The Human Kind Project
You've tried a vacation.
You came back the same.
I built this because I needed it first.
— Jenna Sheplock, Pediatric Nurse, 22 years
A Travel Experience
by Senior Healthcare Associates
A Medicare & Medicaid-covered medical practice
Jennifer Sheplock
Pediatric Nurse - 22 Years
Oncology & Post Anesthesia
The Human Kind Project,
Founder
University of Pittsburgh
Live Music Lover
High-Five Giver
Coffee Lover
"Even travel nursing stops working eventually"
Up to 60%
Nursing professionals that are experiencing physical and/or emotional burnout daily.
Nearly 150,000
Healthcare professionals are leaving the field yearly.
5
The number of people experiencing The Human Kind cohort. A few times a year.
difficult truths
Burnout
At first, it just feels like being tired.
Then it doesn’t go away.
We’re still showing up. Still doing the work. But the part of you that used to care deeply starts to pull back. Conversations feel shorter. Patience wears thinner. What once felt meaningful begins to feel mechanical.
We tell ourselves we just need a break.
But even after time off, something doesn’t fully reset. Within days, even minutes, we’re back in it—same pace, same pressure, same emotional load.
This isn’t just fatigue.
It’s disconnection.
Not Working
So if you are like me, you try what’s supposed to help.
Vacations. Spa days. Yoga. Exercise. Beaches. Mountains. Anything that allows for a few days to breathe.
And for a moment, it works.
But you return to the same environment—the same system, the same demands, the same patterns—and the feeling comes back faster each time.
Because nothing actually changed.
You didn’t step out of it.
You just paused it.
And over time, that starts to wear on you even more—because now you know rest alone isn’t enough.
**
Solution
This isn’t another break.
It’s a shift in context.
You step into a completely different environment—one that is raw, human, and real. You’re no longer operating inside systems and protocols. You’re face-to-face with people, in a way that brings you back to why you chose this work in the first place.
At the same time, you’re given space.
Not packed schedules. Not forced reflection. Just enough structure to support you—and enough openness to actually process what’s happening.
This combination matters.
Because burnout doesn’t come from working hard.It comes from working in a way that disconnects you.
And the only thing that resets that…
is reconnecting to something real.
**
Study by: Journal of Research in Nursing
True Story
The Human Kind Project was founded by Jenna Sheplock — a pediatric oncology and recovery room nurse and lifelong travel nurse based in the United States.
She knows what it means to chase a reset.
For years, moving was her answer. New city. New unit. New team. The freedom of travel nursing is real — the income, the independence, the change of scenery. And for a while, it worked.
But after 22 years in pediatrics, oncology, and recovery rooms — after witnessing what the field had become, after the weight of administration and families and her own life accumulating in ways that no new contract could outrun — she found herself in the same place she always ended up.
Tired in a way that sleep didn't touch. Exhausted of compassion.
She wasn't burned out from staying still. She was burned out from moving and still not finding what she was looking for.
She found herself searching for something she couldn't quite name. A way back to the pure, simple joy of helping another human being. Not as a professional. Not as a caregiver. Just as a person in a room with another person.
-----
Then, a chance encounter. A passing conversation.
A suggestion that stayed with her.
It led her to Calcutta.
Hailed as the City of Joy, Calcutta is unlike anywhere else.
Home to Mother Teresa's Home for the Destitute and Dying.
To New Light, protecting children born into and living in the red light district.
To the Joypur Ashram, where over 100 orphaned children live and learn together supported by the pension payment of one person only.
She didn't go there to change these worlds.
She went because something in her needed to witness this level of human contact. And, she didn't know it until after.
Somewhere in those moments — quiet, unfiltered, human — she began to reconnect. Not to a new version of herself. But to something that showed her what she had long forgotten. How to feel good. To connect.
The Human Kind Project came from that experience.
Not as an idea. But as something that had to exist for those of us who were burnt out or worse, disillusioned.
It was a way for medical professionals — especially the ones who have already tried everything, including vacations — to step into a completely different world for a moment of their lives and come back changed. Even just a little.
-----
This is not self-help. It is not another vacation. It is not a volunteer trip.
