5 answers
Cathleya
Student
Indonesia
2
Questions
Asked
2056 views
Are there any recommended remote internship / volunteering programs on health field, writing, and community service?
As an international 10th grader passionate about those fields and the future, I must say it's a bit more challenging to find a good EC or activity that involves international students. Your help, answer, or upvote is much appreciated!
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5 answers
Karin P.
Lecturer, Academic Advisor, Career Coach
735
Answers
Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany
Updated
Karin’s Answer
Hi Cathleya,
I don't know where you are located, so I can't give you any local opportunities, but you'll find some online opportunities here:
https://blog.collegevine.com/online-community-service-for-high-schoolers
https://www.alz.org/get-involved-now/volunteer
https://www.volunteermatch.org/virtual-volunteering
https://volunteerconnection.redcross.org
https://www.crisistextline.org/blog/2024/11/15/virtual-volunteering-students/
https://www.caringsupport.com/blog/online-medical-volunteering-opportunities
I hope this helps! All the best to you!
KP
I don't know where you are located, so I can't give you any local opportunities, but you'll find some online opportunities here:
https://blog.collegevine.com/online-community-service-for-high-schoolers
https://www.alz.org/get-involved-now/volunteer
https://www.volunteermatch.org/virtual-volunteering
https://volunteerconnection.redcross.org
https://www.crisistextline.org/blog/2024/11/15/virtual-volunteering-students/
https://www.caringsupport.com/blog/online-medical-volunteering-opportunities
I hope this helps! All the best to you!
KP
Michelle M.
Actress
2662
Answers
Updated
Michelle’s Answer
Hello, Cathleya !
Sorry that you are having a time finding volunteer work or an internship. It's great that you've come to Career Village to obtain more information.
To begin with, opportunities are not categorized for "only international students" so perhaps broadening your perspective will greatly help. For Extracurriculars, Volunteer Work and possible Internships (if you are in your third or fourth year of college) it usually takes exploring online as well as beyond information that is on the internet.
First and foremost, the high school that you are attending can give you a list of all of the clubs and extracurriculars that are present at your high school. Check with them first if you haven't already. For health related volunteer work, check with the International Volunteer Headquarters. It's mostly for medical career students but see if they have anything else in a different category. Also check with the local Department of Health in the city or town you are attending high school at.
For volunteer work doing writing, join your high school newspaper. You can write content for it and your high school's website. Your opportunities will be most beneficial and easier to find if you seek them locally where you live and in person. When volunteer work is categorized as "international" it means that the opportunities are all around the world and are not just for international students.
If you are on an F-1 or a J-1 visa, you can do volunteer work in the U.S. if it is a social service, like a food pantry, the American Red Cross or another social service organization. You can volunteer as long as you do not take unauthorized employment at the same time. Do a search online for all the local charities around where you live and visit them to inquire about volunteer work. Keep in mind that any unpaid INTERNSHIP does not fit the Volunteer category and for you to do an internship may require specific authorization and may not qualify as volunteer work. You have to visit your school's international student office to get the details about this. The school knows your specific circumstances and I doubt you will be guided effectively by people who do not know you or online.
I hope this helps and I wish you all the best !
Sorry that you are having a time finding volunteer work or an internship. It's great that you've come to Career Village to obtain more information.
To begin with, opportunities are not categorized for "only international students" so perhaps broadening your perspective will greatly help. For Extracurriculars, Volunteer Work and possible Internships (if you are in your third or fourth year of college) it usually takes exploring online as well as beyond information that is on the internet.
First and foremost, the high school that you are attending can give you a list of all of the clubs and extracurriculars that are present at your high school. Check with them first if you haven't already. For health related volunteer work, check with the International Volunteer Headquarters. It's mostly for medical career students but see if they have anything else in a different category. Also check with the local Department of Health in the city or town you are attending high school at.
For volunteer work doing writing, join your high school newspaper. You can write content for it and your high school's website. Your opportunities will be most beneficial and easier to find if you seek them locally where you live and in person. When volunteer work is categorized as "international" it means that the opportunities are all around the world and are not just for international students.
