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This is the place if you are looking for the information on the IVPA Global Volunteer Fair, October 27th in NYC. This event is free and open to the public. If you are interested in international volunteering come meet some organizations and hear about their work. There will also be free workshops on volunteering.

Location:

John Jay College of Criminal Justice
North Hall
445 West 59th Street
New York, NY

Time:

Thursday, October 27, 2011 from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM (ET)

Here is the link to register…though registration is not required to attend.

http://nycglobalvolunteerfair-estw.eventbrite.com/

IVPA member, Global Service Corps (GSC), in partnership with SUNY-Albany, is offering students the opportunity to volunteer in Tanzania in global HIV/AIDS prevention, sustainable agriculture and food security. This 15-week 15-credit service-learning experience is ideal for students with interests in international development, public health, agriculture, and global food security and takes place from January 16 – April 30, 2012.

From GSC’s Newsletter

IVPA Member, Child Family Health International (CFHI) is offering scholarships for their 2012 Global Health Programs. This is an incredible opportunity to participate in global health initiatives and gain valuable experience.

CFHI is offering 10 partial scholarships for January-June 2012 programs. These ten (10) partial scholarships in the amount of US $1,000 may be awarded towards participation in any CFHI Global Health Education Program during the above program months. One scholarship will be designated for CFHI’s Sight for All- Opthalmology Rotation in New Delhi, India program and one designated for CFHI’s Sonrie Ecuador-Dental Program in Quito, Ecuador.  Deadlines to apply are November 1^st and January 16^th.  For more details see CFHI’s Scholarship Page.

 CFHI also offers academic credit and fundraising assistance.  For more details on any of CFHI’s 20+ programs, visit the CFHIwebsite. CFHI continues to accept 2011 & 2012 program applications on a rolling basis.

CFHI – Socially Responsible Global Health Education Programs

Child Family Health International (CFHI) offers socially responsible Global Health Education Programs for health sciences students of all levels. Through CFHI participants go on 4-16 week placements alongside local physicians in underserved communities.  Participants rotate through clinics and hospitals, attend medical lectures, and become immersed in the healthcare system of the community.

Act now and you could get 50% off a volunteer trip to Guatemala with Global Citizen’s Network.

From GCN’s site:

Indigenous communities across the world are marginalized from main stream society’s media.  Their voices are not always heard and their views often stifled.  Time and again, misguided and inaccurate depictions of indigenous cultures, values and beliefs are presented to the public.  One example is the current challenge the Mayan community faces as outsiders portray their own interpretations of the Mayan 2012 calendar year.

“Hollywood is also not helping,” laments Don Manuel, the head of the Mayan spiritual leaders’ council in Cantel.  He is concerned that imprudent expectations could cause harm both at the local and international level.   The Mayan spiritual council hopes to inspire Cantel’s population to embrace and commemorate their ancestor’s traditions and deter an atmosphere of uncertainty that is creating a rift in the community.

GCN has been invited by the community to work and celebrate side-by-side with members of the Mayan Center for Peace December 29, 2011-January 7, 2012. GCN is offering 2 trips at a discounted rate of 50% off the program rate of $1,950.  To be eligible for one of the two grants, send us an essay that describes how you will “pay it forward” and share the voices of the Mayan community in your local community after your trip.

There is no entry fee required and all entries must be a minimum of 400 words in length.  The deadline for submissions is October 14^th  at 5pm CST. 

A GCN committee will review essays and select the top two participants based on the criteria of compelling narrative and the feasibility of the “pay it forward” action plan.  Selected participants must be able to pay the remaining $975 program fee and all travel expenses outside of GCN programs (including international airfare).

The top two selected participants will also have their experience featured in future GCN newsletters and/or on our website.  Selected participants will be notified individually during the week of October 17^th.

How to apply:  Essay entries must be submitted in electronic format (MS Word, Word Perfect of Microsoft Works document.)   Please include your name and contact information.  Email your entry tolaura@globalcitizens.org

Contact us with questions laura@globalcitizens.org or 612-436-8274

The International Volunteer Programs Association (IVPA) is pleased to welcome American Youth Understanding Diabetes Abroad (AYUDA) as the newest IVPA member.

AYUDA’s mission aims to “empower youth to serve as agents of change in diabetes communities around the world.” Since 1997, non-profit organization has been sending volunteers to work in partnership within communities to develop and implement diabetes programs.

AYUDA empowers youth by providing hands-on experiences that inspires volunteers to serve as agents of social change, not only at the local level in diabetes communities abroad but in other areas of their lives as well. AYUDA volunteers go through a rigorous application and training process before partnering in-country with local diabetes organizations. Past projects included hosting camps for kids with diabetes, providing training for families affected by diabetes and outreach to communities on how to live happier, healthy lives. AYUDA volunteers serve during the summer month and applications for 2012 will be available soon.

