What GVI Offers Students

GVI offers students the opportunity to engage in community development with an international team of trained professionals, to work alongside local communities on a range of sustainable initiatives, including ones that incorporate sports, construction, childcare, education, global health, or marine/terrestrial conservation. On our projects, students can make a sustainable impact with local communities on long-term projects, in beautiful locations such as India, Nepal, Laos, Thailand, Fiji, Greece, Seychelles, South Africa, Mexico, or Costa Rica.

For example, in northern Thailand, students have the opportunity to work with elephants rehabilitated from their work in tourist camps, and learn about elephant behavior, history, and the surrounding natural habitat in the local Karen community. Or, students can participate in individual and community development by teaching English to novice Buddhist monks in Laos, to enhance community members’ socio-economic status and access to education.

GVI projects provide students with practical experiences that provide enhanced skills in communication, flexibility, empathy, leadership, problem-solving, teamwork, adaptability, and critical thinking. These capacities contribute to professional development that will aid students in the workplace or in further education.

Why Go with GVI?

Going abroad with GVI will help students discover their interests while making a difference. Participating in an international experience with GVI will help students awaken their unique, individual passions, and then integrate them successfully into their future/career development. Program topics range from community development projects on women’s empowerment or global health, to biology projects on marine or wildlife conservation.

Our dedicated staff provides mentorship and advice throughout every step of the journey. From beginning to end, we will provide 360 support to ensure students have an experience with maximum impact for both their personal development, and for our local partners.

GVI Scholarships

GVI is offering high school and university students the opportunity to win two merit-based scholarships for the cost equivalent of a 2-week project on any GVI summer 2017 program. Two $500 scholarships will additionally be awarded to the second and third place applicants in each age category (under 18 and over 18).

Please note: all NSHSS members will receive 10% off of GVI programs (maximum of $500 USD), so be sure to inform our representatives of your membership with NSHSS. These discounts cannot be combined with a scholarship, and members applying for the discount must do so a minimum of 60 days prior to the program start date.

Testimonial  

“From improving my interpersonal and communication skills with partnering organizations, to gaining the techniques required to manage situations and responsibly supervise others, GVI helped me to develop a new lease of confidence in my own abilities. These strengths I have put into use since returning to work and have seen a great deal of improvement in how I approach, tackle and resolve tasks and challenges. My time with GVI confirmed for me that remaining involved and working towards a career in development is a journey I wish to take.”
- Sami Dawes, Seychelles