If you are on an F-1 or a J-1 visa, you can do volunteer work in the U.S. if it is a social service, like a food pantry, the American Red Cross or another social service organization. You can volunteer as long as you do not take unauthorized employment at the same time. Do a search online for all the local charities around where you live and visit them to inquire about volunteer work. Keep in mind that any unpaid INTERNSHIP does not fit the Volunteer category and for you to do an internship may require specific authorization and may not qualify as volunteer work. You have to visit your school's international student office to get the details about this. The school knows your specific circumstances and I doubt you will be guided effectively by people who do not know you or online.
I hope this helps and I wish you all the best !
Hello, Michelle M. Thank you so much for your helpful answer. It certainly helped me, and hopefully other students reading this! Best regards to you!
Cathleya
You are welcome for the advice !
Michelle M.
Kimberly Valenta, MD
Medical Writer
7
Answers
Dallas, Texas
Updated
Kimberly’s Answer
Hi Cathleya!
I recommend that you first look locally to see if you might volunteer to write content for a nonprofit health organization in your area. Some possibilities include:
• Hospitals
• Assisted living and skilled nursing facilities
• Home healthcare and hospice agencies
• Retirement communities
• Migrant, community, or homeless health centers
• Health advocacy and disease-specific organizations (e.g., cancer research, heart disease prevention)
• Behavioral and mental health professionals
• Schools (perhaps even your school)
For local organizations, look on their webpage for a volunteer or career page. This where they might include volunteer opportunities and how to apply. If they don't have a webpage, call and ask to speak with the volunteer coordinator or ask if they have an email address for the volunteer coordinator. You can then express your interest in helping them to communicate their mission and/or educate the people they serve with written content.
I did find a virtual content and writing volunteer opportunity at Global Health and Education Projects. Here is their volunteer webpage: https://globalhealthprojects.org/volunteer/
Kaiyros Publications is also currently looking for a volunteer writer: https://www.idealist.org/en/volunteer-opportunity/5520acf433d64a09a8604977f00038d5-volunteer-writer-for-creative-mental-health-nonprofit-publication-kaiyros-los-angeles
Letters of Hope also works with volunteer writers: https://www.lettersofhope.care/volunteer
And TogetherWell also: https://www.togetherwell.org/volunteer
These organizations may ask to see a sample of your writing. It would be a good idea to work on your own portfolio, and this is something you can start right away. Some types of writing to include in your portfolio are:
• Health education articles, such as "What is Diabetes?" and "How to Manage Stress During Exams."
• Personal essays or reflections, such as "Why I'm Passionate About Public Health" or "My Experience with Mental Health Awareness Week"
• Blog posts, such as "5 Easy Tips for Eating Healthy at School" or "My Favorite Resources for Staying Active"
Use good sources as reference materials. Some examples of reliable sources are the NHS (https://www.nhs.uk/health-a-to-z/) and the CDC (https://www.cdc.gov/). Do not use other people's blogs as sources for your own content.
Remember to continue to work on your portfolio materials after your first draft so that they're clear, accurate, and engaging. Write in the active voice and break up the content into short paragraphs for easy reading. Ask a friend or teacher to provide feedback. And make sure there are no spelling or grammatical errors in your final version.
Your portfolio materials can be kept as files in Word or Google docs and can be shared as PDF attachments when you apply for a volunteer role. You can also consider posting them on social media sites or creating your own website. Free blogging websites are available, like https://www.blogger.com/. Then you can share the link with potential organizations you'd like to write for. In fact, even if you never volunteered for an organization, creating your own health blog would be a great experience on its own and something you could proudly show to universities and/or employers in the future.
Best of luck, and don't hesitate to ask more questions if you have them!
Research, write, and edit 3-5 pieces for your portfolio
Research local health nonprofits and reach out to their volunteer coordinator.
Reach out to virtual volunteer opportunities.
Set up your own blogging site and regularly publish your own articles there.
I recommend that you first look locally to see if you might volunteer to write content for a nonprofit health organization in your area. Some possibilities include:
• Hospitals
• Assisted living and skilled nursing facilities
• Home healthcare and hospice agencies
• Retirement communities
• Migrant, community, or homeless health centers
• Health advocacy and disease-specific organizations (e.g., cancer research, heart disease prevention)
• Behavioral and mental health professionals
• Schools (perhaps even your school)
For local organizations, look on their webpage for a volunteer or career page. This where they might include volunteer opportunities and how to apply. If they don't have a webpage, call and ask to speak with the volunteer coordinator or ask if they have an email address for the volunteer coordinator. You can then express your interest in helping them to communicate their mission and/or educate the people they serve with written content.
