Think Pacific
Overview
Think Pacific offers 4-week volunteering and internship expeditions in Fiji, South Pacific and Bali, Indonesia.
The University of Nottingham has a limited amount of Turing funding to support students who meet Turing's widening access criteria, for further information about the opportunities available for summer 2024, please view the project profiles and Turing funding information below for further information.
Please be aware that global opportunities may change at any time for a number of reasons, including changes to arrangements with placement providers, travel restrictions or other circumstances outside of the university’s control. Every effort will be made to update this information as quickly as possible should a change occur. Please note that, in order to be accepted on to a global opportunity, you must be in good academic standing the University of Nottingham and meet the selection criteria of the placement provider.
How to apply
Students must apply directly on Think Pacific's website before Monday 11 December 2023.
Think Pacific recruit and offer places to successful students directly; the University of Nottingham is not involved in the recruitment process for Think Pacific projects.
Think Pacific: apply here
Volunteering and internship opportunities
Projects in Fiji, South Pacific
Facts
- Project dates: between June and August 2024
- Project length: 4 weeks
- Location: Fiji, South Pacific
- Projects: Community Build; Youth Empowerment; Mental Health Placement; Sport Development.
About the projects
Become a member of a Fijian family and work within a team whilst contributing to sustainable development initiatives that support the achievement of the Fiji National Development Plan.
Think Pacific's projects in Fiji are truly unique. They take place in rural communities which are a world away from the usual crowds and the average volunteer projects. The villages in Fiji are only accessible upon invitation by the chief only, which means you can sample a way of life that few people will ever be fortunate enough to see.
At a glance:
- Support the achievement of the UN SDGs
- Work on behalf of exclusive partners, such as the Fijian Government
- Complete cultural immersion in a traditional village
- Work on Business, Youth, Build, Mental Health or Sport initiatives
- Develop employability skills, meet like-minded people and contribution to sustainable development
Think Pacific: The Community Build Project
Think Pacific: The Youth Empowerment Project
Think Pacific: The Mental Health Project
Think Pacific: The Sport Development Project
About Fiji
Fiji lies in the South Pacific Ocean consists of an archipelago of more than 330 islands to the northeast of New Zealand and soutwest of Hawaii.
Viti Levu is Fiji's largest island, covering over half the country's total land mass and is home to the country's highest peak: Mount Tomanivi. The island's terrain consists of a central mountain range, lush tropical rainforests, drier grasslands and sugarcane fields and it's main river, Sigatoka river flowing through the island.
Vanua Levu and Taveuni are Fiji's second and third largest islands respectively. Vanua Levu is less mountaineous that Viti Levu and offers forests and coral reefs, while Taveuni is known as the Garden Island, renowned for its pristine rainforests and home to the Bouma National Heritage Park.
Source: World Atlas: Fiji
Fiji Tourism
Climate
Located south of the equator, Fiji boasts a warm, comfortable sub-tropical climate. The average daily temperature consistently sits between about 26° and 31°C, evenings in the cooler months can get slightly chillier, but even in the peak summer months it doesn't get unbearably hot.
'Winter' takes place between May and October and offers shorter but sunnier days, with coastal areas getting a bit cool evening so take a light jacket to keep warm while sipping cocktails at the beach bar. The temperature is only slightly lower than the wet season, with an average temperature of 23-24°C and most days ranging from 19-28°C. July and August are the coolest months, and the average rainfall drops between 50-75% compared to the wetter months.
Turing funding
Students who are successful in being offered a place on a 4-week project (minimum 28 days) by Think Pacific and meet at least one of Turing's widening access criteria may be eligible to apply for financial support up to a maximum of £1,950 through the University of Nottingham's Turing funding.
Students will be required to provide evidence that they meeting Turing's widening access criteria to the University of Nottingham and consent to share their eligibility status with Think Pacific, before funding can be awarded.
Please be aware a limited number of funding awards are available.
For further information, please visit the Turing funding information section below.
