International Student Volunteers
International Student Volunteers
AbbreviationISV
Formation2002
FounderRandy Skykes
Founded atYorba Linda, California, U.S.
TypeVoluntourism, non-profit organization, non-governmental organization
Legal statusOrganization
PurposeHumanitarian
HeadquartersYorba Linda, California, U.S.
Location
Region
North America, South East Asia, Oceania, Europe, South America
LeaderRandy Skykes
Students
125,000
Websitehttps://isvolunteer.org/
Formerly called
Youth In Action

International Student Volunteers (ISV) is a non-profit organization located in Yorba Linda, California, that operates on a voluntary basis. The organization provides educational volunteer and travel adventure programs designed for university students and youth on a global scale.

Presently, ISV conducts programs in various countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, South Africa, and Thailand. Each country where ISV operates has its own dedicated office. Moreover, ISV has founded International Student Volunteers Pty Ltd, with its headquarters situated in Sydney, Australia.


Founded in 2002 by Randy Sykes[1] under the name Youth in Action, ISV has been offering volunteering and adventure programs since then. Overall, more than 40,000 students have travelled with ISV and contributed nearly 4 million hours of volunteering to projects in Australia, New Zealand, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Romania, Croatia, Bosnia, the United States, Thailand, Ecuador and South Africa.[2] 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.[3] In 2011, ISV 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, was among the top three positions for the Happy Feet Children's Development project in South Africa and 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 ISV program is open to all individuals aged 18 and above, and is not limited to students. The program is offered during the summer months (both Northern and Southern Hemisphere summers) and is composed of two- or four-week programs in selected countries. ISV also offers three-week high school programs for students aged between 15 and 18 in Costa Rica, Thailand, the Dominican Republic and New Zealand.[4]

The program

Volunteer project

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

ISV partners with organizations like Habitat for Humanity, Conservation International, and Conservation Volunteers Australia, alongside its own grassroots projects. Each project undergoes thorough evaluation for safety and sustainability.

Projects encompass conservation, humanitarian efforts, or a blend of both. Examples include children's education, environmental conservation, wildlife surveys, teaching English, and construction initiatives. ISV has established long-term partnerships with organizations like the Wild Mountains Trust, focusing on environmental education in Australia, with a decade-long collaboration involving ISV volunteers.[5]

Adventure Tour

The second component of the program consists of two weeks of travel, exploration, discovery, and adventure in the host country. Tour group sizes are generally larger, bringing together multiple project groups to meet and interact on the tour component. The tour is run and operated by ISV with an ISV Tour Leader. Participants travel throughout 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.[6] Universities in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia offer academic credits in accordance with an ISV Program Syllabus that has is approved by the accrediting institutions. The educational focus is on Natural Resource Management and Sustainable Development, with emphasis on the program's opportunities for experiential education in an international volunteer setting.

However, it is an educational program for all participants regardless of whether they earn credits. The program incorporates group discussions, daily journaling, guest speakers, and other interpersonal experiences to facilitate and encourage participants to gain as much as possible from their experience.

Other points of interest

ISV is committed to developing active global citizens who embrace a lifestyle of volunteering. ISV offers participating students a "Global Volunteer Citizens Award" if the student completes 20 hours of volunteering in their own community when they return home from an ISV Program. Similarly, participants in the United States may receive the President's Volunteer Service Award when completing an additional 20 hours of volunteering in their community.

Because ISV is a California-based non-profit public benefit corporation 501(c), students residing in the USA may also raise funds for the program thorough tax-deductible sponsorship donations. ISV is registered as a non-profit organization with the IRS in Yorba Linda, California.[7] This is also where their United States office is located. As of November 2023, International Student Volunteers holds a Better Business Bureau rating of 'A+' and has been accredited on their website since 1998.[8]

ISV appears as a resource in the Lonely Planet: Costa Rica guidebook.[9] ISV is also discussed in a book[10] that investigates the growing industry of volunteer travel.[11]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Sykes, Randy (2014). "Randy Sykes | International Student Volunteers Staff Interview". gobroad.com.
  2. ↑ "INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS VOLUNTEER - ISV.ORG". Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  3. ↑ "International Voluntary Service Task Force". US Center for Citizen Diplomacy. 2010. Retrieved 2 November 2010.
  4. ↑ International Volunteer Abroad Programs for Students | ISV. Isvolunteers.org (2013-04-08). Retrieved on 2013-07-26.
  5. ↑ "International Student Volunteers". Wild Mountains Trust. Archived from the original on 28 July 2011. Retrieved 3 March 2011.
  6. ↑ "Academic Credit - INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS VOLUNTEER". 2022-07-04. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  7. ↑ "IRS.gov: International Student Volunteers". IRS.gov Search For Charities. IRS.gov. Retrieved 3 March 2011.
  8. ↑ "International Student Volunteers Inc | Better Business Bureau® Profile". www.bbb.org. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  9. ↑ Vorhees, Mara; Firestone, Matthew (2006). Lonely Planet: Costa Rica. Lonely Planet. p. 542. ISBN 978-1-74104-463-8.
  10. ↑ Lyons & Wearing (2008). Journeys of Discovery in Volunteer Tourism. CABI. pp. 49–58. ISBN 978-1-84593-380-7.
  11. ↑ Volunteer tourism: A global analysis. ATLAS: Tourism Research and Marketing. 2008. ISBN 978-90-75775-34-1.
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