Program Reviews

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!

I had the best time ever! I learned so much about the Blackfeet culture and got to know the community. The projects were challenging but super rewarding, and I felt really proud of everything I accomplished. I left feeling like a better person, and it really opened my eyes to what I can do!! I made so many awesome friends, and we had so much fun together—I’ve never laughed so much! It was seriously life-changing, and I’m so glad I had the chance to be part of this program. If you’re looking for an unforgettable adventure that is not only fun but helps you grow, this is it!

I would just like to start this review with the most important message in this writing. If you are on the fence about doing this program, please do it. One of my main concerns about this trip was my Spanish speaking ability. Once you get settled in you soon realize that if you are having trouble with a language barrier, there are many kind people around you that can help you translate. Words can’t describe how much of a blessing this trip was for me. I enjoyed every second of every minute of my time in the D.R . I adored every moment from hanging out with the locals, to getting to know the councilors, to even helping out clean the house with my peers. This trip helped me out tremendously mentally as well as physically and socially. I personally made special connections with a bunch of the little kids as well as the older kids in the local town that I will cherish forever. It really made a difference to me that the same local kids I would be hanging out with and joking amongst with, were the same kids we were helping to build the school for. All in all, the special memories we all created with each other, will be memories that will last a life time and I would do this trip over and over again if I could. I also want to leave a special thanks to Georgia, Luis, Sammy, Meg, Leyri and Larry for keeping all of us safe and taken care of during our time on the trip! Thank you all.

I had the absolute best time on the Montana farm and ranch program this summer in July! We went white water rafting, rock climbing, and did a number of service projects at non-profits and farms in the area. I came home with a deep knowledge of agriculture, the talks were amazing. The leaders were absolutely fantastic and the farm was incredible. I met some of the coolest people from all over, and was able to spend time with animals too. I loved going to Rocky Creek and working there, we harvested and planted and met some amazing young people. I loved working on the chicken coop and greenhouse at the VISIONS Farm, and hanging out in the loafing shed and playing cards. Dave was a fantastic head of program, and all of the leaders were such cool people. While I loved the amazing backpacking trip in the Crazy Mountains and all of the other cool hikes we did, being able to shop in downtown Bozeman was also awesome. The one critique I have is that I wish we could have visited Yellowstone which was so close, and done all of the things advertised on the website, like the bison harvest and more talks with local farmers. We went to a hot springs and went swimming, along with Bozeman beach. I loved visiting the horticulture garden at MSU and all of the other farms in the area, like Barney Creek Livestock and Farm 51. We had a textile workshop, and also went to a wool mill. I am so grateful for this amazing experience from VISIONS, thanks a million!! Definitely recommend if you are looking for an amazing time in the summer!

I went into the Montana Roots Gap Program hoping to learn about the world around me and ways that I can contribute to give back. As it turned out, I ended up learning about sustainable practices and we focused a lot of time learning about ecosystems. It was all very interesting and inspired me to want to live better! We met a lot of guest speakers who shared their knowledge with us and we got to partake in unique activities that I otherwise would not have had the chance to! One of the best parts of the program became apparent by the end - I had met so many awesome people and became friends with the other students. We were like our own little family.

I really enjoyed the outdoor adventure components, like the backpacking trip and other hikes. Getting out to enjoy nature in responsible ways was really a highlight. We also took a course to get Wilderness First Responder and CPR certifications, which is never a bad thing to have under your belt.

This program gave me the opportunity to live life for a while in a manner that I had never experienced before. It was a challenge at first, but soon became part of my everyday routine. It was an eye opener and I couldn't be more thankful for all that I'd learned and experienced.

I had a great time in Alaska last summer thanks to VISIONS. Not only did I have the chance to get familiar with building and meet amazing people, both locals and volunteers, but I also grew as a person. Meeting with the local population and getting to know their culture/lifestyle was definitely a highlight of my trip. I still remember the ice climbing, canoeing, and camping trip, and now have many amazing memories to look back on. Would definitely recommend it to any high schooler looking for a summer camp/program.