Costs
Below are the approximate costs you will need to budget for in order to partipate in Think Pacific Fiji projects:
|
Think Pacific project fee including:
- Food
- Accommodation
- 24/7 Think Pacific in-country support
- weekend adventures
- domestic travel
- Charity donation
|
£2,145
|
|
Return flight from UK
|
£1,200+
|
|
Short-term Working Visa
|
£65+
|
|
Health and travel insurance
|
£80+
|
|
Vaccinations
Costs vary depending on whether vaccinations are offered on the NHS or through a private provider.
|
£0 - £300
|
|
Personal spending money
|
£200+
|
|
Approximate budget range
|
£3,700 - 4,000
|
Approximate living costs are compiled from external sources and the Think Pacific website. Exchange rates may vary, currency exchange rate as of November 2023.
Accommodation
Successfully allocated students will live with a Fijian family in their home, for the duration of the project.
Further information
Think Pacific: Information for University of Nottingham students
Rough Guides: Fiji - Travellers with disabilities
Equaldex: LGBTQ+ rights in Fiji
Projects in Bali, Indonesia
Facts
- Project dates: between June and August 2024
- Project length: 4 weeks
- Location: Bali, Indonesia
- Projects: Global Team Internship; Mental Health Placement
About the projects
Think Pacific's projects in Bali offer you the opportunity to supercharge your CV by completing a professional internship or placement for our inspiring partners, which includes a collection of hand-picked local NGOs, businesses and social enterprises.
Whilst living in a traditional Balinese village and immersing into the local culture, you can promote positive Mental Health or complete an internship for partners across a range of sectors.
What you can gain:
- 100+ hours of international work experience
- Boost cultural IQ & enhance global perspectives
- Activate global citizenship & broaden horizons
- Contribute towards sustainable development, on behalf of our partners
- Increase your leadership skills through collaborative work
- Job references, certificate of completion, and LinkedIn endorsement
- Potential employment opportunities via Think Pacific graduate scheme
Think Pacific: Global Team Internship
Think Pacific: Mental Health and Wellbeing in Bali
About Bali
'There is no other place like Bali. A magical blend of a colourful culture, friendly people, stunning nature, countless activities, tropical weather, culinary delights, vibrant nightlife, and beautiful accommodation. Bali is rated regularly as one of the best travel destinations in the world – for very good reasons. There is something great for everyone to explore and discover.' Source: bali.com
'Off the beaten path in Bali, you can find hidden villages, ancient temples, beautiful seascapes, and other culturally interesting places. To get a good look at things, you need peace and quiet. Most tourists rent scooters to get around Bali, but you can also rent a car with a driver. A botanical garden, a hot spring, and some rice paddies. Take part in a mountain-biking or hiking excursion or ascend the summit of a volcano. The good news is that Bali is relatively small, and despite the fact that roads are narrow and traffic can be a bit crazy at times, you can easily explore many of Bali’s wonders within 10-12 hours.' Source: Bali Activities
Bali tourism
Climate
The climate in Bali, Indonesia is tropical, characterized by high temperatures and high humidity throughout the year. Bali is located near the equator (nearly 8 degrees south) and has two distinct seasons: the dry season, which runs from April to October and the wet season, which runs from November to March.
During the dry season, temperatures typically range between 80-90ºC and humidity is relatively low, while there is a nice and cool breeze which is very pleasant.
Turing funding
Students who are successful in being offered a place on a 4-week project (minimum 28 days) by Think Pacific and meet at least one of Turing's widening access criteria may be eligible to apply for financial support up to a maximum of £1,950 through the University of Nottingham's Turing funding.
Students will be required to provide evidence that they meeting Turing's widening access criteria to the University of Nottingham and consent to share their eligibility status with Think Pacific, before funding can be awarded.
Please be aware a limited number of funding awards are available.
For further information, please visit the Turing funding information section below.
