ARCC Programs

Why choose ARCC Programs?

ARCC has been offering summer and gap programs for young adults since 1983. We offer an opportunity to live and learn in some of the greatest classrooms on earth. Our programs take students on a journey of discovery of local peoples, places, cultures and ideas through project-based learning, rich cultural immersion, personal reflection and exhilarating adventure.

ARCC programs have a vibrant educational foundation complementing each destination and highlight regional topics that are directly linked to global issues. Summer trips range from 2-3 weeks with up to 18 students, and have a theme of cultural immersion, experiential learning, or focus on a specific topic. Gap semesters focus on personal growth in small groups of 8-14 students in an engaging, project-based, and leadership-focused environment. Through delving into these topics ranging from the environment to public health (and more) students have the opportunity to explore future aspirations in a tangible hands-on manner.

Website

www.adventurescrosscountry.com

Founded

1983

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Scholarships

ARCC Gap Financial Support

A gap year is something that we hope to make accessible for all students and ARCC works to level the playing field so that all applicants may have a successful opportunity for education, travel, growth, and self-discovery post-high school. We strive to uphold these pillars of our organization through a variety of means. Each year ARCC Gap awards financial aid to support students who would otherwise be unable to cover the full cost of tuition. Additionally, ARCC is committed to increasing accessibility for our programs and supporting socioeconomic diversity within our community. ARCC’s Voyagers Scholarship provides up to five scholarship opportunities per semester to students who identify within the BIPOC community. These scholarships can range anywhere from $5,000-$8,000, and also includes gear lending and mentorship support throughout the gap year experience. The Voyagers Scholarship can also be combined with ARCC Financial Aid

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Diversity & Inclusion

BIPOC Support

ARCC Programs believes that social responsibility is an essential aspect of our programming and business operations. We strongly believe that cultural immersion, cross-cultural conversations, and reflection on these experiences can increase self-awareness, promote empathy, and foster growth. We recognize that our staff, student, and participant body is not as diverse as we would hope. We also recognize that there are inherent imbalances in access, particularly when it comes to international travel and outdoor experiences. Recognizing the current imbalances and accessibility issues within the world and more specifically within experiential/outdoor education/gap year programs, we are able to move towards a more just and inclusive world.

ARCC is committed to increasing accessibility for our programs and supporting socioeconomic diversity within our community. ARCC’s Voyagers Scholarship provides up to five scholarship opportunities per semester to students who identify within the BIPOC community. These scholarships can range anywhere from $5,000-$8,000, and also includes gear lending and mentorship support throughout the gap year experience. The Voyagers Scholarship can also be combined with ARCC Financial Aid. If you are interested in applying, please reach out to gap@arccprograms.com.

LGBTQIA+ Support

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Neurodivergent Support

Our Essential Eligibility Criteria outlines the requirements for participation in our programs to determine if our programs are a good fit for each student. While ARCC Gap is not a therapeutic program, we do provide an inclusive environment for students with neurodivergence. We have had students with various diagnosed neuro-differences (such as dyslexia, ADHD, ASD, TS, dyspraxia, dysgraphia, etc) find success on our gap semester programs.

During our interview process, we have open communication with students and families about the support ARCC instructors are able to provide students while on program. For students needing some additional support, we ask them to complete a “Plan of Action” with their at home support system. These plans may include additional information about communication/support preferences, coping strategies, and/or specific requirements to encourage the student to engage with the program effectively. Once on the program, our instructors will periodically check in individually with each student, help the student stay accountable to their Plan of Action, and provide general support to all participants.

Accessibility Support

ARCC Gap Travels to locations around the world that have varying levels of accommodations for students needing accessibility support. For this reason, please see our Essential Eligibility Criteria to see if our gap programs are a good fit for you.

