Volunteer in Jamaica

Animal Care in

For dog shelters, caring for up to 200 dogs at once, while trying to give them the best chance of being re-homed, can be a daunting task. As an animal care volunteer, you’ll provide much valued human company, as well as medical treatment and general care to ensure these dogs, many of whom have been abandoned, are fully taken care of.

You’ll assist shelter staff with cleaning, feeding, training, walking and playing with the animals, as well as any shelter maintenance and upkeep that’s required. Local staff will help to guide you in these tasks, and all dogs are vaccinated. You can also help with rescue missions for street dogs and in the re-homing process.

Many dogs are adopted by families from overseas, and you’re also able to help to create online profiles for dogs so this can happen. Volunteers who are training or qualified veterinarians may also have the chance to perform small procedures such as cleaning and dressing wounds.

The Animal Care project is best suited to volunteers who love dogs, are passionate about supporting animal rights and don’t mind getting their hands dirty.

The project typically takes place in the morning, from 8am until noon and you will be welcome to continue volunteering in the afternoon. All the dogs that are cared for in the shelter are vaccinated.

Business and Community Development in

There are some great government grants available for start-up businesses in Jamaica, but for some, it can be a challenge getting themselves to a point where they’re eligible to apply for them. Volunteers can help these local enterprises to scale up their efforts and improve operational efficiencies, while also enabling them to take advantage of these central funding schemes.

As a volunteer, you’ll be working alongside small businesses, charities and NGOs as a business mentor to provide guidance and assistance with the basics of getting an organization off the ground or take it to the next stage. You will be able to assist with business planning, bookkeeping, website design, social media, financial planning and IT skills.

Creativity and an entrepreneurial mindset are a must as you will be working with limited resources. You will also need to be proactive in learning about the market or community in which the enterprise operates, so you can best support it to succeed.

Volunteers are required to have relevant study or work experience. We recommend you bring your own laptop to Jamaica, however this is optional. You’ll usually split your time between meetings in the local community and working from the program office.

Please note that once you have registered for this project, you will need to supply a copy of your resume so you can be placed with the most appropriate enterprise.

Child and Youth Development in

For those with an interest in promoting health and overall wellbeing in young people, this unique project is well suited to you. Based in local schools, volunteers act as wellbeing ambassadors with a focus on emotional and physical health.

It’s well documented that poverty, dysfunctional family structures and other social challenges can have a long term impact on the development of young people. With limited resources, time and knowledge there can be little or no support for children and young people who have these kinds of day to day stresses, leading to poor emotional well-being.

The Child and Youth Development project seeks to equip children with the skills to understand, cope with and improve their emotional and physical intelligence and resilience. You’ll engage students in conversations about well-being, encouraging them to talk about feelings in a way that helps them to understand their own emotions. In a country that stigmatizes mental illness, your role as a volunteer is to promote mental health and breakdown stereotypes.

You will create and deliver workshops and offer one-on-one support to students in order to help them deal with any mental health issues and promote long-term wellness practices. This will include providing support to young people with learning needs, facilitating health workshops, managing behavior and conflict situations, creating boundaries and supporting young people to express emotions.

This project is ideal for those studying psychology, social work or international development. It will develop your practical skills in group management, facilitation and also your reflective skills about your own role and personal development.

In order to help volunteers make the most impact on this project, you’re required to complete a 12-hour online training program in managing challenging behavior in Jamaican schools. This is an accredited certification that we recommend you complete the course before starting your volunteer program, in order to be as effective as possible. The program is delivered independently by UK-based Neuro Champions and costs an additional US$200.

Please note that during school exams and holidays (early January, April, July - August, and late December), this project closes temporarily. Volunteers will need to choose another project to support if you can only travel in these times. Animal Care, Business and Community Development are available year-round, or volunteers can assist in a local summer camp for children between July and August.

Kindergarten in

Kindergartens are busy places, often with many children with many demands for the few staff working there. As a volunteer on the Kindergarten project in Jamaica, you will play an important role in assisting local teachers with informal learning and developmental activities. The children are aged between 3 - 5 years old and are full of energy and an enthusiasm for learning.

Your tasks will involve assisting with arts and crafts, singing songs, reading stories and organizing outdoor games. You’re encouraged to come prepared with ideas to bring to the classroom, which you can also discuss with the local team.

This project is well suited to energetic volunteers who love working with children and are passionate about supporting their development. If you’re new to international volunteering, this project is a great option as you will be working alongside local teachers who can guide you in your daily tasks and activities.

Please note that during school exams and holidays (early January, April, July - August, and late December), this project closes temporarily. Volunteers will need to choose another project to support if you can only travel in these times. Animal Care, Business and Community Development are available year-round, or volunteers can assist in a local summer camp for children between July and August.

Marine Conservation in

Coral reefs are an attraction in tropical countries all over the world, but are sadly being damaged by the effects of climate change and litter. On top of that, marine debris represents a significant threat to the ecosystem and is having a devastating impact on marine life. However, volunteers are able to help to reduce these effects by using your scuba diving skills to help with important conservation efforts.

