Traveling to Nepal with United Planet was one of the most meaningful and impactful experiences I’ve had. As someone who works in global education, I’ve seen many programs—but being on the ground in Nepal brought United Planet’s mission to life in a powerful way.
The trip was incredibly well-organized, culturally immersive, and deeply human. We engaged with children through art, play, and presence—building connections that transcended language. United Planet’s local partnerships and commitment to ethical, community-centered service made all the difference.
This wasn’t just a volunteer trip. It was a journey in empathy, global citizenship, and shared growth. I can’t recommend United Planet highly enough to educators, students, and anyone looking to make a real difference through service learning.
As a donor and supporter of United Planet, I am continually inspired by the organization's unwavering commitment to global citizenship, service-learning, and cross-cultural exchange. United Planet fosters transformative experiences that bridge cultures, cultivate understanding, and drive meaningful impact. Participants emerge with a deepened global perspective, equipped to create lasting change in their communities. I have seen firsthand how United Planet’s initiatives uplift local organizations and connect passionate individuals with critical projects across the world. United Planet is dedicated to ethical service, ensuring that every program is designed with sustainability and reciprocity at its core.
Supporting United Planet means investing in a future where collaboration transcends borders, where empathy drives action, and where people of all backgrounds can work together to tackle global challenges. I am proud to contribute to their mission and look forward to seeing the incredible impact they continue to make.
As a proud Board member of United Planet, I am continually inspired by the dedication and compassion of our team members, interns, partners and also the entire Board leadership team. Their unwavering commitment to uplifting young people around the world is truly exceptional. Knowing that our team makes a meaningful impact—transforming lives and fostering unity across cultures—fills me with immense pride. Though we all have our own stories to tell, we share the same melody of hope, connection, and empowerment.
I had a wonderful experience with United Planet on my volunteer year. I was abroad in New Zealand and the support I had received from United Planet was impeccable. At 18 years old I left for my first time abroad, and United Planet made sure they could support throughout every step of the way. Before departure the origination made it as easy as possible to prepare to leave, assisting in any paperwork and visa needed before leaving the country. They gave contact information of other Americas also going to New Zealand so I could get in contact with them prior to arriving. Upon arrival United planet kept regular check ins making sure they could help in any way possible. I felt United Planet was there the whole time and felt completely safe because of the support provided.
Interning with this organization was an incredible experience that allowed me to learn more about collaboration and current affairs.
I had a good experience with United Planet. Volunteering at Soy Callejerito dog rescue in Cusco was incredibly rewarding. Maite, the owner, is devoted to caring for over 100 dogs, providing them with food, comfort, and love every day. If you love dogs, I highly recommend volunteering at Soy Callejerito Refugio Privado de Perritos in Cusco. They are in need of volunteers!
The program also immersed me in the rich culture and stunning landscapes of the Andes. I stayed with a wonderful host family, received personalized Spanish lessons, and enjoyed tours of the city, Sacred Valley, and Machu Picchu. Traveling alone was empowering, and I felt I made a real difference. United Planet offers a truly meaningful volunteer experience, with support along the way.
My journey with United Planet was truly unique and unforgettable. In 2023, I embarked on a seven-month Virtual Volunteer Internship, partnering with an exceptional host organization in Ghana. As a teacher’s assistant, I was able to contribute to the local community in a meaningful way. The support I received from my international program coordinator was unparalleled. She not only listened to my needs but also tailored my virtual internship to the skills and experience I had. The opportunity to choose my internship project from a diverse range of organizations in different countries was a testament to the vast global reach of United Planet.
The best part of the internship was helping the Ghana nonprofit and the kids they serve daily. Doing the virtual internship with United Planet was life-changing for me, and it helped me discover my true passion for helping others on a global scale. The virtual internship helped me gain incredible work experience, which I would never have had the opportunity to achieve without the help of United Planet! Working with the people and the organization in Ghana made me so happy, and I felt fulfilled that I was making a difference even though I was halfway around the world from Ghana.
If you are looking for a volunteering opportunity, whether abroad or virtually, look no further than United Planet. The experience will change your life and give you a new, profound perspective on life. Doing the virtual internship with the host project in Ghana was the best thing I did in 2023. I highly encourage anyone seeking an adventurous volunteer opportunity to join United Planet and make the world a better place one Quest at a time!
I traveled with United Planet this past May to Rome, Italy and had a great experience! The founder, Dave, traveled with us and made sure every aspect of the trip and our service was well planned and prepared. Our on the ground supports, Elissa, Lieke, Shiva, and others were all so kind and helpful. I am so glad to have had the chance to experience local Roman communities and meet such genuine and interesting people through our service activities!
