As you explore the many options for your gap year, volunteering abroad emerges as a perfect choice. Offering a transformative blend of adventure, personal growth, cultural immersion, and meaningful impact, volunteering abroad presents a unique opportunity for young people to make their gap year a life-changing experience. For many students, a gap year is their first attempt at a solo trip abroad, especially because volunteer travel is one of the most affordable and safest ways to see the world.
Volunteering abroad elevates the gap year experience. Instead of just traveling, you engage in projects that directly contribute to local communities, wildlife conservation, education, healthcare, and various other vital sectors.
Here Are Seven Reasons Why You Should Volunteer Abroad For Your Gap Year:
It’s Cheaper Than the Cost of Living in the US.
Did you know that the cost of volunteering abroad for one year is lower than the average cost to live and study in the U.S. for a year? The average cost of living in the U.S. combined with college tuition for a year is around $106,000 while volunteering abroad for a year costs around $15,000.
Immerse Yourself in a New Culture.
Taking a gap year abroad allows you to get immersed in the life of the local community and build meaningful relationships. During volunteering, you’ll have the chance to connect with volunteers from all over the world, local community members, the people running your volunteer project, or the community members you’re volunteering with.
Create Unforgettable Memories.
Not only will you have the chance to take part in many wonderful activities and adventures, but imagine sharing stories with your friends and family about teaching English to children in rural villages, helping with wildlife conservation efforts, or providing much-needed healthcare to small communities. The stories you’ll gather during your volunteer journey will be unlike any others!
Develop Your Professional Skills.
Depending on your volunteer work, you could gain practical skills like project management, teamwork, leadership, event planning, and more – all of which are highly valuable in any professional setting. Whether you plan to work in healthcare, education, administration, or any other field, volunteer work will provide you with hands-on experience that will look great on your resume.
Expand Your International Network.
You’ll meet people from all walks of life, including other volunteers, local community members, and even professionals in the field you’re volunteering in. As you connect with people from different parts of the world, you become more knowledgeable about global issues, current events, and cultural developments, making you a well-rounded global citizen. These international connections can be incredibly valuable for your future career and your personal life!
Improve Your Language Skills.
Have you always wanted to move beyond the beginner level in a specific language? Being immersed in a foreign country is one of the best ways to learn or improve a language. Your language skills will improve significantly as you navigate daily life and engage with locals. While you’re abroad, you can oftentimes take language classes and immediately practice it once you head into town!
Learn More About Yourself.
Identifying what you’re passionate about can be a difficult task. Many students choose their college major based on what they think their interests are at the time, but the truth is that you’re still evolving your interests and skills at this point in your life. A gap year allows you to explore your interests and experience new things!
United Planet long-term volunteer alumnus Isabella shares her gap year experience in Denmark: “Overall, taking a gap year helped me to grow and become surer of myself, to become more multicultural, and to add to my love for learning languages. While being the one person to take a gap year from my high school scared me and the idea of being away from home for six months was terrifying, in the end, I wouldn’t trade the experience of my gap year for anything.”
So, whether you’re seeking career development, personal growth, cultural enrichment, or simply an adventure that goes beyond the ordinary, a gap year dedicated to volunteering abroad offers a wealth of practical benefits that can set you on a path to success and fulfillment.
Do you want to learn more about gap year volunteer abroad opportunities? Visit https://www.unitedplanet.org/gap-year-volunteering.
ABOUT UNITED PLANET
United Planet is a non-profit organization with a mission to create a global community, one relationship at a time. Established in 2001, United Planet offers volunteer abroad, virtual internships, internships abroad, gap year volunteering, and global virtual exchange in more than 40 countries.
