Have you started thinking about what you will do when 2021 is over? Thankfully, the pandemic won’t be forever. The world WILL open up and when it does you’ll want to have a plan. Do you have questions about what our placements will look like in the coming year? Wondering what travel on a programme like ours is like lately? Maybe you are wondering what options are available and when you should apply for them. Or maybe you are simply just curious and want to hear a little more. Join our next information session, get your questions answered and see what’s possible working and volunteering ..read more

It is winter in the Northern Hemisphere and, like the bears who make their home in Canada, Lattitude is in hibernation mode. What does this mean? Let us explain. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact our world in many ways, and the travel industry has felt its effects more than most. While Lattitude is not a travel organisation, what impacts air travel providers, insurers, and government immigration policies directly affects our programming and what we are able to offer our amazing volunteers. Over the last year, Lattitude has had to pivot and make a lot of difficult decisions. With widen ..read more

By Evert Lindquist, Lattitude Argentina 2019 Alumnus Some might think I took a big gamble when I moved to Ottawa last August to live in residence during my first year of studies at Carleton University. But courtesy of my time volunteering in Argentina, my experience staying and studying in Canada’s east has been everything I wanted it to be. Before the real lockdown sank in around late October, I had already explored downtown Ottawa, admired Parliament Hill, ventured to the bars in Gatineau, Québec with my underage friends, and embarked on my first Canadian train ride to visit family in Montr ..read more

Lorena, a volunteer from Colombia, wrote to us to tell us all about her recent Lattitude experience volunteering as a Spanish Language Coach in Poland. It’s a wonderful read, so grab a warm beverage, sit back, put your feet up, relax, and enjoy her inspiring words. Thank you so much Lorena for sharing your experience with us! When I had just finished high school, I wasn’t sure about what I wanted to do next. I knew I didn’t want to start a bachelor’s degree right away because I didn’t even have a specific study preference, so instead I took a break. During this time someone mentioned me the i ..read more

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lattitude restructured our organisation to create cost-saving efficiencies. We have used this challenging time to scale down, both in terms of the size of our team, and also by adapting some of the more costly aspects of our programme, without compromising on our commitment to professionalism, international expertise, and expert support we offer our volunteers and their families. As a non-profit organisation, we aim to keep the costs involved as low as possible while ensuring a valuable, high quality and safe volunteer experience. One positive outcome of ..read more

Lattitude is looking ahead to 2021 and all the possibilities it holds for young people like you who are eager and ready to experience something amazing. Our new trans-Tasman programme is for young Australians to volunteer in New Zealand, and New Zealanders to volunteer in Australia. Enjoy a meaningful 6-12 month volunteer experience and memorable adventure across the Tasman Sea, commencing in July or August 2021. As a trans-Tasman programme volunteer, you can choose either a School Assistant or Outdoor Camp Assistant role. This unique offering will be available for an affordable and competiti ..read more

Charles wrote to Lattitude to share his experience in Poland with us. He travelled to Poland from New Zealand, arrived in Warsaw in February 2020, and stayed on when the COVID-19 pandemic started. Charles has made himself at home with his Polish host families, has explored much of Poland, and is quite adept at the language. Read on to learn more about his experience here! My placement first began when I arrived in Warsaw on the 16th of February. It was very cold then (high of 2 degrees and low of -4 degrees), during the last month of winter. It took some time to get used to the frigid tempera ..read more

You may have read a recent blog post from the perspective of our hosts at Camp Cadicasu in Canada, where Ollie, our Lattitude volunteer from the UK, remained in place despite many other international travelers going home. Here is part 2 of the story – from the perspective of Ollie. What a great story he has! — I came to Canada at the end of February and began my placement in March, with the snow of the Rocky Mountains still deep and the animals still asleep. I was a bit apprehensive about the coronavirus and my fears turned out to be well founded. I was really looking forward to working with ..read more

India, a volunteer from New Zealand wrote to us to give us an update on her gap year experience volunteering as a Language Coach in Poland. It’s been a much different experience than planned, due to COVID-19. It included 5 months of lockdown with family in the UK, followed by travels all over Europe, before returning to her placement in Poland. India sure has made lemonade out of her European adventure and we are very happy to share her experience with you. Thank you so much, India, for sharing your story with us. You are an inspiration! I began my placement as a Language Coach in Poland at t ..read more

Natalie wrote to us to share her recent volunteer experience as a School Assistant in the UK. Although she returned home to New Zealand early due to COVID-19, she truly made the most of her experience and has shared with us her reflections, learnings, and trip highlights. Thank you so much, Natalie, for writing to us and telling us more about your experience! — I decided to volunteer because I wanted to see and experience a different part of the world while connecting with new people and cultures. I felt as though taking a year off between school and university would be really beneficial for ..read more