This is dropping the adult responsibility of healthcare and just connecting to those who have nothing to offer but a smile, a shrug, a laugh or the ultimate sacred act - death.
You will not need to worry about where you will stay, what you will eat, where you will spend your time. We've taken care of that.
Just show up as you are.
In doing so you will have the chance to experience humanity in its many forms — and to feel something shift, just as it did for Jenna.
First, you are humbled. Then something cracks open.
A world without judgment. Without expectation. Without entitlement.
Just presence.
It is a risk. Adventures of the heart often are.
There will be laughter and there will be tears. There will be moments you don't have words for.
And in the end — something comes back with you.
A renewal. A reset. A shift.
That's the
Human Kind
Project.
Every cohort runs the same way.
Almost.
Mornings are for "being there". Most days we spend directly alongside the Sisters and their staff at Mother Teresa's Home for the Destitute and Dying or with staff and children at New Light. — face to face, no buffer. Some of us like to work, some like to observe, connect and yet others like to teach, share their experiences. There is no protocol, just presence.
What unfolds each day, what you take in, what moves you, what stays with you hours and days later, that is what makes each cohort unique and leads to lifelong bonds.
Afternoons are yours (depending on the schedule that day). Rest. Walk. Sit somewhere quiet and let the morning settle. No agenda. No one asking anything of you.
Our evenings together open into Calcutta. Her flower markets or historical streets await. The ancient Ganges at dusk. Her food will stay with you. Calcutta is a city that gets under your skin in ways you won't fully understand until you're back home.
Only five people are accepted per cohort. Small batch. Fully managed. Your hotel, your meals, your transportation, every evening — taken care of. Just bring yourself. We will handle everything else.
Learn more about each month below.
Each one offers something different.
October
Transition. Energy. Awakening.
November
Clarity. Celebration. Movement.
December
Sillness. Depth. Ease.
January
Felt. Contrast. Perspective.
February
Lightness. Openness. Renewal.
March
Heat. Energy. Endurance.
Not everyone is the right fit.
That's by design.
The Human Kind Project is small by intention.
Five people per cohort. Two cohorts per month.
Carefully chosen.
Anyone can apply.
We were founded by a healthcare worker and most of our cohorts reflect that — but burnout doesn’t belong to one profession.
If something here resonates with you, please do not hesitate to reach out to us to review all the options you have.
We want to understand where you are, what you're carrying, and whether this is the right moment for you.
The first step is a quick conversation. We will layout the trip, what it is like and answer all of your questions. We will review pricing, wait lists and if this could be right for you.
If it is, we'll walk you through everything after that. There's no pressure.
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This might be the thing you've been looking for without knowing what to call it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. More than you’d expect.
Afternoons are entirely unscheduled and genuinely yours — no agenda, no group activity, no gentle suggestion about how to spend them. If you want to wander into a market, find a rooftop café, book a massage, or simply disappear into your hotel room and sleep for three hours, all of that is right.
Calcutta rewards the curious. The Victoria Memorial, the Indian Museum, the Marble Palace, the botanical gardens. Neighborhoods that look like nothing else on earth. A city that has been accumulating history for centuries and wears all of it at once.
If you want to explore beyond the group itinerary, there is room for that too. We can point you in the right direction based on what you’re drawn to.
And the evenings — while we eat together every night — are open after dinner. Some nights the city pulls you out into it. Some nights you follow. Some nights you don’t, and that’s equally fine.
What we’ve found is that most people arrive planning to do more and end up wanting to do less — not because Calcutta disappoints, but because the mornings do something to the pace of the rest of the day. The stillness starts to feel like the point.
But the city is there. All of it. And you’ll have access to every bit of it.
We have created a fully comprehensive experience designed so that you can focus on one thing — being present. From the moment you land, you are welcomed. A personal greeting at the airport is just the beginning of the legendary Indian hospitality you will carry home with you.
Included in your experience:
• Airport greeting and all transfers to and from your hotel and volunteer sites
• Hotel accommodation for the full duration of your stay
• All breakfasts, lunches, and dinners with your group
• All listed excursions and activities
There is also plenty of unstructured time — to rest, wander, and explore alongside your fellow cohort members at your own pace.
