Volunteer programs in Italy

About Italy

About Italy

It is a European country located in the south of the continent (the boot of the Mediterranean). It is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea as well as the internal seas: the Ionian Sea, the Adriatic Sea, and the Tyrrhenian Sea. In terms of territorial area, it covers 301,340 km². Italy is renowned for its culture and famous landmarks, among which are the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Roman Colosseum. On the other hand, its cuisine stands out as one of the best in the world, with some of its most well-known dishes being pizza, pasta, risotto, and gelato.

Italy’s climate

In Italy, there are different types of climates depending on the region. Overall, Italy enjoys a very pleasant climate, thanks to the natural barrier it has: the Alps. It also has a long coastline that moderates temperatures throughout the year. Specifically, in Rome, you can experience a mild Mediterranean climate, making any season of the year suitable for exploring the city.

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Time zone

Italy is typically in the Central European Time (CET) zone during the standard time period, which is UTC+1 (Coordinated Universal Time plus one hour). However, Italy also observes daylight saving time during the summer months, shifting to Central European Summer Time (CEST), which is UTC+2.

Currency

The official currency is the Euro.​

Location

Our volunteering projects are located in Barcelona and Bilbao.

Stay

The volunteering stay begins when the volunteer arrives at the destination.

Meals

This means that from late March to late October, Italy is in the CEST time zone, and from late October to late March, it is in the CET time zone. Be sure to check for any updates or changes in time zones, as they can occasionally be adjusted by local authorities.

Pick up times

The stipulated pick-up times for each destination/project must be respected. Volunteers who arrive outside of this day/window will have to pay an additional cost, depending on the destination.

VOLUNTEER programs

Where are the volunteer programs located?

The programs are located in the city of Rome.

Programs

  • Sustainable Agriculture Volunteer Program
  • Creative Technologies Volunteer Program

Requirements

Volunteers must be older than 18 at the start of the volunteer program.

What is included?

Airport

Volunteers should plan to arrive at Rome Fiumicino Airport. Pickup days are the first and third Sunday of each month.

Gastronomy

Italy is a country mainly characterized by its great gastronomic richness.

How to get around in Rome

Metro: It is the most comfortable and fastest option. There are three metro lines: A, B, and C. Suburban Train: This option complements the metro, so they share the same fares and tickets. The suburban train is useful if you want to go to the outskirts of the city or travel to other parts of the country. It also connects to Ostia Antica, an ancient city buried for 10 centuries. Public Transport: It is a very good option as there are many places that the metro does not reach. There is a good connection between the metro and buses. Taxis: This option can be more expensive, but it’s a good choice to reach destinations faster and without waiting. Rome has an app called FreeNow, where you can request a taxi and get an idea of the estimated cost of the trip.

Start/Duration

Volunteers must arrive in Rome on Sundays between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. to be transferred to their accommodation, rest, and start their volunteer program on Monday.

Tourist attractions in Italy

Rome stands out for its incredible beauty!

One of the main attractions is the Trevi Fountain: considered the most beautiful fountain in the world and a must-visit location.

Another essential heritage element to see is the Colosseum: regarded as the most spectacular monument in the city and one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

Another tourist attraction is Piazza Navona, a large elongated square with three Baroque fountains that are its main highlights. It is the most emblematic fountain in the city.

Program goals

The objective of the project is to train young people to be social leaders. The volunteers live in a multicultural environment, work as a team to develop tasks or institutional projects, accompany the beneficiaries in their daily lives or through workshops, and collaborate with the needs of the centers and homes.

To achieve this, we work on three approaches

Social inclusion

Social Inclusion of children, young people and grandparents in situations of social risk.

Attention to Centers and Homes

Attention to Centers and Homes for the protection and restitution of rights of socially vulnerable children, adolescents and older adults.

Social action

Social Action The volunteers committed to the project will work alongside the community, involving different actors in society and allowing the full fulfillment of the rights of all people.

Our programs

Creative Technologies Volunteer Program – Italy

Volunteers will work hand in hand with an NGO to enhance its outreach and exposure. They will be involved in tasks such as developing websites, designing marketing materials, recording the activities they carry out, and creating campaigns on social media.

