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PROJECTS ABROAD CELEBRATES ITS
20th ANNIVERSARY
The International Volunteer Placement Organization Has
Worked with Over 35,000 Volunteers to Date
NEW YORK – June 30, 2011 –
Projects Abroad, a leading international volunteer
placement organization and pioneer in the volunteer travel
niche, will commemorate its 20th anniversary in
2012. Founded by its Director Dr. Peter Slowe in 1992 in the
UK, Projects Abroad started with one office and a single
learning project in Romania. The organization has vastly
expanded its reach over the last 20 years, now featuring
more than 350 trained staffers throughout its 26
destinations,
recruitment offices in 17 countries,
and placing over 35,000 volunteers from 40 countries to
date.
Dr. Slowe recognized the growing interest of
students and professionals in taking academic and
work-related time-off. This emerging trend, coupled with the
growing number of developing countries in need of
self-funded volunteers, influenced Dr. Slowe to launch
Projects Abroad.
“We’re
looking forward to celebrating 20 years in the volunteer
travel sector,” said Founder and Director of
Projects Abroad,
Dr. Peter Slowe. “The
volunteers we place make a lasting impact on the individuals
they work with, and vice versa. Our organization is
committed to helping local communities in developing
countries and fostering cross-cultural understanding for
citizens of developed ones, which is why we continue to
encourage people of all ages to volunteer abroad.”
Following are a few fast facts regarding Projects Abroad’s
programs to date:
·
22,000
children helped by Projects Abroad volunteers in 108
orphanages worldwide.
·
320
schools, language centers and other organizations have
benefited from Teaching projects.
·
600,000
Olive Ridley, Leatherback, Hawksbill, Loggerhead and Green
Turtles have been protected on Conservation projects in
Mexico, Costa Rica and Peru.
·
173
orphanages, disabled centers and other organizations have
benefited from Care projects.
Projects Abroad continues to expand, now offering more than
200 projects in 26 countries, including Argentina, Bolivia,
Brazil, Cambodia, China, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Ethiopia,
Fiji, Ghana, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia,
Morocco, Nepal, Peru, Romania, Senegal, South Africa, Sri
Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo and Vietnam. Projects are
available to volunteers of all ages and range from Teaching
and Care to Archaeology and Conservation.
What’s New
Following Projects Abroad’s success in the UK, the
organization has helped lead the way in establishing the
“gap year” trend in the United States. Projects Abroad’s
formal “Global Gap” program, an innovative 27-week volunteer
program that will launch for the second year in October
2011, is designed for recent high school graduates taking a
year off before college. It consists of a one-week
orientation in Ghana, followed by one- to- two month
programs in South Africa, Peru, India and Thailand, as well
as a holiday break in the United States. Each program allows
volunteers to become involved in service projects that lend
insight into important global issues such as housing,
education, environmental conservation and human rights.
2012 will also mark the second year of Project Abroad’s
special one-week Alternative Spring Break Trips, which offer
the chance for motivated students to fit a short service
trip into their busy schedules. Options include Building,
Conservation, Care and Community projects in
easily-accessible destinations including Jamaica, Mexico,
Costa Rica and Morocco.
Costs for volunteer projects include
accommodation, food, airport transfers, full travel
insurance, medical insurance, in-country induction with a
staff member upon arrival, support and 24 hour back-up from
both local, US and Canadian staffers, a personalized
MyProjectsAbroad page, pre-departure support from a Desk
Officer by email and phone, and visa support if applicable.
For more information on Projects Abroad and its latest
offerings, visit
www.projects-abroad.org.
About Projects
Abroad
Projects Abroad was founded in 1992 by Dr. Peter Slowe, a
geography professor, as a program for students to travel and
work while on break from full-time study. The program had
its genesis in post-USSR Romania, where students were given
the chance to teach conversational English. After
a few years just sending volunteers to Eastern Europe for
teaching, the company expanded to sending volunteers of all
ages around the world on a wide range of projects.
Projects Abroad
is a global leader in short-term international volunteer
programs with projects in 26 countries and recruitment
offices in the UK, Australia, Canada, Denmark, France,
Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Holland, Hong Kong, Norway,
Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden and the United
States.
For details on
volunteering overseas, visit Projects Abroad’s website at
www.projects-abroad.org.
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