A combination of volunteering and tourism, voluntourism is a popular form of international travel that allows you to contribute to sustainable development while exploring a new country and culture.
Parent’s can help expand their children’s horizons, boost their empathy and make a difference in their communities, with these summer or spring break programs with community service elements to choose from. These “travel with purpose” itineraries (often in developing countries) weave community building into cross-cultural adventures to encourage empathy and promote leadership skills that hopefully will extend beyond the trip. All programs earn community service hours and offer financial aid, scholarships, or both.
- Rustic Pathways Trips for ages 12+
Rustic Pathways programs are designed to connect allowing you to build your perfect summer experience. Start with a community service program that challenges you, then finish with a week of adventure or exploration. Combine programs in the same country or in the same geographic region. Get the from your Rustic adventure by meeting more students, community members, and staff, exploring the country or region on a deeper level, and really immersing yourself in the travel experience. To ensure that our programs operate in a safe and orderly manner, Rustic Pathways makes all arrangements for students’ international air travel from the time they leave North America until the time they return at the end of a successful adventure. Programs are designed for positive and level-headed students with interests in experiential learning and travel. These programs are not suitable for students with conduct disorders, chemical dependencies, an inability to work constructively in team environments or follow instructions, or an unwillingness to behave in a culturally sensitive manner.How do I enroll in connecting programs?
When you fill out an online enrollment form, choose the programs you want to connect in the section titled “Choose your Programs!” Select the destination country and program, paying careful attention to program dates (you’ll want them to be consecutive). Simply click “Add” to add the programs to build your itinerary.If you have questions, one of Rustic Pathways’ Personal Travel Advisors would be happy to assist you. By phone at 800.321.4353 or email rustic@rusticpathways.com and checkout Rustic Pathways How to Choose a Program Video Series - Visions Trips for ages 14+
Visions keep their organization small and focused in an effort to stay mindful of community-building, while maximizing the impact on the individual. That impact becomes apparent both in the short-term during the program, as participants come to understand their place in the community of peers and the host community, and also over time, as they gain insights about themselves and the global community. Visions offers a curated set of program dates and locations, and with cap the number of participants in each to keep the groups small. Leaders are active mentors who help each teen tap into the best parts of who they are, and average ratio of one leader to every four students.
Visions is rooted in long-term, respectful relationships with local partners, making an impact in most of locations for decades, so participants are welcomed like old friends into communities. Visions partners exclusively with local nonprofits on ambitious construction projects that are needed by the community. Visions is not religiously or politically affiliated. Some program locations may offer an opportunity to explore the religion and religious monuments of host communities, but all programs are secular. Participants and leaders live together in a community center or rented home that is part of a local neighborhood and living in host community for the duration of the program and use the weekends for travel and excursions. Participants quickly become part of the fabric of daily life and are at home in the community.
Start Application
1. Contact Information. This includes contact details for participant and parent/guardian(s).
2. References. We require the name and email address of two adults who will be contacted as references. At least one must be a school contact, and the other may be a personal reference or second school reference.
3. Participant Questionnaire. The questionnaire typically takes 5 to 15 minutes to complete. For parents who are completing the other steps of the application, this step may be skipped and we will then email the questionnaire to the participant to be completed within one week.
4. Application Fee. The application fee is $50. It is non-refundable and not applied toward tuition.
Contact Visions with any questions: Call/text 406.551.4423; Email info@visions-service.com - Apogee Trips for Ages 11+
Community service is a hallmark of each and every Apogee adventure. Giving back makes our trips more well-rounded and better for everyone. Apogee’s goal is to nurture generosity and community-mindedness in students, and to plant the seeds for future stewardship. Apogee Passionate Directors: With over 30 years of combined experience running adventure trips for Children, Kevin Cashman and Chad Olcott are the backbone of Apogee and have been come to be known and trusted to run outstanding programs. Bright, enthusiastic, responsible, fun-loving, engaging hand-select leaders for each trip selected from top colleges in the country. With a dedicated Office Staff that is always available to communicate information before and during your child’s trip to ensure a smooth planning process and a worry-free experience. Apogee groups never have more than twelve participants, balanced by gender and age, and they always have two leaders: one male, one female. Some children have lots of outdoor experience; some have none. What they all bring are open minds and adventurous spirits. Carefully crafted groups, Apogee makes sure the fit is right by personally talking with two references for each student applicant.
Apogee begins accepting applications in October. Many trip departures will be full by February or sooner. Online Application
Call 207.725.7025 or Email info@apogeeadventures.com. - Putney Trips for Ages 10+
Putney has been operating trips since 1951and their track record gives parents comfort, understanding the needs of young travelers and are highly skilled at facilitating positive experiences. At Putney, a great program start and end with great group dynamics and they’ve become experts in this field. Leaders caringly facilitate a positive, cohesive spirit where everybody is included, celebrated, and invited to take ownership of the experience by practicing teamwork and leadership. “The Group” comes first in any Putney trip, leading to increased maturity, broadened perspectives, and lasting friendships. The average age of program leaders is 28, selected to lead a trip based of expertise in the destinations in which they lead as well as their ability to inspire their students. Many have advanced degrees from top universities and take time away from successful careers summer after summer because they love our students and believe in Putney’s mission. Admissions carefully reviews applications and accepts only students who have the ability to thrive on a Putney program with a goal to accept young people who are well adjusted, bright, eager, curious about the world, and who can contribute positively to their group. With an international network of friends, organizations, and local people that has been built over almost seven decades; folks in government, teachers, farmers, merchants, artisans, adventurers, and NGOs help students become a part of the lives and cultures they visit. Programs begin domestically with expeditions in Vermont and New England for fourth to sixth graders. Middle schoolers can join trips to Costa Rica, France and Holland, and Ecuador. Putney offers language programs for eighth and ninth graders in France and Spain; high school students can join incredible adventures all over the world and we offer Pre-College programs on campuses in the USA, Europe, and Japan. While Putney’s programs all have ambitious educational goals, Putney’s founders believed that you learn best when you’re having fun! Check out their Why Putney? Video
Online Application
Call 802.387.5000 or email info@goputney.com - Discover Corps Trips for Ages 5+
Travelers of all ages are encouraged to join, the staff will offer special activities that allow younger travelers to connect with the youth of the destination country. Best of all, families of six or more who join an existing trip qualify for our group discount. These programs are open to families, couples, and single people because they occur during times when many children are on vacation from school. Children are expected to participate in all regularly scheduled activities. Volunteer vacations offer a unique blend of activities that allow you to discover a country through its people. These trips combine a few hours per day of volunteering with cultural activities and visits to the must-see sites in each destination.