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Volunteer & Learn Packages

How it works

1 Choose Your Program

Find the right package for you and apply for the program of your choice. Please keep in mind that your application may be reviewed for some days, so factor in enough time to get started.

2 Add Your Diploma

Here, you can add your Diploma in International Volunteering to your volunteer program. Usually, you should start around 2 months prior to your departure working on Module 1, 2 and 3.

3 Volunteer Abroad

You made it and welcome abroad! Right now, you have probably finished the first three modules of the Diploma and you are ready to put into practice what you have learned so far.

4 Finish Your Diploma

The last thing on your To-Do List: Reflect on your volunteer experience abroad and submit your last assignments. Shortly after, you will receive your Diploma worth 16 UCAT points.

Our Best Packages For You

sloth sanctuary in costa rica

Animal Wildlife Rescue in Costa Rica

Gain your Diploma in International Volunteering whilst rescuing injured wildlife like sloths, monkeys, ocelots, kinkajous, coati, deer, macaws and other exotic birds.

Start Dates: Anytime

Duration: Flexible (2-12 weeks)

Price: starting at £1190 

Included: Program Fees, Airport Transfer, Food, Accommodation, Diploma in International Volunteering

High­lights

Gain your Diploma in International Volunteering whilst rescuing injured wildlife like sloths, monkeys, ocelots, kinkajous, coati, deer, macaws and other exotic birds. Rehabilitate injured animals indigenous to Costa Rica with our skilled veterinarian team and skilled vet interns. Release the rehabilitated animals back to their natural habitats after they have been proved themselves to be able to survive on their own. Travel the country of Costa Rica to enjoy and learn about our culture, beaches, rain forests and volcanos. Meet and make lifetime friends from around the world who share the same passion of helping animals and making a difference in our world.

Are you ready to become a wildlife volunteer abroad? We hope so. We need motivated and passionate volunteers to join us here at Rescue Center Costa Rica to take care of our injured and displaced animals. We have monkeys, sloths, kinkajous, coat, exotic birds and much more. However, in order for us to continue our mission of rescue, rehabilitation and when possible release we need the kindness and generosity from people like you who want to make a difference. The volunteer program we run is rewarding, memorable, and a whole lot of fun. In addition to working with our animals close up and personal you also get to enjoy great food (vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and allergy-friendly), meet new friends from around the world, travel our beautiful country, and create lasting memories. Most importantly, we work out of a safe and secure location and provide private transportation for all your needs during your stay.

You will be picked up at the airport by our drivers, transported safely to the Rescue Center, be given your bed, and a quick tour of the facility. The first morning you wake-up you will enjoy a delicious breakfast before being given an explanation on your first day of work. At mid-day we serve lunch and afterward, you have some downtime to enjoy the pool, swing in a hammock, and meet the other volunteers. Afternoon work is followed by dinner and volunteer activities planned by the coordinators which include but are not limited to games, bonfires, night walks, etc.

Day work is the most important part when you sign-up to be a wildlife volunteer. Workgroups include food prep and feeding, animal enclosure cleaning, animal toy enrichment, and working with the vet team. At every step of the process, we have skilled and endearing coordinators who manage each group and will teach what to do and how to do it. They plan the following day’s work each night so if you prefer to be in a certain group with a certain task feel free to communicate that and we will accommodate.

Typical day

  • Breakfast is served from 6:30 am to 7:30 am
  • Workgroups are assigned for the daily activities.
  • Animal food prep, enrichment, enclosure cleaning, and veterinarian activities of the morning begin at 6am and 11am.
  • Lunch is served from 12:00 pm until 1:30 pm.
  • The afternoon meeting begins at 1:30 between coordinators and their workgroup.
  • Animal food prep, enrichment, enclosure cleaning, and veterinarian activities of the morning begin at 2:00 pm.
  • Dinner is served from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm.
  • Night activities begin at 7:30 pm including but not limited to movies, dancing (salsa and bachata), night exploration walks, trivia, and more…
  • Volunteers are asked to be in bed by 10:00 pm.

