AVC is Armenia’s premier full-service internship and volunteer placement organization. We provide our participants with individually customized internship placements year-round at our 1,200+ partner organizations on the ground, based entirely on their interests and backgrounds. These organizations work in a variety of sectors, including business, education, environment, culture, health, government, NGO, and much more. In addition to customized placement for your professional volunteering, AVC offers full logistical support including airport pickup/drop off, homestay options, Armenian language classes, excursions, weekly forums and gatherings, and much more to ensure that you seamlessly integrate and uniquely discover Armenia.

The organization was established in 2000 and hosted its first volunteers in 2001. In the more than two decades since, thanks in large part to the excellent work done by our 1000+ volunteers and alumni, we have secured great credibility in Armenia and growing credibility abroad. Our whole operation focuses on our tailoring gainful experiences for volunteers coming from all walks of life. We carefully maintain our relationship with each placement site, to maximize opportunities and enjoyment for our volunteers and development possibilities for Armenia as a whole. 

We have had 1000+ volunteers serve in Armenia. So many among them have sought to share their positive experiences. The “Blogs” section of this website is your best bet if you are looking to gain insights into the experiences of past AVC volunteers.

Yes, there are volunteers from various parts of the world. You will have a chance to interact with them during your orientation and at optional excursions and gatherings. Young people from the Armenian diaspora volunteering in their ancestral homeland through Birthright Armenia are invited to all the same excursions and gatherings as AVC’s volunteers, so you will have ample opportunity to get to know them, too. The longer you stay in Armenia, the more of a chance you will give yourself to interact with the other interesting people who volunteer with AVC and Birthright Armenia.

Of course! We would be happy to host volunteers who are committed to the development of themselves and of Armenia, regardless of their relationship status. We have hosted many couples and friends serving together in the past.   

Armenia has so much going for it, but we understand that it remains off the beaten path for most tourists, in large part because it spent the majority of the past century behind the “Iron Curtain” as one of the Soviet Union’s republics. Armenia has been independent for 30 years now, though, and it continues to make an exciting transition from the social and economic stagnation of the late USSR to status as a globally connected, developed democracy. Volunteers and other non-Armenians passing through can see this transition for themselves and make meaningful contributions to it.

Armenia has an exceedingly rich culture, since the Armenian people have existed as a group since long before Christ, have developed a unique writing system, have straddled “Europe” and “the Middle East” for centuries, and, in the form of the Armenian Diaspora, can presently be found in practically all corners of the world but routinely give– and travel– back to the Armenian homeland. Yerevan, Armenia’s capital, is, in fact, one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities, and there you can see cutting-edge technology just a street over from Soviet-era apartment blocks and an entire neighborhood preserving early modern Persian architecture, both of which are a stone’s throw away from art museums housing ancient artifacts acquired nearby. Armenia is so many different things at once, so there is an extremely good chance if you visit the country you will find something you can relate to or even love.

So, let us ask you a question now: Why wouldn’t you want to go to Armenia?

Absolutely! As of this writing, the United States Department of State has Armenia at “Level 1” (least concern) on its four-level caution classification system. It advises travelers only to “exercise normal precautions,” such as avoiding dark areas at night when alone, not flaunting wealth, and being hypervigilant of one’s surroundings when in crowded areas. Petty crimes of opportunity that could happen anywhere, by their very nature, could happen in Armenia, but that should not discourage you from visiting the country. Protests against the government do occur from time to time, and outsiders should keep a distance from them. It is probable that the most dangerous situation you will commonly encounter in Armenia is crossing the street.

One notable exception here is the disputed territory of Artsakh, where there was a war you may have heard about in the news in the fall of 2020. At this time, AVC prohibits its volunteers from traveling to this territory. 

The Government of Armenia recently announced that passengers are no longer required to present a COVID-19 PCR test of certificate of complete vaccination against COVID-19 to enter the Republic of Armenia for entry either via air or land. Armenia’s Ministry of Health also eased restrictions related to entry to public places, lifting the requirement to submit proof of vaccination as of May 12, 2022. This, however, may change in the future. For up to date information, please visit here.

At the start of the pandemic, AVC was forced to transition all programs online, to ensure compliance with the Government of Armenia’s regulations. Today, fortunately, the situation has changed. All volunteers work on-site and there are no restrictions or mask mandates currently in effect.

Yes. AVC welcomes people from a variety of identities and backgrounds to apply. We have a zero tolerance policy for discrimination against volunteers based on age, race, ethnicity, country of origin, country of citizenship, socio-economic status, gender identity, sexual orientation, religious belief, mental ability, physical ability, and language proficiency. We aim to be an inclusive space where ALL volunteers will find the necessary assistance and become part of a community that supports them during their stay in Armenia and beyond.

AVC offers three programs: Junior Corps, Professional Corps (ProCorps), and Senior Corps. Each has its own distinct focus and eligibility requirements.

In the Junior Corps, participants are between the ages of 21 and 31, inclusive. Those participating in the Junior Corps volunteer or complete a university internship on the ground in Armenia. The minimum service term is one-month; the maximum is one year. We welcome prospective Junior Corps members of all backgrounds. However, Armenians in the diaspora in this age group should contact Birthright Armenia for a program specifically tailored for them. 

In the ProCorps, participants are established professionals between the ages of 32 and 59, inclusive. They typically have at least 5 years of professional experience. Most ProCorps volunteers serve in the same areas in which they have professional experience. Some, however, choose other areas of interest. The minimum service term is 2 weeks*, but we encourage participants to stay at least a full month to get the most of their time in Armenia; one year is the maximum.

