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How about taking a vacation that introduces you to a new culture and gives you the opportunity to help others? Voluntourism does just that.

Voluntourism is just what it sounds like, it’s a way for tourists to help the locale they’re visiting by working on much-needed projects. Expect to work hard during your vacation and don’t expect amazing results. You won’t build a school in a week or two, but you might help build some desks or collect some books. Each contribution helps and means a lot to the people who live in these areas.

Here are some organizations that offer voluntourism opportunities:

• Projects Abroad offers volunteer opportunities on six continents. Projects range from teaching English to building schools to working as a journalist in a foreign land. A two-week trip costs around $1,900 and includes food and accommodation, transfers to and from the airport, full travel and medical insurance plus support and 24 hour back-up by the group’s local, US and UK staff.
• Global Volunteers offers service opportunities throughout the world, including in the US. Though a few projects pay a stipend to volunteers, most volunteer vacations will run between $50 to $3,000, depending on the agency’s degree of involvement and the accommodation provided. Airfare is not included.
• Global Vision International offers opportunities to work on conservation projects, to teach English and to work with children. A popular project available right now is the elephant conservation program in Namibia, in which volunteers track and study desert elephants and help local natives coexist peacefully with the animals. A full list of the group’s projects and their costs to participate is here.

Each voluntour trip is unique to the location and the situation but all offer a chance to experience a foreign culture from a local perspective and do some good in the process.