International volunteerism and study abroad programs have emerged on college campuses as necessities of a well-rounded education. Today, for students to grasp the global concepts of "appropriate technology," "transnational corporations," and the "global economy," they must have real-world understanding of the cross-cultural contexts for business, the arts, and general scholarship. To live, work, and dream in this interconnected world, we must relate to different people, cultures and lifestyles seamlessly and respectfully.

Global Volunteers' full-time service-learning opportunities prepare students for life, and for life-long learning. As an early pioneer of short-term volunteerism abroad, we built our development partnerships worldwide. So today, our international service programs are integrated into study abroad curricula, semester coursework, field research, and independent study components on many campuses. Our unique Philosophy of Service guides our efforts in:

• Working by invitation and under the direction of local leaders
• Working hand-in-hand with local people
• Assisting community-based projects
• Contributing to the community's long-term development plan
  

Years before "service-learning" became a common term in higher education, Global Volunteers' coined the term "servant learner" to describe our methods of working with, and learning from local people worldwide.

Further, we support our host communities year around through a steady stream of volunteer effort, direct project funding and child and classroom sponsorships. In this way, students, working within our structured development partnership, can make a genuine, lasting contribution and gain a profound and informed global perspective.