Volunteer Tourism: Free Summer Vacation?

Single passenger round-trip airfare to Florida...$745. Two week hotel stay...$980. Three square meals a day for two weeks...$320. Taking your entire family on a summer vacation where they learn new skills and having the whole trip paid for by someone else...Priceless. This is the attitude of an increasing group of people known as immersion travelers.

In her book, "Volunteer Vacations Across America," Sheryl Kayne describes an immersion traveler as a person who decides to get involved, learn, and absorb everything they can from travel experiences. "Volunteer vacations tend to cost less than a standard vacation and have the advantage of qualifying in part or wholly as a tax deductible contribution," she says. No matter your educational background, or knowledge in a particular field, volunteer vacation programs are available for any price range or budget and many provide incentives including housing, training, food, and a monthly stipend. As well, these programs exist throughout the United States, including Hawaii and Alaska.

"I've been volunteering on all of my travels since my first major cross-country trip in 2003," recalls Sheryl. "I found a job on the Internet as a breakfast lunch cook on Stehekin Valley Ranch, in Stehekin, WA, a wilderness area only accessible by foot, ferry, or pontoon plane. Ever since, I volunteer everywhere I go."

Zoe, a volunteer vacationer for Heifer International, describes her experience as enlightening and life changing.

"Here I am, living in Little Rock, Arkansas, at Heifer International, milking goats, composting, and making my own cheeses and candles. I've had a lot to learn. I had no idea that over a billion people are starving and we have enough grain in the world for every person to have 3,500 calories a day. I had two weeks of training to work with visiting school groups. We teach middle and high school students inside a mock global village, where their task is to figure out how to feed everyone. Some groups bargain, share and trade for a communal meal, while others try to tough it out on their own. The big question is, if there's enough for everyone, why don't all people have enough to eat?"

Worldly education such as this has been driving more and more people to engage in immersion travel activities. In her book, Sheryl cites one Travelocity poll of active members which reports that 11 percent planned to volunteer during their vacations. As well, humanitarian travel and Eco-friendly vacation packages can be booked through Travelocity and Orbitz. "It doesn't take extra money or time to apply the immersion travel concept to all of your trips," adds Sheryl. "Just be open to the many ways in which to experience local flavor."

It's advised, however, to begin planning your volunteer vacation by identifying why you want to volunteer and what you hope to gain from the experience. It's also wise to set realistic goals and consider your personal limitations, interests, abilities and skills. You can find opportunities online through Coolworks.com or by using a search engine to find volunteer vacations. You'll further want to prepare yourself by using social networks to engage with others who have volunteered in a location that sounds interesting to you.

A volunteer vacation spent either alone, with friends, or with family can enrich your life and educate you on the traditions and cultures of others across the U.S. and around the world. This summer vacation, do something good for the world and feel good doing so.

Ballers On Budgets was founded in 2009 as a project dedicated to educating people on how to live within their financial means while increasing their social status within their community with the aim to provide resources, information, and alternatives to spending a lot of money while engaging in a socially active lifestyle.