Workcamps Sponsored by Quaker Organizations and Others

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Workcamps have been a valued form of service for Friends for several generations. The lists below include some workcamp opportunities that are sponsored by Quaker organizations, as well as many more sponsored by a variety of other organizations.

The Quaker Information Center cannot investigate and endorse these opportunities. Nor do we have the staffing to update these pages as often as we would like. So we urge you to double-check any information you find here. We welcome updates and corrections at info@quakerinfo.org.

*International Workcamp Directory provides over 3000 opportunities of service in 90 different countries. Contact them via telephone at (802) 598-0052, email or visit the website's contact page.  

*AidCamps International offers volunteers the opportunity to participate in ~2-3 week work in a developing country.  The volunteer work consists of grassroots projects such as building schools and medical centers. Contact AidCamps via e-mail or visit their website's contact page.

  • For current individual volunteer opportunities with AidCamps International, visit here.  For current group volunteer opportunities with AidCamps International, visit here. 

*African Great Lakes Initiative (AGLI) of the Friends Peace Teams strengthens, supports, and promotes peace activities at the grassroots level in the Great Lakes region of Africa. Their volunteer opportunities are described here.   To contact AGLI, e-mail, or visit their contact page.  

*Alliance of European Voluntary Service Organisations is an international, non-governmental, youth organization that represents national organizations which promote intercultural education, understanding and peace through voluntary service. The projects -- including environmental, construction, renovation, social, cultural, and archaeological work -- generally last 2-3 weeks and consist of about 10-20 volunteers drawn from a number of countries.

International volunteer projects are organized in each country by a national Alliance member, which also recruits volunteers within that country. All Alliance members place only individuals residing in their own country on projects. Therefore, interested volunteers should only contact their national Alliance member. In the USA, the Alliance member organization is:

*Baladna is an Arab youth organization founded to give Arab youth in Israel a non-partisan, comfortable forum for youth activities and informal education, centering on a discussion of identity. A registered non-profit organization, Baladna aims to strengthen Arab youth's understanding of democracy and gender equality, to foster pluralism and tolerance, and to enable a discussion and debate about Arab Palestinian history, grievances, and culture. Periodically Baladna offers workcamps.  To find out more information, click here or contact via email.

*Biosphere Expeditions offers hands-on, non-profit conservation expeditions for everyone. Expeditions are open to all and there are no special skills required to join; there are also no age limits. The projects last for ~1-2 weeks. Projects work with local scientists and people from the host country, teams are small and support is provided by an expedition leader from Biosphere Expeditions.   Click here for more information about expeditions and availability.  Contact the Head Office located in the UK via e-mail or the North American Office here.    

*Casa de Los Amigos a Quaker peace and hospitality center in Mexico City seeks volunteers to serve 3-12 months.  There are many different volunteer opportunities to foster community, build peace, and live simply. Visit this webpage for up-to-date volunteer information.   Accommodations are provided and Spanish proficiency is required for some of the volunteer projects.  Contact via e-mail or request more information here.

*Church of the Brethren offers summer workcamps for young adults and youth, as well as intergenerational workcamps. Custom workcamps are possible for extended families and individual congregations.  To find out more information about the various projects and locations, visit here.   For specific questions or to request a brochure about the workcamps, contact via e-mail.

*Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service (CCIVS) is an international, non-governmental organization.  It provides a link between voluntary organizations which run workcamps for durations as short as 2 days or as long as 1 year.  CCIVS as a coordinating body does not recruit volunteers. Those who are interested in volunteering must directly contact CCIVS member organizations in their own country which propose activities within the country and abroad.  Interested volunteers should only contact their national CCIVS member. In the USA, the Alliance member organizations are:

*Costa Rica Study Tours offers an opportunity to visit a Quaker community in Monteverde, Costa Rica. Every January, there is a trip especially created for F/friends to learn more about the country.   The organization also offer custom tours and educational experiences.   To learn more, e-mail or visit their website.

*Cross-Cultural Solutions offers international programs to volunteer, intern, or take a gap year abroad.  Opportunities to volunteer include individual and group opportunities.  Lengths of stay range from 1-12 weeks.  For up-to-date volunteer opportunities, visit here.  Contact the organization to get more information and live chat, or e-mail.

