Many young people don’t have the opportunity to travel outside of the United States. After all, a plane ticket is only the beginning of the bill; if you plan on strictly traveling, you’ll also have to think about paying for accommodation, food, and entertainment. If your wallet is feeling slightly pinched, you may want to consider volunteering abroad. There are programs out there that cost close to nothing, while providing a wholesome experience that you’ll cherish for the rest of your life. Additionally, your parents will be happy that you’re traveling abroad with a firm destination in mind, rather than aimlessly wandering.

There’s no end to the range of opportunities available to you, and the locations are just as varied. People volunteer across the world (as well as in the United States, of course!), on every continent. It’s a little known fact that many of the people working maintenance jobs in the Artic are volunteers. Many of them are actually professionals like doctors and lawyers, working for free just to experience the South Pole!

Your volunteer position doesn’t have to be quite as dramatic. Popular programs like Global Crossroads will set up the entire experience for a nominal fee. This site, for instance, offers volunteering opportunities in Asia, Latin America, and Africa. Their catalogue is incredible; a typical project would put you in on the coast of Ghana, working in an orphanage or providing HIV/AIDS counseling. Another project, this one in Bolivia, places young adults in the La Paz Zoo, tending to animals. This kind of experience is sure to last you a lifetime, especially if you plan on pursuing a career in medicine or animal care.

If you’re really short on cash and looking for a great way to spend the summer, other (free) options exist. One of the least known and most fulfilling is the WWOOF program. The acronym stands for World Wide Opportunities for Organic Farming. In a nutshell, organic farms across the world participate in this organization designed to place volunteers. In exchange for approximately 4 hours of work per day, the owner of the farm agrees to provide both shelter and food. This can be a great way to access some of the most remote places in the world, while engaging in intimate contact with native peoples that most tourists simply can’t replicate.

If you plan on volunteering while you’re attending college, consider asking your school for a travel grant. If you have some interesting research in mind, many colleges will provide some kind of financial assistance, in exchange for a report due when you return back to school. The fact that you received a grant (most have prestigious sounding names!) will look great on a resume.

Volunteering abroad is a great way to spend your time. For a relatively small amount of money, you can gain valuable work experience while having the experience of a lifetime. Wherever you choose to go, enjoy yourself knowing that you are doing your little part in making the world a better place.