Project Registration

Who Can Register?

Citizens and residents of North America may register through VFP. Volunteers from Canada should visit the Canadian webpage for additional information before applying. We may also accept your registration if you live in a country where we do not have a partner organization. If you are a citizen of a country where we have a partner organization, and you are currently in that country, you must register through our partner organization there, not through VFP.

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Age/s

We offer projects for teens, adults, seniors and families. If you will be under 18 at the time of the project then you may only register for projects that are listed for TEEN projects (volunteers under 18). The ages for volunteers appear in the header of each project description. Age limits are firm, we can NOT make exceptions because our foreign partner organizations determine the age limits for their projects. A few or our partner organizations list upper age limits in some of their projects, these are also listed in the header of each project description. Some partner organizations are open to families every year, they will be listed as a "family" camp type in the searchable Directory.

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Restrictions

If you have any medical or dietary restrictions, it is very important to mention them. Be advised that VFP does not guarantee accommodation of such needs, including vegetarianism, unless specified in the project announcement. In some countries vegetarianism is virtually unknown and you may find yourself faced with little choice but to go hungry and/or insult your hosts. You may have to be prepared to be more flexible with your diet during your travels. Some vegetarians who travel find that it is helpful to bring along a stash of protein-rich food (like peanut butter or dry seeds/nuts) to supplement their diet.

Some camp announcements may state other restrictions such as no smoking, no alcohol or hard labor, volunteers must be in good physical condition. Please read the project descriptions in the directory carefully and be sure you are willing to accept the conditions listed.

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Requirements & Motivation

Typically there are no requirements for each project unless otherwise stated. VFP depends on the volunteers genuine desire to be part of a working group. The vast majority of our volunteers are committed to working for the common goals of the project. If you are only interested in tourism or a cheap vacation, please do not register for a project.

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Deadlines

REGISTER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE for best selection. There is no specific deadline, but early registration ensures a much greater chance of placement in your preferred project/s. VFP's main placement season is March through mid-May after the projects for the summer months are announced on the online VFP OPEN Project Directory. We do place volunteers year-round. Some projects fill very quickly.

Unfortunately, we can't tell you if a space is available in any particular project until we receive your form & fee and can actually request your placement. The enrollment situation in any particular project changes by the minute since volunteers are registering also from many other countries and organizations. Please do not call to ask if any camps are full, we will not know until we try to place you. If a project appears on our website, then it was still open on the day the database was uploaded.

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Traveling With a Friend

Two people wishing to be placed in one project together should register as soon as possible after projects are announced and select projects that request more than 12 vols. Projects that request 11 or fewer volunteers in Europe, usually only accept 1-2 volunteers from North America. Send in both your and your friend's registration forms together IF possible and ALWAYS write on the forms that you want to be placed together. It can be difficult or impossible to place more than 2 people together in a project. Exceptions include a few projects in Germany and most projects in Africa, Latin America and Asia. Another option is to do separate camps with similar dates (you will make more friends!) and travel together after/before the project/s.

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How to Register

1. Search the VFP Open Projects Directory to find a project that best suits you. You can search by country, date, and project type.

2. Download and complete the VFP Registration Form and email/fax or surface mail it to VFP.

3. Pay the VFP Membership & Registration Fee .

4. Within 3-5 business days VFP will email you on the status of your placement. You will receive either an ACCEPTANCE LETTER or if not placed, you registration fee will be completely refunded. If we cannot place you in any of the projects that you have selected, we will contact you for more selections. If we cannot place you in a project of your choice we will promptly send you a full refund of your registration fee. The VFP membership fee is not refundable.

5. The volunteer will now arrange and pay for transporation to and from the project location as well as make any arrangements for passport, visas, and vaccinations. Visit the VFP Advice to Volunteer webpage for advice on traveling within the US and abroad.

6. At least four weeks prior to the project start date the placed volunteer will receive the Project Information Sheet.

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Changing Your Project Selections

There is a very stiff penalty of $150 per change, payable in advance, for changing your project selections after we have already received your registration form. Once we have made your placement request to our partner organization/s they, and VFP, turn away other potential volunteers who may be registering for the same space. There is a lot of paperwork and international electronic communication that goes along with every placement request, therefore, by this fee, we strongly discourage any changes to your selection/s.

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