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Video

Watch: how to apply for a workcamp

This three-minute video from SCI shows how to find a workcamp in the database and apply online.

Application fee

How to pay the workcamp application fee

This section is for people living in Australia who apply through IVP for a workcamp overseas. If you live outside Australia, you apply through the SCI branch in your own country, so it doesn’t apply to you.

What you pay

• A$250 for your first IVP workcamp
• A$200 for students and concession holders
• A$150 for returning volunteers who have been on an IVP workcamp before

The fee is per workcamp. If you aren’t an IVP member yet, you also need to join and pay the membership fee. We can’t process your application until both are paid.

What the fee pays for

The application fee helps run and develop workcamps and pays for volunteer insurance, administration, evaluation and network fees. On many camps it also covers basic food and accommodation.

When to pay

Apply on the SCI online placement system first. We email you to confirm we have received your application. Then pay the application fee, and we start placing you.

How to pay

1. PayPal is our preferred method. Use the button for your fee below. In the PayPal note, add your surname and the name or code of the workcamp.
2. Or pay by bank transfer to the account below, with your surname as the reference. If your bank lets you add a description, include the name or code of the workcamp.
3. Email your payment receipt to placements@ivp.org.au with your full name and the workcamp you applied for.

The PayPal buttons open with the amount already filled in.

Extra fees on some camps

Some camps, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Latin America, charge an extra participation fee. You pay it to the host organisation when you arrive, usually in euros or US dollars. You don’t pay it to IVP. The amount is shown in the camp’s details. Many camps have no extra fee.

Cancellations and refunds

The refund rules are set out in our Terms and Conditions.

Longer projects

Medium and long-term projects

Medium-term volunteers stay for 3 to 6 months. Long-term volunteers stay for 6 to 12 months, sometimes longer. There are no age limits.

• You need relevant volunteering experience first. A longer placement asks much more of a volunteer than a short workcamp, so applicants without that experience aren’t eligible.
• Each applicant is assessed for the placement, based on relevant experience and training.
• Hosts usually provide food, accommodation and a modest amount of pocket money, and volunteers are usually covered by basic SCI insurance. Check each project’s listing.
• You usually pay your own travel costs.
• You need to be an IVP member.

Search the SCI long-term volunteering database, then email our Placement Officer at placements@ivp.org.au. We’ll explain how to apply and what the fees are.

Questions about workcamps

What kinds of projects are there?

Every workcamp has three purposes: practical help for the host community, an introduction to the problems communities face in their struggles for peace, social justice and environmental sustainability, and cultural exchange between the volunteers and with the local community. Camps always include a study element linked to the work or the community.

Short-term projects cover these topics:

• Art, culture and local history
• Climate and sustainable lifestyle
• Community life
• People with disabilities
• Refugees, immigrants and ethnic minorities
• Children and youth
• Environment protection
• Poverty and social injustice
• Peace and disarmament
• International solidarity
• Gender equality and sexuality
• Elderly people

Is it all work?

No. Working hours vary from project to project. Camps usually work 4 to 6 hours a day, or around 30 hours a week, with evenings and weekends free. After work there is time to cook, play music, talk, learn local phrases and explore. The group decides most activities together, so you have your say.

Can I volunteer as a camp coordinator?

Yes. A camp coordinator helps other volunteers settle in, facilitates study sessions and meetings, acts as the go-between for the local partner and the volunteers, and helps create a happy, cooperative atmosphere. If you’re interested, email placements@ivp.org.au.

Will I need extra documents?

A small number of workcamps ask for a reference, a medical certificate or a more detailed motivation letter. If children are involved in the project, you will need to sign a Working with Children Check form, which we send with your confirmation.

What do you ask of me afterwards?

We ask for your feedback on the project, so we know what worked and what could be better. We contact you for this after the camp. We’d also love your stories and photos for this website and our member newsletters.

Where can I read about travel, visas, insurance and living conditions?

See our Guide to international volunteering. The rules for applications, fees and refunds are in our Terms and Conditions.