Virtual Internship & Virtual Volunteer Opportunities

Virtual Volunteer Quests are a great opportunity for individuals 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 go the next step and allow interns to outline learning objectives and goals as it relates to the project work, complete mid and final reflection assignments, and work collaboratively with direct project supervisors on mid and final internship evaluations.

There are a variety of tasks that you can do depending on your areas of interest and the needs of your hosting organization. Tasks will also depend on the area of focus of your hosting organization, such as health services, environmental sustainability, children and education, or community development. Your Project Coordinator will work closely with you and your host organization to develop a success plan for your scope of work.

Sample roles include: Program/Project Support (Research, Project Design, Project Management, Monitoring & Evaluation); Marketing & Communications (Digital Marketing, Social Media, Content Management, SEO, Graphic Design, Public Relations); Virtual Office Assistance/Support Technical Support (Webmaster, WordPress, Programming); Strategy; Finance/Accounting; Grant Writing; Fundraising; and Teaching/Mentoring (Language, Music, Art, Business Skills, STEM) just to name a few.

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 special skills and experiences and others are open. Please inquire directly for more information!

Absolutely.  You can gain “real-life” global experience in your current field or explore a new field of interest.  If you are a student, this “real-world” global experience can complement your in-person or online classes.  If you are working full or part-time, you can have global experience and expand your skills in new areas.

We are looking for reliable and committed volunteers and interns with a genuine interest to support global organizations while working collaboratively in partnership.

You are almost there! If you have further questions, just give us a call or send us a note, then enroll online. We’ll be in touch to set up a time for you to talk to your Program Coordinator. Then we begin to set up the project for you. We’ll review your application together with your potential hosting organization, complete references check, and confirm your placement. You’ll meet your project and a success work plan will be developed for your scope of work. We’ll schedule your trainings and weekly reflections. You’ll be sharing your work throughout your program, but you will provide a success presentation to your host organization summarizing your contributions!

We work closely with your schedule to determine how many hours you have available.  Most virtual interns and volunteers commit 5 to 40 hours per week.

As long as you have email and access to the Internet, you can participate in the Virtual Quest as a virtual intern or virtual volunteer. In some cases, you might need to have live Zoom sessions with your host project.

Yes, it is possible for you to gain credit for your Virtual Internship if you would like to do so! In collaboration with Portland State University and Dr. Christine Cress, interns may receive undergraduate or graduate-level credit for their virtual experience. Upon consulting with a United Planet Program Coordinator, interns will receive a personalized project placement based on their learning objectives. Interns are responsible for registering as a PSU Non-Degree Applicant ($25 registration fee) for undergraduate (409) or graduate (509) level credit. The number of actual credits earned is contingent upon the duration of the internship and intensity of the academic learning outcomes to be arranged in advance with Dr. Cress. Normally, one credit is equivalent to 30 hours of serving and learning engagement per academic term. Interns are responsible for paying PSU Tuition and Fees: $550 for 1 undergraduate (409) credit or $605 for 1 (509) graduate credit. Please contact us for more details.

Yes there is! The scholarship grant is up to $350. All you need to do is head to our Service Scholarship page and send in your application for us to review.

It takes a large network of people and organizations to provide a quality program experience and unique access to diverse and trusted global projects. Since 2001, United Planet has developed an extensive global network of diverse host organizations as well as a global team of country coordinators. United Planet also has program and administrative staff that helps support the program to ensure positive experiences for volunteers and a meaningful experience for host organizations. The program fees help cover all these program development and support costs which go on behind the scenes to make the experience a positive one for all. The program also includes pre-program training for volunteers and host organizations, ongoing check-ins and support, as well as monitoring and evaluation. A portion of your fee also goes to support in-country partners, host organizations, and projects directly. United Planet is a nonprofit and we make sure that program fees are as affordable as possible while ensuring that there are enough resources to maintain a quality program. We also offer scholarships for Virtual Quests to help defray costs as possible. We look forward to inviting you into the United Planet community!