GSC’s two-week Introduction to Service-Learning Program is ideal for those with limited time to volunteer abroad. Although these two-week service-learning introductory programs often seem to fly by, they offer a great introduction to the international service-learning experience.

It is important to note that the two-week Service-Learning Programs are designed to be primarily an educational experience for the participants and therefore include less substantial community training than our longer GSC volunteer overseas experiences. For more comprehensive international volunteer service and community training opportunities, GSC suggests our 4-6 week Short-term Volunteer Abroad Assignments or our 9 week to 6-month Long-term Volunteer Abroad Assignments and International Internship Programs.

Thailand Introduction to Service-Learning: Two-Week Programs

In Thailand, GSC’s Introduction to Service Learning Programs are offered as options within the following Thailand volunteer experiences:

• Teach English Abroad
• Buddhist Immersion

All Thailand volunteer abroad programs begin in Bangkok, Thailand where a GSC representative will greet you upon arrival at the airport. You and your fellow volunteers will then be given a two-day tour of Bangkok before traveling to the Orientation Center in Nonthaburi. Here, GSC will provide you with a four day cultural orientation which includes Thai language training, an introduction to your project, project-specific technical training in teaching English as a Foreign Language, a tour of the local Bangyai village area, and an overnight stay at a Buddhist temple. During the overnight stay you will have the chance to interact with the monks while learning about Buddhism and meditation. At the end of the week, you will be escorted to your homestay near your assigned project site, and settle in with your host family. Participants then begin their service work of teaching during the second week.

Tanzania Introduction to Service-Learning: Two-Week Programs

Two-week Tanzania volunteers can choose to participate in GSC’s Introduction to Service-Learning in the following Tanzania volunteer programs:

• Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security Program
• HIV/AIDS Prevention and Nutrition Education

All GSC Tanzania volunteer programs begin in Arusha, where a GSC representative will greet you upon arrival at the Kilimanjaro International airport. You and your fellow volunteers will then participate in one week of cultural orientation and theoretical training followed by the second week of activities specific to your program. Participants are housed in a hostel near the GSC office and training center the first three nights and are then welcomed into their homestay on Wednesday afternoon. The HIV/AIDS Prevention and Nutrition Education Program includes technical HIV/AIDS training followed by participation in one week of training a community group in HIV/AIDS prevention and nutrition. Topics covered include AIDS transmission and treatment, gender and stigma issues, and the importance of HIV testing and counseling. The Sustainable Agriculture Program includes theoretical training in bio-intensive (sustainable and organic) agriculture followed by one week of hands-on participant training at the GSC demonstration plot. The two-week Sustainable Agriculture Program is primarily an introductory educational experience and may not include substantial training of local farmers.