Program Reviews

This experience was amazing.From the day that I got here to now has been wonderful. Volunteering at the orphanage and schools was one of the greatest highlights. I love being able to interact with the kids and seeing their smiling faces everyday. The kids were very welcoming and brought so much joy to me. Other highlights were being able to stay at this beautiful house filled with wonderful people. I loved all the places that we got to visit such as Dunn River falls, and Strawberry Hills, Craigton Estate, and Living like a maroon. Overall this whole trip was my highlight and a once in a lifetime type of experience, and I cant wait to come back again!!

I really enjoyed my experience! Being in Jamaica is incredible! I enjoyed Dunn's River, Living Like a Maroon, and Strawberry Hill. I really enjoyed interacting with the children and being able to spend time with them. They really bought joy to me and helped make this trip memorable for me.

Overall, this experience was amazing. I had so much fun getting to see some attractions while also being able to volunteer in the community. I wish I could have worked more at the orphanage because I feel like I would be making a better impact there.

The experience with Jamaica Volunteer Programs was a terrific one. The excursions that were planned for us were solid cultural immersions that allowed us to quickly understand and feel connected to the Jamaican culture. We went to Dunn's River Falls, the Maroon village in Charles Town, and to Strawberry Hill and Creighton Estate. These excursions allowed us to see Jamaica in a broad view. For the volunteering aspect of our trip, we were in primary schools and a Salvation Army orphanage. Working with the children for four days was incredible because it allowed us to see and experience the school system and interact directly with Jamaican culture.

The week we spent with JVP was an incredible, eye opening experience. The culture was rich and we got to experience so much in a short amount of time. I know we all wished we had gotten to spend even more time at the orphanage, and even perhaps interacting more with the raw culture. But this was a wonderful experience and Jamaica can expect us back!

we had a great time. We all loved the place we stayed at and the staff. We all liked the vacation and community service mix of the program. Overall I loved it. Now I have run out to say so hi. I like bagels with butter.

I enjoyed everything about my time here in Jamaica and in staying at Smokey Manor. The staff were very helpful in keeping us safe at the Manor and out in the community. They also did a good job of helping us stay on schedule and and adjusting things as needed. They accommodations were also very nice and the food tasty!

I was on a week long service program with Appalachian State University through Jamaica Volunteer Programs. On this I experienced the amazing culture of Jamaica and got to do service in local schools and orphanages. Through this process JVP has been helpful and supportive in helping our program be successful and helping us to achieve all of our goals.

This program was overall wonderful. The students and teachers at the schools as well as the kids at the orphanage were so sweet and kind. However, I feel like in order to have a greater impact for the participants of this program there should be much fewer surveys and that everyone involved (including teacher and students as well as participants) should be aware and okay with interviews, photos and videos. I feel like all of this made a negative impact on everyone involved and it felt phony. We worked hard to create relationships with our children and teachers, and I know that you all worked hard to help form and secure those relationships, but I feel like those bonds were weakened throughout the week with the interviews, pictures, and constant photography. All-in-all we had a great experience.

I liked how we were able to go into the schools in Jamaica and have a balance of the "fun touristy Jamaica" when we had our free day at the beach as well as some of the more impoverished areas so that the group could get the feeling that they had seen multiple perspectives of the nation, as it is not one-or-the-other. While it was with good intentions, it felt a little strange to have the cameraman come into my classroom. It made the kids crazier and I felt that I had been the reason that they were being crazier then. Overall though my experience with Jamaica Volunteer Program has been an excellent one.