Discover Corps Blog

How to Choose the Right Volunteer Vacation for You

You know the world is headed in a good direction when interest in using vacation time to volunteer helping others is at an all-time high. Voluntourism is a growing trend among international travelers, with enthusiasm largely steeped in the desire to make a positive impact on the people and places they visit. However, for both the volunteers and the recipients of their efforts … Continued

Changing a Skeptic’s View of Volunteer Vacations

When Discover Corps founder Andrew Motiwalla invited me to experience one of his volunteer vacations to Cuba, I was initially very skeptical. As a well-known travel blogger, I have long been an active voice in routing out corrupt volunteer tourism operations that rake in huge amounts of cash without contributing a penny to the people … Continued

Project Profile: Amigos of Costa Rica & Forjando Alas

Making arts and crafts, playing games, doing homework and learning to speak and read the English language are just a few of the many activities you might find children exploring during a visit to the Forjando Alas Youth Group. The Forjando Alas Youth Group is all about the kids. The after school program is based in the … Continued

5 Ways Travel with Purpose is Better

Aimless wandering in a new place can lead to wonderful adventures of discovery. With no fixed schedule and no set agenda, you leave yourself the opportunity to stumble upon people, places and experiences that you might not have discovered otherwise. But there’s a big difference between not having a schedule and not having a purpose. … Continued

6 Ways to Celebrate the International Day of Peace

September 21 was officially named International Day of Peace by the United Nations General Assembly in 1982, to devote this day to “strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples.” With the 2015 holiday fast approaching, we’re looking forward to seeing peace being honored and celebrated around the world. Here at Discover … Continued

5 Ways Voluntourism Can Help Save the World

The state of the world can be mighty frustrating these days. Our nightly news and social media channels are constantly inundated with so many negative news stories, tragedies and struggles. Sometimes, things can start to feel a little hopeless. But the surging popularity of voluntourism suggests that people in general have an innate desire to make things better. Many people are actively looking … Continued

How Multigenerational Travel Helps Families Connect

Grandparents Day is just around the corner (September 13), and a growing body of evidence confirms the rising incidence and influence of multigenerational travel. My thoughts turn to August 2013, when I joined my parents, two siblings, brother-in-law, niece and nephew, wife and two young children on a group journey to northern Israel. Traveling With Different Needs … Continued

7 Simple Tips for More Sustainable Travel

Responsible travel is wonderful thing, introducing us to new people and places, brings cultures together and helps us appreciate the immense beauty of the world. On the flip side, irresponsible travel can have a negative impact on that world we’re trying to see. If we’re not aware of how we travel, we can wind up … Continued

The Positives & Negatives of Volunteerism

The concept of short term volunteerism has, at times, been the subject of criticism. Skeptics question whether the services offered by volunteers who visit only briefly can really have a lasting positive impact on the destination in question. Some even argue that it could have a negative effect. If you’re researching volunteer vacation experiences, these arguments might make … Continued