Free-time activities

We believe that volunteers who work hard need to play hard as well! We have a swimming pool on our property surrounded by beach chairs for plenty of time to cool off or get that much-needed Vitamin D. Relax in one of our hammocks and read a good book or just relax with new friends and have a great conversation.

We also offer weekly adventure tours which are awesome. You can sign-up every week and travel with other volunteers to places around the country like Jaco Beach, Manuel Antonio National Park, the Monteverde Cloud Forest, and Arenal Volcano. In addition, we also do turtle tours weekly to the different beaches around Costa Rica. You will have fun, make better friendships, and experience and learn all the beautiful nature Costa Rica has to offer. 

We provide private transportation for these tours at an additional cost to ensure both your safety and enjoyment. Also, we ensure you receive breakfast before leaving, a packed lunch for the day, and dinner when you arrive home to Rescue Center.

How do I earn an International Volunteering Diploma?

The Diploma in International Volunteering is an online course any student can complete virtually. The course will assist you before, during and after your volunteering journey. Upon completion, you’ll be able to gain academic credit and an accredited diploma-level qualification.

The course comprises five modules:

1. Learn about how to prepare for an international volunteering placement (6 hours)

2. Explore how to plan for selection as an international volunteer (8 hours)

3. Focus on fundraising (8 hours)

4. Undertake and complete your volunteering abroad placement (6 hours online content + 20 hours minimum work placement)

5. Reflect on your placement (8 hours)

The course requires students to volunteer abroad for a minimum of 2 weeks and takes approximately 36 hours of additional study time to complete. It is designed to be flexible, meaning you can start and finish each module at your own pace, on your own schedule.

Medical Outreach in Uganda

Gain your Diploma in International Volunteering whilst making a difference. This program involves visiting various community and slum groups to provide medical care. For many people in these areas, they cannot afford to go to pharmacies and hospitals, so the project comes to them instead. They often do not have a lot of education on hygiene or access to clean water, so even a simple cut can be life-threatening and cause major problems.

Start Dates: Every Monday

Duration: Flexible (2-50 weeks)

Price: starting at £969 (incl. your Diploma in International Volunteering)

Included: Program Fees, Airport Transfer, Food, Accommodation, Diploma in International Volunteering

Highlights

There is a huge range of injuries and illnesses you could encounter while on this program but working with local doctors and community leaders we are able to form a plan of action to support these individuals. Where people require additional treatment or support we have partnerships with local clinics to provide the best possible ongoing care. 

HIV and malaria testing are a big part of the work we do, as they are very common amongst these communities. We always use these issues as opportunities to counsel on how to avoid disease, cleanliness, the use of mosquito nets and other relevant topics. 

Typical day

  • 8am: Leave for outreach
  • 8:30-9:30am: Set up medicine and stations for admission, testing, doctor consultation
  • 9:30-4pm: Deworming, HIV and malaria testing, wound treatment, provision of medicine
  • 4pm: Pack up and head home

Free-time activities

In your free time there is many options for activities! A lot of our volunteers like to take extended weekends to do safari, gorilla trekking or adventure water sports. All of these are at the volunteers own cost, but are organized through our local partners to ensure the best price and experience. Our close proximity to Kampala means there is plenty of opportunity to explore the craft markets, eat local food and go to local events including soccer games. We encourage volunteers to travel on their weekends and will help arrange trips or activities.

How do I earn an International Volunteering Diploma?

The Diploma in International Volunteering is an online course any student can complete virtually. The course will assist you before, during and after your volunteering journey. Upon completion, you’ll be able to gain academic credit and an accredited diploma-level qualification.

