Volunteering and other opportunities

Think Pacific offer award winning volunteer projects, internships and placements. They pride themselves on having a global impact with a local approach - since 2009.

How does it work?

On a Think Pacific Expedition, you’ll join a team of approximately like-minded students from all over the UK and take on the immense experience of living in a traditional Fijian or Balinese community. 

Each project is guided from start to finish by Think Pacific’s Expedition Leaders and each day is busy with dynamic activities and working on responsible projects that will leave a lasting positive impact on your future.

You’ll gain over 100 hours of practical work experience in areas of health, education, sports, and youth development, whilst building your own personal development through challenging team-based activities, remote living, and cultural immersion.

Think Pacific projects are open to those aged 17 to 35 years old. The majority of the participants are in their early 20's. Please consider this as well as the accommodation arrangements as part of your research.

Where could I go?

Think Pacific operates in Fiji and Bali.

How long do the placements last and what do they involve?

Think Pacific offer programmes of 1 or 2 months. In Fiji you have the youth empowerment, community build, sports coaching, mental health or the 2 month project. In Bali you have global team internship or mental health placement.

For most projects, you don’t need any specific skills to join the project as full training, learning materials, and daily guidance is provided by the Think Pacific team, but you do need to come with a learning mindset and a desire to understand local culture and traditional lifestyle and throw yourself into a range of new activities and initiatives.  For the mental health placement in Bali, you are required to have at least 3 months experience of supporting vulnerable people.

Throughout each project, you’ll achieve the ‘TP Award’ gaining personal growth, professional enhancement, teamwork, and leadership skills and expanding your international experience and cultural intelligence – all the things employers are looking for from young and ambitious graduates.

How much does it cost?

If your application is successful, you'll be asked to pay a non-refundable acceptance fee of £195 which guarantees your place on the program.

The placement fee varies depending on which program you take part in and how long your placement is. As an example, a 4-week placement starts from £1,895 and the estimated average cost of a programme is £2145.

The placement fees cover all briefing, workshops, training, transport, materials, homestay accommodation with three meals a day, activities, and excursions such as jungle treks or waterfall visits and 24-hour support. In addition, you'll also need to factor in finances for flights, visas, and insurance.

When do the placements start and when do I need to apply?

Projects run throughout the year. Summer placements are very popular and can get booked up months in advance, so it's best to get your application in and secure your place as soon as you can.

Interested?

Visit the University of Essex students to Fiji webpages for more details and information on how to apply. Keep an eye out for talks we'll be doing with Think Pacific.

Upcoming information sessions

Think Pacific run regular information sessions each Monday at 5:00pm on zoom.  Register online for these sessions.

What do our students say?

Olga completed a Think Pacific programme during summer 2024 and said... "Going to Bali was an amazing experience and I am so grateful for the opportunity to meet the local leaders and learn about their culture and traditions. I got to see a side of Bali which I probably would not be able to discover as a tourist. 

It is hard to pick just one highlight of the trip! But if I had to, I would say...people! And by that, I mean the other participants, project leaders, homestay families and service users. I loved listening to local leader's stories about their beliefs and customs. Going to a local shop with my new friend and trying strange local snacks was so much fun. Homestay families were always kind and welcoming (my homestay 'mum' would make yummy, cute shaped pancakes!). And interacting with services users although challenging at times, was really rewarding"

You can see Olga's photos on our Essex Abroad Instagram.

Need a 3 minute boost? Check out this testimonial from Zak, a recent graduate from the department of Economics, who went to Bali this summer and completed the Global Team Internship project.

Funding opportunities from Essex Abroad

There is funding available to support you to take part in this opportunity. Visit our summer abroad funding pages to find out more.

Big Essex Award

You will be eligible to apply for the Big Essex Award upon successful completion of this programme. This will appear on your transcript when you graduate. Register for the Volunteering Abroad units now.

Travelteer is our newest volunteering preferred partner who offer responsible travel and ethical volunteering programmes in Nepal, Morocco and Sri Lanka.

How does it work?

Travelteer strips away the often-misleading jargon to offer an ethical, affordable, transparent service that offers high-impact volunteering with the opportunity to go on an adventure! They are partnered with government authorities & NGOs in placement destinations to create programmes that operate at a local level whilst having an impact nationally. The course-related volunteer programmes are designed to fully engage you and ensure your skills are utilised to maximise benefits for both the volunteers and the projects. You can join any of their course specific volunteering programmes, from 2 weeks to 12 months which include:

• English Development
• Sports Development
• Marine & Wildlife
• Conservation
• Mental Health Nursing & Medical Electives
• Textiles & Design
• Community Development

Travelteer projects are open to those aged 18 and over however the majority of the participants are aged 18 - 25. Please consider this as well as the accommodation arrangements (which are very basic) as part of your research.

Where could I go?

Volunteering placements are offered in:

Nepal - between June and September - Community development

Costa Rica - all year round - Sea turtle conservation

Sri Lanka - all year round - English development, sports development, marine and wildlife conservation, mental health, nursing and medical electives, textiles and design.

Morocco - check with Travelteer as this is a new location!

How long does the placement last?

Programmes are a minimum of 2 weeks and a maximum of 6 months. You choose how long you would like to join us for! All volunteering is Monday to Friday with weekends off so you can explore these amazing countries. Travelteer recommend 4 weeks as a good duration (this also means that you'd be eligible to apply for Turing Scheme funding via Essex Abroad).

How much does it cost?

If your application is successful, you'll be to pay your registration fee of £168 which confirms your place on the programme. This is a one-off joining fee to join Travelteer for life. Which means you can join us as many times you like in the future, at any destination and project.

The only other cost you need to pay Travelteer is your living costs while in country. We provide this for you to ensure a high level of safety and quality. All our costs are the same, regardless of destination.

• Accommodation: £12 per day
• Food: £10 per day (3 meals)
• Local Transport: £7

Example 4-week trip = £812. This does not have to be paid until 60 days before you arrive in country.

Fundraising for Travelteer

ImpactVolunteer fundraising is an essential part of our programme and has already made a huge impact on the lives of disadvantaged communities in Sri Lanka, Nepal and Costa Rica. We require each volunteer to fundraise just £75 a week they volunteer, with a max of £300 for our charity 'Travelteer Impact'. All money raised enables us to buy equipment and develop our high impact programmes further. Volunteers are entitled to put any money raised over £300 towards the travel cost of their return flight. This will be reimbursed once the fundraising period has ended. Any surplus money exceeding the cost of your flight will be donated to Travelteer Impact to further our charitable causes.

When do the placements start and when do I need to apply?

The projects run all year round, so there is no official deadline. However, the programmes do get very busy especially over the summer, so it’s best to get your application in ASAP. It is never to early to apply.

Interested?

If you are interested, please apply to find out more by completing a brief online form.

What our students say

Willow volunteered with Travelteer during summer 2024 in Sri Lanka and said..."My trip abroad was a life changing experience and I learned loads. I had an amazing time being immersed in another culture and helping to give back to the community in Sri Lanka. The support from Essex Abroad was really helpful, including providing travel insurance and an open line of communication for any queries. I had an impactful experience in Sri Lanka and I would recommend a trip abroad to anyone to enhance their degree and do something amazing!"

Funding opportunities from Essex Abroad

There is funding available to support you to take part in this opportunity. Visit our summer abroad funding pages to find out more.

Big Essex Award

You will be eligible to apply for the Big Essex Award upon successful completion of this programme. This will appear on your transcript when you graduate. Register for the Volunteering Abroad units now.