Make a Lasting Impact with Therapy Volunteers International

Having the opportunity to travel to Panama with Therapy Adventures was a great experience. I love this program because I was able to travel to a new country while also gaining valuable experience in my field of special education and ABA. My group was able to have a training about the children we would be working with our first weekday there. Tuesday-Thursday we were able to observe the therapists (OT, PT, SLP, and special education teachers) that worked at the orphanage working with the children while also having opportunities to work with them ourselves and collaborate with the other therapists. We also were able to bring the children to different places in their city that they never had the opportunity to see. Our first and last day there we had guided boat tours of islands, beaches, and rainforests near us. The whole time I was there I felt safe and we had an amazing driver who took us to and from everywhere during the week. Therapy adventures provides a great opportunity to travel safely while also providing therapeutic work to children.

It was incredibly humbling to work on functional communication skills with the special children and young adults in Belize at summer camp. I was most certainly impressed with the positive relationships, trust and powerful impact Therapy Adventures is making in the community. The programming offers hope to many families. Everyone on earth deserves to communicate basic wants and needs. As a Speech-Language Pathologist, I felt honored to be a small part of this sustainable communication!
The Therapy Adventures leaders and volunteers I joined for the week were intelligent, interesting and beautiful human beings. I thoroughly enjoyed the conversations and connections.
The outdoor adventures such as zip lining and cave tubing were icing on the cake!
I will carry fond memories forever of my time in Belize with Therapy Adventures!

I throughly enjoyed my experience with Therapy Adventures. Not only are they extremely accommodating, but they also plan enjoyable and meaningful experiences unique to the country you travel to. There was a nice balance between experiencing Belize and volunteering in the community. I loved how volunteers were taken at the level they were at. What they had to offer was utilized. This allowed me, a prospective therapist, to feel involved as well as the opportunity to expand my current understanding. This was a wonderful experience to see the interaction between disciplines and see how they can work together to produce progress. I do not have enough good to say about this organization! I would participate in another trip in a heartbeat! Would highly recommend this experience to anyone.

There is absolutely no infrastructure in Belize schools or hospitals to provide therapies for children with autism or developmental delays. A summer camp run by Therapy Travelers was the first time many of them participated in occupational, behavioral, or speech therapy. I had fun helping them have fun! I was excited to put my actual expertise to use. I learned a lot through collaborating with people from other disciplines and places. We fit in plenty of local fun too! It’s all planned and all inclusive, which makes it easy to make friends with the group. I’d recommend it for those needing experience and those who are experienced enough to share skills.

This trip was incredible! I felt like it was the perfect balance of doing good and seeing the world. I am an undergraduate and was able to learn so much about Speech, Occupational, and ABA Therapy by shadowing the three therapists there. We got to work one-on-one with the kids as well as in group settings. We also got to spend time exploring, eating amazing food, and going on excursions. I felt like the excursions were very unique to Belize, so we got to know and appreciate the culture as well, which was a huge bonus. Overall, this experience was incredible and I'm so happy I got to go!

My experience to Belize was amazing! I am an Occupational Therapist who spent one week serving as one of the volunteers. One of my favorite parts throughout the duration of the trip was learning about and immersing myself into the culture. Everyone we encountered was very friendly. We went on many unique adventures during our time there including zip lining, cave tubing, chocolate making, Mayan ruins, etc which were all fun experiences! We spent 4 days in the clinic working with the kiddos and I was impressed by how positive and open minded the parents/caregivers were when it came to therapy services. They were very appreciative and wanted to learn all that they could about how their kids could receive the services. It was a joy to work with the kids and other volunteers as well. I honestly couldn’t have asked for a better experience or group of volunteers that I was with during this trip! We all got along so well and were able to work as a strong team. I highly recommend Therapy Adventures!

This was such an impactful experience due to the fact that you are serving in a different country and surrounded by individuals who want to make a difference. I traveled to Panama with Therapy Adventures and was able to experience so much ranging from a new beautiful environment to a therapeutic orphanage. I got the opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and offer support at an orphanage called Casa Providencia. At Casa Providencia, I was able to interact with the children and work alongside such knowledgable staff.
In addition to the orphanage, I had the opportunity to tour around Panama. Panama is such a beautiful place filled with wild life. Spending time in Panama helped me experience a new culture and perspective.

I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to have traveled with Therapy Adventures. I got the opportunity to immerse myself in a different culture, make a meaningful impact on children in need, explore wildlife, and meet many incredible individuals. Visiting Casa Providencia on Panama was life-changing. I was able to collaborate with staff, play with their amazing kiddos, and train staff on promoting communication. If you are on the fence about going, I would say to go for it! It's really a once in a lifetime experience that you will always remember.