volunteering

Madeline Marquardt is a writer, photographer, and paddler currently based in Grand Marais, Minnesota. She has worked as a sea kayaking guide in the Apostle Islands, English teacher in Armenia, and paddled and hiked extensively throughout the Lake Superior Region and state of Michigan. You can find her at madelinemarquardt.com, where she writes about the outdoors and adventure travel.

Note: This interview is part of a series from Learning Service.

Emily is a Registered Nurse with extensive experience volunteering abroad. She believes that travel can change the world for the better—if we do it right—and she's passionate about helping people find ways to give back to the communities they visit.

I stumbled onto volunteering abroad by accident when a friend recommended it to me. I had never considered it beforehand. So I entered the world of volunteering with very little information and learnt that there’s only so much research you can do. 

Note: This interview is part of a series from Learning Service.

Supporting the local communities of places we visit as tourists and travellers is a great way to give back, show your appreciation, and receive a warm welcome from the locals. After all, we’re visitors in their hometowns, so the least we can do is show respect and offer support in simple yet impactful ways. Wondering how you can give back on your travels and make yourself a better traveller?

The many ways that volunteering abroad can be harmful are being exposed in the media with increasing frequency.

Text by Joanna York:

My name is Josh Moshenberg, and I'm a 17 year old photographer from Toronto. I have been in love with three things since I was very young: photography, travel, and helping the world. The journey to Kenya I just embarked on was an amazing mix of all three of those things. 

Do something adventurous this summer: volunteer your skills in West Africa

"Education is a human right with immense power to transform."
- Kofi Annan

The Street Child International Teacher Training Programme will give you a chance to get hands-on with education work, travel to some of the most remote parts of Sierra Leone and Liberia, and discover beautiful West Africa.

In recent years, the concept of voluntourism has been popular all over the world, as it has so many benefits. In its simplest sense, it is a combination of volunteering and traveling. You go on a vacation not just to explore the beauty of certain destination, but to also share your efforts and do good deeds for the local community.

Interested in trying it? Below are five of the places where you can do this.