Senior Corps participants are 60 years or older. We acknowledge the rich experience of potential participants in this age group and warmly invite them to contribute to the ongoing development of Armenia, most naturally but not necessarily in the same areas in which they spent their work lives. As with the Professional Corps, the minimum service term is 2 weeks*, the maximum 1 year.

* ProCorps or Senior Corps volunteers serving less than one month must pay a one-time donation of 75,000AMD.

Many of our volunteers are actively enrolled in college/university, so it is of course not necessary to have completed a degree program. A high school diploma is sufficient.

AVC accepts applications any time and volunteers can perform their service year-round.  We recommend you apply at least one month prior to your anticipated arrival date in Armenia. One quick addition is that, prior to starting your service, you must participate in AVC’s mandatory in-country orientation session. Orientation sessions are typically held weekly, most often on Wednesdays or Fridays. As you think about purchasing your ticket to Yerevan after being accepted, please consult with us about the best day to arrive in Yerevan so you do not have too much downtime before orientation. This is especially important if you’re here for just a short time — you want to be able to hit the ground running!

Most volunteers serve in Yerevan, Gyumri, and/or Vanadzor, where AVC and Birthright Armenia (our sister organization) have staff to support our participants.

AVC has 1200 (and growing) active placement partners, so it is no exaggeration to say that the possibilities go beyond what any one person could experience in a lifetime. Volunteers work with think tanks, farms, museums, NGOs, and on occasion the AVC office itself. You can read in detail about some of our partners here.

In the application and during the intake interview, there are several questions about your educational and professional background and your areas of interest. An AVC representative will reach out to accepted volunteers with a list of possible assignments with our partners, of course based on applicants’ experiences and stated preferences. When you receive this list, you will be asked to rank-order it. We will then schedule interviews at your preferred assignments for your first few days in Armenia; AVC representatives generally accompany volunteers to these interviews. If you feel you have found a fit after just one interview, we can get right to work on finalizing your assignment!

In short, for the most part, you are the one who determines the volunteering assignment.

Yes, AVC provides internship opportunities for current students as long as they are at least 21 years of age. In practice, internships closely resemble our volunteering offerings. If you require proof of current participation in or past completion of an internship, we will gladly communicate on your behalf about the specifics of your participation in AVC.   

Although many of our volunteers serve in their primary field of expertise, many others request to volunteer in an area that is more in line with their extracurricular interests or hobbies.  For instance, we had a scientist with a passion for history and writing who asked to volunteer in a museum.  He ultimately helped two museums develop and improve their English-language marketing materials.

Yes! More often than not, our volunteers serve at more than one placement. Remember, AVC tailors your volunteer experience based on your interests. 

Yes, “flexibility” is one of our mantras. Long-term volunteers, in particular, may go through different phases in their stays in Armenia, seeking different volunteering assignments in each phase. We do ask, though, that volunteers seek to get as much as they can out of each placement and exhibit their own “flexibility” in tolerating the minor challenges bound to crop up every now and then in any assignment.

If you are a member of our Junior Corps (21 – 31 years old), your minimum commitment is 30 hours per week, Monday to Friday, for a minimum of one month.  The only exception to this is for international students enrolled full-time in Armenia. Such participants will have their hourly commitment reduced to 20 hours per week. Members of Professional Corps and Senior Corps must put in a minimum of 20 hours per week, Monday to Friday, for at least 2 full weeks. Regardless of what Corps you belong to, you will need to fill out service timesheet(s) with the help of employees at your placement site(s), so as to create an official record of hours served.

Volunteers are welcome and encouraged to go over the minimum time requirements for any given week. Participants who have found the perfect placements are liable to be doing what they love, in which case they may lose track of the time in their enjoyment and go well over the stated minimum number of hours per week. 

You are not allowed to travel outside Armenia during the first four months of your service. After four months of service, you get two weeks of vacation. After eight months of volunteering, you get another two weeks of vacation. You can leave the country during your vacation, but you must sign a travel waiver first.

No. The majority of our volunteers do not speak Armenian. Many are native speakers of English, French, Spanish, Russian, Farsi, and many others. However, language is a determining factor when deciding on your placements. In rare cases, translators will be provided. Our staff speaks multiple languages, including English, Armenian, Russian, Arabic, and French so you shouldn’t have any trouble communicating with us! Most local Armenians speak both Armenian and Russian and the younger generation is in a hurry to learn English as well as other languages including German, French, and Spanish.

Certainly. We ask potential volunteers for a window of when they plan to be in Armenia as part of the application, but it is exactly that: a window, not definitive, non-binding. Once you have your feet on the ground and hands busy in Armenia, we do our best to ensure a successful experience. If you enjoy yourself so much that you would like to prolong your stay, we are flexible and can extend your total service time up to a maximum of one year.

While AVC welcomes returning volunteers to serve again and again in Armenia, we do have an Alumni Team ready to accommodate former volunteers for future visits (see “Alumni” section below). Anyone who would like to return as a formal volunteer must go through a new application process (albeit shorter in most cases). Repeating volunteers receive the same services as new volunteers, including full placement support, accommodation with host families, airport pickup/drop off, the option to attend orientation, language classes, and numerous activities/excursions throughout each week. You will also need to meet the minimum volunteering time commitments.

AVC has a minimum time commitment from its volunteers each week. Many volunteers work remotely while they are volunteering with AVC. If this is something you are interested in, just bear in mind that you must satisfy our minimum time commitment. One important note, however, is that volunteers cannot be paid for their service at their volunteer site(s).