Program Reviews

Looking back about 5 years ago now, Visions Montana was undoubtedly the most thrilling and best experience of my life. I often reflect back on the captivating moments I had on the reservation and keep in touch with many of the others I shared the experience with during the adventurous 3 week program. I hope to visit Browning in the near future and contact some of the natives I made strong connections with. I will never forget the fun musical bus rides, hiking in Glacier National Park, horseback riding, and meeting the most genuine people I've ever met. I'd do anything to relive my summer in Montana.

As a staff member in the Dominican Republic I have grown as a individual and professional while seeing an even more intensified growth for the participants. For housing nearly 30 individuals the house held up well, but was far from perfec but very reflective of the normal Dominican living experience. This program is great in the realm of immersion, there is always a Dominican to talk to or play a game with. The communities we work in quickly become a family and really make the experience one of a kind.

During this amazing service trip we had two projects: Building bathrooms for a school in Urubamba, and mixing concrete for agricultural canals in the nearby town of Yanahuara. Not only were the staff and participants absolutely amazing but I also learned so much about the culture and people of Peru, along with gaining a new perspective on how I can implement everything I learned into my life in the united states.

I had been in this neighborhood before and loved it, so I wanted to have a more extended stay. Gave me the opportunity to truly experience the culture of this beautiful place. For me it was great. I would go to the worksite or kids camp ready to work, then at night have a cultural experience. The best by far for me is just hanging out with the dominican friends I made, while getting a coke at the corner store. If you go to the community with open arms, they will take gladly. Then you will be part of a community you have never seen anything like before, and will never forget it.

VISIONS is very clear about its goal. Community service. This is what I had really wanted to do, so I really enjoyed it. If youre not looking for intense work though, I would say that VISIONS is probably not for you. That's not to say that the days were long, hard, and I wanted to go home. The work sites were often fun. We got to know many community members and I could often see the difference we were making. After the workdays and on the weekends we would do lots of other fun things including touristy things, workshops with community members and just enjoying being in another country. By the end of the trip I had made lots of good friends and amazing memories. Also, my Spanish improved a lot!

I highly recommend doing this program if you are looking for a great time, a way to meet awesome people, and a way to help. That's what I was looking for when I went on this trip, and I absolutely got it. The staff is awesome, all participants are interested and excited, and you can feel yourself grow as a person as the trip goes on. For me, it is one of the things I'll remember for my whole life.

I was a participant in the Visions Cambodia program 2014. I really loved it. I chose this program because I was really attracted by South East Asia, and I was not disappointed whatsoever. The service we did we very meaningful, the participants and staff were all great people. The service was mostly construction work (masonry and carpentry) and teaching at a summer camp run by SALT Academy (an organization that helps empower Cambodian girls/ women through sports). I had never used a saw or hammer before and by the end of the program I was quite adept. The service was well planned and organized and we got so much done we did extra work for HelpAge, an organization helping the elderly. We also did many fun things such as kayak and bike on the week-ends. We got to visit Angkor Wat, the Tonle Sap Lake, Phnom Penh (the capital of Cambodia) and Siem Reap. I fully recommend this program !

From the onset, we felt well-informed with expectations and tips well documented. Leading up to the adventure, both my daughter and I received emails and more details than we could have hoped for. My daughter felt like she was able to really experience the culture, work hard, exert herself physically, and participate well with a group of kids and counselors. She keeps pointing out new discoveries she made - everything from identifying beets in the fridge as something she picked from the ground or the water pump in a museum as something she used for 30-40 minutes to draw clean water. She connected with those she served with as well as those she met in the retirement home and on the "rez". She was already a child mature beyond her years but she came home wiser, more aware of others, and ready to be back next summer.

We're so thankful for the Visions team and the stellar job they do for their communities and the youth that spend just a bit of the summers trying to make a difference. And that the kids make life-long friendships in the program is just a bonus.

Going to Ecuador and the Galapagos was such an awesome and fun time for me. I learned new spanish and new social skills. The other kids on the trip were so cool and interesting to meet. Along with the councilors, who really made the trip amazing.

I had such a great trip with Visions to the Dominican Republic! Everyone on the trip was great and I thought there was a really good balance between working and doing other activities! I would love to go back!