VISIONS Service Adventures

It's difficult to put into words the remarkable impact the Peru trip has had on my life. I've had the privilege of embarking on several service trips through my high school, and although each have been special, formative experiences, my Visions trip stands out as a truly transformative and life-altering journey. I cannot recommend Visions-Peru highly enough.

The staff, the community immersion, the group I was with... something felt different about this program. I can say with certainty that it changed my life in an amazing way.

I love Visions’ approach to teach kids about the value of community. It’s more than excursions and visiting a beautiful place. It’s the valuable experience of guiding a group of teens to work together to accomplish something significant together, and having fun along the way.

Julia had an amazing experience! She made valuable friendships and came home with a renewed enthusiasm to set goals for her senior year and beyond. The program enforces a “can do” attitude promoting a growth mindset all while having fun experiences with new friends.

Attended VISION’s Dominican Republic trip in the summer of 2021 as a rising junior in high school. Now, three years later, and as a sophomore in college, it is with great certainty that I would not be even close to the person I am today without that trip.

The Dominican Republic was my first time leaving the United States and flying alone! This taught me so much about navigating traveling alone and learning about international travel… Something that I have a great intention of filling my life with to this day.

VISIONS does a wonderful job of keeping kids in the loop while traveling– travel agents keep in direct touch with their participants and family members, and even connect them with other kids who may be on the same flight! This helps ease the nervousness of international travel at a younger age.

One of the most important things that VISIONS offers is a technology-free summer. Your phone is taken away after connecting with the VISIONS employees at the arrival airport, and after a call home assuring everyone made it there safely. The phones are given out at the departing airport at the end of the trip. This completely changes the way I view my well-being and how I gain a sense of place when traveling– being present. Inconsequentially, always being around fellow participants gives a greater sense of community and intentionality. Learning how to live closely with people, make meals, clean, and work together for times closer to a month, brought me an immeasurable amount of joy.

The worksites are a very authentic experience of working without large machinery and get you in touch with your body and what you’re creating. In the DR, it is very hot, humid, and sunny. This is what gives your kids a chance to challenge themselves physically and to learn how to work alongside others. Depending on the duration of the trip (and I always recommend going on the longest trip!) most work days will be Monday-Friday and usually 5 or 6 hours (also depending on allocated volunteer hours).

VISIONS makes sure that every day is jam-packed with work, good food, good sleep, activities, and community-bonding opportunities. In the Dominican Republic, every morning we would eat breakfast together, go to the worksite shortly thereafter, eat lunch at the worksite, and come back to “home base”. From there on, we would have an early afternoon activity that is usually paired with language immersion with the vecinos (neighbors). While dinner was getting ready, we usually had a later afternoon activity that also included community involvement like arts and crafts with the local kids! After dinner, we would have circle, which provided a center for discussion and group growth.

Overall, I couldn’t recommend this experience more!

I am a VISIONS student alum that was grateful to participate in three programs with VISIONS, the Northern Cheyenne Montana, British Virgin Islands and Peru. There is a reason why I kept wanting to spend my summers on VISIONS programs, they are the perfect combination of challenging service projects, fun activities and cultural events. My favorite part about these programs was the connections I made with the local partners in each place. I was welcomed into each community and by the end of each program it felt like I had formed meaningful friendships and family with the locals, VISIONS staff and other kids. I still keep in contact with some of the other participants and leaders that I met through VISIONS. These programs also have propelled me into the type of career I want and have been extremely beneficial to include on my resume.

I loved Montana! This program was the most incredible experience of my life. We got to be part of a Sundance, which was so amazing, and felt like something that not a lot of people get to do. It was so cool to be on the ranch and sit around the campfire and talk about things in Circle. We got to do a lot of stuff I've never done like rock climbing and horseback riding but even though I was new at it the leaders and people helping us made me feel comfortable. Speaking of leaders, they were so fun, and I hope to be a leader in my future!