Group Volunteer and Travel for 4 Weeks Program

  Albania

Tirana

Duration of Program: 2-4 weeks
Dates: Every Year during the period of June - August, starting from the beginning of the month

Description: In the heart of the Mediterranean, on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas, Albania, the land of eagles, still relatively unspoiled by globalization, offers an inspiring mixture of civilizations and cultures. Albanian history and culture is fascinating. Butrint, one of the world's archeological wonders - and a Unesco World Heritage site - in the south of Albania provides a glimpse of Mediterranean civilization from the Bronze Age through the Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Venetian and Ottoman periods. This ancient country still offers something increasingly rare in Europe, a glance into a culture that is all its own. Raised on a diet of separation and hardship, Albania is distinctly Albanian.

Orientation in Tirana:

The group participants will be welcomed at the airport by a representative of Experiment Albania. A three days orientation will be provided upon arrival in Tirana. This program orientation will cover basic information about customs, values and daily life in Albania. Basic Albanian language course will be provided to the group participants, in order to enable them to communicate with the local people. This orientation concludes with the exploration of Tirana, the capital of Albania, visiting many cultural and historical buildings like National Historic Museum, Mosque of Et'hem Bej, Ottoman bridge of Tabakeve, etc.

Community Service:

The group will spend one week, working on a community service project in the city or in the village. Through this valuable activity, the group will make a contribution to the community, gaining new skills and experiences. Among the available projects, it can be the working in orphanage (animation with children, helping the teachers, the cookers of orphanage, arranging the garden, painting the classes, rooms of orphanage), the working for different local NGO's and their projects, teaching in urban or rural schools, working with street children and disabled people or community work in rural villages such as working in a primary school, etc.

Village Homestay:

Exploring the north and the south of Albania, the group participant will live with Albanian host families and will experience the famous Albanian warm hospitality, as it is mentioned in the Albanian expression: Bukë, kripë dhe zemër (Bread, Salt and warm heart). The homestay will be in Theth, a remote village in Northern Albania. The accommodation in the cities will be in private apartment or in hotel.

Highlights: Travel and Discovery:

Throughout the program, the group will explore and enjoy the natural wonders of Albania, including the most important historical and cultural places like the museum of Gjergj Kastrioti Scanderbeg, the traditional bazaar and ethnographic museum in the city of Kruja, Rozafa castle on the hill of Shkodra city, the museum of iconography "Onufri" and the castle of Berat on the hill of the City, the archaeological site and the Archaeological Museum of Butrinti, the most visited site in Albania, the museum of weapons and the castle of Gjirokastra city, etc.

Sample activities:

Journey through the valleys of Albanian Alps; explore and swimming in Theth waterfalls; take a daytrip to Dajti Mountain by cable car; explore the antique amphitheatres of country; relax on the soft beaches of Albanian Riviera in the south of the country; explore the "Bunkers" of the communism period; visit remote villages nearby the seaside, Osumi canyons, etc.

Diving Lessons and Camping:

In the south of Albania, on the Jale village, still relatively unspoiled by globalization, the group will take diving lessons by a diving instructor. This is a six days diving course (three days of lessons) and (three days of practice) in the Ionian Sea. In the end of this program, the participants will receive an Internationally Recognized Diving Certificate. During this diving course, the participants will be accommodated in a camping site, nearby the beach.

Cost in US$: Contact us for more info.

Experience Required: no

Age Range: 18 and above

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants.

Participants Travel to Albania in Groups

Typically Participants Work in Groups

Application Process Involves:

• Online Application plus Application Assessment
• Other

Post-Program Services Include:

• Exit Debriefing Abroad

Experiment Albania's Mission Statement: Experiment-Albania is a non-for-profit organisation with objectives as follows: Promoting volunteering as an alternative of the democratic participation in all fields of social activities. Organization of summer camps with the participation of volunteers, aiming at the promotion of volunteering as a means for protecting the natural and social environment. Organization of different programs of a social character throughout the country with the participation of volunteers being those foreign or national. Developing cultural exchanges among youth of different countries and cultures. Implementation of cultural exchange programs about youth in Albania as well as other countries in cooperation with different organizations. In general, the mission of this association is to realize certain programs in the field of voluntary, educative and cultural exchanges.

Year Founded: 2006