Costs
Below are the approximate costs you will need to budget for in order to partipate in Think Pacific Bali projects:
|
Project fee including:
- Food
- Accommodation
- 24/7 Think Pacific in-country support
- weekend adventures
- domestic travel
- Charity donation
|
£1,895+
|
|
Return flight from UK
|
£800+
|
|
Visa (30 days)
|
£26
|
|
Health and travel insurance
|
£80+
|
|
Vaccinations
Costs vary depending on whether vaccinations are offered on the NHS or through a private provider.
|
£0 - £350
|
|
Personal spending money
|
£200+
|
|
Approximate budget range
|
£3,100-3,400
|
Approximate living costs are compiled from external sources and the Think Pacific website. Exchange rates may vary, currency exchange rate as of November 2023.
Accommodation
Successfully allocated students will live in a traditional Balinese village with a team of fellow students.
Further information
Think Pacific: Information for University of Nottingham students
Disability Indonesia: Resource Library
Stonewall: Indonesia LGBTQ+
Think Pacific information presentation
Date:
Time:
Venue:
Details:
Thursday 16 November 2023
5pm
D37 Careers Event Space, Portland building, University Park Campus
This presentation is delivered by staff from Think Pacific; they will go over information about the opportunities on offer and give students the opportunity to ask any questions.
Turing funding information for Think Pacific opportunities
Eligibility criteria
In order to be eligible to receive a grant students must come from a disadvantaged background as defined by the Turing Scheme. In order to apply students must meet one or more of the criteria below:
- Students with an annual household income of £25,000* or less
- Students receiving Universal Credit or income related benefits because they are financially supporting themselves or financially supporting themselves and someone who is dependant and living with them, such as a child or partner
- Students who are care leavers and students who are care experience. This refers to anyone who has been or is currently in care or from a looked after background at any stage in their life, no matter how short, including adopted children who were previously looked after or those who access the Care Experience Bursary in Scotland.
- Students who have caring responsibilities. A registered carer who has commitment to providing unpaid care to a family member or friend who could not cope without their support.
- Students who are estranged. Those who are irreconcilably estranged from their parent(s). To be considered irreconcilably estranged, the student won’t have had any written or verbal contact with either parent – usually for 12 months or more – and this is unlikely to change.
- Students who are refugees and/or asylum seekers
*A student with a household income assessed by Student Finance as being £25,000 or less will typically receive the maximum maintenance loan from the Student Loans Company. In 2023/24 the maximum maintenance loan for students living away from the parental home while studying is £9,978. For students living in the parental home it is £8,400.
**You are not eligible to apply for this grant if you have received Turing funding, the International Work Experience Grant in the past or the Global Placements Grant. In addition if you have undertaken an in-country experience with Think Pacific in the past you are not eligible to apply.
Please be aware a limited number of funding awards are available.
Students who are successfully allocated must participate in your placement in-country for 28 full calendar days in order to be eligible for Turing funding; if students leave the placement early, you are required to return all of Turing funding you have received. Students in receipt of Turing funding for Think Pacific will be required to complete a confirmation of arrival form upon arrival, to return to the University of Nottingham.
If you have queries about eligibility, please email the
Global Opportunities team.
Application process
Step 1
Submit your application directly to Think Pacific before Monday 11 December 2023.
Step 2
After Monday 11 December, Think Pacific will provide the university with University of Nottingham student applicant information and the university will make internal checks and/or contact you directly to ensure you meet the eligibility criteria you have selected.
Step 3
Once we have confirmed your eligibility, we will pass this information to Think Pacific in the first week of January. You will need to confirm your permission to share your Turing eligibility information with Think Pacific.
Step 4
Think Pacific will contact you to invite you to an information session/webinar. This is a mandatory element of the assessment process. If for any reason you are unable to attend this you will have access to a recorded version of the session.
Step 5
After this session/webinar, assuming you still wish to continue you will enter in to a competitive interview process managed by Think Pacific. Students who perform most strongly at interview stage and who best meet the Think Pacific recruitment and selection criteria will be successful in receiving an offer of Turing funding. You will be informed if you are successful or unsuccessful once Think Pacific's recruitment process is complete.
Successful students must accept the grant offer within five working days of the offer being made. If not accepted the offer will be rescinded and will be made to another successful student on a waiting/reserve list.
A process will then start for students to book a place on a programme with Think Pacific and Think Pacific will provide guidance around booking flights and all other aspects of the trip.