Hey SUU students! Interested in volunteering abroad but don't want to mess with your school plans? Learn about getting SUU internship credit, advice about taking online classes while volunteering, and see where in the world you can go with ILP.
When I was a student, I wasn't looking for a study abroad but still wanted to do a lot of traveling. So you can guess how I excited I was to learn about a program that could let me volunteer, explore, and spend a few months in Europe, Asia, the South Pacific or another one of the ILP’s countries, especially when I realized it was totally something I could afford.
Not signed up to volunteer yet?
No fear! You can do that right here
ILP’s a non-profit organization that sends college-aged students (like you) abroad to teach English or volunteer in the orphanage program. Yep, it looks super great on resumes, plus you’ll get the chance to travel around and make a difference. Need more? Your housing, international flight, meals, and other perks (like your visa) are covered by your Program Fee. Score.
Quite a few of our volunteers are in school, coming from campuses like Southern Utah University! We’re Utah-based and have a code of conduct similar to the one you’ll find at Brigham Young University if that’s something you’re familiar with. It’s a group-based experience, so you’re traveling, exploring, living, and teaching with a group of fellow travelers — ILP’s a pretty unique experience. I’m so glad I did it (twice!).
Thinking this is something you’d love? Here’s how to make it work!
- When Are The ILP Semester Dates?
How Do I Make It Work While I’m A Student?
Can I Get School Credit?
What About Online Classes?
Is ILP A Good Fit For Me?
When Are The ILP Semester Dates?
Good news for SUU students, because our semesters line up pretty well with your school schedule. You can get a reminder of what the SUU semester schedule looks like right here.
ILP offers three different semesters: Spring, Summer, and Fall. The exact dates of departure change every semester (for every location), but here’s the basic timeline just so you can get an idea:
ILP Spring Semester: Our volunteeers typically depart between January and March and come back home between April and May. Some countries generally leave earlier (like sometime in January) and come back in April, while others leave later (maybe in March) and come home sometime in May/June. It does vary between location, but that's a general idea to help you plan! All of our locations have a Spring Program … good luck choosing between tropical beaches and cobblestone castles!
ILP Summer Semester: Again we have various departure dates. We set it up that way so that there's more options if you're trying to work around your Spring finals at school. Dates are typically sometime in May or June to July or August. Every country has a summer semester!
ILP Fall Semester: Fall semesters typically leave mid to late August, and come home the end of November or mid-December, just in time for Christmas. Some groups are more like end-of-September/mid-October departures, but still home for Christmas. We can send volunteers to every one of our locations for the Fall semester.
How Do I Make It Work While I’m A Student?
Picking Your Semester
Go during the summer if you don’t want to take a semester off from school! But if you’re okay with skipping a semester of school, you have a few more options (like going during a Fall or Spring semester with ILP). SUU has a pretty straightforward deferment policy, letting you apply for a deferment just by filling out this form.
There aren’t any deadlines to keep track of, just know that the reason you are deferring needs to be approved if you want to defer your scholarship. You can read up on FAQ about deferring or taking a leave of absence here.
Make sure you talk with your academic advisor to ensure you’re following protocol and get any of your questions answered, especially if you’re wanting to defer and put your scholarship on hold.
Keep in mind that you don't want to wait until the last minute (or even a few months before departure) to apply with ILP. The earlier you can apply the better, so even if you haven't 100% decided how you want to fit ILP into your plans, we still recommend applying since you can always change your semester with us later.
Affording The Program
One of the biggest perks for me was how affordable ILP is and the variety of fundraising options to make it possible. You definitely want to check out the helpful fundraising information which helped me pay for my ILP semester (and has helped lots of other volunteers).
Some ILP volunteers have been able to raise a few thousand dollars by thinking ahead and trying out a handful of different fundraising strategies!
Can I Get School Credit? Or Internships Credit?
While I wish we could guarantee you'll get internship credit or school credit, we can't. We aren't affiliated with any specific academic institution, so whether or not you can get credit for your time volunteering abroad is 100% up to what you can work out with your Southern Utah University academic advisor.
You may be able to get internship credit for your ILP semester, but it depends on a few factors … and it’s not a guarantee. You can read up on SUU internship policies but know that you’ll probably need to talk to your Department Chair and make sure you fit some requirements.
Would ILP Be A Good Fit For Me?
We hope so! But we also understand it’s not right for everyone. We have a lot of resources to help you learn about ILP in advance so that you can have a good idea of what our program is like. But, keep in mind that your experience with us will still be unique depending on so many factors (like where you go, who is in your group, which kids you end up teaching, your attitude while abroad, where you spend your vacations, etc).
If you're someone who is looking to be adventurous, are motivated to explore a new country, dive right into a new group of friends, and totally new experiences, it sounds like this is the start of a pretty beautiful friendship. Our organization is set up to help you begin your trip, but then the experiences you have are up to you.
Every location is really different, but those who have a good experience on our program are excited for what life in a new country is like. I'm talking new food, a new language, a new definition of what's normal for you, and so many unforgettable stories. This isn't a program where we have everything scheduled out for you. It's kinda half and half, with a set teaching schedule, so much free time, and vacations that are completely up to you.
Can I Get More Info?
You know it! See if you can get questions answered at an info meeting near you. You also may want to read through our Code of Conduct that all volunteers must agree to follow while they are volunteering abroad. Or take a peek at our Instagrams — @ilpadventure and @ilptakeovers show what our volunteers are up to every semester and are a good place to get questions answered.
Have more questions?
You can even work with the ILP Representatives who can help answer any of your questions. We can help answer questions about your schedule and figure out which program would be the best fit! Click that button below to get in touch:
