Projects Abroad offers a variety of global service travel opportunities, with the mission of mutual learning and cultural exchange. Founded in 1992, Projects Abroad places more than 10,000 travelers in 50 countries around the world each year. Project types include volunteering, internships, high school specials, alternative spring breaks, gap years, language courses, and programs for professionals.
Live with a host family and improve your foreign language-speaking skills with Projects Abroad! Intensive language courses allow you to become part of the community while spending time abroad. Placements consist of one-on-one classes, tailored to suit your abilities and needs – you can even earn university credit or study abroad with classmates on a group trip. Language classes last 15 hours per week, Monday through Friday, so you’ll have time to explore, participate in local cultural activities, or take other self-improvement courses. You may even be able to combine a volunteer experience with language courses, scheduling your classes at your convenience. Projects Abroad offers the following language immersion programs:
- Arabic in Morocco
- French in Madagascar, Morocco, Senegal, and Togo
- Mandarin in China
- Spanish in Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, and Peru
Fees vary by country, so check out the prices here, as well as what’s included in each project. Learn more about language courses and apply today!
Projects Abroad offers marine conservation projects in Thailand and Belize and volunteers can also learn how to scuba dive. Pick a part of the world you’d like to explore and apply today!
Thailand: Choose a diving and marine conservation program in Thailand along the Andaman coast, where you’ll conduct research and salvage dives near Ao Nang. You’ll visit coral reefs during your underwater dives, and conservation work focuses on protecting reefs, tropical forests, and coastal areas. No experience is needed, as you’ll receive training to participate in all activities, research, and surveys. All volunteers complete either the PADI Open or Advanced courses, and the Survey Diver Distinctive Specialty Course, which focuses on fish identification theory. You’ll also have the opportunity to train as a Divemaster on the project. Read more and sign up here!
Belize: Volunteer in Belize on a marine conservation program, performing important coral research on the barrier reef. You’ll need to be medically and physically fit, and if you do not have PADI certification as a scuba diver, you can take the Open Water course on your placement – if you are certified, you can earn the Advanced Open Water certification. Conservation activities include collecting and analyzing data to track the health of the seagrass and the reef, and tracking species numbers. Learn more and apply here!
Robin Van Auken · Writer
Robin is a researcher, writer, and a registered professional archaeologist, a skillset she uses every day as a cultural communication specialist with Hands-on Heritage. Her projects connect communities with an emphasis on interpretation and education and conserve cultural and environmental legacies.