Whenever possible (determined by specific location and program - ie. infrastructure, access to specific health care facilities, dietary options available, etc), we have successfully assisted students with anaphylactic allergies, chronic medical conditions, and other accommodations on programs. We recommend that you reach out with specific concerns to your Gap Director to find the right fit for you.

Impact

Sustainability

At ARCC Programs we recognize that all human action impacts our physical environment and the living beings on the planet. Everything on Earth plays a role in supporting life and we believe that it is our responsibility to have a net positive impact with our actions. We strive to balance the impacts of our programming by partnering with communities and organizations with similar goals toward bettering our planet for future generations.

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Ethical Impact

ARCC believes that we (as an industry) need to shift the way we think about international service. We (as a society) have now come to realize that international volunteers often benefit from their service experience, while the impact on the community can be short-lived or even harmful. We at ARCC are taking the years of experience that we have in the international service learning realm, have reflected on previous mistakes, learned from our in-country partners, and have made changes. Our goal is to live, work, and learn alongside community members while also making a positive impact. We are committed to partnering with local community-driven organizations to focus on reciprocity while contributing to established long-term projects. It is our responsibility to engage in mutually beneficial community-driven projects and teach fair trade learning principles to our students.

Reviews

My daughter had an amazing trip to Belize, she loved the leaders, she loved the activities, she loved the people she met and the experiences she had. The first thing she said when she got home was "Can I please go again next year?!"

As a parent, I loved how ARCC had thought of everything.They were organized with forms and paperwork, their info packets, videos and emails answered every question I had before I even had to ask it. Communication was excellent.

During the trip, they kept us informed on how the kids were doing, sent blog updates and photos, and more. I learned way more about the trip from these updates than my teenager ever would have remembered or told me, so it was terrific.

Excellent experience and program for teenagers and young adults. Highly recommend as a must do and my teenagers will be repeat customers.

The programming captivates the imagination of teenagers (something very hard to do today) as it had the right balance of intrigue, learning and fun. The experience is very authentic, and not manufactured, which is a key differentiator when selecting teen programs. The program managers and staff where excellent communicators and very available to answer questions and overall were highly professional.

I recommend ARCC over all the others on the market, as the ARCC experience is a step above the rest.

My son had an ok time on the trip to Belize but there were some issues. My guess is that they overbooked the tour, such that four teenage boys had to share beds (my son says single beds, ARCC says Caribbean doubles which are smaller than US doubles) for four nights. Who makes teenage boys share beds for four nights? Also, he felt like the amount of diving was too small (the itinerary says a week on the "private" diving island but I think it was actually four days) and the buggy jungle portion was too long.

Response from ARCC Programs

Thank you for sharing your feedback regarding your son's recent trip to Belize. We always value the insights of our participants and families and are committed to ensuring every participant has a positive experience.

We would like to address the concerns you raised. Firstly, we want to clarify that the group was not overbooked. The capacity of our Belize program was always set at 20 participants, a number that aligns with the accommodations and planned partner activities. The rooming arrangements were based on the available accommodations in that location, with each room having beds of suitable size for sharing, regardless of the country. We never differentiated between bed sizes based on country or region. We understand your concerns about teenage boys sharing beds, and we will take this into account when planning future programs.

Regarding the itinerary, the pre-program packet, webinar and other information we provide to all families clearly details the activities and duration of each segment of the program. The time spent SCUBA diving on the private island was accurately represented in these communications, as were the days in the rainforest. The amount of diving is set by our local partners; students have the opportunity for up to 12 dives, however they may opt out of optional diving if they choose.

We appreciate your input and hope to have the opportunity to continue providing improved experiences for students in the future.

By George Hoch on September 9, 2024

We are so glad she got to experience this once in a lifetime trip. It was well organized, they kept you informed, and helped you every step of the way. She has made some really great friends and her group leaders were amazing. She came back with some amazing stories. We were so nervous, she’s had never been away from home let alone out of the country. ARCC made us feel at ease by sending great pictures on the family blog and detailed what they’re doing and what was coming up for them. I knew from the moment we saw the first picture of them she felt at home with them. Thank you for this memorable experience for her and making this so easy.

