Your group can engage in a Virtual Alternative break, supporting organizations around the world through meaningful and engaging service work, while enjoying cultural and linguistic activities to immerse in the local culture. Participants will be able to learn about local and global challenges, provide meaningful support to international organizations, and build friendships and connections within your group and across global communities. Participants will also receive United Planet’s Certificate of Global Citizen Leadership!
The program dates can be customized to your school break schedule (Spring, Fall). For one-week programs, students will meet each day for 2-3 hours, Monday to Friday (10-15 hours total). If your school does not have a formal school break, the program schedule can be customized over a period of weeks.
I’ve been doing alternative breaks for LFCC for 8 years now and we’ve never done anythig international and I would rank this as my number one favorite because of the experience. I don’t think it’s ever been this, i don’t know, meaningful? We’ve gone to Buffalo, NY, and Florida but I mean it was fun and not to put them all down but this was structured really well. I also liked interacting with the Japanese students in English.Chris LambertCampus Life & Student Engagement Specialist, Lord Fairfax Community College (LFCC)
I lived in Mexico for two years and I’ve always thought of the Japanese culture as being very spiritual, family-focused, and also very clean. I thought the same thing as we were walking down the streets (during virtual tour in Japan), exquisite. I can’t believe they can just walk out of their cafes and there are these beautiful shops with so much history right outside along the streets, and that was the big takeaway from me.MaryVirtual Group Student with Lord Fairfax Community College (LFCC)
I thought it was very interesting learning about the Costa Rican culture both through the activities we did and just hearoing from the students groups. I was suprised at how similar things are like how diverse Costa Rican culture is, just like America.Allie ReedStudent from Hamilton College, Costa Rica Project
The schedule of activities will be determined by program dates, length of the program, and how many live meetings the group would like to schedule each week. Examples can include United Planet’s Global Citizenship Seminar, local language lessons (Japanese, Spanish, etc.), cultural activities (dance, music, cooking, etc.), and even local tours throughout the local community!
Virtual Alternative Break groups can select their destination from those listed as available. Specific volunteer projects and tasks will be selected based on the interests and skills of the group, as well as community needs. United Planet can share recommendations or past examples if requested.
Program fees for groups are customized, and based on factors like program duration, group size, amount of requested activities, and a number of projects. A program proposal with associated program fees will be shared by the United Planet team during the planning stage. Program fees can be priced per student or for the whole group.
The minimum number of participants for a group program is 5 people. There is no maximum. The number of project placements and tasks can be scaled to the size of the group.
United Planet is an international non-profit organization with a mission to create a global community, one relationship at a time. We connect people who want to make a difference in communities across the world through overseas volunteer travel programs, global virtual internships & volunteering, and project-based virtual exchange programs. With opportunities in more than 40 countries, you will learn, teach, work, engage and immerse yourself in a culture outside your comfort zone. For many, volunteering abroad is the most fulfilling experience of their lives!
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