University Students to Fiji

Project At a Glance...

Largest Student Volunteer Project to the South Pacific.
Meaningful 1-Month or 2-Month Summer Program in the Fiji Islands.
In Partnership with Fijian Government.
Achieve Personal Growth, Professional Enhancement & International Development.
Work alongside local Youth Group; Public Health, Mental Health & Sports.
Work with Children on After School Clubs; Extra-Curricular, Sports & Education.
Complete cultural immersion. Homestay – Live with a Traditional Fijian family.
Project Fees include; food, accommodation, 24/7 in-country support, domestic travel, charity donation (flights not included).
Expedition Costs From £1295 for 1-Month in Fiji (see Dates & Costs below).

Download Your Think Pacific Project Guide Here

Is a Think Pacific Project For You?

Whether you’re taking a rewarding summer university break or looking to enhance your studies, on a Think Pacific project you can experience;

Contribution; Make a real difference by supporting youths in rural Fiji.
Challenge; Leave your comfort zone and throw yourself into “back-to-basics”.
Learn; Develop greater global awareness and learn about a unique culture.
Experience; Gain hands on experience and transfer your studies.
Skills; Develop teamwork, leadership and communication skills.
Memories; Create memories and friendships that will last a life time.

Real Challenge + Cultural Understanding + Contribution = Huge Personal Growth

What Could You Gain?

Our aim is for every student to complete their project with a set of experiences, personal attributes and transferable skills, which can positively impact their future. What we hope every volunteer will gain;

A new perspective on the world.
Increased employability – ‘Achieve The ‘TP Award’.
Personal development – Leadership Skills / Resilience / Teamwork / Confidence.
Exposure to global issues & sustainable development.
Expanded global citizenship.
Experience living in a communal village.
Experience adhering to age-old customs.
Experience living ‘back-to-basics’.

Being a good match rarely has to do with skills.

It has everything to do with your mindset, attitude and motivation.

Download Your Think Pacific Project Guide Here

Download brochure

Learn 6 Reasons Why You Should Spend Your University Summer With Think Pacific

Learn & Contribute - Whilst Making Lasting Memories & New Friendships

1. Contribution

Accompany Fiji, in addressing holistic health issues. Work alongside a local youth group, to support Fiji’s National Development Goals. For example, NCD's (Diabetes & Heart Disease) causes 80% of deaths in Fiji.

2. Challenge

Expand your comfort zone by throwing yourself into a “back-to-basics” way of life, as you live with a Fijian family at the heart of a traditional village and sample a simpler way of life. Students return with increased resourcefulness, resilience and more understanding of global development issues.

3. Learn

Swap university exams and course work for fascinating Fijian customs and the communal way of life! Develop greater global awareness and a new perspective on life. Learn about the unique Fijian culture as you live and work with local people in the remotest corner of the earth.

4. Experience

Gain hands on experience and transfer your degree studies and extracurricular passions as you learn and implements our programs alongside Fijian youths. Also, educate and coach children through our sports and after school club programs. The experience is something students treasure as you empower local youths to learn, grow and develop.

5. Skills

Develop your teamwork, leadership & communication skills. We deliver aims for the Fijian Government (The Ministries of Health, Youth & Sports), which contribute towards national targets. This is something to shout about to employers when you return, developing your CV and expertise.

6. Memories

Create memories and friendships that last a life time. Most students join our project on their own & return with a new group of amazing friends. We love the fact that TP becomes a highlight of people's time at university and something they always look back upon with so much pride.

See How It All Comes Together...

The Expedition Itinerary Below

Our University Expeditions

Your Unique Expedition Itinerary to Fiji...

1. Bula, Welcome to Fiji!

Forget about course work or the stress of exams by arriving in the exotic South Seas. You will land at Nadi Airport and be met by your Team Leaders for the first time.

2. Beach Resort Briefing

Every expedition starts with an all inclusive 3 day briefing at a beautiful tropical beach resort. This is time for you to get to set your goals, learn more about your project, get to know your team mates and to tune into ‘Fiji time’.

3. Journey to Remote Fiji

Leaving your briefing paradise, we travel to your remote traditional Fijian community. Depending on your village, this could be a truck to deep jungle or ferry to an outer island.

4. Join a Fijian Village

Arriving into your Fijian village is an exciting and nervous moment! Every door is open in a Fijian community and the generosity and genuine excitement of the local people is profound. By the end of the project our volunteers feel as though they are leaving a second home in the South Pacific.

5. Kaiviti Life

Some of your greatest experiences will be the simple activities of daily Fijian life; learning how to weave palm leaves, cooking Fijian food in underground earth ovens, drinking ceremonial Kava with the chief, or husking coconuts.

6. The Volunteer Project

When volunteering in your very own village, we work alongside local youth groups to contribute to Fijian Government aims.We focus upon developing holistic health through a range of activities across sports, youth clubs, public health, mental health and construction. The days are rewarding and incredibly busy!

