Awesomely cool FREE or LOWCOST programs
So you want to have an awesomely amazing life. You want to go to exotic lands, get an education, express yourself artistically, maybe even find yourself. You've got dreams. But you don't have a lot of $$$$. Below the cut are some programs, events, organizations, etc. that can help you accomplish some mind-blowing things. All of them are either free or low-cost. Let me repeat: FREE or LOW-COST. Interested? Read on.
Please note that some of these programs are only open to Americans. Some have age limits or education requirements. Sorry. Life sucks like that.
Volunteer with Americorps. Americorps is a program run by the US Department of Agriculture. Ever heard of the Peace Corps? Well, Americorps is a lot like the Peace Corps, except you stay in the USA. Also unlike Peace Corps, you don't have to have a college degree to join. So if you're aged 18-24, you want to help your fellow man, and you're adventurous, Americorps may be right for you.
Americorps *NCCC is the program I did in 2004. It changed my life. And not in that sappy way televangelists talk about while saline tears course down their faces. Plainly, simply, it changed my life. I went places I'd only dreamed about, did more than I ever imagined, faced my fears, overcame obstacles, kicked my own ass, wept and laughed and loved. Died and was reborn. During my year in Americorps, I lived in or traveled to the following cities: Baltimore, MD; New York City, NY; Boston, MA; Sarasota, FL; Philadelphia, PA; New Orleans, LA; Hartford CT; and Montreal, Canada. I had amazing experiences, like going to the DNC in Boston, seeing Ground Zero in NYC, building homes in Connecticut, working in food kitchens in Massachusetts, and participating in Hurricane Disaster Relief in Florida.
You're living on Uncle Sam's dollar in this one. Your airfare to and from Americorps, your health insurance, your meals, your housing, is all paid for. You also get a small stipend for "living expenses" (toothpaste and such). Really, really incredible program. If anyone's interested and has questions, I'm always willing to answer them.
Live with the Black Mesa Navajo. The Navajo of the Black Mesa are challenging development and exploitation of their lands by coal companies. They are also running a program allowing outsiders to live and work with the Navajo and experience their way of life. This is not a job for the weak-willed or weak-hearted! You will be asked to work very hard and respect their customs. In return you will be taught traditional skills such as sheep-herding, corn growing, and holistic medicine. It's a chance -- a very rare and special chance -- to participate in Navajo culture. A commitment of a month or more is requested, although you can arrange to stay for less.
Attend a Rainbow Gathering. The Rainbow Gathering is a festival held over 4th of July weekend every year, hosting thousands of hippies from all over the country. It's open and FREE to any and all interested parties. I went to Rainbow Gathering 2005 in West Virginia, and it was truly one of the most amazing experiences of my life. For a full report, see here.
Dance in a drum circle. Eat tasty vegetarian food. Get a hug in the Hug Tent. If you're really adventurous, you can probably find a hippie caravan willing to let you ride with them, and experience the life of a Rainbow on the road. It's an amazing look into a culture, a whole nother world, that lies just beneath our own.
Study at a free college. "Mip," I hear you say, "this is all well and good, but I'm not down with chilling with hippies or building houses for poor people. I want to get my learn on." That's just fine. I have some options for that, too.
Berea College in Kentucky is a work-study school, which means you don't pay tuition. Let me repeat that: NO TUITION. Instead, you work to pay for your education. All you have to cough up is money for your room and board. The average Berea student finishes school with only about $6,000 in debt. Does that sound good to you? I know it does to me. Oh, and it's also the #1 Liberal Arts school in the South.
Other colleges working along similar lines are College of the Ozarks (Missouri), Cooper Union (New York City), Deep Springs College (California, all-male), and Webb Institute (New York).
Kibbutz in Israel. A kibbutz is a communal farm in Israel, where everyone works and lives together. To do this, you have to get to Israel. But if you can get your feet on the ground in Tel Aviv, go to the Kibbutz Program Center, 18 Frishman St., Tel Aviv, 011-972-3-5278874 or 011-972-3-5246156. There are a lot of programs that will, for a fee, arrange a kibbutz for you, but there's no reason you can't do it yourself.
You will have to work hard, probably doing field work, and in return you will receive accomodation, meals, and get the opportunity to travel around Israel on periodic tours. Minimum comittment is 2 months. The program fee is $350 (not including airfare), plus $25 a month for health insurance provided through the kibbutz. A related, but more costly program, Kibbutz Ulpan, allows you to live and work on a kibbutz while studying Hebrew.
Study overseas with CAORC Language Program. This program has a long name -- Critical Language Scholarships for Intensive Summer Institutes -- and it's run by an organization with a long name -- The United States Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the Council of American Overseas Research Centers -- but all that really means is that this program sends you overseas to study foreign languages for a summer. On Uncle Sam's dime.
You can study such languages as Arabic, Turkish, Chinese, Russian, and Hindi in countries such as Egypt, Turkey, Hong Kong, Russia, and India. This program promotes study of languages the US Gov deems critical. It's open to undergrads, grad students, or recent graduates. Good ol' Uncle Sam pays for everything, your airfare, your lodgings, your meals, and your classes. All you need is your passport. And if you don't have a passport, go out and get one now, you lazy ass.
Homestead in the Midwest. For those among us who are interested in settling permanently in a town and owning their own home, both North Dakota and Kansas are offering FREE lots to individuals or families willing to relocate to certain areas. In the Kansas project all you have to do is sign on and start constructing a house within 1 year. They will waive all sorts of hookup fees and provide home financing assistance. If you have children under 18 to enroll in the school system, you can receive down payment assistance ($1,500 for the first child, $750 for each additional child). The town of Curtis, NE is also offering free lots to potential new residents.