What is not included, we will make sure you know about in advance. Our goal is simple: that you arrive with as little to worry about as possible, and leave with more than you expected.
Five people per cohort is intentional.
This experience is designed to be intimate. A larger group changes the dynamic, the conversations, the quiet moments, the way you move through a place. Keeping it small protects what makes this what it is.
Because of it's intimate nature, spots fill quickly. We do add additional cohorts based on demand, so if your preferred dates are unavailable, it is worth reaching out. We also maintain a waitlist for last-minute cancellations. We understand people do sometimes have to step away, and those spots are offered immediately when they do.
It's simple. And intentionally so.
Step 1: A conversation.
Before anything else, we get on a call. This is not an interview — it is a chance for you to ask every question you have and for us to make sure this experience is the right fit for where you are right now. No pressure. No pitch. Just an honest conversation. Schedule yours through the Schedule a Call link on this page.
Step 2: Secure your spot.
If it feels right, booking is done entirely online. A $400 refundable deposit holds your place in the cohort. If your plans change, that deposit is fully refundable up to 30 days before your trip date.
Step 3: The remaining balance.
The remaining balance is due 30 days prior to departure. After that, we handle everything else — and we mean everything.
Step 4: Show up.
Seriously. That’s it. We’ll send you a full preparation guide with everything you need to know before you land. You just have to get yourself to Calcutta. We'll greet you there and have taken care of the rest.
No. And that distinction matters.
Volunteer trips are built around output, hours logged, tasks completed, a measurable contribution you can point to. This is not that.
You are not going to Calcutta to fix anything. You are going to be present with people whose lives look nothing like yours and to let that presence do what it does. No deliverables. No performance. No cape.
If anything, you are the one receiving something.
Less than you think.
Comfortable, modest clothing. Calcutta is warm and humid, and the organizations we visit are traditional spaces, so shoulders and knees covered. Good walking shoes.
Once you’re enrolled, you’ll receive a full preparation guide covering visa requirements, recommended vaccinations, what to pack, and everything practical you need to know before you land.
The only real preparation is this: come with an open mind, an open heart, and a willingness to be moved.
Physically the pace is moderate. Mornings involve a few hours at our partner organizations. Getting there requires walking and a few stairs. At the homes there will be sitting-- think bedside, chairs, floor. The climate is warm and humid. The pace is human. You do not need to be in peak physical condition. You need to be able to show up. Let us know what you need.
Emotionally: honest answer,yes, there will be moments. You will sit with people who are dying. You will meet children who have nothing and are somehow lighter than you. You will feel things you may not have words for.
But this is not trauma tourism. The weight you carry out of those mornings is different from the weight you carry into a shift. It fills something rather than draining it.
Most people describe the experience as challenging and better than they expected. Usually in the same breath.
Yes. Calcutta has a reputation that doesn’t match the reality on the ground, particularly for visitors.
You will not be navigating any of this alone. Transportation is arranged. The neighborhoods you’ll move through are safe and walkable. You’ll be with a small group of people who are in it with you from day one.
That said, Calcutta is a real city, not a resort. It is alive and sometimes loud and occasionally chaotic in the way that only cities of that age and density can be. That is part of what makes it work. It is not dangerous. It is just real.
Each cohort’s timeframe was created from personal experience. It was designed to expose you to real, unfiltered humanity — while protecting space each day to reflect and process what you are taking in. Too much, and it becomes overwhelming. Too little, and it feels superficial. That balance is intentional.
This is also worth naming directly: the absence of downtime is one of the quiet drivers of burnout. The ability to pause, feel, and integrate what you are experiencing is not a luxury here — it is the point. The structured days are fixed to honor that.
No. But it is more nuanced than that. You are not here to work. You are here to be. Your health care background is respected and welcomed — but it is never required. If an opportunity arises and you feel moved to assist with something clinical, like bedside wound care or physical therapy exercises, you are welcome to. And if you are not, a simple ‘not today’ is always enough. You may find that sitting with someone, holding a hand, listening to their story or simply being present is the most meaningful thing you do all week. This is your time to take in, reset and be re-inspried. There is no pressure.