What is World Horizons International?

World Horizons was established 20 years ago by a former Peace Corps volunteer to offer teenagers cross-cultural volunteer experiences. World Horizons organizes community service trips lasting 3-5 weeks, where teens discover new views of their world, and of themselves. We are proud of World Horizons' strong reputation for reliability, safety and competence. Our trips balance service work, cultural immersion, sightseeing, and friendship, giving teenagers experiences of a full range of social diversity.

By attending to the needs of communities around the globe, World Horizons volunteers reach new vistas of personal understanding. There are many ways to help: caring for mistreated animals; tutoring children; working with seniors; organizing day camps; teaching sports or crafts; building and painting; planting trees and more.

A World Horizons trip shows how we can each improve our relationships with others around the world. Now, more than ever, people need to reach across barriers of culture, language, and geography. Our trips help you discover lifestyles that are quite different from your own. You'll work, eat, play and just hang out with local community members. You'll learn things that tourists will never know!

And, you'll have plenty of time for exploring on your own. Hike to a mountaintop, visit a volcano, or take part in a local festival. Welcome to "the real world" – not a TV show where producers edit the scenes to manufacture drama, but a real adventure with work that matters and plenty of fun along the way.

Who applies to World Horizons?

World Horizons travelers come from all around the world, representing different ethnic, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds. Some travelers want to learn about new cultures or test their language skills, others, to expand their experience before applying for college. All share a sense of adventure, and a desire to learn about and help others.

You don't need special skills or training. Flexibility is key. Cathie Myers, of Utah's Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, says many volunteers "don't realize they have something to offer. When that realization comes upon them, it changes their world. It lets them know they can make a difference in the world."

If you are between 14-18, up to the challenge of a true cross-cultural experience, and willing to learn, you can make a difference through World Horizons.

"I felt that I was given a sense of adulthood and self-responsibility... I made amazing friends, improved my Spanish and learned a lot about myself which I hadn't realized before this trip."

Louise Hanks, Texas
-- Costa Rica