Recommend a teen summer trip to Europe

[Anonymous]

There was a post on this a few months ago...

[Anonymous]

I did a People to People trip the summer before my senior year in high school. It was an AMAZING experience and I have re-connected with about half the group on facebook. Our three chaperons were good at setting curfews and although I don't remember anyone abusing the time, I don't remember it truly being enforced. Generally speaking, my group consisted of the top 25% of their high school class - good kids. I fell into a group with two other girls. We really hit it off and when we had free time to go wonder the city, we were always together.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I did a People to People trip the summer before my senior year in high school. It was an AMAZING experience and I have re-connected with about half the group on facebook. Our three chaperons were good at setting curfews and although I don't remember anyone abusing the time, I don't remember it truly being enforced. Generally speaking, my group consisted of the top 25% of their high school class - good kids. I fell into a group with two other girls. We really hit it off and when we had free time to go wonder the city, we were always together.

Oh and to add, PTP tries to be preceived as an educational, introduction to political science kind of organization, it's really a teen tour group. Yeah, we visited churches, museums, etc... but it was really about becoming independent and establishing relationships with those in the group.

[Anonymous]

Rustic pathways is a great company that incorporates community service projects. My son went to Thailand and they built a house for a family and also got to explore the beautiful countryside!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I did a People to People trip the summer before my senior year in high school. It was an AMAZING experience and I have re-connected with about half the group on facebook. Our three chaperons were good at setting curfews and although I don't remember anyone abusing the time, I don't remember it truly being enforced. Generally speaking, my group consisted of the top 25% of their high school class - good kids. I fell into a group with two other girls. We really hit it off and when we had free time to go wonder the city, we were always together.

Oh and to add, PTP tries to be preceived as an educational, introduction to political science kind of organization, it's really a teen tour group. Yeah, we visited churches, museums, etc... but it was really about becoming independent and establishing relationships with those in the group.

I'm a teacher who chaperoned two trips with People To People. One with middle school kids and one with high schoolers. The high schoolers were much more emotionally ready for a trip like this and I adored the kids that went, they were amazing. Everyone seemed to get along and interact even though they formed their own mini groups. Most of us are still friends on Facebook. It's been cool seeing them progress into college and as young adults (I typically work with younger kids).

It can depend a lot on the chaperons. I was lucky that I got along with the chaperons I worked with during the high school trip but the middle school one I was paired with one competent and two incompetent people and that made the trip very difficult because not everyone pulled their share and made the trip stressful.

I was very impressed with how the trips were organized, we did a lot. We traveled by land, sea, foot. Rappelled down castle walls, tried a variety of foods and saw both urban and rural settings. One or two of the activities were not quite up to snuff but we immediately reported it to our leadership and that activity was taken off the itinerary for future groups. I did like that there was a one night (or maybe it was two nights) homestay because that gave a different insight into that particular country. The kids were so tired at the end of the days activities that enforcing curfew didn't seem to be a major issue. And I did feel that the trips taught many kids about independence, traveling and friendship. Even as an adult I learned to think outside of the box to problem solve while traveling. I would definitely feel comfortable sending my child on a trip like this.

With the high schoolers, there were a couple of kids whose churches fund raised to get them there. And there was one student who wanted to go so bad she earned the money herself (and out of the group that went, she continues to be an avid traveler). Other families paid out of pocket. The trips aren't cheap.

When I first signed up for People to People we were asked to recruit in our schools and to students we knew, but it was never enforced. When they started to enforce this and had a recruitment requirement, I no longer felt comfortable chaperoning. I felt it was a conflict of interest to be "nominating" kids I worked with so that I could get a free trip. I also didn't feel comfortable giving or sending home information packets. Again, a conflict of interest. I did bring this up with PTP but they didn't lift that requirement. Maybe in the past it was easier to get kids. Also, it probably varies on area who enforces the recruitment.