American charity United Planet (UP), based in Boston, is active in over 150 countries promoting cross-cultural understanding and friendship, and supporting communities in need.

Volunteer opportunities for individuals and groups to serve overseas for anywhere from 1-week to 1-year are listed on their website. In July and August 2006, actress Hilary Swank volunteered with UP as a teaching assistant and caregiver to children in an orphanage at a rural village in India.

Some of the projects of United Planet include:

Cultural Awareness Project & Storytelling - provides cross-cultural presentations and storytelling for children and adults around the world.

Voices of Earth Cultural Exchange (Online) - provides internet based information and interactive forums for people from over 150 countries.

United Planet Quests - Volunteer opportunities for educational, humanitarian and peace-building efforts in over 50 countries.

UP Ambassador Clubs - High school and college students form school clubs to promote UP’s mission.

UP Special Projects - works worldwide on educational, humanitarian and peace-building projects including sending doctors for disaster relief and volunteers to reconstruct villages and fishing boats after the Indonesia/Thailand tsunami, providing doctors to serve in Central America and Asia, constructed housing for Romanian orphans, designed a Landry Mat program in Guatemala for orphans, and other projects around the world.