All of these activities take place alongside experiential learning about the social and environmental issues in Rome.

Volunteers can assist in the creative technology project in many ways, including:

– Those with experience in website creation can help add content to improve charitable initiatives.

– Graphic designers can provide support and create all marketing content, such as brochures, print ads, website content, social media posts, or e-books.

– Volunteers experienced in video creation can produce promotional or documentary videos.

– Photography enthusiasts can help document the NGO’s activities, such as creating catalogs, providing images for social media, and marketing materials.

Sustainable Agriculture Volunteer Program – Italy

This program gives volunteers the opportunity to experience helping local NGOs take care of gardens. Volunteers can enjoy the activities workshop for manufacturing and crafts.

As a volunteer, you will work in a multicultural, sustainable, and ecological environment. You will have the chance to work in the field with immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, as well as individuals with mental and physical disabilities, elderly, and children.

The volunteer activities in this program vary according to the season, some of which are:

Planting, watering, and general care of the garden, which includes a collection of typical Mediterranean plants.

Cultivating and harvesting vegetables and legumes in the large garden.

Artisanal activities, creating objects with different designs using waste or recyclable materials.

Urban beekeeping and honey production.

Taking care of farm animals.

Multi-ethnic cooking classes.

Supporting the association during events and with the sale of their artisanal and food products, among many other items.

Workshops where you can interact with children.

Urban redevelopment interventions, entirely with recycled materials.

As these tasks vary depending on the season, it’s important for the volunteer to be willing to participate in any of them.

Requirement: A minimum commitment of two weeks for this project.

accommodation and meals

Accommodation in Italy

When volunteers arrive at the airport, the local coordinator will pick them up and accompany them to the house where they will be accommodated, sharing the following days with the rest of the volunteers.

The accommodation includes two daily meals, every day: breakfast and dinner (which will be in the local style). Volunteers will also have access to vegetarian, gluten-free, and lactose-free meals upon request!

The accommodation is in a dormitory-style camping. There is also the possibility to request private rooms.

program costs

The total cost of the volunteering is divided into 2 parts. The registration fee, which is paid to book your spot, is 210€ (US$253 approx.), and the program fee, which is paid later.

Programs in Italy:

2 weeks 1569 €
Additional week 515 €

If your currency is not specified in the table, you can convert your costs  here.

What is included in the fee that I am paying?

What additional costs will be incurred by the volunteers?

  • Flights
  • Lunch
  • Airport pickup on other dates
  • Airport drop-off
  • Transportation between accommodation and volunteer project location.
  • Personal expenses
  • Personal insurance (health or accident).

Contact

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UNIVERSITY PRACTICES

Our volunteers will be able to validate university credits with the aim of traveling in a more responsible and economical way.

What does volunteering focused on university practices involve?

At Cooperating Volunteers, we make agreements with different universities to validate university credits with the aim of traveling in a more responsible and economical way.

The specialties we work with are extensive: medical volunteering, nursing, education, social work, psychology, physiotherapy, engineering, architecture…

The practices can be carried out in our designated destinations for this purpose, as well as in Spain.

If you choose an international destination, it’s a unique way to live an unforgettable and enriching experience, as you will have the opportunity to continue your education in another country, with a completely different culture.

Stepping out of our comfort zone and being part of the various projects at the destination will allow us to grow both personally and professionally, creating a more extensive curriculum.

And we are fully convinced that this experience will accompany you throughout your life.

You will be able to visit hospitals, schools, centers, orphanages, and participate directly and actively in the daily lives of all those people at the destination, always accompanied by other professionals willing to collaborate hand in hand with you and guide you in daily tasks.

If your university is not part of the agreement with Cooperating Volunteers, you can contact cristina@cooperatingvolunteers.com so that we can get in touch and make this experience a reality. 

CORPORATE VOLUNTEERING

Corporate volunteering consists of tailored programs for your company, designed to develop teamwork skills.

It is proven that teamwork directly impacts productivity. 