*Friends United Meeting is an international association of Friends (Quaker) organized for effective Christian ministry. Founded in 1902, FUM includes 20 yearly meetings (regional associations of Friends), and affiliated organizations, and sponsors ministries in Kenya, Belize, Cuba, Jamaica, Palestine, Russian, ministries and Chicago. Periodic work teams visit mission sites for projects usually lasting one to two weeks. To determine if a mission trip is coming up, email FUM.  

*Green Lion was founded in 1998 in Thailand under the name 'Greenway,' the organization is a trendsetter in developing exciting and meaningful travel programs.  It offers the opportunity to participate in volunteer opportunities that range from programs in education and community support/development to wildlife and environmental conservation.  Find out more about up-to-date opportunities, click here.  For questions and to learn more, fill out their contact form or send an e-mail.  

*Group Misson Trips offers Christian youth workcamps for 400 or more young people to perform hands-on home repair projects for needy families during the summer. Group Mission Trips, a nonprofit organization has helped over 185,000 students and adult leaders stretched their faith, completing more than 31,000 service projects around the United States and abroad. Visit here for more information about current volunteer opportunities and prices.  For questions, contact Group Mission Trips via e-mail or visit their contact page.  

*International Youth Workcamps (CADIP) facilitates international short and long term volunteer project. Workcamps vary from working in orphanages to working on nature conservation. Working and living together with other young people from around the world provides an excellent opportunity to make many new friends, learn about unknown places and cultures, and gain new skills and experience. One to two-week opportunities are regularly available year-round in over 30 countries while longer-term projects are available in over a dozen countries. To ask questions and get more information about CADIP, visit their contact page.  

*Jackson Area Ministries (JAM) operates summer workcamp programs of various lengths from June and July in Appalachian Ohio. Volunteer work includes building wheelchair ramps and repairing homes.  Campers are middle school and high school age with adults to supervise on each work site.  For more information, e-mail the organization.  

*International Voluntary Service (SCI) was founded after World War I by French Quaker, Pierre Ceresole, to create an alternative to military service in the form of workcamps. The purpose of the workcamps is to promote international understanding and peace through three broad categories of service: physical work, social work, and work/study in the USA and abroad. SCI is a coordinating body and does not recruit volunteers. Those who are interested in volunteering must directly contact the SCI branch in their own country. A list of current short-term workcamps can be found here, for long-term projects click here.  Visit their contact page to obtain more information.

*Situational Management & Inter Learning Establishment Society (Smile Society) is a Volunteer Organization that welcomes all International volunteers and students to participate in various projects including welfare activities for underprivileged children, education through informal schooling, and youth empowerment in India.  Visit their website to obtain current volunteer and workcamp opportunities.   For general inquiries, e-mail or visit their contact page.  

*Unitarian Universalist College of Social Justice (UUCSJ) offers youth aged 14-18 volunteer opportunities through hands-on experiences and activism. Volunteering projects are both in the U.S. and abroad.   The sessions are generally a few days to one week.  See upcoming projects by clicking here.  To learn more about site-specific programs or ask questions, e-mail UUSCJ.  

*Volunteer Action for Peace (VAP) is a UK charity that has a mission to work towards creating and preserving international peace, justice and human solidarity in the UK and abroad.  VAP is a membership-based organization that is open to anyone who shares their aims.  There are short term workcamps lasting 2-4 weeks and medium-term and long-term camps lasting 2-6 months and 6+ months respectively.  To obtain more detail, visit their website or e-mail VAP.

*Volunteers For Peace (VFP) offers thousands of programs in Europe, Asia, Africa, Haiti, and the U.S. About 80% of workcamps occur between May and September.  Work projects vary by the needs of the local host community and can range from construction & restoration of low-income housing or community buildings to environmental projects such as trail building, park maintenance, organic farming to social services working with children, the elderly, physically or mentally handicapped, refugees and minority groups. VFP programs are open to teens and adults. To get more information, visit their contact page or send an e-mail to VFP.