I have had the great pleasure to travel and volunteer with United Planet on three service learning trips, two to Nepal (2016 & 2018) and one recently in May to Rome, Italy. My experience has been nothing but positive. These quests have been highlights of both my personal life and teaching experiences. The staff was attentive, responsive, and developed unique and meaningful experiences for our students , volunteers, and faculty. Additionally, the individuals supporting us in country were extremely helpful and knowledgeable. I hope to travel and volunteer with United Planet again in the future. I look forward to continuing my relationship with this nonprofit organization.
We did a quest with U.P. In Rome. There were 18 of us and we did service learning with marginalized populations. We were able to visit and volunteer at 4 different sites in Rome. The owner/ operator of United Planet joined our group along with a cadre of other members of his team. They supported our quest thru navigating the city on public transit to visiting tourist spots to engaging with others in volunteer situations. United Planets hands-on approach to volunteering was excellent. They guided us everywhere and in every way. I can’t say enough about the high quality experience this was and the quality of the team members. They were fantastic! Highly recommend!!!
United Planet offers incredibly unique opportunities that foster cross-cultural learning and collaboration. I have been fortunate to collaborate with United Planet for a number of years, and I am consistently amazed by the learning, growth, and development of students, faculty, and all team members during the team projects.
United Planet is an exceptional nonprofit, with a mission to sow the seeds of peace through creating relationships across borders.
United Planet is coming up on its 21st Anniversary (November 19, 2022). For more than 20 years this nonprofit has been making a difference in communities in over 70 countries through volunteering abroad, virtual volunteering, virtual classroom exchanges, and educational programs. This impact is realized not only in the communities where specific volunteer projects have been completed, but also (aligned with the primary mission) in building cross-cultural relationships that cannot be measured because each individual relationship that is made ripples throughout the communities of both the hosts of volunteers and the volunteers that return to their home countries and share their life-changing experiences with the people they know.
I have had the please of working with united planet for the past 15 years, in a variety of roles, including consultant, volunteer advisor, and stepping in to help where needed. Dave Santulli, the founder & president of UP is inspirational in his leadership and mission. And the team at United Planet is both talented and passionate.
Serving as a board member at United Planet has given me the opportunity to work with a fantastic team to make a positive change in the world. The organization's mission is more critical now than ever, and the challenges that are being tackled are both meaningful and motivating. I am grateful that I have had the chance to be part of such a talented group of people working on such amazing projects.
they really good with communication, and it is a great way to see and work for people in other country if you can't go aboard you can do virtually
United Planet ensures your contributions are going to legitimate projects all around the world. It can take so much legwork to investigate non-profits before donating or volunteering but United Planet does all the vetting and pairs volunteers with projects that best suit their interests and skills. If you are looking for a way to make a valuable impact, let United Planet plan your Quest.
I volunteered with United Planet in more than one country… They have an experienced and supportive team that stood by me every step of the way!
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A caring and dedicated team with innovative and meaningful programs which span the global that has been working hard and making a positive difference for 20 years. The mission of building a more united planet has never been more important. I wish this organization all the best with their essential work and hope that they can engage many more people in their mission as they go forward.
United Planet supports ethical and responsible global community engagement and volunteerism for students and professionals. As a veteran higher education global education leader, United Planet facilitates the highest standards of mutually beneficial cultural exchange, whereby local concerns and local control are always at the forefront of consideration. I give United Planet my highest recommendation for engaging college and university students in challenging, meaningful, and life-changing real-world experiences.
Over the years, I have been involved with numerous education boards, including the Board of Trustees of the College Board and the Board of the National Council for History Education.
I can attest to the extraordinarily high quality of United Planet's programs, the selfless commitment of its leadership and staff, and the short- and long-term benefits to students who participate in its various service and study abroad programs.
I had such an amazing volunteering experience with United Planet. They provided me with the best program for me while I volunteered in Peru. If you are interested in volunteering abroad, I strongly suggest that you look into going through United Planet. Volunteering abroad with United Planet was one of the best decisions that I've made!
As a Board member of United Planet, I can say without reservation that our leadership team, employees, interns, and partners are among the most caring, capable, and professional people I know. Their capacity to give of themselves to empower the world's youth is unparalleled. It fills me with pride knowing our team touches so many lives and spreads the important message that in the song of life, our lyrics are different, but our melodies are the same.
Prior to my departure, the United Planet (UP) staff helped me tremendously to make sure my time in Ghana would go smoothly. While in Ghana, I worked at Volta Regional Hospital where I met ( and still keep in contact with) the incredible staff. Everyone there was so welcoming, it truly felt like home. After spending 8 weeks in the Emergency Ward, it pained me so much to leave. I learned how to dress wounds, take vitals, set IV lines and so much more. As I left the hospital, saying goodbye to Auntie Mercy (my host family) was extremely tough. I experienced so much while during my stay at her house. I was fortunate enough to witness a traditional wedding and engagement. Our excursions included going to the waterfalls and monkey sanctuary. I truly can't wait to go back to Ghana! Even though I have my family in the USA, I also have a family in Ghana.
