants in preparation for their program.

THIS YEAR'S ISV PROGRAMS

• 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)