Environmental Volunteering in Naples - Italy

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The IVHQ Italy Program is located in Naples, the capital city of the Campania region in Southern Italy. Volunteer placements are located throughout the wider city area of Naples. The program begins on the first and third Monday of every month. Volunteers can choose to volunteer for periods ranging from 2 weeks to 12 weeks.

IVHQ also offers a separate volunteer program in Rome, the capital city of Italy and home to the Colosseum. If you are interested in volunteering in Rome, you can learn more about the Rome volunteer program here.

The program orientation begins on the first and third Monday of each month, and volunteers need to arrive in Naples on the Sunday before orientation.

After you have registered for the program, please book your flights to arrive at Naples International Airport (NAP). Your airport pick-up is included in your Program Fee if you arrive between 9.00am and 7.00pm on Sunday.

When you arrive, you will be greeted at the airport by the local team’s driver and transported to the volunteer accommodation in Naples, where you will be met by a member of the local team. Your accommodation is covered by your Program Fee and includes the night before your program orientation.

If you are traveling in Italy prior to your volunteer program and arriving overland, we can arrange for you to be picked up at 4pm from the local metro station. If you are scheduled to arrive overland after 4pm on Sunday, you will need to arrange your own accommodation for this night, and transportation to the local team’s office in time for orientation at 10am Monday.

Orientation is hosted by our Italy team in Naples. It begins the morning of your chosen start date and lasts for a full day. The orientation covers everything you need to know for your volunteer program in Italy – Introduction to Italy, Culture and Customs, Rules and Expectations, Safety, Travel Opportunities, Introduction to Project and Placement as well as a tour of the local area. The orientation will also give you a chance to sign up for Italian language lessons and to meet other volunteers with whom you can swap contact details for weekend travel and socializing.

Weekdays: After the initial orientation, you will have a morning, afternoon or evening shift at your placement and will work for approximately 3 to 5 hours per day. A typical morning schedule is as follows:

7.30 AM Breakfast at the volunteer apartment.

8.30 AM Travel to placement to join local placement staff and begin work on your project. Please note that start times and daily workload depends on the project that you are participating on.

1.30 PM Work at the placement usually ends. You will travel back to the volunteer apartment for lunch or in some cases eat a packed lunch at your placement.

2.30 PM You are free to plan for the following day’s activities or use your free time as you wish. This could include sightseeing, some shopping or taking Italian language lessons.

7.00 PM Dinner at the volunteer apartment. After dinner you will have the remainder of the evening free to relax and use as you wish.

Please note this schedule will vary depending on the needs of your particular project.

Volunteers are accommodated in one of two dormitory-style, volunteer apartments in central Naples. The bedrooms can accommodate 4 to 8 volunteers at one time, and you should expect to share a bedroom and bathrooms with volunteers of the same gender. Bathrooms are equipped with western style toilets and showers. Bedding is provided, however volunteers will need to bring their own towels. As the accommodation is a shared living space, all volunteers are expected to help keep their personal living space tidy. There are also staff who clean the accommodation daily.

Both volunteer apartments in central Naples have WiFi which volunteers are able to use. You can also purchase a local SIM card with data for an unlocked mobile phone to keep connected.

If you wish to arrange a private room, accommodation upgrades are available at a local Bed & Breakfast nearby the volunteer accommodation. The price is dependent on the season in which you are booking, but typically ranges from $30 - $50 per room, per night. The accommodation upgrade is subject to availability and can be booked through our local team directly, once you have registered for the program.

