1. Summer Volunteering
Teen Adventures and Family Excursions
W EBINARS
Tuesday, March 20th
3:30-4:30 p.m. EST
www.crossculturalsolutions.org

2. Agenda
• Introductions
• Recognized Leader
• About CCS
• About our Home-Bases
• Our Dedication to Safety
• Sustainable Volunteer Work
• Benefits of Cultural & Learning Activities
• The Importance of Free-Time
• Family Volunteering & Impact
• Teen Volunteer Abroad
• The Value of a CCS Program
• Questions?
• Next Steps

3. Introductions
Claire Boyce
Program Advisor
Alumna of
CCS Costa Rica & Guatemala
Alexandra Raab
Program Advisor
Alumna of
CCS Guatemala & Tanzania

4. A Recognized Leader
Over 17 years and 28,000 volunteers
• 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
• No religious or political affiliations
• Excellence in International Volunteering
• 99% of CCS volunteers who completed an
evaluation rated their overall program
experience as "Excellent" or “Above Average."
• 99% of the local projects we work with rated
the volunteers' overall impact as "Highly
Positive" or "Positive.“
• Over 75% of our volunteers agree to
represent CCS, and share stories about their
CCS experience with others.
• Strong Credibility
• Exec. Director chairs Building Bridges
Coalition buildingbridgescoalition.org
• Member of IVPA volunteerinternational.org
• Special Consultative Status with the UN
• Leader among peer organizations

5. About CCS
• Types of Programs
• Volunteer Abroad (2-12 weeks)
• Insight Abroad (1 week)
• Teen Volunteer Abroad (1-3 weeks)
• Intern Abroad (4-12 weeks)
OUR VALUES are:
• 12 Countries Shared Humanity
When people of different cultures have an
opportunity to connect, there comes an
• Summer start dates are filling up quick! understanding of our shared humanity.
• Program Fee (Starts at $1,700) Respect
We accept, appreciate and respect that
• China, Russia, Guatemala at a people know and understand what is
appropriate for their own communities.
discounted rate!
Integrity
We commit to ensuring the safety,
• CCS staff departure support flexibility, professionalism, transparency
and excellence of our programs.

6. Turn an Ordinary Summer into an
Extraordinary One
Summer Advantages
• Peak Time: Meet the most amount of fellow volunteers
• Cool off in Latin America: Southern hemisphere is cooler during the
summer time!
• Teen Volunteer Abroad only available during the Summer
• Summer internships also available to advance your career
• Groups – Faculty-led groups are most common during the Summer
months

7. A Typical Experience as a CCS Volunteer

8. The CCS Experience: Home-Base
Learn a new recipe…
• All accommodations are taken care of once you step off the plane
• Safe food and drinking water
• Able to accommodate dietary restrictions or food-related health concerns
• 24-hour staff availability
• You’ll have some of the best conversations with our cooks & drivers!
• Safety is our #1 priority…

9. Dedication to Safety
Explore a new neighborhood
Safety is our #1 Priority
• Program Sites chosen based on safety and
security
• Rigorous in-country staff training; extensive
emergency procedures
• Home-Base is cornerstone of safe
infrastructure
• Safe residential neighborhood
• Safe healthy meals; safe drinking water
• 24 hour security
• CCS Drivers and vehicles
• Comprehensive Travel Medical Insurance
• Safety at Volunteer Placements
• Free Time safety

10. The CCS Experience:
Volunteer Work
Explore a new definition of service
• Local Partner Programs
• Sustainable community development
• Volunteer Placements Available
• Caring for Infants & Children
• Caring for the Elderly
• Caring for People with Disabilities
• Teaching Children
• Teaching Conversational English
• Assisting Teachers of Special Education
• Observing & Assisting Local Health
Professionals
• Working with People Affected by HIV/AIDS
• Working towards Women's Empowerment

11. The CCS Experience:
Cultural & Learning Activities
Take a hike… on new ground
Cultural Immersion: An Insiders Perspective
• Orientation
• Learn the language
• Explore the culture with our staff;
always age appropriate
• Guest speakers from the local community
• Museums and landmarks
• Markets
• Feedback session

12. The CCS Experience: Free Time
Afternoons, evenings & weekends are for you!
• Weekend travel
• Excursions & local attractions
• Shopping
Brazil:
Zip line in Salvador!
Russia:
See a play in St. Petersburg!
Peru:
Visit Machu Picchu! Go to the beach … in another continent!

13. Families in Action
We welcome families of all sizes!
• Minimum age for children: 8 years old
(10 years old in Russia & Morocco)
• All children are eligible for a discount!
• Extensive pre-departure support
Questions to consider:
• Is my family open to traveling?
• Do my children understand the
impact of service & volunteering?
• Are we looking for a city or a small
town?
• Are my children learning a
language?

14. The Impact of Family Volunteering

15. The Teen Volunteer Abroad Experience
Overview
• Ages 14 to 17
• Countries
• Xi’an, China (1 date left!)
• Orosi, Costa Rica (full)
• Volta Region, Ghana
• Tepcán, Guatemala
For an in-depth overview of teen countries: • Western Cape, South Africa (full)
www.crossculturalsolutions.org/webinars • Suphanburi, Thailand (new!)
• Safety is our #1 priority
• Cultural and language immersion
• Supervised and Structured Free Time
• Team-building adventures
• Application process

16. Teen Volunteer Abroad: Volunteer Work
Volunteer work structure for Teens
• Group volunteering
• Project-based; Designed with the goal of
accomplishing the project within the 1-3
week program
• About four to five hours a day
• Examples:
• Teaching English at a local school
• Painting murals in an orphanage
• Playing sports and teaching arts and
crafts at a school for children with
disabilities
• Planting a garden in an elderly center
• Participating in recreational activities
with the community.
• Urban art photography project

17. Value of a CCS Program
ANNUAL BREAKDOWN What Your Program Fee Covers
OF PROGRAM FEE
• Breakdown of expenses
• Food, Lodging, Transportation, & Staff
Support: 51%
• Outreach: 15%
• Program Development &
Management: 13%
• Volunteer Coordination: 12%
• General & Administrative: 9%
• Tax Deductible
• Program fees are 100% tax-deductible
for U.S. residents
• Our Dedication to Transparency
• Transparency Document
crossculturalsolutions.org/program-fee

18. Questions?

19. FOR MORE WEBINARS:
w w w. c r o s s c u l t u r a l s o l u t i o n s . o r g / w e b i n a r s
Determine where, when, and for how long you
Next want to volunteer:
http://www.crossculturalsolutions.org/enroll/enroll-checklist
Steps Contact a Program Advisor
1-800-380-4777, Monday-Friday, 9am-6pm EST
Claire: claire@crossculturalsolutions.org
Alexandra: alexandra@crossculturalsolutions.org
Stay In Touch Upcoming Events
• Evanston, IL, March 24th
ccscommunity.org
• Long Beach, CA, March 29th
facebook.com/crossculturalsolutions
• Midland, MI, March 30th
twitter.com/volunteerabroad
• San Francisco, CA, April 13th
youtube.com/ccsvolunteerabroad
Find more events:
www.crossculturalsolutions.org/events