Come say hi!
We’re an organization run by directors who started the program in Russia 25+ years ago: we’ve added a few more countries and changed quite a bit since then!
Along with our directors, our Orem, Utah staff is made up of staff who have all volunteered with us at one point or another. Everyone’s here to share our own experiences and help answer your questions about volunteering with ILP.
I will always remember the other girls in my group and our native coordinators. They all made me feel so loved and I miss them all the time!
The first time I went I wanted to do something different and have an adventure before I started college. I guess you could say I got addicted to ILP and traveling because I went 3 more times!
Fundraising, throwing together garage sales, working and saving up, and begging…I'm kind of kidding about the last one.
One of my favorite experiences was getting thrown on a float our 2nd day in China for the Chinese New Years, and having to dance for the whole city (and some judges). Having people take pictures of us with their phones and reach up just to touch our hands was pretty awesome (winning it wasn't too bad either :)).
My favorite vacation was when we went to Poland and visited Auschwitz. It was a life changing experience.
I met my best friend on the program and we are still best friends to this day. I also met so many good friends traveling from all over the world that I still keep in touch with.
I was looking for something new and wanted an adventure. This was the perfect opportunity and felt right.
I had wanted to go to Europe for my entire life. ILP gave me the opportunity to have an affordable, meaningful, and wonderful experience abroad in the country that my ancestors are from, Poland!
Maja. She was absolutely adorable and would say the cutest things in English. “Oh my goodness!”, was my favorite and she said that several times every class.
ILP gives young people a chance to affordably adventure and explore while still serving others and making a difference.
The best thing that I got out of the program was my independence and newfound willingness to try new things, and explore new cultures.
One of my most amazing experiences was swimming in the Black Sea!
I paid for it by working and saving my money, as well as fundraising money on Facebook and through people I know.
One of my first graders named Aison because he really struggled with English and paying attention in all of his classes and just needed a teacher that would show him love instead of typical Taiwanese discipline. I tried my best to be a loving teacher to him and one day, he even said (in the most adorable broken English ever!) that I'm his mom!
Experiencing a new culture and way of life and forming a deep love with my students, the school's staff, the people of Taiwan and the country itself. I lived on a street called, "Ai guo," which means, "Love country" and I feel that illustrates my relationship with Taiwan perfectly!
The reps and the staff at ILP help you out a lot to get you out to your country to teach and are extremely kind! To this day, I will never forget the rep at the time I was applying, Tricia, who helped me so much and became my really good friend.
Lots of saving!! My parents were kind enough to help, as well.
I love ILP's teaching method. It's amazing how through play, love and example we could successfully teach our students English.
It helped me better understand the beauty of different cultures. I also realized I didn't need a lot to be happy!
I wanted to go on ILP because I wanted to travel, but not just be a tourist. Living in a country for 4 months and being able to interact directly with the locals was the perfect combination for me!
CONFIDENCE. Not only am I confident to travel around the world now, I have the confidence that I can achieve all my goals and dreams because I already did it.
I'm still friends with the girls in my own groups! but also became really close with the girls from the surrounding schools! Still have a group Snapchat going 🙂
Hannah One of my favorite vacations was the one we took in China. We went to Zhangjiajie to visit Tianmen Mountain, and then went to Beijing, and of course Yangshuo!
I like that you don't get pampered. You really live like a local wherever you go. You have problems just like they would and you get to learn how to solve things in their culture and the differences between that and living here. It's a very humbling and eye opening experience and I'd do it again in a heart beat! ast one.
Me, Ashley, and Brian were outside by a mall in China watching a small Chinese concert and a girl asked to take our picture so we let her, and then another girl, and another, and pretty soon we had a whole line of people with their cameras lined up to take our photo! When we looked back over at the concert, the camera men for the concert were looking and pointing at us and then left the concert, ran over to us and started taking our picture too! Legit PAPARAZZI. China is my favorite place on earth.
On our 11 day vacation, I saw Scottish castles, toured the Tower of London, saw my favorite sculpture at the Louvre, saw mass at the Notre Dame, ate the most AMAZING Italian pizza, cried when visiting the Florence Duomo and fought like a gladiator at the Colosseum! The craziest, funniest, most adventurous vacation!
My favorite part of the ILP program is being able to stay in the country for an extended amount of time! You almost feel like a local by the end because it becomes your home away from home!
Yangshuo in China: Bamboo rafting down the river next to the Dr. Seuss Mountains, bicycling to a cave with mud pools, white water rafting China-style, riding a moped around the rice fields. Best weekend ever.
I wanted to go on ILP because I wanted to travel, but not just be a tourist. Living in a country for 4 months and being able to interact directly with the locals was the perfect combination for me!
Yes, my sweet "little" boy Rubik (Reuben) who was 3 when I first taught him, just friended me on Facebook a few months ago! He is now 24, living in Moscow, using his English at work every day.
