Travel For Teens: Community Service Travel Programs

I had so much fun during my time with TFT and I think many people will as well. It's a great program full of great people and you feel so fulfilled after doing your community service while also having fun. You're also meeting new friends and locals, while getting to see these countries through the eyes of a tourist and a local and it's so eye opening. TFT makes you see traveling through a new lens and it honestly is so amazing. I would recommend it to everyone.

This last summer (2023) I spent 3 weeks in Peru and Ecuador with TFT and it was an amazing experience. It was my third trip with Travel for Teens. Not only did I create strong friendships through the program but my eyes were also opened to new experiences and realities. I learned so much throughout my time with TFT, from staying with locals in a remote village in Peru, to volunteering at a sustainable farm in the Galápagos, and so many more once in a lifetime experiences. I am infinitely and inexpressibly grateful to have been able to participate in this program, and I will remember this trip for the rest of my life.

I went on a trip with Travel for Teens this summer as a 16-year-old girl and I loved every second of it. This was my first experience traveling alone and even flying alone. This was the best possible first solo travel experience I could have had. Travel for teens was perfect throughout the whole process. I chose to do a service trip in the Florida Keys working with marine conservation. I felt so fulfilled after the trip proud of myself for being able to travel alone, and I was also happy with the work I did. The people I met while on this trip were all incredible and I stay in contact with every one of them. The staff was incredible, understanding, knowledgeable, and helpful. I cannot recommend Travel for Teens enough. The experience is wonderful for teens in building independence and strengthening confidence in themselves and their abilities. I will always recommend Travel for Teens to everyone I know. I will never be able to thank them enough for the experience they provided me with.

The time I spent in Costa Rica with travel for teens truly altered the way I view the world. It was an incredible experience with some amazing people. I went to Costa Rica alone but I came back with a group of amazing friends and a lifetime of experiences. To say that the trip was incredible is an understatement. I've been to many countries and none of them had the type of beauty Costa Rica had. I vividly remember on the 6th day of our trip when we went to a new hotel and I saw the view of our hotel balcony. It was unforgettable. My jaw very well dropped. Being able to help at the rescue centers was something I am so thankful for. Those poor animals go through a great deal and Travel for Teens making this a helping opportunity is so kind. This is a trip my family would never think about going on with their own prerogative, but Travel for Teens made it possible for me to do it on my own, and gain a new perspective of living in the process. "experiental docet" experience teaches, as they say in latin. This trip holds extremely deep meaning to me and I will remember it for every day of the rest of my life. I cant thank Travel for Teens enough for making this possible.

Over the summer, I was fortunate enough to travel with TFT on the "Costa Rica Spanish Language Immersion" trip. In 22 days, I was able to make amazing friends that I am still in touch with, go on incredible adventures (repelling down a waterfall, watching the sunrise from the beach, riding a catamaran, going snorkeling, surfing, and more), make amazing memories, take spanish lessons that taught me so much more about the language than anything I've covered in school, participate in fun community service that I enjoyed doing, and so much more. I was not only able to learn more about myself, but also about other cultures. Adding on to that, the staff were so kind and fun. I genuinely had the most amazing time and can't wait to go on another TFT trip. I will never stop rewatching videos, looking at pictures, and missing the whole experience. Thank you for everything!

This trip is one for the books! I am so grateful that I was able to experience this trip first hand. I was looking for something to do in the summer, and I came upon Travel for Teens and I am so happy that I did. Being able to work with the ASVO Sea Turtle Center was heart-warming and mind-opening I learned a lot about different types of turtles and what they experience in the world. I am thankful that I was able to experience a different perspective from the locals while being in Costa Rica. The weather was beautiful and it made the trip even more enjoyable. The staff were wonderful, supportive and cared for all the travellers. Thank you to Travel For Teens for making this trip possible!

This summer I went on the Belize Ultimate Scuba and Service, and it was a dream come true. Learning to scuba dive has been on my bucket list forever, and it was even better than I could’ve imagined. I got the chance to swim alongside sea turtles, nurse sharks, and schools of tropical fish. The volunteer work and research we participated in was incredibly interesting as well. REEFCI is such an amazing organization that offered us the opportunity to learn about invasive species hands-on and take part in saving the reefs. The island where we stayed was gorgeous. The other campers and I bonded over games of volleyballs, stargazing, and not to mention the absolutely amazing food. It somehow was incredibly serene and exciting all at the same time. My best memories range from getting to spear lionfish 60 feet underwater to laying around in hammocks and telling jokes to the rest of the group. The off island excursions were also incredible. From hiking through the jungle and spotting monkeys and tarantulas, to drifting down a lazy river, to sliding down natural water slides, there was not one boring moment. Even the car rides were full of song singing and authentic Mayan Chocolate eating. It was an amazing adventure from the moment we all got on the group flight together, to our tearful airport goodbyes. I couldn’t imagine a better way to spend my summer.

This was my second TFT trip and I am so glad to have went on it! It was a great combination of the service, traveling the country, and relaxing. The organization that the service was through was a honest group of people and I felt that the work we did was genuinely beneficial. I found that the trip leaders and campers created a welcoming and inclusive environment even though the campers were from varying backgrounds and with a variety of ages. I always felt safe and appreciated having time to explore certain areas with my friends on the trip. When things out of our control went astray (like weather and transportation), the energy of the group was good and the trip leaders sought to make the best of our situations! My parents and I also greatly appreciated getting sent the photos taken by the trip leaders!