Accomplishments

The central accomplishment of United Planet over the past decade has been to engage thousands of committed United Planet volunteers and members from around the world to work together to foster cross-cultural understanding and address shared challenges through a diverse range of programs to unite the world in a community beyond borders.

United Planet Volunteer Abroad Program -- International

• Volunteers have provided over 600,000 hours of international community service work in over 40 countries in healthcare, education, women's empowerment, orphan/street children care, construction, environmental conservation, teaching, disabled care, elderly care, and more.
• Provided doctors, psychologists, and nurses to help in disaster relief efforts in the worst hit areas of Thailand (Pangnga) and Indonesia (Bandar Aceh) after the Tsunami of 2004.
• Brought valuable donations and supplies around the world to assist our partner organizations. Our Pangnga medical team carried valuable medications to the camp of 7,000 displaced Tsunami victims. Our Northeastern student team brought thousands of dollars of needed supplies to a home for abandoned children in Irapuato, Mexico. A group of nursing students from Mesa State in Colorado delivered vital medical supplies to clinics and hospitals in Quito, Ecuador.
• Enabled students, professionals, retirees, families, corporate teams, and school groups to make a difference in communities abroad, work in international teams, and expand their cross-cultural sensitivity and global perspectives.
• Established 1-52 week programs in over 40 countries, and provided valuable support to orphanages, schools, environmental conservation projects, foreign NGOs, hospitals and clinics, and more.
• Continue to add new programs that serve diverse populations: e.g, China Summer Teaching Program, Children's ward of a cancer hospital in Tanzania, arts therapy program in Jordan, indigenous village in Ecuador jungles, and more.

Community Development Projects -- Local

We encourage the projects where we work to apply directly to United Planet for funding for necessary projects.

• Launched the first micro-empowerment project in Guatemala, the Lavenderia Planeta Unido, to provide a steady revenue stream for a shelter for abused women.
• Supplied volunteers and financial support to build a library at a vocational school teaching HIV/AIDS education to the community of Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.
• Sponsored the America Continent activities for Dia del Nino - a large children's day offering fun activities, games and treats for children of our projects in Cusco, Peru in October 2011.
• Established Anna's Cambodia Memorial Fund, which provided for the expansion of the Imagine Children's Center in Siem Reap, Cambodia in order to significantly increase the space available to accommodate more orphans.
• Established a carbon offsetting program in Ghana. For every volunteer that participates in the Ghana Quest, ten trees are planted in the village they volunteer in to offset the carbon used during their international flight.
• In late 2010 provided Country Funds to two orphanages where United Planet places volunteers. In Cusco, the funds enabled them to buy the materials to renovate and rebuild kitchens and facilities. In Romania, the funds enabled them to buy a mini-bus for transportation.

Ambassador Clubs -- Local

• Established a network of high school, college, and community clubs from Boston to Cameroon to Shanghai and beyond.
• Created a global online database to bridge cross-cultural presenters and interested groups, such as schools, organizations, and companies, in countries around the world.
• Conducted a summit at DePaul University on the effects that 9/11 has had on Islam and Muslims in the West.
• The United Planet Ambassador Club of Cameroon held a celebration around the theme Youths and Climate Change in September 2010.  Events included a street march to raise environmental awareness, tree planting, educational programs, and presentations.
• The United Planet Affiliate Ambassador Club at the Ekamai International School in Bangkok, Thailand has volunteered at various orphanages and nursing homes, participated in the school's annual International Fair, and raised funds through donations and garage sales.
• In 2009, The United Planet Ambassador Club of Boston University served on a Quest together in Peru.
• The United Planet Ambassador Club of Togo is successfully running the "Meals of Diversity" project. Club President M.Kokou H. SOTIA has developed an exciting action plan for his community that includes a training program for rural women as well as the construction of a library.

Cultural Awareness Project -- Local

United Planet team members and volunteers have presented CAPs to hundreds of people through the years.

• In December 2010, we hosted Osee Romeo of Cameroon, who presented to several public schools in Boston.
• Conducted volunteer presentations in Istanbul, Turkey to the community at large regarding cross-cultural relations and international cooperation.
• Provided experts from Rwanda and Indonesia to speak at the United Nations Association International documentary film festival in Boston.
• Worked together with Barnes & Noble to share stories from around the world with young children and introduce diverse countries and cultures.
• Performed cultural presentations for targeted television audiences, such as AT&T Broadband's "Extra Help," which reaches 180,000 households in Massachusetts.
• Introduced a range of multi-cultural presentations and speakers to elementary through high school students, including performances by a Japanese Koto player and foreign policy discussions by volunteer presenters from the Middle East.
• Provided experts from Rwanda and Indonesia to speak at the United Nations Association International documentary film festival in Boston.
• Linked academics, college students, and international clubs with local schools to enrich students' cross-cultural understanding.

Grant -- International

• United Planet received a grant from the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership (CGP) in 2011; the grant covered a portion of the costs related to the launch of an international volunteer exchange program in Japan. United Planet Japan has been receiving volunteers since August 2011.
• In 2011, United Planet implemented an exchange program between high schools in Boston and Mongolia, to enable students to study democracy and free expression. This program was facilitated by iEARN-USA (International Education and Resource Network); and was funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
• “UP Receives Grant: Timberland Advances Special Project”. For more information click here.