Gap Year & Voluntary Work in the Czech Republic & Slovakia

Adventureworks
Part of Jagged Globe, Adventureworks runs an expedition to the Mala Fatra National Park. Stretching 50km across northwest Slovakia the park has a network of footpaths linking mountain huts and campsites, limestone gorges, forests and rivers. The mountains are covered in clusters of spruces, dwarf pines with Alpine green meadows, rocks and snowfields. There are approximately 1300 species of plants and an abundance of animal wildlife including Chamois, Marmot, Brown Bear, Lynx, Eagle and Wolf. Expeditions take place in both summer and winter, when the Mala Fatra becomes a popular ski destination.
www.adventureworks.co.uk

Aktion Sühnezeichen Friedensdienste
A German peace and volunteer service organisation founded in the aftermath of World War II to confront the legacy of the Nazi regime. Their mission is accomplished through long term and short term volunteer programs. In the Czech Republic volunteers work at the memorial site of Theresienstadt (Terezín), they visit the elderly of the Jewish community in Brno, Ostrava, Olomouc and Prague, they support Czech refugees and give help to initiatives of the Roma minority.
www.asf-ev.de

Biosphere Expeditions
A one week ecovolunteer project to the Tatra mountains of Slovakia to monitor wolf and lynx populations and their interrelationship with prey species. You will be part of a small international team, working with the local scientist and contributing to an important piece of research, tracking large carnivores through snow in the forest and meadow habitats of the mountains. Volunteers also learn how to recognise and record other signs of their presence, such as scats and scent markings, collect samples to study their diet and for genetic analysis, and survey prey species, all in an effort to create a sustainable future for these icons of the Carpathian wilderness and to promote greater understanding of their role in European ecosystems.
www.biosphere-expeditions.org

English Language Teaching Assistant Program
ELTAP offers individuals, who are fluent in spoken English and willing to help people in another country learn English, the opportunity to volunteer as an English language teaching assistant in the Czech Republic. Placements are made during the September to June school year and are open to those aged over 18 and up to over 70 years of age. No fee or salary is paid to participants.
www.eltap.org

Inex Czech Republic
Organise around 40 workcamps in the Czech Republic.
www.inexsda.cz

Inex Slovakia
An English version of this website is promised but at the time of writing it is possible only to summise that they run a workcamp (though, strangely, the application form is in English).
www.inex.sk

Jahoda
Volunteers are welcome to assist this local non profit organisation which gives a hand to endangered children and families in the Czech Republic.
www.jahodaweb.cz

Operation Mobilisation
A Christian organisation, Operation Mobilisation works in more than 100 countries, motivating and equipping people to share God’s love with people all over the world. At the time of writing there were some longer term opportunities for a web designer, English teacher and accountant in the Czech Republic.
www.uk.om.org

Rolnicka
Volunteers are accepted at this Christian care centre providing social, educational, therapeutic, working and rehabilitative services for both children and adults with different levels of disability, as well as to their families in the Tabor region of the Czech Republic, and especially from the area surrounding the town of Sobeslav.
www.rolnicka.cz

Scripture Union
The Scripture Union is a non denominational, Christ centred international movement, founded in 1867, working in partnership with individuals and churches across the world. In Slovakia, as part of their 'Frontline Missions' they run a summer camp for ten days in August. Volunteers pay around GBP£200.
www.scriptureunion.org.uk

Servitus
Coordinate small numbers of volunteers from Germany, Hungary and Turkey.
www.servitus.cz

Time for God
TFG has over 40 years experience of providing volunteer work opportunities to people of all ages. Working with local partner organisations they send volunteers to both the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
www.timeforgod.com

UNA Exchange
UNA Exchange promotes and supports international understanding, cultural exchange and community development whilst at the same time enabling volunteers’ personal growth and development.
www.unaexchange.org

Volunteer Action for Peace
A UK based charity organisation which works towards creating and preserving international peace, justice and human solidarity for people and their communities. Typically the work will involve either social work with the elderly, disabled or teenagers or renovation work.
www.vap.org.uk

Volunteers for Peace
An American international volunteer organisation that sometimes has placements to the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
www.vfp.org

Project Volunteer.cz
Project Volunteer.cz is the English version of Dobrovolnik.cz (volunteer in Czech) that aims to help non Czech users find volunteer work in the Czech Republic.
www.volunteer.cz

Youth for Understanding
YFU is a non profit NGO that offers young people around the world the chance to spend the summer or school year living in Prague and Bratislava.
www.yfu.org

WWOOF Czech Republic
The Czech branch of the organic farm movement can assist those that wish to experience working on an organic farm in the Czech Republic for a small fee.
www.wwoof.cz

Živá pamět
Meaning 'Living Memory' Živá pamět run a counselling centre for survivours of Nazism in the Czech Republic.
www.zivapamet.cz

Full List of Gap Years by Country