Program Reviews

Among the many exciting activities and service projects we took part in over the course of the trip, one of my favorites was the long and exhausting hike to Tiger Leaping Gorge. At the end of the hike, there awaiting us was a beautiful lodge and restaurant. There we spent two nights enjoying the scenery, great weather, and hiking trails around the hotel. One of my favorite memories during those few days overlooking the gorge was when many members of the group and I stayed up one night to watch a meteor shower. Shooting stars illuminated the sky while we bonded and stayed up all night talking. T'was a great, special night.

I came in with high expectations and every one of them was met! I met so many great people within the group and along the way. I loved being able to learn so much about cultures that I knew so little about beforehand. We fully deleted into all the communities that we became a part of, no matter how long we were there. the trip was a good mix of education, service, and tourism. I would highly recommend ARCC to anyone who is looking for a heavily group based trip.

Loved all of the service projects, but working on the water filters in Cambodia not only helped the locals get clean water, but taught me to appreciate the importance of having clean water. The locals appreciated the filters so much and knowing that all the children would be able to drink cleaner water made me feel so good.

It is extremely difficult to shorten my gap semester experience into a short review, mostly because it has changed and matured me so much on the past three months. Every place that we went and person that we met morphed my opinion of the world around me and made me so much more globally and culturally aware. I remember when we stayed in the Ecuadorian Amazon (wow that is so cool to be able to prove that I have been there!) and how every bit of thier way of life was so different from mine. Thier family life (our host parents had 11 kids!) lifestyle, activities (from helping to farm the exotic fruits to taking a boat across a river everytime we wanted to travel to and from our house) I am still in awe that I was able to experience that. I believe that a gap year is so valuable for any young adult about to enter college to have in thier back pocket and I could not imagine my life now without having traveled Latin America for three months. The ARCC program was really well done, supportive and I made some of the best friends in my life traveling with out group. The planned itinerary hit so much of each country and I really felt like I have used these three months doing impactful service everywhere and having awesome stories to share. This program was a perfect mix of the adventure side of traveling and the volunteer aspect that I wanted to gain experience from. I would highly reccomend taking a gap year and ARCC to anyone looking to travel!

Near the end of my Senior Year I began to examine the idea of taking a gap semester or gap year before heading to college. I had always thought the idea of a gap year sounded incredible, but I never truly pictured myself taking any time off before college until I found ARCC. Adventures Cross Country has made a profound impact on my life in just three short months, and taking a gap semester through ARCC has been one of the best decisions I have ever made. ARCC does a fantastic job of combining adventure, travel, education, and service. The time I spent in Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Peru with my group of twelve other gap students and my two leaders turned out to be some of the happiest times in my life so far. In all three countries our group explored five global themes: Urbanization and the Movement of Peoples, Public Health, Literacy and Education, Environment and Conservation, and Economics and Microfinance. We balanced fun and tourism with in depth home-stays, difficult situations, and learning about and dealing with very real, emotional problems. We called ourselves travelers, not tourists, because we made a point to get to know the people and places we visited, and do service when it was wanted. I know that I am walking away from this experience forever changed for the better. I have a much more global mindset, a strong sense of self, and excitement and a sense of direction for my life going forward. I would highly recommend any of the ARCC programs to anyone who is even considering taking a gap year or gap semester. ARCC, my group leaders, the members of my group, and the people I met and experiences I had along the way have completely changed my life.

Gap Africa was amazing. Where do I begin? My deciding factor for choosing a gap year program was that the projects were ethical, and ARCC exceeded my expectations. All projects are either locally initiated or locally guided, which ensures that they are sustainable and really have a positive impact. The trip has many academic components, which I was grateful for because they reignited my academic curiosity, and helped me become genuinely excited for college, a place I wasn't at before I came on this trip. All of ARCC's gap programs are phenomenal, but Africa is definitely unique. You can travel to Latin America or Asia fairly easily, but Africa is hard to authentically experience on your own. ARCC has amazing local connections, and the individual relationships we've established will last a lifetime. Know that it is a structured group program, so you will learn when it's appropriate to put the group's needs in before your own. I am so grateful for all I've learned on this program, and would definitely recommend it anyone who is open to experiencing Africa in its truest form and broadening their perspective forever.

I'm so glad I chose to spend the first half of my gap year with ARCC. For me the choice was really obvious. I met Sophia Weeks (the leader of gap programs) last winter at a gap fair and I was convinced right away. The program is really established and organized, which I really wanted out of my first semester. I was surrounded by a group of amazing, like-minded students my age, and I was able to establish lifelong friendships. ARCC's connections also allowed me to travel to places that I never would've been able to find on my own. I have met so many local people, and I really feel like I immersed myself in the culture's of Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania in an authentic way. One thing that has also made the experience more meaningful is the thought out educational component of the trip. I believe that it is so important to be educated about the areas you travel to and the projects you are doing, and I certainly was. We dedicated a lot of time to reading relevant articles, watching movie clips and having discussions about everything that we did. I learned more than I ever could've anticipated on my semester, and I'm so appreciative for everything ARCC has done for me!

My experience on the Africa Gap Semester was amazing and one that I will never forget. I came into it not knowing anyone but left with life long friend and memories. From teaching at schools in Kenya to watching a lion feed on a safari in the Maasai Mara, I learned so many new things and had experiences that I would never be able to get elsewhere. What I love most about this trip is that before going into each project you learn about why you're doing it and the effects of it, helping shape the way you think in a different way of learning. I recommend this trip to anyone looking for a fun learning semester in Africa!

I don't think my words can fully explain how much this trip has meant to me. I was fortunate enough to fall upon this opportunity. If you are interested at all in this program, I am telling you it is the way to go. Overall ARCC thrives in communication and safety, from months before we left and all through it. I just can't quite phrase how important a company like this one is. It has given me the chance to learn how to travel internationally and gain so much culture everywhere we are. It is an educational program and you are constantly learning about the projects you are involved in and what role we play in helping. My mind has expanded a great deal. Due to the fact that I am not a school person, I think this program works well with every personality type. That's very obvious, because I was with 12 people my age with completely different opinions and lifestyles. It's hard to describe many things about this trip, because everyday was different. We have seen the big five on safari, stayed in the homes of our primary students, built a bio-digester, spent a week at Daraja seconday school (learning about the most amazing girls in the world), rafted the nile, and camped for weeks with great people. I do have to say the solar panel project was a really special thing. We not only learned about solar energy but built and installed them in local Maasai homes. This trip worried me a lot, because I never wanted to feel like I was coming in and doing nothing for those around me. I came to realize that not only does this trip really help the people we are working with but also is about educating ourselves on the world we live in. I hope you give this trip some thought, if you are looking to put yourself out of your comfort zone and see a part of the world that deserves more attention. And if you were to choose ARCC, pick Africa. Unbelievable experience.

I spent three months in East Africa with ARCC and had an incredible experience. The program was very structured but still gave us time to explore our own personal growth. Each project we did was about a week long and taught me so much about the world that I never would have expected. We did a huge variety of things such as working in farming, education, public health, animal conservation, and community development. We also did really cool excursions, like rafting the Nile, seeing the Big Five (hardest safari animals to hunt) in the Masai Mara, and relaxing on the beaches of Zanzibar. In terms of the Africa program, Africa is so unique and shows you a part of the world that is highly stereotyped. Going to Africa and doing the things you do on this program is absolutely a once in a lifetime opportunity. I learned so much about the world and myself through this program and would highly recommend it.