Development Instructor
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About the project
Development Instructor
📝 Detailed information
🏢 About the local organisation
One World Center (OWC), founded in 1997, is a non-profit organization with a mission to inspire and empower ordinary people to take action against worldwide poverty and climate change. It addresses the issues of our time with unique teaching and learning environments that cultivate social change and support our global vision: a sustainable future.
OWC has been working with poor people all over the world: from the US, Brazil, South America to Africa and has extensive experience in how to stand shoulder to shoulder with the poor in order to make a change. It has been training teams at the Michigan Campus since 1999. It is not affiliated with any religious or political group/organization.
The organization consists of a strong international team with a range of different qualifications and experiences. Some members of the team are former Development Instructors, and some are not; others have many years of teaching experience or development work. They are committed people and they believe in working to eradicate poverty. Volunteers can ask to talk to any of them during the enrollment process to know their personal stories.
OWC is a training center, where volunteers learn a variety of topics such as: global poverty, food insecurity, organic farming, sustainability and human impact on the environment.
Besides training programs, the colleagues at One World Center have always been passionate about staying healthy, growing their own food, and being an example for their participants to follow. In 2010, it established the “Garden Farm” and they have been growing vegetables and herbs for their kitchen ever since.
The organization believes that they are NEVER in a position to tell others what to do or impose their beliefs and their way of doing things on them. Their job is not to create change FOR someone, but create change WITH someone. This is why One World Center promotes a culture of working together, shoulder to shoulder. The organization stands together with the communities that they work with and do their best to assist the process of change the communities desire in their world.
💼 What the programme involves
One World Center works with participants from across the globe to become Development Instructors, using a unique ethos of teamwork and community, research, ideas and experimentation, and building on the principles of Participatory Action Research.
One World Center voluntary programs have been developed over 20 years to equip participants with the necessary skillset to have an impact on the world. The programs allow for participants to join the community at OWC’s renowned campus in Michigan and learn from thought leaders and development experts about global development challenges.
Volunteers are invited to take a program of 6 months.
There are two terms during the year: May-October and November-April.
It is a combination of training activities in One World Centre and practical work in one of the NGOs of Michigan. A part of voluntary term will be working in the community garden and farm of OWC.
Structure of the voluntary term:
Period 1- Training
The first part is the training period based at the Michigan campus. Volunteers and their team will learn the practical skills needed for the project work in communities along with a theoretical training to enhance their knowledge base. Volunteers will learn a broad variety of topics connected with the situation in the world today: the living conditions in poor communities and the struggle of food insecurity.
The focus of the courses during this period will be on learning: Fighting with The Poor; Big Issues of Our Time; Lifestyle Sustainability; Learn to Work, Work to Learn; and Mastering the Material World.
Schedule:
The day starts with breakfast at 7.30 followed by a morning class about important issues like global warming and climate change, poverty in the world and more. Everybody has a cleaning action at 9 am and then the program follows in each team, different from week to week. Lunch is at 1pm, again followed by team activities. After that, sports for an hour at 5pm followed by dinner at 6 pm. There are evening programs from 7pm with studies, documentaries, movies, talent show and more. Saturday is a practical day with GAIA action with production of food and work in the garden farm as well as doing some maintenance tasks.
Part of the practical training of this period takes place in One World Center’s Garden Farm. Volunteers will learn about growing and harvesting organic food first-hand. Additionally, they will participate in outreach activities in the local area with organizations connected with poverty and food insecurity. The volunteers will gain knowledge and understanding of the world we live in, with specific emphasis on the USA.
Period 2 – Project work
The second part- During 3 months, volunteers willbelivinginatown (in a poor community in Michigan) and cooperating with local NGOs and social initiatives, withwhichthe organizationhasworked with for several years. Volunteers will be in trios,collaboratingwiththeleaderswhohavechosentosupportandworkwithpoorpeoplewhohaveadaily struggle getting ends to meet.