Please note that some of these programs are only open to Americans. Some have age limits or education requirements. Sorry. Life sucks like that.
Volunteer with Americorps. Americorps is a program run by the US Department of Agriculture. Ever heard of the Peace Corps? Well, Americorps is a lot like the Peace Corps, except you stay in the USA. Also unlike Peace Corps, you don't have to have a college degree to join. So if you're aged 18-24, you want to help your fellow man, and you're adventurous, Americorps may be right for you.
Americorps *NCCC is the program I did in 2004. It changed my life. And not in that sappy way televangelists talk about while saline tears course down their faces. Plainly, simply, it changed my life. I went places I'd only dreamed about, did more than I ever imagined, faced my fears, overcame obstacles, kicked my own ass, wept and laughed and loved. Died and was reborn. During my year in Americorps, I lived in or traveled to the following cities: Baltimore, MD; New York City, NY; Boston, MA; Sarasota, FL; Philadelphia, PA; New Orleans, LA; Hartford CT; and Montreal, Canada. I had amazing experiences, like going to the DNC in Boston, seeing Ground Zero in NYC, building homes in Connecticut, working in food kitchens in Massachusetts, and participating in Hurricane Disaster Relief in Florida.
You're living on Uncle Sam's dollar in this one. Your airfare to and from Americorps, your health insurance, your meals, your housing, is all paid for. You also get a small stipend for "living expenses" (toothpaste and such). Really, really incredible program. If anyone's interested and has questions, I'm always willing to answer them.
Live with the Black Mesa Navajo. The Navajo of the Black Mesa are challenging development and exploitation of their lands by coal companies. They are also running a program allowing outsiders to live and work with the Navajo and experience their way of life. This is not a job for the weak-willed or weak-hearted! You will be asked to work very hard and respect their customs. In return you will be taught traditional skills such as sheep-herding, corn growing, and holistic medicine. It's a chance -- a very rare and special chance -- to participate in Navajo culture. A commitment of a month or more is requested, although you can arrange to stay for less.
Attend a Rainbow Gathering. The Rainbow Gathering is a festival held over 4th of July weekend every year, hosting thousands of hippies from all over the country. It's open and FREE to any and all interested parties. I went to Rainbow Gathering 2005 in West Virginia, and it was truly one of the most amazing experiences of my life. For a full report, see here.
Dance in a drum circle. Eat tasty vegetarian food. Get a hug in the Hug Tent. If you're really adventurous, you can probably find a hippie caravan willing to let you ride with them, and experience the life of a Rainbow on the road. It's an amazing look into a culture, a whole nother world, that lies just beneath our own.
Study at a free college. "Mip," I hear you say, "this is all well and good, but I'm not down with chilling with hippies or building houses for poor people. I want to get my learn on." That's just fine. I have some options for that, too.
Berea College in Kentucky is a work-study school, which means you don't pay tuition. Let me repeat that: NO TUITION. Instead, you work to pay for your education. All you have to cough up is money for your room and board. The average Berea student finishes school with only about $6,000 in debt. Does that sound good to you? I know it does to me. Oh, and it's also the #1 Liberal Arts school in the South.
Other colleges working along similar lines are College of the Ozarks (Missouri), Cooper Union (New York City), Deep Springs College (California, all-male), and Webb Institute (New York).
Kibbutz in Israel. A kibbutz is a communal farm in Israel, where everyone works and lives together. To do this, you have to get to Israel. But if you can get your feet on the ground in Tel Aviv, go to the Kibbutz Program Center, 18 Frishman St., Tel Aviv, 011-972-3-5278874 or 011-972-3-5246156. There are a lot of programs that will, for a fee, arrange a kibbutz for you, but there's no reason you can't do it yourself.
You will have to work hard, probably doing field work, and in return you will receive accomodation, meals, and get the opportunity to travel around Israel on periodic tours. Minimum comittment is 2 months. The program fee is $350 (not including airfare), plus $25 a month for health insurance provided through the kibbutz. A related, but more costly program, Kibbutz Ulpan, allows you to live and work on a kibbutz while studying Hebrew.
Study overseas with CAORC Language Program. This program has a long name -- Critical Language Scholarships for Intensive Summer Institutes -- and it's run by an organization with a long name -- The United States Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the Council of American Overseas Research Centers -- but all that really means is that this program sends you overseas to study foreign languages for a summer. On Uncle Sam's dime.
You can study such languages as Arabic, Turkish, Chinese, Russian, and Hindi in countries such as Egypt, Turkey, Hong Kong, Russia, and India. This program promotes study of languages the US Gov deems critical. It's open to undergrads, grad students, or recent graduates. Good ol' Uncle Sam pays for everything, your airfare, your lodgings, your meals, and your classes. All you need is your passport. And if you don't have a passport, go out and get one now, you lazy ass.
Homestead in the Midwest. For those among us who are interested in settling permanently in a town and owning their own home, both North Dakota and Kansas are offering FREE lots to individuals or families willing to relocate to certain areas. In the Kansas project all you have to do is sign on and start constructing a house within 1 year. They will waive all sorts of hookup fees and provide home financing assistance. If you have children under 18 to enroll in the school system, you can receive down payment assistance ($1,500 for the first child, $750 for each additional child). The town of Curtis, NE is also offering free lots to potential new residents.