Program Reviews

I really enjoyed this trip. Lots of great places explored, amazing views, strengthening hikes, fun activities and tasty meals.

I recommend this program for anyone fresh out of high school who wants to step outside their comfort zone, maybe someone who feels like they are confused with life, someone who's not sure what their next steps will be or what job/future they want to have for themselves. Why do I recommend this program to this type of person? Because I was this person. I was sitting at home, bedrotting, not taking those types of opportunities for myself. But after deciding to go on this trip, it really helped me grow as a person.

I can't thank my instructors enough, and I hope anyone who reads this review and decides to go also has a positive experience like I did.

It was an amazing trip. From just getting to experience so much of what the U.S.A has to offer in terms of its natural beauty to the in depth topics and discussions about policy and human rights. The trip truly covers a lot and I can’t deny that I learned so much from this experience. If you enjoy the outdoors and want to learn more about anything involving nature and social justice and human rights, I can’t help but recommend this trip, especially if your from the U.S getting to know your own countries beauty and its grimy policies surrounding parts of the area is such an important experience.

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.

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.

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.

I want future participants to know that they should not hesitate when choosing this program. ARCC is fun, fresh, and festive, and you will not regret embarking on this wild ride. Fasten your seatbelts as you meet some of the coolest people in the world and find yourself on a life changing (in a good way) quest. The treasure chest waits at the end…will you make it? The answer is yes, and there is certainly a lot of gold to be found.

I’ve had such an amazing time on this trip, and it’s like nothing I’ve ever done before! I absolutely loved our leaders, John and Gillian, and our group was amazing. My favorite parts of the program were our home stays. They allowed for such deep cultural immersion and everyone we met was so friendly. The snorkeling and scuba diving is next level, especially when layered in with learning about reef health. If you want to have the best gap year ever, choose this program! You won’t regret it! And if you somehow do, you’ve still done some cool shit!

John and Gill are literally the lights of my life dude. I have no clue what I’m gonna do in the world without them to be there to do everything for me. if you want a program where the instructors do everything for you, you should do an ARCC trip. it’s like having two really cool baby sitters that baby sit adults taking you around the world and showing you great stuff. they teach you, they guide you, they shape you, they make you fly.

the program was pretty cool too. i did things i never thought i would do. i went places i never thought i would go. i grew in ways i never thought i would grow. do this program to have the time of your life, bro.