Collective effort surpasses individual capabilities, promotes diversity of skills, stimulates creativity, and facilitates problem-solving in the face of various challenges.

Therefore, it not only maximizes efficiency but also enriches the work environment.

We conduct corporate volunteering programs that consist of customized programs for your company, designed to develop teamwork skills, improve performance, and foster unity among employees.

We tailor projects to the corporate identity and size of the company, and we can adjust them to any destination and time of the year.

The advantages of corporate volunteering include:

  • Improving communication.
  • Group unity.
  • Cultural integration in different situations.
  • Employee training.
  • Increased Corporate Social Responsibility.

The future is aligned with a more responsible society, and participating in social projects positions our company among the list of revolutionary businesses that want to be part of the change.

If you resonate with this message, corporate volunteering is a unique experience both individually and collectively, and at Cooperating Volunteers, we accompany you throughout the process to make it a unique journey.

FAMILY VOLUNTEERING

Quality time spent with family strengthens emotional bonds, promotes communication, and contributes to the emotional well-being of its members. 

Spending quality time with family and being able to disconnect from our hectic routines is not only enriching but also necessary.

Sometimes we forget to communicate, connect, and dedicate time to each other. Each one of us lives focused on our jobs, schools… And it’s necessary to find the opportunity to pause and take care of ourselves.

Quality time spent with family strengthens emotional bonds, promotes communication, and contributes to the emotional well-being of its members. And of course, it creates lifelong positive memories.

At Cooperating Volunteers, we suggest moving away from those ‘more superficial’ trips (which can also be fantastic), but we invite you to live this experience to bring out our most empathetic and humanitarian side.

Family volunteering gives us the opportunity to be part of a positive impact, promoting values of solidarity and social responsibility.

There are many families who choose to experience these trips focused on cooperation and direct involvement with different communities around the world, where living conditions are very different and sometimes entirely precarious.

Projects are tailored to different ages, allowing us to work together.

An incredible way to fill our suitcase with memories, learning, and knowledge.

And although stepping out of our comfort zone often feels daunting, we assure you firsthand that it’s worth it.

At Cooperating Volunteers, we accompany you throughout the entire experience, from start to finish, to make it unforgettable.

SENIOR VOLUNTEERING

At Cooperating Volunteers, we believe it’s never too late for anything, especially for volunteering and living a unique and unforgettable experience.

There are many people, increasingly so, who opt for responsible travel that involves social work.

Accustomed to organized and mostly touristic trips, at Cooperating Volunteers, we want to advocate for a more enriching experience, one that transforms us from within and allows us to be part of the change the world needs to see.

We can adapt both the destination and the duration of our projects to fit your needs.

It’s an opportunity full of emotions that allows us to significantly contribute to different communities and their evolution. And you can participate in different areas such as education, social support, or assistance in different centers.

Some of the benefits include:

  • Sense of purpose: Provides a sense of purpose by contributing your skills and experiences to meaningful causes.
  • Emotional well-being: Reduces feelings of isolation and establishes social connections.
  • Personal development: It’s continuous learning, skill development, and discovering new activities while keeping the mind-body active.
  • Physical health: Keeping active.
  • Stress reduction: The act of helping others reduces stress and contributes to mental health.

Living this experience will undoubtedly be a before and after. 

SOCIAL VOLUNTEERING

A volunteering initiative with leadership and impact through the educational action program.

When we talk about social volunteering, we refer to all those actions and activities carried out altruistically, selflessly, and with the aim of addressing multiple problems and needs of different communities, always focused on education and self-sufficiency.

Education is essential because it provides the tools and knowledge necessary for personal, social, and economic development.

Our goal is to create self-sufficient communities and provide opportunities for the future personal development of each member. The message is not to ‘give’, but to accompany in the process of training for self-managed provision.

At Cooperating Volunteers, many of our destinations and projects embrace this type of volunteering. Some of our projects include: community programs, education, women’s empowerment…

And although they are completely different from each other, they share a single objective: progress towards a society that can embrace us all in the same way.

If you are someone who is restless, who needs to see a change in the future, volunteering is an experience tailor-made for you.