Make a Difference Amidst a Global Pandemic

Virtual volunteer and virtual internship quests

Do you want to a make a difference amidst a global pandemic? COVID-19 has seemingly turned the world as we know it upside down. Large gatherings are a thing of the past, as well as traveling abroad- but making a difference doesn’t have to be. Since the pandemic hit, United Planet has responded by providing virtual volunteer and internship opportunities But what’s the difference?

Virtual Volunteer Quests are a great opportunity to get matched with a global project to assist with daily operations and projects according to volunteers’ skills, experiences, and community needs.

Virtual Internship Quests allow interns to outline learning objectives and goals as it relates to the project work, complete reflection assignments, and work directly with project supervisors on internship evaluations.

Virtual volunteers and interns have the opportunity to gain credits for their work with United Planet. In collaboration with Portland State University and Dr. Christine Cress, interns may receive undergraduate or graduate-level credit for their virtual experience. We understand that many of our volunteers are students. We work with your schedule to determine how many hours you have available for volunteering. Most virtual interns and volunteers commit 5 to 40 hours per week.

Below are some of the most popular virtual programs United Planet offers around the globe. Make a difference safely from your own home. in the world amidst a Global Pandemic!

Africa

Ghana

Education and Healthcare: Make long-term positive change and create better opportunities for children from disadvantaged communities through sports, health, and education projects.

Mali

Community Development: Support rural community development initiatives, focused on empowerment. Target groups include adolescents, farmers communities, and women’s groups. Main community development projects include access to drinking of water, promotion of children and schools, safeguarding the local environment, and promoting the inclusion of women.

Read More: 9 Women Empowerment Volunteer Projects

I am interested in women’s issues and plan to study marketing. This internship allowed me to help an organization that aims to help women and children. I was able to gain marketing skills by making pages for the organization on social media and sharing the fundraising link Bridget Gleason United Planet Virtual Volunteer with Mali

South Africa

Community Development: Get involved with a nonprofit that empowers the disadvantaged and vulnerable youth through sports. The sports teams will be coached and they’ll be exposed to teamwork, leadership and communication. With a sense of togetherness, this will drive important conversations and provide a pathway for talented, dedicated individuals to succeed through scholarships. You can dive into marketing and promotions, graphic design, and fundraising. It’s a plus if you have some knowledge of sports education to help develop their sports and physical education curriculums.

Being a virtual volunteer has given me opportunities I never had before. Aside from being able to interact with people from abroad and to create relationships with them, I was able to express my passion through my work. Helping my host organization produce educational materials about oral health benefited me too as I was able to further my interests. Additionally, I have gained and honed in on essential skills from this experience, one of which is teaching children. I have learned about the importance of civic engagement and educational and professional competence. All in all, I have had a wonderful experience with United Planet and my host organization.

— Ethel Guelfguat,  United Planet Virtual Volunteer with South Africa

Other countries in Africa available for virtual volunteering include Burkina Faso, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and Tanzania.

Asia

Photo by Tomáš Malík from Pexels

Japan

Education: Support local students in Japan by offering virtual English lessons to children, developing lesson plans, and creating promotional tools in English. Other countries in Asia available for virtual volunteering include: Jordan, India, Iraq, Philippines, and Turkey.

Europe

Spain

Community Development: Healthcare
Support intercultural exchange to empower the youth through national and international voluntary service programs, and international trainings and seminars. Other countries in Europe available for virtual volunteering include Romania and Russia.

Latin and South America

Costa Rica

Children and Education: Support at-risk children across the country, help break the cycle of poverty, assist in academic care programs, socio-emotional programming, parental training, and the integration of art and culture programs. Assist in programming focused on global and civic engagement within Costa Rica.

Community Development: Encourage and promote ethical behavior leading people to become ambassadors of change that contribute to social justice and sustainable development. Assist in three core areas: Education for Sustainable Development, Education for Peace and Human Rights. Support vulnerable populations, including children, adolescents, seniors, men, and women with addiction problems, homeless, and in situations of poverty.

Environmental Sustainability: Costa Rica is made up of over 25% national parks and reserves and the country serves as a strong and admired global model for environmental conservation. Support a range of environmental projects from protecting sea turtles, helping to stop deforestation, creating environmental education programs for communities, safeguarding rare butterflies, and more.

Healthcare: Support cancer patients and their families through offering holistic programming for diverse communities. Provide nutrition education and psychosocial support to at-risk children and youth. Assist in the development of specialized public health research.

I had a great time! I really enjoyed getting to know my supervisor, and learned a lot. I really liked the sessions that were provided and the whole experience was a lot of fun!

— Cordelia Rauch, United Planet Virtual Volunteer with Costa Rica

Ecuador

Environmental Sustainability: Contribute to the research, protection, and conservation of the flora and fauna of the Amazon through scientific collaboration and environmental education programs for the conservation of biodiversity in the Ecuadorian Amazon.

Education: Help build a community of children, young adults, and the elderly in the most vulnerable sectors of Ecuador through teaching and fundraising–really engaging with the people.

Community Development: Be a part of an NGO’s organizational team that cultivates a community of talented youths to become the leading generation to bring about social change by engaging in collaborative, on-the-ground service with international communities in need.

Mexico

Community Development: Volunteer with an organization that empowers youth to be agents of change. Assist in promoting intercultural skills and values by developing its international youth volunteer programs.

I had an excellent experience with my United Planet virtual internship. I worked with a nonprofit organization from Mexico, creating an educational social media campaign about the importance of international volunteering. Through my experience, I learned a lot about international volunteering, intercultural communication, and peace.

— Haley Mozier, United Planet Virtual Volunteer for Mexico

Other countries in Latin and South America available for virtual volunteering include:
Colombia and Honduras.

Read More: 10 Virtual Volunteering And Internships In Central/South America!

There are also virtual volunteer opportunities in North America, including community development in both the Midwest and Southwest, as well as education and environmental sustainability in the Midwest.

Now, are you ready to make a difference amidst a Global Pandemic? Find out about specific quests around the globe.

All of our projects are open to a range of candidates from high school students (16+), university students, and graduate students to working professionals and retirees. Some projects require certain skills and experiences while others are open.

Traveling abroad and gathering with friends may be on hold for now, but making a difference does not have to be. Being a part of a global community that is focused on mission and authenticity is always possible. COVID-19 has been hard on the entire world. Now, more than ever, is the time to make a meaningful difference from wherever
you are.