Customised Group Programs

We believe strongly in supporting volunteer initiatives across the world that promote sustainable and long-term societal, environmental and economic change to benefit and empower local communities.

While the term volunteering is widely known and accepted, we prefer to use the term Experiential Service Learning. This better relates to our philosophy surrounding close community engagement as well as a focus on projects that have a long-term approach and a range of positive impacts for both communities and our students. Over 98% of CISaustralia participants receive academic credit for their program abroad, which fosters a more culturally immersive and deeper reflective experience.

Our volunteering programs contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals which aim to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. While not every program will achieve all seventeen of the UN goals, the students will have a positive impact by doing work that really matters. We partner with organisations that have in-depth, first-hand knowledge and close relationships with local communities. 

Read more: Why Volunteer Abroad with CISaustralia?

The most common way students pay for their program is via an OS-HELP loan. OS-HELP is a generous Australian Government Loan scheme that allows eligible Australian University students to access up to A$9,989 to study overseas (2023 amounts). The OS-HELP loan is applied to the student’s HECS and standard conditions apply. Like HECS-HELP, OS-HELP is interest-free and fee-free. Students should speak with their mobility office, visit the Australian Government Study Assist website for more information about HECS-HELP and OS-HELP.

University staff may also be eligible to apply for The New Colombo Plan Mobility Funding, which provides Australian universities with funding to support students on short-term programs in 40 locations across the Indo-Pacific region. Speak with your University’s mobility or international office if you are interested in applying for NCP funding.

For most organisations, having students take part in a placement or internship in their workplace is a huge commitment. This is why we recommend any placements or internships are a minimum of 4-6 weeks. This gives the students the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in the organisation and the project they are assigned to, and to ensure the organisation also benefits from having students in their workplace.

If you only have 2-3 weeks for your program and the subject requires a certain number of contact hours, perhaps consider exposing students to presentations and industry / business visits in order to meet contact hours. Speak with our team about creating the perfect balance for an observation-based program. Such programs can be created with or without a travelling University staff member.

Great question! We customise the itinerary to meet your objectives and thus every program price is unique. What factors are considered in estimating the cost? The length of the program, the time of year you are travelling, the type and location of accommodation you use, the number of excursions and meals included, the type of transportation planned, and the list goes on. The great thing about this model is that we can continue to tweak the itinerary so that the price is customised to suit the needs of your students. Please let us know if academic staff fees should be built into student costs or not, or if particular line items such as classroom space and academic visits are to be covered by another budget stream. We’ll be happy to pull out certain portions to reduce the cost to the students.

As a full service provider, we prefer just that – providing a full program. However, there are some programs in which we might not manage all of the logistics due to the institution’s connections with local exchange partners or existing relationships. Arranging accommodation (or just one single aspect of a program) only has its challenges and is more aligned to what a travel agent or online direct booking service offers. We support Universities and faculty by creating a comprehensive, customised and unique academic experience for staff and students.

Yes, and as many of our testimonials will attest, most Universities cannot imagine their program without them! We fully recognise a faculty leader may have lived in a particular destination and know it inside and out, but our staff are there to ensure someone is ready in the event of a logistical change, to support group dynamics, attend to a student’s physical or mental health needs, manage a critical incident or larger scale emergency. “Ok, but we are sending two people from our institution.” Excellent! We will still have our OPC or Site Director on the ground. Our staff are trained in student support and crisis management, and are there so that academic staff can focus on teaching the course while we worry about the rest.

We understand this is an important part of the process. Without students, there is no program. We will provide tools, materials and guidance to help promote the program to prospective students. This may include a step-by-step marketing guide, custom flyers and/or website, short promotional video and more.

Fantastic! Many academic staff and institutions already have their own trusted contacts they wish to work with or have worked with for years. Our goals include ensuring that all logistics are streamlined, payments are made on time, risk is mitigated, and emergencies are handled properly. It’s great when we can collaborate with you and your contacts, whether it be a favourite local guide or a colleague who we can reach out to about arranging a business visit for your group. We appreciate and respect that academic staff have their own close contacts in locations around the globe. We work closely with all referred connections and our academic staff, under their direction, to ensure communication with all parties is clear and efficient. Our focus is to ensure the program runs smoothly.