International Student Volunteers

Template:Short description Template:Template otherInternational Student Volunteers (ISV) was a non-profit organization originally based in Yorba Linda, California. The organization was dissolved in 2018. Originally founded under the name Youth in Action, the organization operated on a voluntary basis and provided educational and travel programs for university students.

Since ISV's inception in 2002, over 40,000 students have traveled with the group, volunteering for projects in Australia, New Zealand, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Romania, Croatia, Bosnia, the United States, Thailand, Ecuador, and South Africa.

Program

Volunteer projects

Participants undergo a two-week program in small groups led by an ISV Project Leader, collaborating with local grassroots organizations to enhance the local environment or support community welfare.

ISV partners with organizations like Habitat for Humanity, Conservation International, and Conservation Volunteers Australia.

Projects undertaken by ISV encompass conservation, humanitarian efforts, or a blend of both, such as projects regarding children's education, environmental conservation, wildlife surveys, English teaching, and construction initiatives. ISV has established long-term partnerships with organizations like the Wild Mountains Trust, focusing on environmental education in Australia.

Adventure tour

The program's second component consists of two weeks of travel, exploration, discovery, and adventure in the host country. The tour is run and operated by ISV with an ISV Tour Leader. Participants travel through their host country and learn about the environment and culture of the country while taking part in activities such as white water rafting, city tours, horseback riding, snorkeling, glacier treks, waterfall rappelling, and cultural shows.

Academic credit

As of 2023, 350 universities have offered academic credit through independent study to almost 2,000 student ISV participants. Universities in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia provide academic credits by an ISV Program Syllabus that the accrediting institutions approve. The educational focus is on Natural Resource Management and Sustainable Development, with an emphasis on the program's opportunities for experiential education in an international volunteer setting. However, the program accepts participants aged 18 and above, regardless of whether they earn credits. The program incorporates group discussions, daily journaling, guest speakers, and other interpersonal activities.

ISV has been criticized by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, "[ISV] mislead students about the possibility of earning academic credit...with no sense of a university's processes or the likelihood that a student will receive credit."

Recognition

ISV has been selected as one of the top ten volunteer organizations in the world by the International Voluntary Service Task Force, part of the US Center for Citizen Diplomacy. In 2011, the organization received the award for Outstanding Project of the Year by the World Youth Student and Travel Confederation (WYSTC) in Barcelona for its San Juanillo Sustainable Development project in Costa Rica. In 2013, it was among the top three positions for the Happy Feet Children's Development project in South Africa. It was a runner-up in 2014 for Blue Moon, a community development and children's health education program in the Dominican Republic.

Most of ISV’s participants are university students based in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. The program is offered during the summer months (Northern and Southern Hemisphere summers) and consists of two or four-week programs in selected countries. ISV also offers three-week-long high school programs for students aged 15 to 18 in Costa Rica, Thailand, the Dominican Republic, and New Zealand.

See also

• Volunteer travel