Volunteer In Europe
Castles
Country Hop
Orphanage Service
Bakeries, Cafes, Gelato
History + Art
Trip Highlights
Departure + Return
There are 3 groups each year and dates follow pretty closely to what a university semester looks like.
Spring
Depart early/late January – return mid April/early May
Summer
Depart late April/late May – return early/late August
Fall
Depart mid August/late September – return end November/mid December (just in time for Christmas)
Costs
The program fee is $5,470 which includes:
✔️ Roundtrip airfare to Romania from the U.S.
✔️ Visa (if required)
✔️ In-country airport pick-up and drop-off with your group
✔️ Housing
✔️ WiFi
✔️ Three at-home meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
✔️ Pre-departure + in-country training
✔️ Local support
✔️ 24/7 emergency assist line from ILP headquarters
✔️ International SOS membership
✔️ Hands-on education
✔️ Meaningful service opps
Additional items (like your passport and domestic travel to and from the U.S. group departure airport) and in-country costs (like vacations, shopping, and activities) are not included. See a more detailed list here. It depends on your personal spending habits, but most volunteers recommend budgeting around $1,500-3,500 for the semester to make the most of your time in Romania.
We have custom monthly payment plans to help you make it work. That can be especially helpful if you’re saving up little by little, by working or doing fundraising.
An ILP Humanitarian Trip
This type of trip means that the kids you are working with come from very limited means and would not otherwise be able to afford this extra support provided to them.
In Romania, the children you are working with come from homes without parents or from situations where their families are unable to provide the necessary care they require. The time you spend volunteering in the Orphanage Program is a free gift to the kids. Thank you for wanting to help our sweet kiddos in Romania!
Is Romania right for me?
Each location is unique and therefore has its pros and cons. What falls into those two categories will really depend on the person you talk to, but we’ve put together common complaints we hear most about volunteering here. Knowing the typical pain points that just come along with the experience will help as you consider which country is best for you.
All of the kids you are helping have their basic needs met. Your semester is more about providing positive human interaction for a better quality of life. The one-on-one attention as well as love, encouragement, and support you give does this.
- Many semesters result in small changes rather than milestones.
- The children you help are often in and out of the hospital or may even pass away during your semester.
- This type of service is so worthwhile, but is emotionally taxing.
- Because our program in Romania does not give you experience with the ILP teaching method, volunteers in Romania need to volunteer in a teaching program before they can be a Head Teacher in a location other than Romania.
- Because of visa requirements you may be required to have one of your short vacations outside the Shengen zone (e.g. to London, England).
About Your Group
This program has about 10-15 volunteers in a group which means you’ve got lots of new travel buddies! Our Romania program is the best fit for:
- Single females and married couples
- 18-about 25ish years old
- Volunteers from the U.S. and Canada
- No experience needed!
About Your City
Volunteers live in Iasi, a charming city located in the northeast, near the border of Moldova.
Your new home is filled with all the European highlights you’re looking for: towering castles, ornate palaces, cafes galore, and cobblestone villages hiding out in the countryside. However, there’s a twist — while you will certainly find these highlights in other European destinations, in Romania, you get all of them (and more) without the crowds. You’ll visit the painted monasteries and hillside cottages and wonder why you have these gems all to yourself.
For some reason, Romania is still off the radar, a bit of a secret for those who haven’t come to see the charm for themselves. It’s a major highlight of the semester here.
Plus, there are things you didn’t even know you could find in Romania. Spend a weekend at the beach, relaxing at a resort on the Black Sea. Play all day at an underground theme park. Make the trek out to a tiny village that looks like something out of a fairytale (seriously).
Your new home, the city of Iasi, also has quite a lot to keep you busy. It’s a city absolutely filled with churches: there’s a joke in Iasi that you can’t throw a rock without hitting a church window. Plan on lots of afternoons admiring stained-glass windows and intricate mosaics. Iasi is full of flowers in the spring, sprawling malls with plenty of gelato shops, as well as parks and cafes perfect for hanging out. We can’t wait for you to uncover all the things waiting for you in this country!
Glimpse A Day In Romania
Wake up in your classic Eastern European apartment — you’re living in a Soviet-Era apartment which is old, with so much history to share. It’s smaller, older, boxier, and complete with carpet that’s been around since forever. There are some quirky surprises, like light switches on the outside of the bathroom, in the hallway. And the fact that wallpaper is definitely still a thing here. Good thing you have a group of new friends to experience it all with you!
Groups in Romania are anywhere from about 10-15 volunteers. You all share a couple of apartments, right next to each other, so you’re never too far from everyone in your group.
