CREDIT: KAYLA WATSON
Kayla Watson had the opportunity to volunteer at Escuela La Victoria, a school in Liberia, Costa Rica last year. Watson is pictured here with three of the students she worked with on the last day she worked at the school.

Volunteering abroad can be the perfect adventure for anyone searching for an invaluable experience that benefits not only themselves but communities around the globe.

As a final placement, Fanshawe offers students in the Child and Youth Worker program, Early Childhood Education and Practical Nursing the opportunity to travel to Cost Rica in February this year.

Last year, trip organizers invited two Graphic Design students and one teacher on the trip to volunteer at an elementary school teaching art therapy. Graphic Design graduate Kayla Watson travelled to Liberia, Cost Rica with the group and said it was an eye-opener. "It was amazing, it was a bit traumatic — I went through a lot of culture shock — but it was generally awesome. I learned a lot about myself and what it's like to live in a different country with different standards. I've never travelled before this trip, I've never really been out of the country so it was shocking at first but it was worth it."

The annual trip began in 2008 and last year's included 26 people. Along with the other students, Watson stayed with a billet family in the village. She said she enjoyed the cultural experience of living in the village, but it was crammed at times as there were 12 individuals staying in the house that was no bigger than an average-sized apartment.

The school they worked in teaches around 450 children, ranging from Junior Kindergarten to Grade Six. Watson said her favourite part was the time spent with the children. "Of course working at the school and working with children and being able to see them smile and experience that with them … The school we were at was full of poverty and was one of the lower-end schools in Liberia. The level of poverty was quite shocking, but being able to offer those students an outsource for their emotions was awesome."

Shelley Masse is the coordinator of the Practical Nursing program and recognized the value of introducing art to the students. "It was really neat when Kayla and Craig brought out the art supplies, the kids would just run from all corners of the playground to be able to have some time to be creative, so it's definitely a need."

Students in the Practical Nursing program at Fanshawe stay for four weeks, and have the opportunity to work with inter-professional teams at the school to help children in need. Masse has been on the trip three times, and she said the students help children with a variety of problems. "Some of the histories of the children include extreme poverty, behavioural issues, hygiene issues, learning behaviours in the classroom, substance abuse within the parent structure, some don't have parents at all … Either recent or past history of sexual or physical abuse, parental neglect. So all of those issues have a great impact on the children." The Fanshawe students work to help identify the needs of the children and help them work through those issues.

Fanshawe's international student coordinator Krista Vogt said the value is priceless. "Volunteering overseas, you get your eyes opened to how other people live, you find out that common sense is not very common. Everyone does things really differently and I think you get to know yourself by getting to know different people and strange environments."

Masse agreed, "It certainly gives students a very different perspective on life, on children specifically, because of the work that they do. Many of the students, when they come back, they continue to look at humanitarian options both locally and globally."

Vogt added that it's also a great resume builder. "Some of the programs for working overseas you need to have a Bachelor's degree or you need to have five years' experience … so getting those work opportunities can be difficult. Volunteering, they'll take the people who are willing to do it, so you end up doing some amazing stuff. Often volunteering you can do stuff that you wouldn't be able to be hired for, and that will actually help you get hired in the future because you gain that experience."

Now a graphic designer at Arcane, a marketing agency in London, Watson agreed that it benefited her career as well. "Going and having that experience and being more open-minded makes a big difference, especially in the working world and having stuff like that on your resume is a big bonus."

Vogt recognized that opportunities to volunteer abroad with Fanshawe are slim. "One of the challenges is that travelling abroad costs money, so getting students who are already struggling and trying to just pay for their textbooks and courses to say, 'Hey do you have another $5,000? Let's go do something?' It's tough." Vogt said she is hoping to open up more international opportunities like this for Fanshawe students. Although it's still in the works, she did mention that the University of Belize approached her and wants to develop a summer volunteer program with Fanshawe students.

If you're eager to volunteer abroad as soon as possible, there are other several other opportunities available in the community. Whether you're interested in building houses, helping out in a school or on a wildlife reserve, there's something for everyone.

For more information on companies that volunteer abroad, visit tinyurl.com/studentsvolunteerabroad