I did find a virtual content and writing volunteer opportunity at Global Health and Education Projects. Here is their volunteer webpage: https://globalhealthprojects.org/volunteer/
Kaiyros Publications is also currently looking for a volunteer writer: https://www.idealist.org/en/volunteer-opportunity/5520acf433d64a09a8604977f00038d5-volunteer-writer-for-creative-mental-health-nonprofit-publication-kaiyros-los-angeles
Letters of Hope also works with volunteer writers: https://www.lettersofhope.care/volunteer
And TogetherWell also: https://www.togetherwell.org/volunteer
These organizations may ask to see a sample of your writing. It would be a good idea to work on your own portfolio, and this is something you can start right away. Some types of writing to include in your portfolio are:
• Health education articles, such as "What is Diabetes?" and "How to Manage Stress During Exams."
• Personal essays or reflections, such as "Why I'm Passionate About Public Health" or "My Experience with Mental Health Awareness Week"
• Blog posts, such as "5 Easy Tips for Eating Healthy at School" or "My Favorite Resources for Staying Active"
Use good sources as reference materials. Some examples of reliable sources are the NHS (https://www.nhs.uk/health-a-to-z/) and the CDC (https://www.cdc.gov/). Do not use other people's blogs as sources for your own content.
Remember to continue to work on your portfolio materials after your first draft so that they're clear, accurate, and engaging. Write in the active voice and break up the content into short paragraphs for easy reading. Ask a friend or teacher to provide feedback. And make sure there are no spelling or grammatical errors in your final version.
Your portfolio materials can be kept as files in Word or Google docs and can be shared as PDF attachments when you apply for a volunteer role. You can also consider posting them on social media sites or creating your own website. Free blogging websites are available, like https://www.blogger.com/. Then you can share the link with potential organizations you'd like to write for. In fact, even if you never volunteered for an organization, creating your own health blog would be a great experience on its own and something you could proudly show to universities and/or employers in the future.
Best of luck, and don't hesitate to ask more questions if you have them!
Kimberly recommends the following next steps:
Jane S. Gabin
Educator
25
Answers
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Updated
Jane S.’s Answer
It doesn’t matter what your undergraduate major is! It truly doesn’t matter!
It’s way - way, way, way, way, way, way, way - too early to be exploring this option.
Oh, you will want to study science rather than history. But don’t ignore history!
You will likely need a graduate degree in SOMETHING.
Get your undergraduate degree first, then work for a while as you think about your plan, THEN look at graduate programs.
I wish you well as you explore your passions!
Choose an undergraduate school with LOTS of choices.
It’s way - way, way, way, way, way, way, way - too early to be exploring this option.
Oh, you will want to study science rather than history. But don’t ignore history!
You will likely need a graduate degree in SOMETHING.
Get your undergraduate degree first, then work for a while as you think about your plan, THEN look at graduate programs.
I wish you well as you explore your passions!
Jane S. recommends the following next steps:
Hello, Jane S. Thank you for the advice, and yes I agree on exploring passions before fully commiting into a major. Thank you so much, I find it very eye-opening. Have a great day!
Cathleya
Wyatt .
Retired Corporate Executive
39
Answers
United States
Updated
Wyatt’s Answer
Hello, Cathleya,
In addition to the great comments already posted, there are some other opportunities out there. Programs like ENGin (English tutoring), FIMRC (virtual global health), and Project Gutenberg (writing/transcription) are open to international students and offer meaningful experience in health, writing, and service. Also check out UN Online volunteering and Smithsonian digital volunteers, both are flexible and remote.
Hope this helps!
Best Wishes,
Wyatt
In addition to the great comments already posted, there are some other opportunities out there. Programs like ENGin (English tutoring), FIMRC (virtual global health), and Project Gutenberg (writing/transcription) are open to international students and offer meaningful experience in health, writing, and service. Also check out UN Online volunteering and Smithsonian digital volunteers, both are flexible and remote.
Hope this helps!
Best Wishes,
Wyatt