7. Adventures

Live at the heart of some of the most rural communities and immerse yourself into local village life, where everyday is an adventure. If you’re looking for the ultimate adventure then Fiji is waiting to be explored…

8. Leaving Your Second Home

Leaving your Fijian village is an emotional experience; such are the close bonds that are formed between our volunteers and the local community. Farewell dinners, emotional goodbyes and the pride in your achievements will sum up your final days.

9. Rest and Relaxation

We finish the project by enjoying our final few days relaxing at Fiji’s glorious beach resorts. During the ‘R&R days’ we ask for your all-important feedback as we review the project in detail and deepen your learning experience.

I had such an amazing experience in project with Think Pacific! It was the best thing I could have done on my university experience and so happy I have done it!! There is so much support and guidance before and during the project to make sure that you are prepared for village life.

Shakira Thorne, Cardiff University Project, Summer 2019 on Think Pacific support

I came across this opportunity with Think Pacific through my University at Nottingham Trent and couldn’t recommended it more! It really has been a remarkable, unforgettable experience. Living in a rural village with your own Fijian family allows you to fully experience the Fijian culture, creating amazing memories and truly feeling part of the family. Teaching and leading sports sessions felt so rewarding seeing the progress and happy faces from the kids. The Think Pacific team are a very hardworking, genuine charity who supported me every step of my journey. If you are thinking about this project go for it!! Get ready for a month full of big smiles, Fijian dancing and a whole lot of laughter, you won’t regret it!

Emma Leake, NTU Project to Fiji 2017

We have been working with Think Pacific to send student volunteering groups since 2014 and they are pleasure to work with. The experiences that the students gain from volunteering in these amazing rural Fijian communities are exceptional. Simon, Harry and the team are so easy to work with and really understand the needs of the students and encourage them to push themselves in scenarios that they are not always confident in. The ethical, sustainable nature of the work that Think Pacific do in Fiji is so important and working alongside the government allow students so many opportunities to gain experiences that will enable them to speak confidently in interviews and on job applications of the future. The long lasting memories of the families and communities that welcomed the groups are still spoken about years later and we look forward to working with Think Pacific for many years to come.

Cara McCosh – Senior Projects Officer – International Volunteering Leeds Beckett University

How Could You Contribute to Holistic Health & Community Development?

Alongside Your Village's Youth Group...

Cultural Immersion

Celebrate tradition Fijian culture through education and practical experience of the Kaiviti lifestyle with Youth Group & Women’s group.

Sports Coaching

Deliver daily sports coaching sessions for the community and the children. Also deliver outreach sessions in nearby villages.

Public Health

Promotion of healthy habits in the communities. Conduct basic health surveys in Fiji’s fight against NCD’s (diabetes and heart disease). Deliver NCD health workshops and introduce healthy nutrition recipes.

Mental Health Advocacy

Be advocates for mental health awareness by introducing mindfulness activities such as yoga, creates discussions around social media awareness and deliver basic workshops – on behalf of local charity, Mental Health Youth Champs Fiji.

Homework Clubs

After school, you will provide basic Maths & English support for the children in your village.

Youth Clubs

Every Saturday, you deliver exciting and engaging youth clubs that give the children the access and opportunity to enjoy arts, dance & drama.

Team Leadership Skills

Outdoor education style days. You , your team and the youth group will head on small treks to carry out team games & tasks to develop an understanding of different leadership styles.

Life Skills & Employability

Promote awareness of self-leadership through conversations and workshops around such topics as; time management, money management, professional development. Also promote CV writing, careers & job opportunities and local training courses.

Micro-Enterprise

Empower local business creation by working with your youth group on fun enterprise ideas, template business plan creation and the structure of local business registration in Fiji.

Think Pacific Project Costs...

Registration Fee = £195

+

1-Month = £1,300

or

2-Month = £2,000

What's Included?

Ethical, Transparent & Sustainable...

Our philosophy is to provide a high quality and exceptionally well structured volunteer project. Our expeditions are packed full of experience and cultural insight, whilst having safety and support at their core. We also ensure that through our charity, the communities you support receive long-term financial and physical assistance year-round. Think Pacific is not the cheapest volunteer organisation around, but this is for all the right reasons.

All Our Expeditions Include:

Airport welcome by Think Pacific Expedition leaders (or resort meet and greet if you arrive early).
All in-country expedition travel
All project accommodation
All-inclusive briefing and orientation from a beautiful beach resort.
All meals during your briefing, all meals for 3 and a half weeks staying with your Fijian village family and breakfast and evening meals during your final days of R&R at glorious beach resorts.
Guided weekend excursions such as rainforest treks, waterfall visits or island and snorkelling trips.
Organised evening Fijian activities including kava cereomies, lovo feasts, mat weaving,
Think Pacific Leaders and Fijian Matanivanua guides living with you 24/7.
In-country Director, Fiji based Project Managers and UK team providing planning, risk assessment and 24-hour back up support.
Comprehensive pre-departure information & personal volunteer project planning.
Fiji expedition de-brief at a selection of beach resorts or castaway islands.
Your project donation towards the youth development goals in Fiji (which is used to purchase educational and sports equipment, fund scholarships and training for local people and build village facilities and school classrooms).