After having cereal and yogurt for breakfast with your roommates, it’s time to make the commute to your volunteering apartment. Groups are volunteering in a series of apartments spread in suburbs around Iasi. Your bus ride may be 20 minutes, or more like 60+ minutes, depending on location, traffic, construction. You’ll be a pro at navigating the local transportation in no time! Though you will travel by bus, make sure you bring comfortable walking shoes because you’ll also be walking a lot during your semester.
You get there right before 9:00 AM, and volunteer until 12:00 PM, then head back to the apartment for lunch. Your whole ILP semester is all about an authentic Romanian experience, including the meals. You and your group will go shopping for breakfast things with a provided stipend at local grocery stores. Then, lunches and dinners are prepared for you and are all classic Romanian dishes. Haven’t had much Romanian food? Meals are full of potatoes, bread, cabbage, creamy sauces, and cutlets. Probably not what you usually eat at home, but this semester is all about giving you new experiences.
Since volunteering only takes up a few hours per day, there is probably more free time than you’re expecting. You can fill your afternoons how you’d like. Maybe you play games with your group in the apartment. Maybe you grab some of your roommates to explore the narrow streets of your little city. Go grocery shopping for the week, or get gelato near the Palace of Culture (which is your new fav hangout spot). You’ll have lots of opportunities to get out and explore the little city you live in and travel around Romania on the weekends.
So many of our favorite spots in Romania can be seen on a quick weekend trip, which leaves time for you to spend vacation days exploring the rest of the country + Europe.
The Backstory Of This Program
Our ILP Program in Romania has a pretty unique start.
Volunteer work at the orphanage actually began as a program through Brigham Young University that gave students the opportunity to work with the children there. BYU had made plans to discontinue the program, but some of the BYU interns who went to Romania loved it so much that they didn’t want to see the service end there.
One of the interns had previously volunteered with ILP as well and they felt like this might be the perfect solution.
They approached the ILP Directors to see if ILP would consider starting a program to take over the work that the BYU interns had already began.
The ILP Directors were hesitant at first because our mission and experience had always been focused on teaching English, and this orphanage program would be quite different from that, but the BYU interns were persistent. In the end, the mission of service at the orphanage aligns well with ILP’s mission of helping others create a brighter future. The rest is history!
In 2014, we opened ILP’s first Humanitarian program! Romania has a special place in our hearts for many reasons and we hope you feel the same love for this country and the people there.
Departure + Return
There are 3 groups each year and dates follow pretty closely to what a university semester looks like.
Spring
Depart early/late January – return mid April/early May
Summer
Depart late April/late May – return early/late August
Fall
Depart mid August/late September – return end November/mid December (just in time for Christmas)
Costs
The program fee is $5,470 which includes:
✔️ Roundtrip airfare to Romania from the U.S.
✔️ Visa (if required)
✔️ In-country airport pick-up and drop-off with your group
✔️ Housing
✔️ WiFi
✔️ Three at-home meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
✔️ Pre-departure + in-country training
✔️ Local support
✔️ 24/7 emergency assist line from ILP headquarters
✔️ International SOS membership
✔️ Hands-on education
✔️ Meaningful service opps
Read More
An ILP Humanitarian Trip
This type of trip means that the kids you are working with come from very limited means and would not otherwise be able to afford this extra support provided to them.
In Romania, the children you are working with come from homes without parents or from situations where their families are unable to provide the necessary care they require. The time you spend volunteering in the Orphanage Program is a free gift to the kids. Thank you for wanting to help our sweet kiddos in Romania!
Is Romania right for me?
Each location is unique and therefore has its pros and cons. What falls into those two categories will really depend on the person you talk to, but we’ve put together common complaints we hear most about volunteering here. Knowing the typical pain points that just come along with the experience will help as you consider which country is best for you.
Read More
About Your Group
This program has about 10-15 volunteers in a group which means you’ve got lots of new travel buddies! Our Romania program is the best fit for:
- Single females and married couples
- 18-about 25ish years old
- Volunteers from the U.S. and Canada
- No experience needed!
About Your City
Volunteers live in Iasi, a charming city located in the northeast, near the border of Moldova.
Read More
Glimpse A Day In Romania
Wake up in your classic Eastern European apartment — you’re living in a Soviet-Era apartment which is old, with so much history to share. It’s smaller, older, boxier, and complete with carpet that’s been around since forever. There are some quirky surprises, like light switches on the outside of the bathroom, in the hallway. And the fact that wallpaper is definitely still a thing here. Good thing you have a group of new friends to experience it all with you!
Read More
The Backstory Of This Program
Our ILP Program in Romania has a pretty unique start.
Volunteer work at the orphanage actually began as a program through Brigham Young University that gave students the opportunity to work with the children there. BYU had made plans to discontinue the program, but some of the BYU interns who went to Romania loved it so much that they didn’t want to see the service end there.