Examples of social engagement:
Makingcommunitygardens,takingpartinafterschoolprograms, working with empowerment of womenandmuchmore.
VolunteersexperiencehowtoworkwithdifferentcommunitiesintheUSA and get anunderstandingofthepowerofdiversityinthesociety.
Period 3 - Conclusion
Thethirdpart-1Monthwillbeaboutevaluation and dissemination of project results. Volunteers will trainpresentationskills,basicallyevaluateonwhathasbeenlearnedandpublishtheknowledgebymakingmovies,articles, organizing events and holding workshops. Each team of volunteers will have
a tutor from OWC to help them to organize and realize the follow-up and dissemination of results.
Volunteers have to experience all 3 periods of the program, therefore they have to apply for the whole period (from May to October or from November to April) and not to split the voluntary term in parts.
🏠 Accommodation on site
Like with any of One World Center’s programs, teams of volunteer will live in the communities where they work. This is important so that they get first-hand experience about what life is like for the people they are working with and what challenges do they face. While in the field, as part of their ongoing theoretical studies, volunteers will conduct investigations in the community regarding poverty, water issues and food insecurity. Volunteers will touch on all the subjects of the program by connecting the theoretical knowledge with what they are living and experiencing.
🍲 Food
Three meals per day are provided, healthy meals prepared by staff and volunteers. They make a weekly schedule for who cook the meals as well as dishwashing. Breakfast is at 7.30am, lunch at1 pm and dinner at 6pm.There is food for every taste, vegetarians and vegans as well. They produce their own vegetables.Cakes are baked for special events and birthdays.
📍 About the location
Dowagiac (Michigan) and other cities and towns around for 3 months.
🎒 Leisure activities
OneWorldCenterislocatedinthebeautifulstateofMichigan,20milesfromLakeMichiganandclosehikingtrailsintheforest.Thereisagymandlotsofworkoutsaswellasyogathat canbedoneintheassemblyhall.Theschoolislocated10minwalk distancefromthetownofDowagiac,whichhascafesandrestaurants.TheschoolisclosetoDetroitandChicagowithplentyofsightstoexplore.
⚠️ Requirements
The 6 months program costs 4000USD (app.3500EURO). This includes three meals a day, accommodation, laundry and all costs connected with the program.
ℹ️ Additional information
What volunteers will get during the project:
· Knowledge and understanding of the world we live in, with specific emphasis on the USA.
· Learn different perspectives about the USA and different takes on why we are where we are today.
· Experience working with different communities in the USA and an understanding of the power of diversity in our society.
· Experience with non-profit organizations and their work in the USA.
· Knowledge about sustainable living and growing food organically.
· Practice and develop leadership skills.
· Train their public speaking skills.
· Build stamina and the ability to do whatever it takes to reach goals.
· Realize their power and become the driving force in your life.
· Come together with like-minded people and build their teamwork capabilities.
Volunteers will earn two certifications that will help develop their resume for future humanitarian endeavors:
· A Development Instructor Certificate from One World Center
· A Field Work Certificate from our partner organization with whom you were placed
Interested in this project? Create your account and apply online.
Sign in to apply📷 Project photos
📅 Available sessions
DevInstructor
01/05/2022 at 00:00 → 01/05/2023 at 00:00
ℹ️ Key information
Age required
18–99 years old
Solidarity donation
667.00 USD ≈ 597 EUR
French tax residents may be eligible for a tax reduction of up to 66% of their costs (membership, plane tickets, solidarity donation).
📍 Location
Dowagiac, MI 49047, USA
United States
🌍 Location info
Local currency
United States Dollar (USD / $)
Exchange rate
1 USD = 0.895608 EUR
Rate as of 31/05/2026
Timezone
Eastern Standard Time
Local time: 20:52 (12/11/2026)
🛡️ Before you leave
✅ Features
🏠 Accommodation
🗣️ Languages spoken