Many volunteer workers have questioned their efforts and wondered if their actions truly made a difference. Questions about the state of the world, making a positive impact, health, safety, and creating authentic, lasting change are at the heart of international volunteering.
This book is a comprehensive guide for those who are currently volunteering or seeking to volunteer internationally. It demonstrates that with the right tools and knowledge, it is possible to make authentic, lasting change. The book offers timely knowledge for volunteering in an era when the world has never been better off, but where current developments are not reaching everyone who still lives in poverty.

Elizabeth C. Medlin has volunteered and traveled throughout the Americas and Europe. Passionate about international volunteering after researching and volunteering during Study Abroad in Guatemala, she currently volunteers virtually with the international organization Statistics Without Borders.

Elizabeth C. Medlin
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 240
Bibliographic Info: 6 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2023
pISBN: 978-1-4766-9107-7
eISBN: 978-1-4766-4900-9
Imprint: Toplight

Acknowledgments vi
Preface 1
Part 1—What Drives the New International Volunteer
I. The State of the World 6
II. Making an Impact 25
III. Success 34
IV. Motivations 56
Part 2—Best Practices for New International Volunteers
V. Local Involvement 70
VI. Core Project Strategy 82
VII. Donations 100
Part 3—What Volunteers Need to Know About International Volunteering
VIII. Health 116
IX. Safety 128
X. Choosing the Right Trip 135
Part 4—Looking Toward the Future with New International Volunteering
XI. Making Systemic Change 152
XII. Navigating the Future of New International Volunteering 163
XIII. Where to Go from Here 173
Chapter Notes 193
Bibliography 213
Index 231