Hosted by Global Works

Puerto Rico Summer Service Adventures

Name: Puerto Rico Summer Service Adventures
Brand: Global Works
SKU: 37700
Rating: 4.89 (9 reviews)

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4.89 Rating

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Location

Puerto Rico

Length

1 - 2 weeks

Program Categories

Cultural Immersion Service Learning Volunteer Abroad

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Program Details

Timeframe

Summer

Housing

Hotel Lodge

Language

English

Age Min.

Age Max

Pricing

Starting Price

2995

What's Included

Accommodation Activities Meals Transportation

What's Not Included

Airfare Travel Insurance

Last Updated: Jan 28, 2025

Last Reviewed: Nov 27, 2024

Wish List

40 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Roll up your sleeves this summer for a hands-on service trip and Hurricane relief effort. Home construction service work is the heart of this program, with projects designed for and with local families. Practice Spanish and learn about local customs while working alongside welcoming community members in need. Take a break from projects to relax on the beach and explore the colorful streets of Old San Juan.

Program Options:
Puerto Rico: Hurricane Relief - 8 Day High School Program
Puerto Rico: Middle School Service Adventure - 6 Day Middle School Program

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Video and Photos

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Program Highlights

Meaningful service work in a local community
Bio-luminescent bay kayaking
Walking tour of Old San Juan
Conversation work in tropical research station

Popular Programs

Puerto Rico: Hurricane Relief

Hands-on Community service project for high school students that includes home rebuilding, bioluminescent bay kayaking, exploring Old San Juan and more!

Middle School Service Trip in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico: Middle School Service Adventure

A great intro to service travel for middle schoolers! Experience meaningful community service, paddle boarding, snorkeling, and more!

Program Dates

Application Deadline

June 15, 2025

Program Dates

June 15, 2025 - June 22, 2025

June 25, 2025 - July 2, 2025

July 7, 2025 - July 14, 2025

July 22, 2025 - July 27, 2025

July 30, 2025 - August 6, 2025

Program Reviews

4.89 Rating

based on 9 reviews

Leave a Review

Rating Spread High School

5 rating 88.89%
4 rating 11.11%
3 rating 0%
2 rating 0%
1 rating 0%

Growth 4.8
Support 4.9
Fun 4.9
Housing 4.8
Safety 4.9

Good for Under 18, Students, Building your resume

Showing 9 - 9 of 9 reviews

I was very nervous coming in. I had signed up alone and although I thought community service was important, I did not always enjoy it because I did not get to see what an impact it made. This trip changed everything! It started off by getting to know everybody and getting a walking tour of Old San Juan. The next few days we went into a community where they didn't know English and we mixed cement to make floors, walls, roofs and stairs for various houses. I'm not going to lie... If I never have to mix cement again, I will be very happy. My favorite part was hearing the stories of the people we were helping and getting to see the way it would change their lives forever. After that we got to zip lining on our way to the next location. That was a great view and a nice break from the hard work. At our next location we flattened rocks and dirt to make at flat road for the people to receive supplies for their forest preservation group. We also weeded out a huge area to create a tree nursery. This location was not my favorite of living quarters but I dealt with it. One night we got to go to the bioluminescent bay. It was one of the coolest things you will ever see! At night the water appears to glow from creatures in it. While you can't swim in it, it was still cool to dip hands and feet. I don't why this isn't one of the 7 wonders of the world. In our final location we got a trolley tour of a different city that had a lot of history. I'm not a huge history person but it was so cool to realize how old and strong the buildings are. Plus in both tour locations there is an opportunity to shop! For our final service project we reprinted some houses with chipped paint. Everybody had a blast doing it! For the last couple of days we stayed on a catamaran. It was soooooo much fun and a great time to bond with people! I became friends with every single person on the trip and we all cried when we had to leave. :( we still keep in touch and have had reunions to see each other. It was great forming bonds with all of these people and I came out with a new group of friends. Two weeks may seem like a long time but it was the shortest two weeks of my life in Puerto Rico. I loved this trip and would highly recommend it to anybody who likes to have fun and help others!

What would you improve about this program?

The packing list. Some things that were listed were unnecessary while others I wish I had more of (clothes)!

Questions & Answers

Did you have to speak/know a lot of Spanish before you went?

Hi Elsa! There is no Spanish required for our Puerto Rico programs. There is opportunity to practice it, but you can get by just fine without it. If you choose to do one of our homestay programs, it helps to have had a year or two of Spanish, but, again, it's not required. Hope this helps!

By Global Works Travel on October 24, 2019

What are the fees for this service trip?

Thanks for your interest in Global Works! Our tuition for this Puerto Rico program is $2,395, which includes all on the ground costs (lodging, food, activities, etc.). Let us know if you have any other questions!

By Global Works Travel on September 6, 2018

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Why did you decide to volunteer abroad with Global Works in Puerto Rico?

One of Emma's favorite projects - painting local homes

Emma: I decided to volunteer with Global Works in Puerto Rico because I wanted a chance to travel and go somewhere I hadn't been before so I could experience new things.

I also wanted to have part of it be community service so I could give back to others that were not as fortunate as I was. I knew Puerto Rico was a Spanish speaking place and since I have been taking Spanish in school, I thought it was a great way to use my Spanish and become more confident with my use of the language.

Has your worldview changed as a result of your trip?

Emma: My worldview has changed a lot because going in I had an idea of what Puerto Rico was going to be like.

I knew it was a US territory so I thought it would be hot and tropical and similar to Florida.Although it was very hot, I got to see a new part that was not what I expected.

People lived in very small houses with no heat or air conditioning. And they would sometimes need to to fit a huge family in a small house. It opened me up to the fact that these people were still happy.

I was shocked that these people who seemed to have so little were still happy. They didn't need a lot of fancy things, all they needed was to live with their other family members.

It made me think and I realized that i shouldn't complain about dumb, little things because these people have each other and that was all they needed..!

What was the best moment of the entire trip?

Emma: The best moment of the entire trip was at the end of a day when the group could look back on the projects we had done and we could see the end result. We could see how much it would influence the other people's lives forever.

What was the most interesting cultural difference you encountered?

Emma: The most interesting cultural difference I found was the food. The food was not like hamburgers or hotdogs. It was more chicken and beans and rice.

Tell me about one person you met.

Emma: One of the people I met was Angelica. We helped her family repaint their house in two different shades of blue. She was really nice and we bonded because she was my age.

It was very nice because I was one of the youngest in the group so it was cool to be around somebody more my age. The next day when we had a tour of a nearby city, we sat next to each other and talked a lot.

About Global Works

For more than 34 years, Global Works has been an industry leader in community service-based adventure travel programs for high school students and custom group trips. Much more than a vacation, Global Works international trips are the bridge for meaningful cultural exchange with people around the world. In all of our locations, we partner with...