As I walked into my 10 a.m. class – which felt more like an 8 a.m. – this Monday morning, I was greeted with an outrageously loud and fast-paced-one-minute-Australian-accented lecture on a travel option for this summer 2012.

As snickers and smiles beamed across the lecture hall, I tried to understand what was being said about the International Student Volunteers program.

International Student Volunteers is a non-profit organization that combines “meaningful volunteer projects with action packed adventure travel.” Travel destinations include South Africa, Ecuador, Australia, New Zealand, Dominican Republic and Costa Rica. A total of 50 students are being chosen from Temple to go on this trip.

Volunteer projects include sea turtle conservation, teaching English to children, home and community building, rainforest regeneration and elephant conservation projects.

While volunteering, adventure tours are offered, highlighting white water rafting and sea kayaking, SCUBA and snorkeling on exotic reefs, canyoning and cave exploration, horseback riding to hidden waterfalls and more.

Information meetings are being held this Thursday, Oct. 13, from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. every hour on the hour in room 220 in the Student Center.

Check out the ISV website for more information.