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?

Zip lining over the tree tops, releasing baby turtles, hanging out in the hammocks were a lot of fun! When we were doing serve work at the wildlife center the white faced monkeys were throwing rocks at us!

Pros

Meet friends from all over
Experience new things and cultures
Animals!!

Cons

Bugs
Not long enough

If you are looking for some time to reflect on yourself and discover portions of yourself, this is a good trip for you. If you are looking for adventure, there is also a solid amount of that here as well. Its not so intense, its just right to spend time away from home and learn about different cultures and become tougher as a person. My instructors were great, really spectacular people to be around and it was great to have met them. If I see them after the program I will be really happy. I also felt really safe in their hand.

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?

Dog

Pros

Learn about yourself
Become more resilient
Learn to plan and live for yourself

Cons

Sometimes too comfortable
Not extremely adventurous at times
Not long enough

3.50 •2 reviews

Costa Rica is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world; in...

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Alumni Interviews

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

Why did you choose this program?

I chose to spend my first semester with the ARCC Gap Year Program for many reasons.

From the beginning, ARCC presented an extremely welcoming and engaging opportunity. After talking briefly with other organizations about their programs, where I could go, what a potential itinerary could be, I had no doubt that ARCC was the perfect match for me, they offered everything I was looking for and dreaming of. With a very organized website, stunning reviews, and very friendly staff that responded immediately to my many questions, I knew I could 100% trust this organization.

What did your program provider (or university) assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

ARCC sent out many personal emails and forms out to not only myself but also my parents. We received phone calls, video chats, and emails very frequently. These emails had lots of information, some focused on just describing the beautiful Masai culture we'd be living in or the population food in each culture. Other emails were about the specifics of the trip or scheduling a time to video chat and touch base.

There was also a very informative and helpful pre-departure webinar answering all the questions imaginable.

I had to do a lot of this on my own, of course with the help of ARCC and my family. My high school, however, was not very familiar with this pathway and left me to work my way through it.

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What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

My three months in East Africa with ARCC was the most amazing and incredible time of my life. I cannot begin to describe how much pure love and joy I experienced. There are some tough times, not everything is rainbows and butterflies. But those tougher moments make the other ones that much better.

Embrace the uncomfortable, the weird, the different. You will never regret taking a chance like this. I never once felt homesick, but now being back home, I am flooded with that feeling, wishing I was back with my ARCC family.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

It's hard to pinpoint exactly what an average day/week looks like in an ARCC program.

For my trip, we had about 50 days of camping, where we would wake up around 7:00 to prepare breakfast, get ready, and head off to whatever activity we were doing that day. We traveled around in a huge truck that held all our bags and food, so some days were spent traveling to a new location and singing throwbacks at the top of your lungs.

Without fail, however, every night before dinner, we would do a "chow circle" where we would come together, make announcements, give shoutouts, and "pass the pulse". P the P was a silent hand squeeze to the person next to you until it went all the way around the circle, a reassuring feeling that we are all there for each other.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

Having struggled with anxiety and depression throughout high school, I was extremely nervous I couldn't do it. I wouldn't make friends, I'd be homesick, I'd be left behind and forgotten by my friends now in college. I got into my own head and started making up scenarios to scare myself. I thought I wasn't brave or strong enough.

What I learned, however, was that stepping out of your comfort zone and facing these fears head-on is sometimes the only way to understand what you're capable of.

Is there any other advice for prospective travelers?

Meredith Burke

2014 Alum

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Graham Phelps

Program

ARCC Gap: Central America -Costa Rica, Panama & Belize

Job Title

International Program Instructor

Graham grew up in Durham, New Hampshire in a beautiful house tucked away in the woods. He spent most of his childhood playing all kinds of sports and exploring in the woods. He has four sisters with whom he is very close. In his down time he loves to cook, spend time with friends, snowboard, surf, watch/read Game of Thrones, and participate in just about any kind of sport outside.