“AYUDA is a unique volunteer organization in that it is very mission driven. They offer quality volunteer experiences, focused on youth empowerment and helping those affected by diabetes” says IVPA Executive Director Genevieve Brown. “We are excited to welcome them as a member of IVPA.”

“We are pleased be a part of the IVPA and to be joining other likeminded organizations that share our commitment to empowering volunteers and promoting local sustainability abroad,” Nicolass Cuttriss, Co-Founder of AYUDA added.

IVPA stands for quality and responsibility in the field of international volunteering. Organizations in the US are eligible for membership in IVPA if they meet IVPA’s Practices and Principles and have at least two years of incorporation.

About IVPA

The International Volunteer Programs Association (IVPA) is an association of non-governmental organizations involved in international volunteer work and internship exchanges. IVPA is an association of volunteer sending organizations but does not organize or run its own volunteer programs. IVPA stands for quality and responsibility in the field of international volunteer abroad programs. Members uphold the IVPA’s Principles and Practices as guidelines for good programming as well as meet stringent membership criteria

IVPA is excited to announce that registration is now open for organizations interested in having space at our 2011 Global Volunteering Fairs. Each fair will be a three-hour event where prospective volunteers can chat with representatives of international volunteer organizations as well as attend free workshops on international service topics.

Dates and Locations

Two IVPA Global Volunteering Fairs will be held this October in Washington DC and New York City:

Washington, DC (5:00-8:00pm on Tuesday, October 25)           

5:00-8:00pm @ St Stephen and the Incarnation Episcopal Church

1525 Newton Street NW, Washington, DC  20010

New York, NY (5:00-8:00pm on Thursday, October 27) ­­

5:00-8:00pm @ John Jay College of Criminal Justice*

899 Tenth Avenue, New York, NY  10019

* Tentative location

Registration

Participating organizations will receive:

• A 2×6-foot table in the main fair space
• Meals for two representatives
• Links to their organization, both on the fairs’ registration website (to be launched in September 2011) as well as in promotional outreach to thousands of potential international volunteers
• The opportunity to network with fellow volunteer-sending organizations

To register please contact IVPA or Erin Barnhart (erin(at)effectivealtruism.com)

Alexia Nestora of Voluntourism Gal and LAsso Communications has put together a great one-day conference on Voluntourism, June 28th in Denver, CO.

I am excited about the topics and the people. It looks like it will be a great event.

Take a look at her blog for more information.

One of our IVPA Members is in the running for the Chase”Big Ideas” contest $500,000 prize!

So support a great volunteer organization by getting on Facebook, liking the Chase Community Giving and vote for Amigos. Here is a link to the voting page: http://bit.ly/earoKX

Below is some information on Amigos and their “Big Idea”.

AMIGOS’ Big Idea is to empower young people to be leaders, today and tomorrow. With $500,000 we can open doors to one of this country’s most exciting and effective youth leadership programs. With $500,000, young people with big dreams from families with few resources will become agents of change, who facilitate meaningful, community-based growth. With $500,000, young people will return home after a life-changing experience within the Americas full of ideas and hope, and secure in the knowledge that they, too, can make a real impact in this global world of ours. With $500,000, a small idea that began 46 years ago – building communities through youth leadership development – can welcome hundreds of new faces of today’s Americas into a future that they will define. With $500,000, AMIGOS will strengthen intercultural relationships within the Americas and make it a better place – one young person at a time. Vote now to support the development of young leaders across the Americas!

Voting for Round 2 runs from May 19th through May 25th.

Winning this contest is a very attainable goal if we can get all Amigos and their networks to vote. Please vote now and forward this message on to your friends to help us win the biggest award yet, and all they have to do is click “Vote for AMIGOS” on Facebook!

I have recently seen an uptick in the interest of people volunteering abroad with their families, especially families with grade school age children. Part of the increased interest is I am sure due to Spring Break and the looming Summer Break but I think it is great that parents are wanting to give their children a new type of experience, one where they are actively involved in serving and creating cross-cultural understanding.

If you are interested in volunteering with your children one of the first steps would be to find an organization that can accommodate families. Not all volunteer sending organizations accept under age volunteers, even with a parent accompanying them. Every organization is different and while one organization may have the policy that only of 18 years and older, another might fully accept an 8 year old volunteer with his parent. Some organization might not have a specific age policy and so you would need to contact them to see if their programs would fit your family.

Some other things to think about are:

• Flexibility of the volunteer schedule
• Accommodations
• Vaccinations
• Food and water safety

From experience of working with families as they volunteer and even volunteering with my own family, it can be an eye opening experience. And while things may not go as smoothly as you envision it is an experience you never regret.

Some great IVPA members to look into that accommodate families are:

Cross-Cultural Solutions

Global Citizens Network

Global Service Corps

Globe Aware

Habitat for Humanity

Projects Abroad

ProWorld