High School Students
Community Service Travel
A Volunteer adventure with The Small World is one of the best ways to discover the fascinating Nepali culture up close and personal, make a real difference in improving others’ lives, create warm and lasting friendships, plus have an unforgettable, life changing experience.
High Schools & College Volunteer Program
Orientation & World Heritage Cultural Tours
Upon your arrival, our volunteer program begins with a brief orientation and introduction by our team.
Next, you will be taken on heritage tours that feature a vibrant living culture, including in-depth meetings with local artisans to hear their stories, and explore the centuries old living arts and architecture and UNESCO world heritage sites in the ancient city of Kathmandu. These exciting experiences will help you to adjust to your new environment and give you time to shake off some of that jet lag!
High Schools & College
Volunteer Program
Service for Change
Our volunteers will be contributing their valuable time to meaningful projects that help to bring about positive change in the lives of local community members, especially women and children.
The Small World believes that locals know best what they need. Our unique way of approaching these projects includes in depth conversations with local community members; we always ask what is important to them and carefully listen. In this way, we find out how we can best help them. With their full participation in the project, our goal is to provide them with full ownership and pride in its successful completion. The majority of locally owned projects involve building schools and classrooms, safe drinking water, sanitation, community centers, family homes, girls’ dormitories, and health posts/facilities.
Building lasting relationships
with people & project
The Small World has many years of experience in working with volunteers and local communities.
Our respect for and inherent understanding of local culture has given us a good reputation, especially in regard to the quality of our work. In addition, a safe and sound working environment is very important to us as we work together, shoulder to shoulder, with local community members. And we have fun, too, sharing stories, food, participating in local authentic cultural activities, and playing games together to make volunteering a well rounded and satisfying experience.
There is dedicated time for work at the project site, which involves some challenging and hard physical labor that is generally basic in nature, such as carrying materials, digging on the site, painting, crushing rocks, and assisting skilled local labourers. But it’s not all work because there are plenty of fun and interesting activities. Volunteers have a great time interviewing local leaders, teachers, and porters; visiting local markets; travelling on local buses to experience local life, teaching English, mathematics, and science; playing football and volleyball; learning Nepali dance from the villagers; visiting monasteries for puja ceremonies; hiking; and other fun activities that provide an in-depth understanding of the culture and way of life in these remote Himalayan communities. Volunteers can expect some real eye opening experiences which remain forever in their life.
The Himalayan Trek
Volunteer teacher Barb Figg (left, back row) and her husband Jim Figg (right, front row) pose with other volunteers with some of the world's highest peaks in the background.
“Karma Namaste!
Thank you for for taking such good care of Barb and I as well as the 21 students from Mullen High School on our trip to your wonderful country.
Your enthusiasm, passion and commitment to improving the lives of the people of Nepal is extraordinary and contagious. Please give our regards to your staff. Each and every one of them is special.
Dhanyabaad”
During the Trek on the classic Everest trail, students point out where they have been on the map.
Nepal is the most popular destination in the world for Himalayan adventure treks with the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest, and many other snow capped peaks with altitudes over 8,000meters (26,000+ feet).
Our Himalayan Adventure is a great introduction to Nepal with our expert guides and their intimate knowledge of these remote mountain areas and trails, diverse terrains and geography, and unique local flora and fauna. Hiking through rhododendron forests with views of majestic snow capped mountains, watching yaks graze, and sipping tea in mountain tea houses along beautiful villages will be a once in a lifetime travel opportunity for students. They will discover, learn, and gain so much understanding about nature and the cultures of the high Himalayas, while connecting with the people, listening to their stories and sharing their own will expand their world view in ways that will remain with them for the rest of their lives.
We make it easy and affordable for volunteers and trekkers to make a change and be changed by people from the most distant corners of the world. The adventures we create are fun, but challenging. The goal behind each Small World trip is the same: pushing personal limits in order to improve the lives of girls and students throughout the developing world.
We are very passionate about providing opportunities for students to learn about global issues and their effects on developing counties and to experience dedicating themselves to meaningful projects that bring so many benefits not only to others but also to themselves. Every year, many of our students return home with a greater global awareness that inspires them to make positive changes in their lives, their communities, and the world!
Student Experiences
Will Beck
Dear Karma and Sonam,
Spending those three weeks in Nepal and helping build the new kitchen and dining room for the girls were probably the best three weeks that I have had in my life. From the moment we arrived at the Hope Home, we were immediately welcomed into your family and that sense of family will be something I will remember forever.
Ellie Raymond
This past summer, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to travel to Nepal and volunteer with the Small World organization. This experience was one of the most eye-opening encounters that I have had in my life. As soon as my group stepped off the plane and into the environment of this foreign land, we were immediately treated as family. From every direction, “namaste” and “welcome” was shouted to our nervously bunched together group.