Tell us more about your educational, international, and professional experience:

I attended the University of Vermont where I was in the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources. My four years at UVM were the catalyst to my appreciation for the environment and how important it is that we all contribute to preserving the beauty we find in the natural world. I also pursued a variety of opportunities working with developing youth in my jobs as sports coordinator for a local YMCA and as a snowboard instructor for children with autism through Vermont Adaptive Sports.

While at UVM I developed my passion for exploring the world and discovering new cultural experiences. I studied abroad in Perth, Australia and organized a service trip to Peru to the small town of Lobitos. The latter was a life-changing experience for me that sparked my interest in “Voluntourism” and the cultural richness of Latin America, eventually leading me to live in Ecuador for four months.

I have been leading programs for ARCC for four years now in many amazing places such as Costa Rica, Ecuador, Cuba, Vietnam, China, Cambodia, Thailand, including two gap semesters in Asia and Latin America. No matter if on a two week trip or a 3 month long gap program, I have watched these trips transform students. ARCC has provided me with an incredible platform to broaden horizons and spread love to all corners of the world which I can't wait to continue this Spring on the Patagonia/Cuba Gap Program.

What is your favorite travel memory?

My favorite memory traveling with ARCC is from a backpacking trip I led in California. My group was camping for the night in the Lake Tahoe Basin. We all decided that we were not going to set up our tents and all slept together under the stars outside.

That morning we all woke up at 4am to see the sun rise over the lake from a beautiful outlook on the ridge. We all watched the sun rise in silence and as I looked around I noticed a lot of the kids were crying. I was really confused so I went and asked one of the girls if she was ok? And she whispered to me "we are all from the city and have not seen anything this pretty before, the tears aren't because we are sad, this is amazing".

I went back to my rock in silence and felt so humbled to see how powerful that morning was for those students.

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How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

The last four years working with ARCC has created so many incredible learning opportunities. I have discovered a lot about the world and about myself on these amazing trips. I have gained an appreciation for cultural exchange and the sentiment of love that can be spread person to person no matter what cultural differences exist.

I have grown a lot as a leader and have learned the true meaning of empathizing, both with the students on my trips and with the different cultures I have come across.

It is amazing how far a smile can go, and I have found that no matter where you are in the world they seem to always be contagious.

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

Wow, this is a hard question. So many of the programs offer lots of different experiences so it would not be easy to choose just one. Nevertheless I would choose the Patagonia and Cuba Gap Program, which I am actually going to be leading this spring!

This program visits some of the most magnificent nature preserves in the world while in Patagonia and offers perspective to the importance of continuing the protection of these places. The Cuba section is also extremely enlightening but more on the side of cultural exchange and the power of peace through meaningful human to human interactions as we start to heal our country's relationship with this amazing country.

This trip has a healthy balance of experience in both urban, rural, and completely natural areas. The culture in the Andes and the Caribbean are both completely different and equally amazing!

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

The biggest reason ARCC has had so much success leading trips all over the world is because of how intentional we are with every aspect of the trips. Nothing we do with ARCC is done carelessly, there is a reason for everything we do.

As a leader I always adopt this philosophy, from how I debrief group initiatives, to the traditions I bring to my trips. The office staff also echo's this sentiment and they are very intentional with the service and educational opportunities they pursue and aim to make the experiences as enriching as possible for their students.

Website

Founded

Connect with us

Community Awards

ARCC Gap Financial Support

Response from ARCC Programs

Alumni Interviews

Sophia Brigante

Why did you choose this program?

What did your program provider (or university) assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

Is there any other advice for prospective travelers?

Staff Interviews

Graham Phelps

Tell us more about your educational, international, and professional experience:

What is your favorite travel memory?

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?