Review from Guidestar
My university (Tufts) and United planet worked together to allow me to do service work in Spain for 9 months through the Tufts 1+4 Bridge Year Service-Learning program. I worked in a foster home in Madrid and lived with a Spanish family for 9 months, which allowed me to become fully immersed in the Spanish culture while also forming meaningful relationships. I greatly improved my Spanish and was able to take time before college to reflect, become more independent, and volunteer. Meggie at United Planet checked up on me often and I knew I could always go to her with any questions or concerns! I am very thankful that United Planet facilitated this wonderful experience for the fellows in my program and I.
Review from Guidestar
I've participated in one United Planet summer program twice. I loved the program I participated in and I'd love to do more of the many volunteer programs United Planet has!
I felt very comfortable with this organization. Before my program began, I wasn't nervous or anxious about anything regarding safety or other logistics. My main concerns were of a lesser nature, such as "I hope all the other volunteers like me!" United Planet prepared me very well. They include traveler's insurance, pre-departure sessions, and frequent check-ins to ensure that everything on the trip is going well. I can only speak for the program I did (China Summer -- EVERYONE SHOULD DO IT), I was very pleased by our advisors who accompanied us throughout the entirety of the trip. They were very friendly and helpful, as I was not afraid to ask them any sort of questions. My program was mostly for high school students as well, and I think that United Planet did a fantastic job of keeping our parents in the loop. The United Planet staff is also very accessible and are easily reachable at any time. I had no real concerns before, during, or after the trip, and I could enjoy my trip without worrying about anything!
As far as the program goes, I am very pleased. I had the greatest summers of my life with my United Planet program, and I'm so excited to do more in the future! I'm very grateful for United Planet in giving me the opportunity to participate and volunteer in so many wonderful programs. I am only in high school, and so I do not have that much experience with other nonprofit volunteer organizations, but I can say that United Planet has made my volunteer expectations very high!
Review from Guidestar
My experience with United Planet was marvelous. I arrived in Peru with no idea what to expect. Although the pre-departure sessions and all my back and forth with staff had been extensive and gratefully appreciated, nothing can prepare you for landing alone in a third world airport at the un-travelled age of 17. I will admit I was slightly panicky, and wondering what I had gotten myself into. I met my host family and started to feel a little more settled after having a home base at both my Spanish school and my home-stay. Once the shock wore off, my adventure really began. I have always been bothered by people who come back from life changing experiences and simply say "it can not be put into words", but I am beginning to understand where they are coming from. None the less, I am going to do my best and try to paint a picture of my time away from home.
I have made some of the best memories during my quest, and my stay in Peru was and always will be a monumental time in my life. I feel that I made a real difference in the lives of the children in my project, and I can say without a doubt that they had (and are continuing to have)a huge impact in mine. I felt immersed in the culture and lives of the Peruvian families. My excursion to Machupicchu was an amazing and spiritually enhancing experience. I will forever cherish the memories of my day at the monumental Inkan ruins. My overall experience on my United Planet quest to Peru was everything I had hoped for and more. I will have these memories for the rest of my life, and would recommend United Planet to anyone looking for life changing volunteer experience.
I participated in the United Planet China Summer Program, in which I taught English in an elementary school in a very rural area of China. Before I left, United Planet ensured that I knew what to expect and what I should do to prepare for the trip. For instance, there were two phone conferences before the trip and they were fast and reliable on replying e-mails. They had a lot of information on China as well as suggestions for teaching on a website that they use, and they were extremely organized in every way.
The program itself was fantastic. In a rural area of China, one shouldn't expect the same standards of living as we have here in America. However, once one learns to look past that, it turned out to be truly great. I bonded so closely with the Chinese volunteers that I'm even considering to visit China next summer to meet them. I also bonded really well with the foreign volunteers, and I plan to meet some of them in New York at one point (most of the volunteers were from America, though we had two from United Kingdom). The students that I worked with were dedicated, enthusiastic and attentive. Since United Planet has been working on this project for eight years in Jinxi town (where I went), they truly had an impact on the town. To state an example, students only thought of becoming a policeman or a teacher before United Planet started the program. Nowadays, they want to become engineers, scientists and many other occupations as a result of how their horizons were broadened by the program. All in all, both the organization and the program exceeded my expectations.
Review from Guidestar
UnitedPlanet 10/09/2013
Thank you for your feedback! We love hearing about the relationships you formed with other volunteers and the impact you had on a rural community across the world. It's wonderful to hear that your work has inspired students to broaden their horizons as a result of the program--thank you for volunteering!