In an interview with Parade, the actress explained that her advocacy for children around the globe has altered her outlook on the world.
"It's been really eye-opening," she said. "The reason that they send celebrities into these places is so that you can come back and speak in the first-person about what you've seen."
Sarandon, who won a 'Best Actress' Oscar for her performance in 1995's Dead Man Walking, added that she is hopeful that her work with UNICEF will provide more than just a public profile for certain global issues.
"Besides that obvious reason, it's just such an education for me to really get to be in people's homes or huts and to talk to people and be able to ask questions and understand something on a personal level as opposed to just reading about it. I'm very, very grateful for the opportunities that I've had," she noted.
The star also revealed that she plans to bring her oldest son Jack along on a future fact-finding trip.
In recent years, UNICEF has enlisted numerous celebrities including Sarah Jessica Parker and Selena Gomez to act as its Goodwill Ambassadors.
