When we step out of ourselves to learn about other people and places, we are choosing to enhance our local, national and global citizenship. To be effective stewards of our own communities and of the world, we must participate in community life wherever we live. We can only begin to understand others by sharing, in some part, in their lives and by listening to their perspectives on life, perspectives that may differ dramatically from our own. At the same time, we may be surprised to discover what we have in common with people whose lives are very different. To serve others, without expecting recognition or reward, is one path to deeper understanding of oneself and of what it means to be part of the human community. Service is fundamental to a healthy community, no matter the size.

You will spend about half your time working, either in construction or in other service endeavors. The length of your workday depends on the program location, climate, weather and other planned activities. Rarely does everyone work on the same project at once. We break up into small teams. Generally, projects are not assigned. You choose daily where you go and what you do.

Common to all VISIONS programs is the thread of service work running through the days with a central project or projects seen to completion. VISIONS's construction projects are ambitious, and we work hard to meet our commitments. We plan projects in collaboration with host communities in response to their needs and desires. In addition, every program offers other kinds of service apart from construction. Visit The Service section of our website to learn more about our service work in each location.

VISIONS maintains ties with host governments, schools, community outreach and charitable organizations at program sites. Of equal if not greater importance are the relationships, many of long standing, with individuals in the communities in which we live and work.

Program planning occurs continuously during the off-season. Often we know the upcoming season's projects before we leave the site the previous summer. Most projects are developed during the winter months through regular communication with local contacts and personal visits to the sites before the summer.

Cross-cultural learning and friendship is a core focus. Working with and for our hosts is a means to begin to learn about their lives. The service we do is our thanks to our host communities. You will learn about the place you go in various ways. Local people work with us as part of the staff team, at home base or at the project sites. We employ cooks, drivers, local guides, and project managers and assistants who have been with us for years. We invite storytellers and historians, musicians, craftsmen, and artisans to share their perspectives and their skills. We attend ceremonies, celebrations, and other local events. Some program sites incorporate internships that are opportunities to work one-on-one with community residents. Some VISIONS programs include home stays.

Although there are days we play the tourist, visiting historic sites or enjoying fun pastimes, more often we go places only the locals know about and do things that tourists never experience. We share meals and down time with folks who have become close friends over the course of many summers spent in their communities. Opportunities to meet and mingle with local people are woven throughout the program.

Spanish- and French-speaking locations offer daily opportunities to speak the language. Foreign language skills inevitably improve. The strongest incentive to use your language skills is the desire to communicate with local friends and theirs to communicate with us. The people with whom and for whom we work do not learn English as a second language. VISIONS programs contain the means, methods, and opportunities for a variety of dialogues with native speakers. Our leaders in our foreign-language programs are fluent speakers. Language-only tables at home base dining halls, staff-led games and conversations in Spanish or French encourage and round out daily use of the language.

We take our projects seriously and work hard in VISIONS. At the same time, our goal is to provide a balanced experience overall. There will be time to play hard and to wind down. VISIONS's program sites offer a splendid variety of beautiful scenery, geography, and wild life. Challenging and fun activities are part of every week. Depending on the location you choose, these include rock or ice climbing, wilderness backpacking and hiking, snorkeling, scuba diving, sea kayaking, rafting, horseback riding, and sight seeing.

Everything we do in VISIONS, the degree of our success, depends upon team spirit and cooperation. In a VISIONS program we become interdependent, alternately supporting and leaning on each other. We live together, work together, explore and play together. Together, we strive to communicate honestly, live simply, work hard, and enjoy our shared experience as much as possible.

At the end of the summer upon successful completion of the program, participants receive a certificate recognizing from 65 to 100 hours of service and listing the projects accomplished.