The course comprises five modules:

1. Learn about how to prepare for an international volunteering placement (6 hours)

2. Explore how to plan for selection as an international volunteer (8 hours)

3. Focus on fundraising (8 hours)

4. Undertake and complete your volunteering abroad placement (6 hours online content + 20 hours minimum work placement)

5. Reflect on your placement (8 hours)

The course requires students to volunteer abroad for a minimum of 2 weeks and takes approximately 36 hours of additional study time to complete. It is designed to be flexible, meaning you can start and finish each module at your own pace, on your own schedule.

volunteer with orangutans in sumatra

Wildlife Biolink and Conservation in Indonesia​

Gain your Diploma in International Volunteering whilst making a difference and helping protect the habitat of the endangered wild Sumatran Orang-Utan and other animals in one of the world’s oldest rainforests!

Start Dates: Anytime

Duration: Flexible (2-8 weeks)

Price: starting at £1199 (incl. your Diploma in International Volunteering)

Included: Program Fees, Food, Accommodation, Diploma in International Volunteering

Highlights

Working with our new project partner in North Sumatra, the Batu Kapal Conservation Sanctuary, you will be contributing to the protection the endangered wild Orang-utan population and other rare and endangered animals that occur in this critically important national park buffer zone and wildlife corridor occurring on these private landholdings in the area.

We are surrounded by nature and geological formations, with frequent visits from the local population of wild orangutans and sightings of porcupines, slow loris and civet cats. We have resident wild populations of thomas leaf monkeys, silver monkeys, macaques, water monitors, geckos and slow loris in the project area as well as many different species of birds, reptiles, frogs, butterflies, dragonflies and insects.

Sumatra represents the last remaining natural habitat for Orang-utans in Indonesia. the Sumatran Orang-utan is now classified as critically endangered. Forest cover in Sumatra was reduced by 61% from 1985-1997 due to logging, infrastructure development, internal migration, and plantation development. The Sumatran Orang-utan population has decreased by 86% over the past 100 years.  The most recent estimate places the figure around 7,300 left in the wild, with steady losses occurring every year.

Batu Kapal Conservation Program activities include

  1. Surveying, mapping and monitoring the area, habitats and animals with GPS. To identify existing landholdings, their primary land use and the extant native vegetation.
  2. To map orangutan and primate habitation and food forage areas. To map known orangutan and primate movement pathways with GPS.
  3. To develop a full species list for fauna and flora. To identify the ecosystem service provided by each subject. With a view to developing a better understanding of what is missing. To establish recovery programmes for threatened and vulnerable species.
  4. Create wildlife corridors to reconnect fragmented habitat for orangutans, primates and other animals between the national park and the nature buffer zone occurring on private lands as per the project plan
  5. Conducting animal and bird monitoring and surveys

Your Itinerary

Phase 1 Day : Introduction Day!

Arrive at Medan (KNO) airport, Sumatra, to be picked up and head to the jungle to begin your adventure at the Batu Kapal conservation project site!  We can arrange a private car transfer from the airport to the project site ($ 70 US one way car transfer plus $6 US per motor bike one way)

Phase 2: Orangutan Habitat Restoration

The base for your volunteering placement is the Batu Kapal Conservation Project site, just 20 minutes by motor bike into the jungle from the village of Bukit Lawang, the last settlement before entering the Gunung Leuser National Park. Gunung Leuser has one of the most concentrated population of Orang-utan in the Southern hemisphere but deforestation and encroachment of their habitat has destroyed their environment and displaced them from the natural forest.

