Social Science

Working your way through vacation
Thursday June 30, 6:00 am ET

Jenny McCune Can't stand idling away your vacation time on a beach or a cruise? Then consider taking a break from work by working on your vacation.

Use your time off to help out your favorite cause or take a "learning" vacation. Opportunities abound both in the United States and abroad.

Best of all, you might be able to save some bucks.

Volunteer vacations are ideal for travelers seeking spiritual as well as financial rewards. In addition to helping out a cause, travelers find that it's generally cheaper to go on a working vacation with a charitable organization than pay individual rates for hotels and dining, especially when visiting a foreign country. Plus, a portion of the costs might be tax-deductible. Individual circumstances do vary and the rules are strict, so read the program's fine print closely and always double-check with your accountant.

If your favorite nonprofit doesn't offer travel opportunities or you simply rest best by getting active, don't worry. There are plenty of other energetic excursions that could be your ticket to a refreshing holiday.

Help on an archaeological dig. Study how native Australian animals respond to fire to help that country develop a better wildfire strategy. Work at the Gettysburg Civil War battle site. Build residential housing here or abroad. Those are just a few of the assignments you can find as a working vacationer.

One of the pioneers of the volunteer vacation is the Earthwatch Institute, founded in 1972. It places John Q. Public on scientific expeditions. These short (10 to 14 days on average) volunteer opportunities include projects on ecology, zoology and archaeology. In 2005, Earthwatch expects to support more than 130 expeditions in 47 countries with over 4,000 volunteers. Sites can be found from Inner Mongolia to the Outer Hebrides, from Hudson Bay to Uruguay. Prices range from $700 to $4,000 per person, excluding travel to and from the rendezvous point.

Wilderness Volunteers, a nonprofit organization created in 1997, offers people age 18 and up a chance to help and maintain national parks, forests and wilderness areas across the United States. Everything from trail maintenance to revegetation projects are on the agenda. Most Wilderness Volunteers trips last about a week and cost around $219. Participants provide their own camping gear and share campsite chores. Tools and supervision are provided by Wilderness Volunteers and the government public land agencies it works with. Its 2005 itinerary includes trips throughout the United States, ranging from Tonto National Forest in Arizona to Acadia National Park in Maine.

Habitat for Humanity's mission is to help provide people worldwide with affordable housing. It is always on the look out for volunteers who want, as the organization puts it, "to blend recreation, perspiration and inspiration." The organization and its volunteers work on more than 365 home projects each year in countries such as Fiji, Mexico, New Zealand, Northern Ireland and Madagascar. In June 2005, Habitat's most famous volunteer, former President Jimmy Carter, will help build 225 homes throughout Michigan.. Costs are typically between $1,500 to $1,700 plus round-trip air fare.

Elderhostel Service Programs, a subset of Elderhostel, matches seniors (defined as those 55 or older) with working vacations. Its Web site promises vacationers the chance to "put your time and energy to work for worthy causes" ranging from tutoring schoolchildren in China to building homes in Guatemala to assisting with dolphin research in Belize. Costs vary depending on the trip.

Learning as you go
In addition to service-oriented vacations, Elderhostel also offers educational tours that include active vacations (combining a sport with educational opportunities), as well as "intergenerational" trips for those who want to bring along younger companions. Counting all its vacation options, Elderhostel annually hosts more than 10,000 trips in over 90 countries.

TraveLearn of Hawley, Pa., bills itself as the choice "for people who take their minds with them on vacation." Its vacations resemble more typical vacations: You stay in hotels, enjoy fine dining, etc. But the company's programs add an educational component so travelers can learn more about the countries they visit. For example, Dr. Abdellatif Kriem, professor at Mohammed V University, will lecture on "Moroccan Traditions and Islam" to TraveLearn clients, while Marvin Rockwell, one of the original Quaker settlers of Monteverde, Costa Rica, will recount his family's journey to that country and efforts to build a wildlife sanctuary there.

TraveLearn clients can attend as many or as few lectures as they want while on the trip. The vacations tend to be a bit more costly because of the educational component, as well as small group sizes and higher-end lodging and meals. The company's lowest-priced trip, a seven-day trek through Belize, costs $1,795. On the other end of the scale, TraveLearn's 18-day deluxe trip to Australia costs $5,495.

If you're interested in learning a language while abroad head to the National Registration Center for Study Abroad, a clearing house for such programs based in Milwaukee, Wis. Click on the country you want to visit (Argentina to Uruguay) or the language you're interested in (Basque to Zapotec) and you'll find a series of outings. NRCSA also categorizes its programs for "budget travelers," as well as for "mature adults" or "families." Although the primary emphasis of NRCSA is language, it also offers other learning programs and can connect travelers to opportunities to stay in the home of a family in the country they choose to visit.

For an even broader selection of classes abroad, consult ShawGuides. Its Web site boasts more than 5,700 vacation and career programs worldwide. You can browse by month, interest or destination. Learn how to climb mountains in Alaska, Argentina, Ecuador, Mexico or Pakistan. Find the best golf camps here and abroad. Because of the variety, excursion prices vary widely, but the selection should give you some maneuverability room if your budget, not destination, is your prime travel consideration.

Jenny C. McCune is a contributing editor based in Montana.