The Volunteer Vacation as a Sabbatical Choice

An international volunteer vacation has exciting potential as a sabbatical travel choice because you have enough time to give more than a scant two-week stint of service.

After weeks of reading and researching, I've come to realize that deciding on a volunteer vacation program is very serious business.

There's a lot to learn and think about—enough to make your head hurt, I can attest—yet your efforts will lead you to an informed choice.

How to Be an Ethical Volunteer

I was glad to stumble upon the Ethical Volunteering Web site of researcher Kate Simpson, PhD, who has studied “international volunteering and its impacts on participants.”

Besides the seven questions to ask of the program (e.g., Exactly what work will I be doing? Can the organization provide me with a brief job description? Does the organization work with a local partner organization?), she counsels those considering an international volunteer vacation to ask seven questions of themselves.

These include:

• Do you feel ready to take on the volunteer job you are applying for?
• Are you ready to travel as a learner and a guest?
• Are you prepared to be flexible?

“International volunteering is not just a ‘cool’ way to go on holiday,” she cautions.

That attitude is probably more of a hazard among 20-something travelers than baby boomers, yet every generation can learn from Dr. Simpson's voice of experience and training. Her brief and incisive online ethical volunteering guide is a smart place to start your journey.

Then, move on to consider the programs available.

Perusing Programs

The recognized go-to resource for traveling volunteers is the latest edition of Volunteer Vacations: Short-Term Adventures That Will Benefit You and Others.

The book profiles more than 200 organizations in 400+ pages. Budget is a factor for most travelers, so the section listing the programs by projects costs is particularly useful. (And yes, there is a wide range of program fees and expenses involved.)

Start with a Domestic Volunteer Experience

For all the value that mature and skilled baby boomers can bring to (and get from) an international volunteering experience, if it's all new to you, a program closer to home—and closer can be a state thousands of miles away from yours—deserves consideration as an introduction to voluntourism. Getting there is likely to be cheaper, as well.

Get Your Volunteer Vacation Sabbatical Approved

Your volunteer vacation starts with presenting a convincing sabbatical proposal. If your employer encourages employees to donate their time to worthy causes, can you position your trip as “community service leave” to nudge approval in your favor? (You'll note it is for a distant community.)

Will you apply current job skills to your volunteer assignment? If you have plans to give away your time and job talents for the benefit of those who can't afford to pay you, your employer may find it easier to approve your absence. You might even rally for some paid time off or donation of supplies.

Those in health care, training and construction quickly come to mind, but whatever your job position, aim to find a link between your job and the volunteer assignment so that your employer is more likely to back you up.

What Next?

Why not go from the dream to a plan? Start with the steps you can do now, using the Sabbatical Planning Timeline as a guide.



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