Activities include:

  • Nursery Activities – Establishing and maintaining a tree and plant nursery is an important component for the creation, restoration and maintenance of the Wildlife Biolink Corridor Project. You will be collecting seedlings, seeds and fruits for nursery, and also learn how to prepare and cultivate tree saplings or seeds in the nursery
  • Establishing Wildlife Biolink Corridors to reconnect the fragmented forest occurring on private lands to the Gunung Leauser National Park. Through this activity volunteers will gain an understand, as well as be directly involved in creating wildlife corridors needed by wildlife (including critically endangered Sumatran orangutan and other primates and animals), through tree and bamboo plantings and establishing rope bridge crossings.
  • Tree Maintenance – Maintaining trees and tree plantings in the biolink and conservation area is a crucial part of wildlife corridor program, to ensure a higher survival rate of planted trees.
    Phase 3: Batu Kapal Orangutan Monitoring Program

    Working in small groups of volunteers in the project area, your activities will include monitoring the population of wild Orangutans at Batu Kapal, occurring in isolated rainforest fragments on private lands, abutted by palm oil, rubber plantations and farm land. The longer term aim is to develop and conduct an education program in schools near this Orangutan habitat.

    Please note we have a strict no human contact or feeding policy of  wild animals. Our aim is to keep wild animals wild through the protection and reforestation of their habitat! As a volunteer you will have the opportunity to monitor, survey, record and track movements of some of the forest’s most elusive wildlife, including other primates such as Thomas Leaf Monkeys, Silver Langurs and Macaques !  This activity is run up to 3 times a day at different times to capture data over a complete day. 

    Activities include:

    • Conducting animal and bird monitoring and surveys
      • Locating, observing, identifying, monitoring, photographing and GPS recording areas with wild populations of orang-utans, primates and other animals and birds in the Batu Kapal conservation project area and at specified GPS points of interest in the program
      • See detail of other activities undertaken in the section above
    • Biodiversity identification
      • Learning to identify tree species
      • Insect identification (eg butterflies, dragon flies etc).
      • Keeping a photographic record of animal and bird sightings, as well as plants identified
      • Compiling, identifying and analysing data collected
      •  Developing a species list of fauna and flora occurring in the conservation area
    Phase 4: Upcycling Plastics Project. 

    Assist with cleaning and rubbish removal on trails, in the conservation site and along the river once a week. Making Eco bricks from single use plastic bottles and plastic bags. Building rubbish collection bins, fences and buildings out of eco bricks. Making sleeping mats, reusable bags, baskets out of yarn made from single use plastic bags. Cleaning and maintaining work at the base. Volunteers are responsible for cleaning and maintaining their volunteer dormitory and bathroom, helping with the cooking meals and washing their dishes

    Activities include: 

    • Helping with recycling project and sorting at the conservation site and at the local guesthouse 
    • Helping at the project site with composting to produce organic compost and fertiliser 
    • Helping plant and weed and harvest edible garden, fruits and vegetables 
    • Reducing plastic waste through the ROAR program. Stage one – zero plastic bottles project

    How do I earn an International Volunteering Diploma?

    The Diploma in International Volunteering is an online course any student can complete virtually. The course will assist you before, during and after your volunteering journey. Upon completion, you’ll be able to gain academic credit and an accredited diploma-level qualification.

    The course comprises five modules:

    1. Learn about how to prepare for an international volunteering placement (6 hours)

    2. Explore how to plan for selection as an international volunteer (8 hours)

    3. Focus on fundraising (8 hours)

    4. Undertake and complete your volunteering abroad placement (6 hours online content + 20 hours minimum work placement)

    5. Reflect on your placement (8 hours)

    The course requires students to volunteer abroad for a minimum of 2 weeks and takes approximately 36 hours of additional study time to complete. It is designed to be flexible, meaning you can start and finish each module at your own pace, on your own schedule.

    Get Instant Access to the

    Diploma in International Volunteering

    Add academic recognition to your next volunteer abroad trip! This online program is meant to assist you before, during and after your volunteering journey. What’s more, once you have completed this course and your volunteership, you will be able to gain academic credit that can assist you in a variety of ways. We endeavour to do all we can to make this learning experience as enjoyable, engaging and productive for you as possible. We want you to succeed, not just in this course, but going forward on your academic and professional path!

    Add the Diploma
    Diploma in International Volunteering