One of the interns had previously volunteered with ILP as well and they felt like this might be the perfect solution.Read More
Volunteering
Volunteer in a European Orphanage
Romania is the only ILP location where you are not teaching English. Here, your service goes toward children in the Orphanage Program here. The kids and orphanage children you’re working with range in age, as well as health and ability. Some children in the program are non-verbal and bedridden. Others have mild to very severe neurological syndromes in addition to medical challenges.
Most children are 5-18 years old, with a few who are younger or a smidge older than that range. Every child in the Orphanage Program is disabled, and many of the children we work with are orphans, but not all. (Some have parents who are unable to care for their child financially, but still visit. Other children attend a school or treatment facility here that’s not available where they are from).
How you help will drastically depend on the needs of the children living in the apartment you will be volunteering in. It’s a humbling experience to be helping and connecting with the sweet children here.
How You’re Needed In Romania
You’ll have the chance to show your kids the love and care that a parent would. It’s best for the kids that one volunteer works with them the whole semester long, so you’ll be able to spend all of your time with “your kids”, and get really close to them.
Depending on where you’re serving, volunteers crawl around with young children or take walks down the hallways. Play games outside in the yard with the older children. Stretch tired legs and arms, then rub hands and feet. Sing songs to the kids who can’t leave their beds. Learn from the onsite staff how to help with the basic and routine medical procedures, like changing a feeding tube or helping a child sit quietly during kidney dialysis.
Work with children who don’t receive the attention necessary to develop basic social skills, like learning how to share or not to shout during a tantrum. There are many ways to help in this program in Romania.
The way you are serving seems small and maybe even insignificant. Moments of singing until a sick child cracks a smile, laughing while you place stickers on smiling faces, braiding hair (then getting your hair braided), or realizing that the shyest girl in your room now lights up when you walk into her room. They are small moments but mark huge levels of success.
If you’re excited to give back with your time, attention, and love through these acts of service, Romania’s the spot for you.
Volunteer in a European Orphanage
Romania is the only ILP location where you are not teaching English. Here, your service goes toward children in the Orphanage Program here. The kids and orphanage children you’re working with range in age, as well as health and ability. Some children in the program are non-verbal and bedridden. Others have mild to very severe neurological syndromes in addition to medical challenges. Read More
How You’re Needed In Romania
You’ll have the chance to show your kids the love and care that a parent would. It’s best for the kids that one volunteer works with them the whole semester long, so you’ll be able to spend all of your time with “your kids”, and get really close to them.
Depending on where you’re serving, volunteers crawl around with young children or take walks down the hallways. Play games outside in the yard with the older children. Stretch tired legs and arms, then rub hands and feet. Sing songs to the kids who can’t leave their beds. Learn from the onsite staff how to help with the basic and routine medical procedures, like changing a feeding tube or helping a child sit quietly during kidney dialysis. Read More
“We were there to give love, help them grow, learn, and develop — and yet, they did the same for me.”
This program is so special, for a lot of reasons you’ve already read about. Instead of teaching English (like all of our other programs), you’ll be giving your attention, love, and service to children in our Orphanage Program.
It’s a semester of the little things that make the biggest difference … and teach the biggest lessons. From listening to Romanian nursery rhymes to holding a hand for comfort, countless volunteers have expressed that being close to these kids has taught them so many little life lessons.
Plus, the chance to not only live in Romania but to travel all around here adds so much to your experience.
Maybe it’ll be the people you meet on the train rides or the sites found in medieval cities. Maybe it’ll be the rows and rows of flower shops that will catch your attention, or maybe it will be the Nutella-filled pretzels. No matter what it is for you, we have a feeling Romania will quickly find its way into your heart.
Time in Romania will certainly give you the chance to not only experience a culture you may not know too much about, but truly experience a country that seems to still be a bit undiscovered. Even more than that, volunteering here means a semester of service and love.
“We were there to give love, help them grow, learn, and develop — and yet, they did the same for me.”
This program is so special, for a lot of reasons you’ve already read about. Instead of teaching English (like all of our other programs), you’ll be giving your attention, love, and service to children in our Orphanage Program.
Read More
Experiences In + Around Romania
You have every weekend off plus vacation time throughout the semester to travel over Romania and the nearly endless destinations across Europe.
Volunteers love spending as much time as they can in Romania — you’ll have lots of opportunities to explore the charming and colorful villages this country has to offer … we have a feeling you’ll be surprised by all the hidden gems you didn’t know were hiding here! There are also so many countries we know you’re dying to see that are just a flight away. Countries like Greece, France, Italy, and Poland make great vacation spots.
Start Your ILP Adventure
choosing to go to romania was one of the most difficult decisions i’ve had to make. but thanks to lots of encouragement from family, friends & especially my amazing mom, i decided to go and i am SO glad i did … if you have the chance to move to romania & volunteer in an orphanage for a couple months…TAKE IT! you won’t regret it.