What to expect while in the field
AJWS service programs operate on the premise that service and learning reinforce one another, together yielding a greater impact than either could alone. We believe that to become effective social changemakers, volunteers should contribute to the hard, hands-on work of fighting poverty, and at the same time, reflect on their individual strengths and build relationships with others working to effect change.
Service Component
Each Volunteer Summer group spends seven weeks in the country of service, living in a local community affiliated with one of AJWS's grassroots partners working to promote human rights and alleviate poverty. Please note that the countries and NGOs for Volunteer Summer are selected by AJWS and are noted on the How to Apply page. Each weekday, volunteers work alongside community members on a labor-intensive development project identified by the community as a local priority. The projects facilitate cultural exchange and help the community address issues such as sustainable livelihoods, health, education and civil participation.
Volunteer Summer is, by design, a physically challenging program. Volunteers engage in physical labor projects for up to six hours per day, outdoors, rain or shine.
Past service projects have included:
- Constructing training spaces and facilities for an NGO's headquarters in Santa Marta, El Salvador
- Building a grain storage facility for cooperative farmers in Honduras
- Building a community center for an NGO in Golokwati, Ghana, which will be used to host meetings and cultural festivities, generating revenue for the organization
- Constructing an activities center and teaching young adults about health and hygiene in Little Kanchipuram, India
- Building classrooms at a primary school near Ramogi Village, Uganda
Learning Component
Each afternoon, the group studies social justice and international development-related topics, which often incorporate Jewish texts. These sessions use AJWS's core curriculum, Expanding the Universe of Obligation: Judaism, Justice and Global Responsibility. The learning sessions provide space for structured reflection and critical discussion of what volunteers see and experience in the community, reinforcing the lessons learned in the hands-on service projects. At the end of each week, the group plans and celebrates a pluralistic Shabbat together, creating additional time for growth and reflection.
All AJWS groups are led by two or three qualified and well-trained group leaders who facilitate participant learning while on the program. Learn more about our group leaders.
Volunteer Testimonial
Aviva Bellman volunteered in El Salvador and reflects on treating people with dignity, at home and abroad.
