About this Program
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- Program Type
- Community Enrichment
ISL’s community enrichment groups participate in a number of projects that enhance quality of life in a developing community. From cleaning up a beach or a neighborhood, constructing or refurbishing schools, clinics, community centers or residences, to planting trees, flowers and vegetable gardens, the ways in which volunteers can contribute are numerous!
- Dentistry
- Ecology
- Education
- Global Health
ISL’s global health programs are interdisciplinary and able to provide a variety of general medicine, nursing, pharmacy, public health, healthcare management, and nutrition services in developing communities. From urban centers to small towns and villages in remote areas, our teams work in various settings to provide field clinics in which patient needs are assessed and acute conditions are treated.
- Group Travel
- High School
ISL offers opportunities for high school students to travel, learn, and volunteer in a variety of amazing settings. We offer our Community Enrichment, Ecology, Sports without Borders, and Global Health programs to high school students. Teen volunteers are able to engage with another culture in a meaningful way and begin to cultivate a global awareness that will benefit them as they progress from secondary to university education. Involvement in a global service experience not only instills confidence, it can be a powerful determinant in setting educational and career goals.
Regardless of background, volunteers are able to receive an invaluable opportunity to travel, learn about another culture, and serve a developing community.
- Hike for Humanity
A fusion of humanitarian fervor and outdoor enthusiasm, ISL’s Hike for Humanity program offers a unique adventure, sending volunteer teams to assist those in greatest need by reaching out to villages farthest from urban advantages. H4H teams bring essential global health, education, ecology, and community enrichment services to the rural underserved, while providing hikers with an incomparable outdoor experience and the personal satisfaction of being involved in meaningful service.
- Internships
- Graduate Medical Teams
- Nursing
ISL’s nursing programs actively participate in health clinic service in partnership with local community agencies, in an effort provide acute care and public health education to vulnerable populations. Our nursing program was developed to provide a learning experience that strengthens cultural competency in an ethnically diverse setting, while providing genuine service in developing communities.
- Nutrition
Our goal is to allow those in our partner communities with little or no access to health systems to benefit from a nutritional assessment and treatment from a licensed nutritionist. Different institutions will also benefit from a food safety evaluation of their food services and an educational project aimed at residents or the population in charge. ISL aims to provide experiential learning opportunities and cultural expansion for entry-level nutrition students or health students interested in expanding their nutrition knowledge.
- Occupational Therapy
- Optometry
The World Health Organization has determined that lack of eye-care is one of the most crucial needs in developing countries. Because refractive needs and other eye problems don’t necessarily cause immediate pain, eye care is often under prioritized when resources are limited, – especially for children. Through ISL, thousands of the underserved have received eyewear and eye care.
- Pharmacy
In addition to providing pharmacy services, ISL’s pharmacy teams provide a variety of general medicine and public health services in under-resourced communities. From urban centers to small towns and villages in remote areas, our teams work in various settings to provide field clinics in which patient needs are assessed, acute conditions are treated, and medications are prescribed.
- Physical Therapy
ISL’s physical therapy program is interactive and highly specialized. Volunteers will observe and learn manual techniques and tests for evaluating patients from communities in need, where high tech equipment, such as x-rays and MRI testing, is not available. This is accomplished under the guidance and supervision of local physical therapy professionals, who make sure all evaluations and treatments are performed accurately and appropriately.
- Sports Without Borders
- Veterinary
ISL’s veterinary teams are able to provide a variety of care ranging from public health services such as administering immunizations and facilitating spay/neuter clinics, to providing urgent veterinary care. From visiting farms to setting up veterinary field clinics in urban centers, our volunteers are able to gain extensive experience in a short period of time.
- Community Enrichment
- Countries
- Belize
- Colombia
Colombia is the second most biodiverse country in the world and is experiencing an economic and cultural transformation with its recently found civil peace and growing trade with the U.S. Urban areas have made great strides in reducing poverty and providing healthcare, but rural areas are still in great need of healthcare, education, and development support.
- Costa Rica
Costa Rica means Rich Coast however, I will have to disagree! The Whole Country is Rich, not only the Coast!! Costa Rica is a tiny country of only 51,100 km2; perhaps just a little bigger than West Virginia in the USA, but with 5 million inhabitants. Costa Rica has beautiful beaches, awesome volcanoes and mountains, natural hot springs. Its biodiversity accounts for 6.5% of all the planet biodiversity, 9.9% of its GDP (an important economic indicator) goes into health and 7.6% into Education. We are blessed that in 1948 the army was abolished and that we hold the Nobel Peace Prize (1987). Sounds like a paradise right? Indeed it is; however, the Pura Vida (Pure Life) phrase that characterizes us gets short in covering the whole reality that we live. Poverty, unemployment, lack of access to health services, increase in the number of migrants that stay in our country, saturation of our health system, medical personnel that leave the social system looking for better salaries in the private sector, are just some of the factors that Costa Ricans have to deal with every day. More and more we find “vulnerable communities” filled with Costa Ricans and immigrants, especially from Nicaragua. These people with no permanent jobs do not have access to the social system services. It is where agencies, such as ISL help to provide people with some basic human services to palliate their most basic needs. That is the other half of the story about Costa Rica. We sure hope to count with you, your generous heart and your feet and hands to help us bring a little more of the Pura Vida to them. Thank YOU for choosing Costa Rica for your next educational, cultural, mission trip! Enjoy paradise and help others! Remember, “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due when it is in your power to do it” (Proverbs 3:27). Gracias! Pura Vida! See you here soon!
- Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic and Haiti, two sovereign nations with completely diverse cultural and historical identities, share a beautiful island located right in the heart of the Caribbean known as La Hispaniola. The spirit and charm of their people is distinguishable in their lively music and delicious cuisine, but both exhibit incredible warmth and hospitality.
- Mexico
ISL’s Baja Mexico program is an on-going humanitarian project that takes place in Puerto Peñasco, situated along the beautiful Sea of Cortez. We work with global health agencies, local health ministries, and other NGOs in our partner communities. Volunteers are able to gain valuable experience participating in community clinics and/or working in institutional and community health contexts.
- Panama
Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, Panama is the southernmost country of Central America. Panama has access to two different oceans, mountains, a vast rain forest, a modern metropolis (Panama City) and the Panama Canal–a lot to see and do! Panama also has a rich array of cultures ranging from indigenous and Latino to peoples of African, Asian, and European descent.
- Peru
The narrow desert belt of Peru’s Pacific coastline stretches the length of the country and harbors fishing villages, beautiful beaches, agricultural lands, and Peru’s major towns and cities. The amazing Andes Mountains separate the arid coastline from the lush Amazon Basin. The Amazon Basin is also home to millions of indigenous highland people, who speak the ancient Inca language of Quechua and live in traditional villages with steeply terraced agricultural fields and wandering herds of llamas and alpacas.
- Tanzania
One of the most diverse countries in Africa, Tanzania is full of natural riches and cultural wealth. Located on the eastern side of the continent, Tanzania is home to Africa’s highest mountain, deepest lake, largest game preserve, most famous national park, and most abundant movement of wildlife. In addition to its many geographical gems, Tanzania is home to a cultural mosaic of more than 120 distinct ethnic groups.
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