What is your favorite travel memory?
The first time I experienced the transformative power of volunteer travel! My husband, Mike, and I spent time building homes for and with the local community in a small fishing village in Zambia. The project was locally run and solving the problem of unsustainable housing.
We worked hard, developed lasting relationships with community members, learned a TON and got to see the fruits of labor in the form of two homes being built while we were visiting. The nonprofit we worked with inspired us so much that they became our first partner when we launched Unearth the World.
What is the best story you've heard from a return student?
There are so many! One story that stands out is from a Cornell student that recently spent a few weeks in Nicaragua. It was her first time engaging in global service-learning so she was unsure of what to expect. She spent time working on an organic farm, learning Spanish from a local person an understanding sustainable tourism.
I just love when I see students implement aspects of their time abroad into their normal lives!
Her trip was so impactful that she has already started to apply her learnings to her daily life. She was accepted to be a part of the Clinton Global Initiative to start putting her ideas into action.
If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?
This is so hard to choose because I have visited and volunteered with each program we offer! I think I built homes alongside locals in Zambia, co-taught art and English classes in Peru, worked on an organic farm in Nicaragua, and gained an understanding of micro-finance loans in Mexico.
I have been pretty interested in climate change and the environment lately, so I think I would opt to visit one of our programs in Nicaragua: the eco-hotel and Spanish school. They are all about sustainable tourism and have a few locally run projects that focus on addressing deforestation issues in the community.
What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?
Unearth the World is unique in three ways:
1. We are financially transparent, affordable, and itemize where every single dollar goes on our website.
2. We have a huge focus on global education and provide comprehensive pre-trip training to each traveler. We are the only organization that also provides post-trip training/coaching to help our travelers bridge their international experience into their daily lives.
3. We have established a strategic, proprietary and in-depth partnership vetting process that ensures that travelers engage in meaningful service and the local communities truly benefit from volunteer presence. We visit, vet and volunteer with each organization before forming partnerships and ensure that our volunteers possess the proper skills to contribute to each organization.
What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?
Our personalized approach and laser focus on community impact.