Looking for a summer job/volunteer abroad?

Question

I want to spend my summer abroad in spain or any english speaking countries. I was going to study abroad this summer but at the time i had other summer obligations so its too late now to study abroad. I had planned on spending a month in morocco living with in laws but i dont want to be burden on them for that long. I want to find a summer job so that i would be able to pay for living. Or a volunteer opportunity which would include housing and food. I have searched a few websites but they werent very helpful. And a majority of them had application fees. Time is running out, can anyone help?

Answer 1

I would suggest going to see your neighbourhood travel cuts.  They have great opportunities to work abroad or to learn a language or just to travel.  I would check them out!  In Canada, you can check out charityvillage.com and view the opportunities to make a difference in Canada.  Good luck.

Answer 2

You are an unskilled volunteer, and only available for a summer, so you will have to pay. Short-term placement agencies charge unskilled volunteers a fee, or require these volunteers to pay their own way (flights, in-country transportation, health insurance, accommodation, food, security, translators, training, staff to create the service opportunities and then to supervise and support the volunteers in their service, liaisons with the police and local officials, etc.). There is a listing of the more-than-30 member organizations of the International Volunteers Program Association (IVPA) that is a good place to find reputable volunteer-for-a-fee programs -- programs where you don't need to have much experience in order to participate, and the placements are just for a few weeks or months:

http://www.volunteerinternational.org/

The Learning Abroad Center Work, Intern, Volunteer (WIV) Database, hosted by the University of Minnesota, allows you to search work, internship and volunteering opportunities all over the globe. There are more than 500 programs to choose from, and you can search by keyword, region, type of program, etc.

http://www.umabroad.umn.edu/programs/wiv...

If you want to study Spanish in Spain, it's NOT too late, I have a personal recommendation: IEMA

http://www.iema.com

This small school is based in the small town of Avila, Spain, North of Madrid and in between Salamanca and Segovia. It's part of the Institutio de Cervantes (VERY important credential for a Spanish school to have), and unlike other schools in Spain, it's in a town not frequented by English-speaking tourists. The month-long intensive course in Spanish is outstanding, and will prepare you to take the DELE. You live with a Spanish family and are really immersed in Spanish culture. On weekends, it's easy to take trips by train to Salamanca, Segovia, Madrid and other points in the surrounding area. I've taken the course, and it's *intense*, but so worthwhile.