Information for Faculty and Advisors

Volunteer Service

IPSL students engage in volunteer service for 10–20 hours a week, immersing them in the culture and deepening their understanding of the society in a way that goes beyond traditional study abroad programs. Their service is directly linked to their academic work and is a vital part of the program experience, allowing them to field-test theories learned in the classroom. Service placements are based on their interests, skills, and goals, as well as community needs. For their service, they might:

Care for the poor, the disabled, the ill, the elderly, the young, or the troubled
Teach children, teens, adults— job skills, literacy, recreation, or ESL
Aid in community development in micro-business, human rights, health care, cultural heritage, environment, or women’s issues.

IPSL does not create service projects, nor do we award credit for volunteer service. We place students in agencies that grew out of the community and have stood the test of time in their usefulness to local people. Whether a school or orphanage, recreation, health care or education center, or a community development project, students can be sure that they will be supervised by a professional and that their agency is an established, respected and valued part of the community.

IPSL service is :

substantial
IPSL students serve 10-20 hours per week for a summer, semester, year, or 3-week session. They are considered by their agency to be a staff member, not just a drop-in observer, and are given responsibilities commensurate with such staff positions. Most IPSL students stay connected with their agencies after the program, continuing friendships and helping in various ways; many have returned after graduation to work at their agency in a professional capacity.

community-based
IPSL does not create service projects. Rather, we place students in agencies that grew out of the community and have stood the test of time in their usefulness to local people. Whether a school or orphanage; recreation, health care or education center; or a community development project, students can be sure that they will be supervised by a professional and that their agency is an established, respected and valued part of the community.

welcomed
IPSL places students only where they are wanted and where, in the host culture’s definition, there is a job for them to do. Many of our partner agencies have built their programs around IPSL volunteers.

individualized
Students’ interests and skills are matched to an agency’s need. Generally, no more than one or two students serve in one agency at a time.

transformative
Students tell us over and over how much their service experience has changed them. Not only do they discover talents and develop skills (including leadership), but they cultivate a deeper sense of compassion and social responsibility. They often return with clearer educational and career goals, determined to continue working for the greater good. Many have become leaders in fields related to social services, justice, teaching, health, and international relations.

Answers to questions students might ask about the service:

What kind of service will I do?

A wide variety of service placements is available in most locations. Often IPSL is able to respond to special requests. Specific examples are mentioned in each program description and may include: teaching/tutoring; health care (including the physically or mentally handicapped); youth recreation; helping the elderly; community development; cultural and heritage projects; environmental projects; women’s issues.

How will I be placed?

In all IPSL programs, service placements are made on an individualized basis by our in-country staff. Placements are based on the interests and skills students note in their application (including foreign language ability when applicable), the needs of the community and availability of positions, and on the experienced judgment of the in-country director. Safety and security are also taken into consideration. When possible, we inform students of their service assignments before departure.

Do I need special skills?

Some students bring existing skills to their service—for example, experience with health issues, recreation, or child care—and these are valued. But special skills are not required. Often the best service students can give is simply themselves—their presence, their helping hands, their willingness to be of use where needed. Students may be surprised that skills and characteristics they take for granted are indeed needed and valued.

How will I be supervised?

Students are supervised by the agency head or an appointed staff member. Each program also has a resident Program Director, often a member of the university staff or faculty, who monitors and guides the student’s service experience, responding to problems that might arise and helping them in their learning.

How is my service joined to the studies?

IPSL faculty encourage students to bring their service experiences and observations into the classroom and test them against the formal readings and theories being taught. Student papers and reports also incorporate their service experience. In most programs, students prepare a major paper using their service agency as a case study of the issues of the larger society and culture.

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