Though the energetic presentation by Elliot Tyson, the Central Valley area representative of nonprofit organization International Student Volunteers, Inc., went by quickly in the opening minutes of some morning classrooms was Wednesday, the message came across clear enough: that students have an opportunity to travel the world, help communities worldwide, and encounter more thrills than most people usually experience all their lives.

Since 1983, Tyson and his employers at ISV have provided the opportunity for students and graduates from over 800 colleges worldwide to get a shot at conservational and volunteer work in 10 countries to date, including Ecuador, South Africa, Costa Rica, Thailand, New Zealand and Australia. The program has made great progress in ecological relief efforts worldwide, donating to and working alongside the local charities and organizations in the countries its representatives visit. Each year, thousands of students that sign up for the program take trips ranging from two weeks to three months in length to various corners of the globe.

“It’s really a great opportunity to get out into the world and make a difference,” Tyson said in an interview Thursday. “The volunteer work is great and really makes you feel good doing it; just knowing that you got out into the world and made a difference. It can be tough, and it’s really fast-paced, but it’s definitely rewarding.”

The program offers the trips in two-week pieces, divided into two groups. The first is what ISV calls “Volunteer Work Projects.” They range from environmental relief efforts such as rainforest preservation and wildlife conservation to community service such as building homes and schools for underprivileged families and neighborhoods.

The second is the “Adventure Tours”, combining the rewarding experience of the trip with an amount of leisure time during which the company engages its volunteers with activities such as canyon climbing/rappelling, yacht cruises, hiking, and white-water rafting.

2009 is the first year that ISV is offering the program to local and junior colleges such as Fresno City College, which will hopefully expand the effort to give these communities some well-deserved aid as well as the desire to participate in such an exciting opportunity.

One aspect of being a volunteer in the process is that one has to pay the fees. The deposit fee for a trip is $500, and while most things such as lodging and food are covered by the full fee, some parts of the trip end up being a bit pricier than the average student’s wallet can spare. S=ome prices (such as air faire) are discounted for volunteers due to the sheer amount of applicants through ISV.

While the experience altogether can be a bit pricey, sometimes ranging from $1,900-$3,500 per person depending on how long one’s stay and where they go, it does not disappoint students with the drive and the desire to volunteer in one of ISV’s countries that may not be able to afford it.

“The company is completely non-profit,” Tyson said, “And while the price is a bit steep, we encourage our volunteers to set up and participate in fundraisers and such so that they can go. It is for a good cause, and you’d be surprised how many people support the students that volunteer, since so few people in the average community nowadays get a chance to do this kind of work.”

Especially with the state of the current economy, ISV is proud of its applicants for being able to raise as much funding as they do in order to, for instance, travel to the Dominican Republic and teach English to children.

Aside from the more apparent reasons to apply, ISV’s program has even more benefits for its volunteers. At some colleges, the experience qualifies for academic credit, and the volunteer effort is a spectacular item to list on any résumé.

“I can’t imagine an employer or a college admissions board who would turn down someone that would go halfway around the world to help these communities,” said Tyson.

For more information on International Student Volunteers, Inc., they can be reached by mail at their office (4848 Lakeview Ave. Suite 100A, Yorba Linda CA 92886), by phone [area code (714) 779-7392] or through their website, www.isvonline.org. They will also send an information packet if requested by emailing [email protected].