Cross-Cultural Solutions

  • About Cross-Cultural Solutions
    Cross-Cultural Solutions (CCS) is a nonprofit founded in 1995 working to address critical global issues by providing meaningful volunteer service to communities abroad, and contributing responsibly to local economies.

    Our Mission is to operate volunteer programs around the world in partnership with sustainable community initiatives, bringing people together to work side-by-side while sharing perspectives and fostering cultural understanding. Cross-Cultural Solutions is an international nonprofit organization with no political or religious affiliations. Over 35,000 people have participated in our 1-12 week volunteer programs in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. CCS has a world-wide staff of over 200 people in 10 countries, with administrative staff offices also located in the USA, UK, and Canada.

    Our Vision is of a world where people value cultures different from their own, are aware of global issues, and are empowered to effect positive change.

    Our Values are:

    Shared humanity
    When people of different cultures have an opportunity to connect, there comes an understanding of our shared humanity.

    Respect
    We accept, appreciate, and respect that people know and understand what is appropriate for their own communities.

    Integrity
    We commit to ensuring the safety, flexibility, professionalism, transparency, and excellence of our programs.

GROUPS (14)

  1. Cross-Cultural Solutions
  2. Groups

Peru Volunteers

 Peru is a fascinating mix of ancient and modern. Turn a corner in Lima, and you’ll see an indigenous woman in traditional clothing against a geometric mural done by a well-known street artist. Turn another and you’ll come across a centuries-old church with a popular coffee house across the street. Set on dramatic cliffs over the Pacific ocean, Lima has a picturesque coastal location. As for contrast, much of the work our volunteers do is in the Nobel-nominated community of Villa El Salvador, a neighborhood that is the definition of resilience. A community created out of necessity, during a tough period in Peru’s history, many services are under-resourced in this area, and our high school volunteers in Lima step in to fill in some of the gaps.

1 Members of this chapter

Seattle Community College

The most impactful approach to volunteering abroad – the only approach – is one designed by the community. With CCS, you’ll do meaningful work that addresses a specific community need. As you immerse yourself in the community – your new neighborhood – and work alongside local people to make a real impact, you’ll find beauty in every connection and commonality discovered, large or small. The CCS international volunteer experience offers you a genuine volunteer experience with countless opportunities to connect with, and learn from, local people in those communities in which you'll work to support.

1 Members of this chapter

Social Work Interns

 Sustainable change begins with a community-focused approach to empowerment and education. During a CCS internship or practicum, you will learn about the development and the sustainability of community responses to social needs, utilize conceptual frameworks to explore the rights of children and families, support campaigns to de-stigmatize HIV/AIDS, and increase the accessibility and accuracy of reproductive and postnatal health resources. As you focus on the macro components of social work in communities, you’ll become an advocate for positive social change, gaining important experience in leadership, problem solving, and social innovation. Our internships and practicums leverage CCS’s enduring presence in the communities where we work. Our Country Directors, themselves social work experts, ensure that participants make a difference by supporting and contributing to sustainable strategies designed by and for the community. CCS offers the opportunity to work side-by-side with local people to support community-led organizations, such as childcare centers, schools, health clinics and hospitals, homes for the elderly, centers for people with disabilities, and other local initiatives.

1 Members of this chapter

Spanish Immersion

 The CCS Spanish Immersion Gap Year Program abroad is a perfect choice for those seeking to soak up Latin American culture and learn the Spanish language, while making a real impact. Whether you’re a Spanish language beginner or a seasoned veteran, a lover of Latin American history or only beginning to explore the richly diverse cultures of South and Central America, this immersion gap year itinerary has something for everyone!

1 Members of this chapter
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