Every program on our site can be booked one of two ways: a Full Program, where we arrange your accommodation at Barnett’s Homestay or another of our partner accommodations, meals, transport, and in-country support alongside your placement, or Placement Only, where we confirm your placement and you arrange everything else yourself.
Internship placement only exists for a specific kind of intern: people who already have roots or somewhere to stay in Jamaica, are visiting on a separate trip and want to add real professional experience to it, have family or friends to stay with locally, or simply prefer full control over their own accommodation and schedule. You still get a real, vetted internship placement matched to your field and qualifications — you just aren’t paying for services you don’t need.
Volunteer placement only works the same way as the internship version, with one structural difference: some volunteer projects also offer a 1-day option, which isn’t available on the internship side since meaningful internship work generally requires more than a single day. Beyond that, the same logic applies — we confirm your volunteer placement, and you arrange your own travel and accommodation.
Placement Only is available across nearly our entire program catalog, including:
If you already know which program interests you, visit that program’s page directly — Placement Only is listed as a pricing and enrollment option on every eligible page.
A volunteer or internship placement makes the most sense if you already have a place to stay in Jamaica, are combining this with a trip you’re taking anyway, or simply prefer arranging your own travel logistics. If you would rather have accommodation, meals, and transport handled for you, our Full Program option may be the better fit — you can compare both directly on any individual program page.
A guaranteed internship placement means exactly that — your placement is matched, vetted, and confirmed with your host organization before you book flights or accommodation, so you are not left arranging everything else around an unconfirmed program.
If you’re planning an independent volunteer or internship placement abroad for the first time, the main things to sort out yourself are flights, accommodation, daily transport to your placement site, and travel insurance. Your Project Advisor will confirm your placement site’s address and schedule well in advance so you can plan around it.
Requirements are the same as for a Full Project booking in your chosen program — Placement Only does not reduce the standard of vetting or documentation required. Once your application is accepted, you will typically need to submit:
Check your specific program’s page for any additional requirements unique to that placement.
By paying the enrollment fee, you are guaranteed a placement within our project and your dates are secured
Placement Only Enrollment Fee
One-Time Fee
1-Day Enrollment Fee
Start at
$150
Full projects include accommodation, meals, transportation and in-country support
$1,210
Total
$2,800
Total
$795
Per Additional Week
within an organization in Jamaica where you will volunteer or intern
at your project work site to support your project and make an impact
Di Real Jamaican membership is a mini course that teaches you about Jamaica
Full breakfast and dinner each day, and we cater to all diets or allergies
Live like a local in a shared dorm or private room with modern amenities
Daily project transfers and airport pickup and return
before your project begins, during your project and after you depart.
Throughout your project, enjoy outings to museums, ice cream, beaches & more
Project certificates & verification of your work hours after project completion
Shared dorm or private room with A/C
Clean bathrooms with hot shower
Free cable TV and Wi-Fi at your homebase
Secure home with cameras & panic button
Quiet family homebase to live like a local
Clean towels, washrags, pillows & bed linen
Rooms and common areas cleaned daily
Nightlife like games night & cooking classes
Welcome giftbag with goodies from JIP
Our primary accommodation is Barnett’s Homestay, located in the quiet community of Portmore, St. Catherine. You will stay with Jomo Barnett, the Director of Jamaica International Projects, and his family during your project. This is your chance to live with a Jamaican family and learn our culture.
All prices are in USD and quoted per person.
Applies to the large majority of our volunteer and internship programs, across every category from teaching and construction to business internships and sports management.
Applies to placements with added clinical supervision and coordination requirements, including Medical Volunteer Abroad, Cardiology, Diabetes, and Physiotherapy on the volunteer side, and Dental and Nursing on the internship side. The additional $50 reflects the extra coordination these placements require with host clinics and supervising medical staff — a surcharge structure other international placement organizations use for the same reason.
The internship placement only fee is a one-time enrollment payment that confirms your placement and locks in your start date. It is the same fee structure used across both internship and volunteer programs, with one notable exception: medical-related placements.
Browse our volunteer and internship categories and decide which program fits your interests, background, and goals.
Make sure you’re comfortable arranging your own flights, accommodation, meals, and daily transport before proceeding.
Complete the application form for your chosen program, noting that you’d like the Placement Only option. We respond within 48 hours.
Schedule a virtual meeting with your Project or Program Advisor to confirm details and answer any questions.
Pay the $299 (or $349 for medical-related programs) enrollment fee to confirm your placement and lock in your start date.
Send your reference letters, photo ID, proof of insurance, and any program-specific documents.
Book your flights, accommodation, and plan your transport to your placement site ahead of your start date.
The placement itself is identical — same vetting, same matching process, same on-the-ground support from your Advisor. The difference is logistics: Full Project bundles accommodation at Barnett’s Homestay, meals, and daily transport into one price; Placement Only leaves those to you.
In most cases, yes, if you reach out before your placement is finalized. Once travel and accommodation arrangements are underway, switching becomes harder to coordinate, so let your Advisor know as early as possible if you’re unsure which option you want.
Medical-related placements require additional coordination with host clinics and supervising medical staff to confirm your scope of involvement matches your training and qualifications. That extra coordination is reflected in the $349 fee rather than the standard $299.
No. Airport pickup, daily transport, and accommodation are part of the Full Project option only. Under Placement Only, you are responsible for arranging transport to and from your placement site.
It’s available for the large majority of our volunteer and internship programs. A small number of specialized placements may require the Full Project option due to logistics — check the individual program page to confirm.
Yes. Travel insurance is required for every volunteer and internship placement, regardless of which pricing option you choose.
All Year Round
1-12 Weeks
After you apply we will confirm availability and whether you are accepted within 48 hours.
Enroll in the project format you want below. Full Projects and Trips have payment plan options available.
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