UW-Madison's chapter of International Student Volunteers now makes it easier to volunteer abroad by offering a scholarship to students living on a limited budget. ISV, a non-profit organization based in California, allows college students to travel to Costa Rica, Australia, New Zealand, the Dominican Republic, and British Columbia. UW-Madison seniors Nicole Granacki and Brynna Larsen have made UW-Madison the first of five ISV branches to develop a scholarship program.
By asking for sponsorship from local businesses, they hope to provide approximately 20 scholarships of $3,000. Volunteering students spend the first two weeks working on community and conservation projects and the last two weeks traveling around the country and exploring the culture.
Volunteering through ISV provides students an opportunity to learn more about themselves. UW-Madison junior Amber Klawitter discovered an interest in zoology through her work with sea turtles in Costa Rica. Kerri Mueller, a UW-Madison sophomore, learned about sustainable land practices by her work in the rainforests of New Zealand, and hopes to major in landscape architecture.
\People love to volunteer, they just don't know it yet,"" Granacki said. ""[The program] educates people and it gives you a passion for wanting to understand other cultures and wanting to help other people.""
UW-Madison's chapter of ISV, formed in February 2004, also volunteered 250 hours for the local community. To learn more about volunteering, consult the ISV website at isv.rso.wisc.edu.
