Looking for a fresh start, wanting to support global communities, and hoping to take your personal development to the next level in 2027?
There’s no time like the present to think about personal development, and by volunteering abroad, you can grow while working towards a better world.
Take this opportunity to safely step out of your comfort zone on one of our top-rated volunteer abroad programmes, suitable for participants of all ages. Make 2027 the year you learn new skills and expand your global perspective, all with the support of our staff.
You travel for as long as you like, from a one-week volunteer trip to a full gap year adventure. Whatever you do, you won’t regret it!
1) Reduce plastic pollution
Our planet is drowning in plastic pollution. It’s up to us to stop it.
Every year, we produce 300 million tonnes of plastic. Of that, 8 million tonnes end up in our oceans.
Plastic waste is catastrophic for the thousands of species that encounter it. It can choke marine life or get stuck in their stomach. This causes a ripple effect, disrupting fishing, food supply, tourism, and the entire marine ecosystem.
On many of our Marine Conservation Projects, we’re working closely with local communities and experts to tackle this urgent problem. As a volunteer, you could help with beach clean-ups and salvage dives or run awareness campaigns to reduce single-use plastic consumption and encourage recycling.
Here are some of our best Conservation volunteer abroad programmes:
- Do conservation work along the coast of Thailand
- Focus on shark conservation in Fiji
- Whale and Dolphin Conservation in Tenerife, Spain
2) Empower women
In the last few years, we’ve seen an increase in women across the globe speaking out for their rights. From #MeToo to huge marches across the world, women are determined to have their voices heard.
There’s still a lot of work to be done. If you’re passionate about women’s rights, you can help us promote them in countries and communities that need it most.
The best volunteer programmes overseas to support women in 2027 are:
- Women’s Empowerment in Tanzania, where you’ll raise awareness of gender equality.
- Micro-finance in Tanzania, where you’ll advise female entrepreneurs to help their businesses grow.
- Human Rights in Tanzania or Argentina, where you’ll raise awareness of issues like domestic violence and gender inequality.
Women have always endured, and they are powerful. We want women around the world to thrive, whether standing up for human rights or taking a step towards owning a business and becoming financially independent.
With your help on a volunteer programme abroad, we can create communities supported by strong, independent women.
3) Improve literacy
Literacy is a fundamental skill that forms the foundation of a good education. Despite rising literacy rates, many children around the world get left behind. Classrooms around the world are overcrowded, meaning many children do not get the support they need.
Read more: Global education and its challenges
English is also the global language of business, and not speaking it can severely limit job opportunities in the modern world. This makes it much harder to then break through economic and social barriers.
You can make a difference by providing vital support in the classroom. By working with local teachers, you’ll help identify students who are falling behind and teach English through educational games. You’ll be able to give them extra attention to ensure they succeed.
If you want to provide a brighter future to children, find out more about our teaching projects in:
- Costa Rica
- Jamaica
- Sri Lanka (where you will teach monks!)
- Nepal
4) Fight wildlife poaching
Animal life on Earth faces all sorts of threats, but none are greater than humanity. Be it through poaching, mistreatment, or climate change, we are responsible for the devastating decline in animal populations globally.
That’s why it’s so important to take a stand where you can. The good news is, you can make a real difference through practical volunteer work with animals all over the globe.
You could:
- Conserve African wildlife in Kenya
- Help with anti-poaching work in Botswana
- Protect endangered sea turtles in Mexico
- Elephant, Gibbon & Forest Conservation in Thailand for Teenagers
In Kenya and Botswana, you’ll work in a protected reserve, helping qualified, passionate staff with poaching patrols. You’ll remove wire snares, the silent killers in the poacher’s arsenal.
In Mexico, you’ll join night patrols to spot newly laid sea turtle nests. You’ll collect the eggs before poachers get to them. Back at the camp, you’ll bury the eggs in protected nests and help with releasing the turtles once they hatch.
In Thailand, you’ll support the local community in rehabilitating elephants that have retired from the tourism industry, where they are often abused and mistreated.
Join one of these volunteer programmes around the world and take a stand against poaching.
5) Expand reforestation
Trees are the lungs of our planet, they help reduce climate change by absorbing carbon emissions. Planting trees is the perfect way to mitigate the effects of climate change, and we have a few projects where this is a key part of the experience.
We also plant a tree for every single participant that travels with us, no matter what field they choose to volunteer in!
If you want to get involved, we recommend one of our best overseas volunteer programmes:
On this project, you’ll live and work in the heart of the lush Amazon Rainforest. You’ll also help conserve this precious ecosystem. As part of your work, you’ll plant and study mahogany trees, which absorb plenty of carbon dioxide and act as a vital habitat for many species.
6) Provide free healthcare
Access to quality healthcare is one of our basic human rights. However, millions of people around the world still struggle to get the medical care they need.
A lack of funds and transport are some of the leading causes of this, which is especially true in remote areas that are far from health centres.
This is where you can help. We have a range of volunteer medical programmes around the world, where you can support local professionals in providing free healthcare to people in need.
You can volunteer in medical fields like:
As a medical volunteer or intern, you’ll get exposure to your medical field in a professional setting while also supporting healthcare efforts in local communities.
Read more: see the numbers behind our medical work
7) Build up communities
Do you want to use your own hands to make a difference? Building schools, community centres, toilet blocks, and houses is a tangible way to help support communities.
If you find changing a light bulb daunting and you can’t name half the tools in a toolbox, don’t worry! Local builders and artisans will teach you everything you need to know to contribute. They’ll oversee all your work, and our local staff will always be there to support you.
We recommend the following volunteer building programmes:
Join at any age
In case you were wondering, age doesn’t matter when it comes to joining our volunteer abroad programmes. We believe that everyone can make a difference.
Our Volunteer Abroad & International Internship opportunities are suitable for anyone over 16. We also have specialised projects if you’d like to volunteer with people your own age.
Take a look at our:
- Fully supervised High School Programmes for those aged 14 to 18
- Our exciting range of Gap Programmes for those aged 17 to 24
- Specialist trips for Over 50s
We have projects for everyone that cover a range of interests, no matter your skills or experience level.
Join us on a reliable volunteer abroad programme in 2027 and let it be the year that you help make our world a better place. Get in touch with a Project Expert to discuss your requirements!