Volunteers on the Marine Conservation project in Jamaica focus on the restoration of the coral reef in Ocho Rios. You’ll support marine life and local community through a range of initiatives, including:

• Dive tasks: Coral cleaning and monitoring, removing invasive species, transplanting, coral surveying and data collection.
• Site maintenance: Beach cleans to remove damaging litter and other waste, and helping with ground beautification of the local area, through painting and other maintenance tasks.
• Administrative tasks: Update records, help with preparing written reports, planning, monitoring and data evaluation.
• Community outreach: Help to improve environmental awareness in schools and community groups in order to proactively assist conservation efforts.

This is an exciting opportunity for volunteers to help with contemporary conservation efforts. You’ll receive training on coral reefs and get a good understanding of environmental challenges, as well as an understanding of methods being used to combat these issues. Volunteers are required to bring their own diving equipment. Scuba tanks will be provided. You also need to have completed at least 20 dives before starting conservation efforts.

Those without the required experience have a range of options to upskill in Jamaica before starting on the volunteer project. A complete two-week pre-project training course that includes dive certification and 20 open water dives is available for US$1300. If you are certified but haven’t yet completed 20 dives, you’re able to take a 10-day, 20-dive experience for US$900, or gain dive experience with an instructor for US$50 per dive.

Special Education in

Many children in Jamaica grow up with undiagnosed learning difficulties and developmental or behavioral disorders. Specialized academic support and better identification resources make a huge difference to the lives of young people facing these challenges.

Volunteers work at a local primary school with children, mostly aged between 8-10, who need more support in the classroom. By addressing their individual differences and needs, volunteers can help students get the assistance they require.

The aim is to ensure all students are engaged in the school curriculum and continuing to develop. Volunteers assist local staff and can either be teaching groups of students or providing individualized learning opportunities, such as help with reading and writing.

This project is well suited to compassionate, patient and caring volunteers. Although you will be working closely with the local placement staff, it’s important that you have relevant experience working in special education.

Please note that during school exams and holidays (early January, April, July - August, and late December), this project closes temporarily. Volunteers will need to choose another project to support if you can only travel in these times. Animal Care, Business and Community Development are available year-round, or volunteers can assist in a local summer camp for children between July and August.

Sports Development in

Sport has a genuine ability to be a vehicle to strengthen community ties, improve quality of life and support collaborative community development efforts. As a volunteer on the Sports Development project in Jamaica, you will play a leading role in teaching local school children and wider community members a range of sports.

By volunteering in sport, you can teach local school children new sports, or practice ones they already know. Track and field, football, basketball and netball are popular with most students in Jamaica. You’re welcome to introduce a sport from home, but keep in mind you may need to bring some equipment with you.

Volunteers spend between four to six hours per day teaching and organizing lessons for students aged between 5-12 years old. You’ll be in charge of classes, running games and drills for students with a range of abilities. You can also help to organize community sports events.

The students are very energetic, so volunteers should love the company of children and understand their behavior, while being comfortable with maintaining discipline among the groups. It’s also well suited to self-motivated volunteers with a passion for sport and exercise. There is a need to be flexible on this project, as the day-to-day work often doesn’t follow a set structure.

Please note that during school exams and holidays (early January, April, July - August, and late December), this project closes temporarily. Volunteers will need to choose another project to support if you can only travel in these times. Animal Care, Business and Community Development are available year-round, or volunteers can assist in a local summer camp for children between July and August.

Teaching English in

Teachers in Jamaica are commonly in charge of more than 30 students per class, creating a busy environment where not every student can get the attention they need to learn. Volunteers are able to help both students and teachers with everyday education by assisting as a hands-on supporting teacher in elementary schools.

Teaching volunteers assist local teachers in all aspects of lesson time, including both academic and non-academic tuition. You can help to follow a government-issued curriculum and also assist with subjects like home economics and arts and crafts.

Your primary role is to support the head teacher by providing attention to students who need it. They can be individuals, in groups or the whole class, where students range in age from between 5-12 years old.

This project is well suited to creative volunteers with strong initiative and an enthusiasm for teaching. You’ll spend between four to six hours per day at local schools, with guidance from your local teacher for upcoming lessons.

As you will be volunteering with the support of the teaching staff and IVHQ’s local team, you don’t need to be a qualified teacher. However, we encourage you to come prepared by completing some relevant training. Visit our Online TEFL Course page to learn how to gain an internationally-recognized TEFL certification at a discounted rate.

Please note that during school exams and holidays (early January, April, July - August, and late December), this project closes temporarily. Volunteers will need to choose another project to support if you can only travel in these times. Animal Care, Business and Community Development are available year-round, or volunteers can assist in a local summer camp for children between July and August.

Veterinary Care in

While IVHQ has a range of projects working with animals around the world, this is a rare opportunity for veterinary volunteers to get tangible experience working in a practicing veterinary clinic.

Volunteer vets work closely with local veterinary staff, observing procedures and practices, making this a great opportunity to learn and gain hands-on experience. You can assist with operations, vaccinations, treatments and examinations, provide general care to animals and assist with the day-to-day operations of the clinic.

You’re also able to take part in outreach, traveling to farms for treatments to livestock and other animals.

You must be either studying at least pre-veterinary medicine or be fully qualified as a vet, and you’ll need to bring your own scrubs. Volunteers should expect to be working with limited resources, which may also mean treatment options and some medication may not be available.