The Foundation for Sustainable Development (FSD) is a 13 year-old nonprofit organization that provides hands-on, service-learning internships and volunteer opportunities for those looking to gain development experience and make a genuine impact on an international community. Our programs are located in six countries throughout Latin America, Africa, and Asia.

Students and professionals spend their time working with one of 200 different community-based organizations (CBOs) partnered with FSD, experientially learning and applying sustainable development solutions. Project work is collaboratively designed and implemented by the participant, the FSD Site Team, and the organization. In the end, participants acquire development skills and training, while immersing themselves in foreign language and culture. Interns and volunteers also have the experience of a lifetime, making long-standing relationships with their host families, host organizations, and the communities they serve. Download a catalogue of our programs!

How to Get Involved with FSD Abroad!

1. Consider the area of interest (or development subject) for your work abroad and the country or region you want to work in. FSD partners with organizations that can be categorized in 7 different development subjects:

a. Microenterprise/Microfinance
b. Environment
c. Health
d. Youth and Education
e. Women’s Empowerment
f. Community Development
g. Human Rights

Narrowing your interests will help FSD match you with your ideal project work. You can read about the development issues and internship/volunteer opportunities in each of these subject areas with respect to a particular country by selecting on a Country Page (see next steps).

2. Think about the region and/or country you want to work in. Read about the development issues and internship/volunteer opportunities in each of these countries (note: As of February 2008, opportunities in Ecuador and Peru are unavailable due to organizational restructuring):

Latin America – Argentina, Bolivia, Nicaragua
Africa – Kenya, Uganda
Asia - India

*Our programs in Latin America require a basic level of Spanish speaking and comprehension. Many participants study intensive Spanish in-country before starting their work with an organization. Programs in East Africa and India do not require language experience.

3. Once you select a country and review the issues related to your development subject(s) of choice, be sure to click on the links in the body of the text to gain insight into specific kinds of project work you could be involved with.

4. FSD offers four different types of internship and volunteer opportunities to meet the needs of students (undergraduate and graduate), young professionals, and seasoned professionals/retirees. Click here to select the program that best fits your needs.

5. Review Recent Project Examples to get a sense of what past and current interns and volunteers are doing in the field in each country. This will help you formulate the kind of work you wish to participate in.

6. Research our database of over 200 different host organizations to more thoroughly understand the programs and activities you could be involved with. These organization descriptions will serve to enrich your knowledge of what our partner NGOs are doing to support their communities.

7. Review the dates and fees of our programs.

8. Fill out the application that coincides with the program you have selected.

Please be sure to call or email FSD with any questions.