Let me start out by relaying my sincerest thanks and appreciation to you and your organization. It was a fabulous experience and I think I can speak for the whole team in saying that it is something that we will never regret having done. - Grant Lloyd, Motorola Corporation Team

On-going year-round volunteer opportunities:

In Costa Rica, United Planet Volunteers have a wide choice of Quests to choose from.  Each of these choices offers the volunteers a meaningful and enriching way to experience first hand, the life of friendly and warm Costa Ricans while doing something meaningful.  Feel free to choose the one that suits you best!

We have two types of volunteer programs in Costa Rica: Environmental Quests and Community Development Quests. Volunteers involved with Environmental Quests can work at conservation areas, national parks, wildlife refuges and more. We offer a wide range of different experiences: from creating trails in the cloud forests and cultivating medicinal plants to guiding tourists and patrolling the protected turtle beaches. There are no Spanish language requirements for the envrionmental projects.

Volunteers in Community Development Quests can work at places such as homeless children centers, elderly homes, hospitals, cultural houses, indigenous projects and more. We offer a wide range of different experiences from creating and maintaining buildings to teaching English to locals and playing games with homeless children.  All Community Development Quests require intermediate to advanced Spanish language skills.

To find out more about these exciting volunteer opportunities, click on the projects below:

Environmental Quests

Community Development Quests

Visas
United Planet sends volunteers from many countries around the world. Obtaining a Visa (if necessary) is therefore the responsibility of the volunteer. U.S. citizens can visit the website of the U.S. State Department to learn more about foreign entry requirements. For citizens of all other countries, please contact your destination country's embassy in your home country or your government website. If you need a letter from United Planet to verify your participation in our program, please e-mail us with this request and we will be happy to provide one.

Health Issues and Vaccinations
Some countries require or suggest that volunteers have certain vaccinations before entering the country.  Please consult your country's government website for more information regarding the health of travelers. U.S. citizens can visit the website of the Centers for Disease Control to learn more about vaccinations and staying healthy while traveling.  It is also recommended that you visit nearest travel clinic prior to departure.

Living and volunteering in another country, often in conditions you are not used to, can take a toll on the body and mind.  In addition to the information that is provided in your pre-departure package, please research how to stay healthy in your country of destination.  It could make all the difference.