For Parents

To Parents of Current or Prospective SIC Volunteers:

Thank you for visiting our website to learn more about SIC.  Volunteers play an integral role in the success of our organization, and we’re excited to welcome your child to the SIC community.

We want to make sure that you have the chance to find the answers to all of your questions, as your support will be an essential part of your child’s positive experience with us this summer or fall.   Many parents have questions about health and safety, and the most common of these are answered in our FAQ.   For other questions, please download this directory of parent contacts (including emergency contacts, staff contacts, and a list of former parents who are happy to talk with you).

Your child’s trip abroad will be much more than a summer vacation or a tourist’s glimpse of a foreign country.   Many of our former volunteers are entering careers in development, both with SIC and with other well-known non-profits and companies around the world such as the Clinton Foundation.  Other volunteers return to their home countries and join local initiatives and clubs aiming to target HIV/AIDS in their own communities.  We have a graduate student community of SIC alumni who are attending schools of public health, medicine, law and more.  All agree that SIC has made an impact on their lives.

All of our volunteers go through a competitive application process, as well as pre-field training, which help to ensure that your child will be surrounded by other volunteers with similar interests and goals.   We believe your child has exhibited the maturity, determination, and compassion to live and work in Tanzania. We have never had a serious safety incident, and we believe this is in part due to our selection process and the safety standards we have in Tanzania.

You are joining a group of nearly a thousand parents who have supported their children through the SIC experience.  To date, we have had no post-program complaints.  All the parents have been satisfied and, in fact, some come to Tanzania to visit SIC and learn more about our work firsthand.  Many are happy to speak to you to allay any of your concerns.

We are confident that your child will have a great experience with SIC and will be part of a team of educators who improve the lives of the Tanzanians with whom they work.  We encourage you to be supportive of your child’s trip and watch as your child becomes a global citizen who is socially conscientious and active.