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Working and Volunteering Abroad

Working or volunteering abroad will provide you with a better understanding of the world and other cultures and lifestyles. Information on a variety of paid and unpaid job and internship positions can be found on the websites below.

Volunteer at VIU: http://www.viu.ca/educationabroad/volact.asp

Disclaimer: Vancouver Island University does not endorse any of the programs listed below.

  • The International Support Worker (ISW) Program is a one-year, 2 semester graduate certificate program intended to prepare competent, skilled and knowledgeable staff to work in international development organizations anywhere in the world, as well as to enhance any career in Canada by providing essential international and multicultural experience.
  • World University Service of Canada - The Students Without Borders™ (SWB) program accepts applications each January for summer internships! SWB is a World University Service of Canada (WUSC) initiative that offers university and college students exciting volunteer learning opportunities during an academic term. Placements from a variety of disciplines are available in Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Ghana, Malawi, Peru, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam. For current placements opportunities visit: www.wusc.ca/en/volunteer/swb/current_placements. If you have any questions, please contact them at swb@wusc.ca.
  • The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) has a number of international work programs to enable young Canadians, primarily between the ages of 18 and 30, to obtain new skills and training to help them compete in the global economy and broaden their exposure to foreign cultures. Some of the programs include the Working Holiday Program, Young Worker's Exchange Program, and the Student Work Abroad Program. www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/123go
  • Right to Play sends teams of volunteers into communities where children are living in situations of disadvantage (Africa, Asia and Latin America) to implement their sport and play program in a way that is joyful, meaningful and transformative. Currently, they are implementing two programs -- SportWorks and Sport Health. www.righttoplay.com
  • Canadian Crossroads International (CCI) educates Canadian volunteers by providing opportunities to live and work in a developing country. Volunteers must be Canadian citizens or landed immigrants and at least 19 years of age at the time of placement. www.cciorg.ca
  • Canadian World Youth (CWY) offers people from Canada and developing countries, who are between 17 to 20 years old, an international education exchange. www.cwy-jcm.org/TopE.html
  • CUSO places technically and professional qualified Canadians in developing countries. www.cuso.org/english_home.htm
  • World University Service of Canada (WUSC) is a network of individuals and post-secondary institutions that places volunteers, consultants and interns in overseas assignments. www.wusc.ca
  • Charity Village is a supersite for the nonprofit sector - more than 2000 pages of news, jobs, information and resources
    www.charityvillage.com/cv/main.asp
  • Campus Access is a national student website designed to serve the information and resource needs of Canadian post-secondary students (includes a site on Internship Programs and Teaching English Abroad). www.campusaccess.com
  • The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) has an employment program for young Canadian professionals that offers post-secondary graduates the opportunity to gain valuable international development work experience.
    www.acdi-cida.gc.ca/youthzone.htm
  • Youth Challenge International (YCI) (http://www.yci.org) is a global youth development organization that promotes youth innovation to drive positive change. Building on more than 20 years of experience, YCI's programs are designed to meet the needs of youth affected by poverty through four integrated sectors: leadership, health, livelihoods and environment. YCI is funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). YCI is now recruiting for 2012 volunteer programs in Tanzania, Ghana, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Guyana. Applicants must be aged 18-35 http://www.yci.org/html/volunteer/globally/calendar.asp).
  • The Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) has complete, up-to-date information on Canadian higher education, international scholarships, exchanges, programs and jobs. www.aucc.ca
  • The Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) provides opportunities for Canadian youth to work or study outside Canada. www.cbie.ca
  • CBIE's DestinEDUcation.ca site provides academic resources, information sources, planning tools, travel & safety tips, etc.
    www.destineducation.ca
  • Global Experiences LGBT Internship Program offers an unparalleled opportunity to gain valuable work experience in a career area that also has considerable resonance. For those pursuing careers in social work, human rights or progressive public policies, an internship with an LBGT organization can also be a life altering experience http://www.globalexperiences.com/careers/lgbt_internships.php
  • Transitions Abroad - For over 30 years, the single most useful and comprehensive resource for Work Abroad, Study Abroad, Cultural Travel Overseas, and International Living. http://www.transitionsabroad.com/
  • United Nations Youth Information Network, an excellent source of information on a wide variety of topics related to youth around the world. www.un.org/esa/socdev/unyin/index.html
  • International Student Volunteers- Summer travel and Volunteer Projects. TRavel from 2 weeks to 3 months and participate in a unique combination of volunteer work plus adventure travel &make a significant difference while having the adventure of a lifel time. Apply online at www.isvonline.org
  • Cross-Cultural Solutions is a recognized leader in the field of international volunteering. Founded in 1995, they are an international not-for-profit organization with no political or religious affiliations. The volunteer work is with carefully selected Partner Programs, and includes orphanages and childcare centers, schools, health clinics and hospitals, homes for the elderly, centers for people with disabilities, and other community organizations  www.crossculturalsolutions.org/default.asp
  • OverseasJobs.com - Information on available international jobs. www.overseasjobs.com
  • Idealist.com Action Without Borders - Over 27,000 non-profit and community organizations in 153 countries. Search by name, location or area of interest to locate internship, volunteer or job opportunities. www.idealist.org

  • The International Centre of Queen's University has an extensive list of links to help you in your search