What are the ingredients for spending the best time in your life?

Exotic scenery?                               Meeting new people?
    

Having fun?                                      Learn new language?

Ideally all of it of course.

How about trying something new?

Like dancing with the wolves ...

(you could try it at a workcamp at the wolf sanctuary in Colorado)



... sweeping volcanos and cleaning clogged geysers ...
 

(or similar at a workcamp at the natural reserve in Iceland)


... building a school and teaching children a »strange« new language ...
 

(like when doing voluntary work with children in Uganda)



... bringing water to the deserts ...
 

(while working on water system and farming in Africa)



So where will you go next?
        what                 do
           how                  live

Go ahead - make a difference.

There are two ways to do voluntary work:

SHORT TERM WORKCAMPS
- age limit: generally open to persons aged above 18 (depends on the organisation).
- costs: usually a registration/participation fee applies. Travel costs are paid by the volunteers themselves, while food and lodging can be provided by the host organisation.
- areas of voluntary work: Art, Culture, History, Children, Disabilities, Peace,  Environment…
- where: all over the world.
- how long: 2-3 weeks.
- more info: SCI International, CCIVS, European Youth Portal

LONG TERM VOLUNTARY WORK
Several networks and organisations offer medium/long term voluntary work (usually for a certain fee) – more info: European Youth Portal.
There is also EVS - European Voluntary Service, which offers free participation:
- age limit: open to all young people aged 18-30.
- costs: participation is free – you also get food and lodging, insurance cover and an allowance. Travel costs are paid by the volunteers themselves.
- areas of voluntary work: Environment, Arts, Culture, Youth, Sports, Social Care, Cultural Heritage...
- where: within or outside the EU.
- how long: 2-12 months
- more info: YIA

 
Photos: www.flickr.com (igraham, terekhova, gak67nz, zen, shortie66, sometimesong, sfmission), Nasa, European Community, www.southparkstudios.com