If you're wondering what a "day in the life" of a Global Volunteer might be, take a moment to review short videos of volunteers talking about their experiences! Below is a general schedule for an average work day in a Global Volunteers partner community.

You'll be working a a full-day project. This may mean your assignment is in one or many locations. However, you'll be engaged, on average, eight hours a day in work preparations and the work project to provide maximum value to the host community.

Following your team orientation on the weekend you arrive - conducted by Global Volunteers local staff and host organization representatives, project leaders and consultants - you begin work. Each work day follows this general itinerary (times are approximate):

7:00 - 7:30AM: Breakfast at hotel

7:30 - 8:00AM: Morning Meeting - This morning gathering orients the team to the day's priorities and volunteers' concerns. The team journal is read and announcements are made. The country manager reviews the specific project assignments for each volunteer and the general schedule for the day. Several times a week, other activities, such as free time options, lectures, special events, etc. are reviewed.Volunteers are updated daily on any new and/or important information pertaining to either the week's work projects, messages from the U.S. office, news in the host country, or developments in the service program.

8:00 - 8:30AM: Transportation to the work site

8:30 - 12:00: Work on project assignments

12:00 - 1:00 PM: Midday meal at work site or hotel

1:00 - 5:00 PM: Work project - (if teaching, the afternoon may be used for class preparations)

5:00 - 5:30 PM: Transportation to hotel

6:00 - 7:00 PM: Evening meal at hotel or local restaurants. Volunteers may be invited to local homes

7:00 - 10 PM: Free Time or team event

In order to comply with IRS tax-deduction requirements and to fulfill our on-going commitment to the host organizations, Global Volunteers ensures that volunteers follow this general work schedule. Weekends and evenings are available for exploring the area's cultural and educational opportunities. Volunteers are encouraged to participate in free-time activities as a group or independently. Oftentimes, team members are invited by local people to join them at community events - weddings, parties, community celebrations, etc.

"When I get home I know that everyone is going to ask me if I had fun in Jamaica. How am I going to answer that? Of course I had fun - but I also gained so much more from this trip--things that cannot be taught or learned in a classroom. And that's why, no matter how I am feeling, I'm able to smile when I wake up in the morning and smile when I go to sleep at night. This has been one of the greatest experiences of my life!"
~ Terri Beier, Jamaica volunteer