Our Quests in Italy encourage you to grow as a global citizen while discovering this European country of coastlines and mountains, robust art and deep history, charming cities and storybook villages. You have the choice among the northern, southern and central regions of Italy, in addition to working with local volunteers to help young children, the elderly, and to support the disabled and disadvantaged people.
Learn more about all of our volunteer programs in Europe.
Volunteers will have the opportunity to work with children in a local school, as well as assist in family reintegration and care for young mothers and their children.
Available Dates: Volunteers can arrive any day from Monday to Friday (preferably from 9 am until 8 pm) except
on Italian national holidays
Minimum Stay: Most projects prefer the volunteers to stay at least 4 weeks
Requirements: At least 18 years old, can be flexible
Volunteers will support local staff in the following areas: recreational lab, day center, physiotherapy, basic assistance, and will be involved in a range of supportive activities.
Available Dates: Volunteers can arrive any day from Monday to Friday (preferably from 9 am until 8 pm) except
on Italian national holidays
Minimum Stay: Most projects prefer the volunteers to stay at least 4 weeks
Requirements: At least 18 years old, can be flexible
Volunteers will be involved at a local center for families, children, seniors and the disabled. Volunteers will support local staff and will have a chance to work with family re-integration with an international organization in service of disadvantaged children.
Available Dates: Volunteers can arrive any day from Monday to Friday (preferably from 9 am until 8 pm) except
on Italian national holidays
Minimum Stay: Most projects prefer the volunteers to stay at least 4 weeks; Farms projects accept volunteers for minimum 2 weeks
Requirements: At least 18 years old, can be flexible
Volunteers will work with staff in the socio-educational center and residential community, collaborate with local staff in rehabilitative and therapeutic programs, support the professional staff at a community house for individuals suffering from mental illness, assisting with social, educational and rehabilitation services, and engage in a range of services at a national association for the visually impaired, supporting their program centered on family support, homework help, teacher training, and rehabilitation.
Available Dates: Volunteers can arrive any day from Monday to Friday (preferably from 9 am until 8 pm) except
on Italian national holidays
Minimum Stay: Most projects prefer the volunteers to stay at least 4 weeks
Requirements: At least 18 years old, can be flexible
Explore History: One of many castles in Italy containing countless stories of Italian culture and history. Buonconsiglio Castle Museum in Trento was the home of many prince-bishops in the 13th century. Inside, you’ll find renaissance architecture as well as former jails and military barracks!
Go on a hike: Italy has some of the most scenic views if you’re in the right places. Monte Forcella is nearby Vibonati which has a nice view of the landscape as well as the horizon itself.
Indulge and learn about the local cuisine: Italy is known for many things but food is definitely high on that list. Local pizza, gelato, focaccio, etc. etc.!
United Planet Volunteer shared with us how a language barrier enabled him to grow as a person.
“The biggest challenge here is the language because I only speak English while most locals only speak Italian. However, I still try to be active and I use google translate to cope with the language barrier. Now I have learned some Italian and I can finish my job alone without others’ translation. This project provide me a chance to live in an environment which is completely different from my comfort zone. Such experience helps me to communicate or cooperate better with people from different culture background or language background.”
Italy Quests are offered year-round. Volunteers can arrive any day from Monday to Friday, except on Italian National Holidays.
For Italy Quests, volunteers can choose to stay from 2 weeks to 12 weeks. Most of the projects require volunteers to stay at least 4 weeks.
The age requirement for most of the projects in Italy is over 18.
There is no language requirement to volunteer in Italy. Volunteers will receive Italian language lessons.
We ask that volunteers enroll at least 60 days prior to their anticipated departure date. This gives us enough time to schedule volunteer placements, coordinate in-country activities, and provide sufficient pre-departure training. If you are interested in enrolling for a program starting in less than 60 days, please contact us directly.
United Planet Quests are designed to be immersive, authentic, comprehensive and provide you everything you’ll need to succeed. The program elements allow you to engage fully with a new culture, forge strong relationships, and challenge yourself. Most importantly, we partner with the community to ensure your experience will be important, relevant and helpful to the community you serve.
United Planet provides emergency travel and medical insurance for all volunteers. All staff members participate in extensive health and safety training, and are available at all times by 24-hour phone line. Upon enrollment, you will receive a full emergency contact list. In addition, we register all of our volunteers with US Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). We recommend booking a doctor’s appointment or visiting a travel health clinic a few months out to update your vaccinations. Read more about health and safety.
Due to varying airline prices, United Planet does not arrange or cover the cost of flights to and from Italy. However, all ground transportation to and from the airport in Italy will be arranged for you and we will ensure that you arrive safely at your accommodations. Public transportation to and from your project is cheap and easy with Italy’s public transportation system or on foot. Daily commuting costs are covered by volunteers.
| 4 Weeks | 5 Weeks | 6 Weeks | 7 Weeks | 8 Weeks | 9 Weeks | 10 Weeks | 11 Weeks | 12 Weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,985 | $2,115 | $2,415 | $2,645 | $2,885 | $3,245 | $3,475 | $3,685 | $4,115 |
We want you to succeed. That means having in place the support our volunteers need. We don’t just drop you in country and hope for the best. We provide training before you leave … language exposure … 24/7 in-country support … support for your host family … accommodations, meals and airport transportation … activities and excursions. The whole idea is to make the experience successful and productive for you and the host community, and we have found that these things are crucial. Remember that we are a non-profit, mission-driven organization – we wouldn’t spend money on something that wasn’t important.
*Payment Plan Details: A $300 deposit is due at the time of your enrollment to lock in your spot in our program. After your confirmation in a program, you can choose to pay the Quest Fee all at once or in installments. The total Quest Fee is due 4 weeks before your departure date.