Volunteers are provided with breakfast, lunch, and dinner​ during the week (Monday to Friday​)​, and breakfast ​only ​on Saturday and Sunday​. Lunch and dinner will be the responsibility of the volunteers on weekend and there is a kitchen available for volunteers to use at their convenience. Breakfast is self serve at the accommodation and includes tea, coffee, fruit, bread and cereal. Lunch and dinner ​during the week ​are provided by a local catering company and are delivered to the volunteer accommodation daily in time for lunch and dinner.​ Lunch is ​the ​largest meal of the day with dinner being a ​much ​lighter option. Meals will include pasta, rice, meat, seafood, vegetable and salad dishes. ​There are shops ​just two minutes walking distance away ​from the accommodation ​and volunteers are able to buy very affordable food if they wish to. Tap water is fine to drink in Italy, however bottled water is readily available if you prefer and you should budget approximately $5 per week for this.

Volunteers have the weekends free (except for some Environmental volunteers) and Italy is universally recognized for its history, art, culture, cuisine and natural beauty, so there is absolutely no shortage of things to see and do while in Naples or further afield in Italy! Naples has many UNESCO World Heritage sites and volunteers can fill their free time visiting the many historical sites and attractions, dining on the amazing cuisine, sipping espresso in the many café bars or simply exploring parts of Naples by wandering through the beautiful alleys. Rome, home to the Colosseum, Vatican and Sistine Chapel, is just an hour from Naples by train, and the ancient ruins of Pompeii are also just a 45 minute drive away. Nature lovers can hike the nearby Mt. Vesuvius and visit the beautiful Almalfi Coast to complete the “Walk of the Gods”. Volunteers staying for longer durations, or who wish to travel before or after their program, can visit areas further afield in Italy including; Venice, Cinque Terre, Florence, Milan, Pisa and so many more!

See our Italy Travel and Tours page for more volunteer travel options in Italy!

Weather and climate: Italy’s climate is quite diverse due to the great longitudinal extension of the peninsula and its mountainous terrain. The coastal areas of Liguria, Tuscany and most of the South are predominantly Mediterranean with dry summers and moderately wet winters. In the northern parts of Italy and areas of higher altitudes, the climate is cooler and the winter months can be cold, wet, and often snowy. Weather in Naples, where the IVHQ volunteer program is based, is pleasant throughout the year. Winter temperatures in Naples (December to February) vary from 4°C to 14°C/39°F to 57°F while spring (March to May) is slightly warmer at around 15°C/59°F. Summer (June to September) in Naples can become very hot and humid with average temperatures ranging between 18°C and 31°C/64°F and 89°F. Rainfall is heaviest in November and driest in July.

Volunteers need to be 18 years or over to participate on this program, unless volunteering with a parent or guardian. If you are under the age of 18, IVHQ offers alternative volunteer opportunities for teens. Visit our High School Volunteer Abroad page to learn more.

All volunteers are required to have adequate volunteer travel insurance and provide a criminal background check to IVHQ’s local team on arrival in Italy. Additional requirements apply for Environmental volunteers as outlined in the project descriptions.

Fluency in Italian is not a prerequisite for the IVHQ Italy volunteer program. However we recommend that volunteers take advantage of the very affordable language lessons offered exclusively to IVHQ volunteers by our partner staff in Italy. Volunteers find that taking these lessons help immensely with day-to-day volunteer work and communicating with local people. Volunteers interested in taking Italian lessons can arrange these directly with the local staff once in Italy.

Free Interactive Volunteer Training - All volunteers are encouraged to complete our interactive pre-departure training, which is available exclusively to registered IVHQ volunteers. The training is designed to build an understanding of important aspects that need to be considered before embarking on an IVHQ program. It helps volunteers to prepare in the right way by providing advice on what it takes to be a safe, responsible and valuable volunteer. Try a sample of the training here.

We recommend that volunteers take advantage of the very affordable Italian lessons offered exclusively to IVHQ volunteers by our ​local team ​in Italy. These language courses are organized during your program orientation​, ​are tailored to each volunteer’s current level of Italian and are taught by professional Italian teachers. We believe that taking these lessons can help you immensely with your day to day volunteer work and communicating with local people.

• 1 hour group lessons (5 hours per week): $84
• 1 hour private lessons (5 hours per week): $112