The Best Teen Community Service Experience Promotes Personal Growth

“Just what do teens learn from volunteering abroad?”  We can’t speak for every teen who travels with us. Each individual comes away with his or her own unique experience after participating in one of our teen international summer programs, but there are some common themes over the years, repeated refrains from parents, educators, and participants. These are the lessons most teens carry from VISIONS Service Adventures, one of the best learning experiences a teen can have.

1. Teens will learn that they can make a difference through meaningful contribution. There is no more influential teen volunteer opportunity than to enter a community, learn technical skills and work with the local people on goals they have set for their community, and complete a project before leaving that improves community life. Many of our participants tell us they realize for the first time that they do have the power to impact the world in a significant and meaningful way.
2. Teens will learn that as citizens of a global community, cultural differences are not barriers to friendship or understanding.  Teens who live within the communities they serve discover that friendship and respect bridge many differences of language and culture. They develop friendships with people who, at first glance, appear to have nothing in common with them. By the end of one of our international service adventures, most teens have developed a new appreciation for the nuances of the culture and language of the host country.
3. Teens will learn about themselves.  We often hear from teens who have been on our trips as well as their parents. They all tell us about a profound difference in how the students perceive themselves and a new sense of confidence gained. They’ll discover adaptability, fearlessness, fortitude, curiosity, patience, and so many more traits that will serve them well as they move through life. Phrases such as “powerful learning experience ; Changed my life; Most rewarding…” are common to many participant program frequently to describe the impact our teen international summer programs have on participants.  We hear from many alumni participants long after their VISIONS programs who have become active professionals who volunteer in their communities and elsewhere. And they tell us that it was their summer with VISIONS that had the greatest impact on their growth.
4. Teens will know the deep satisfaction to be had by serving others. VISIONS Service Adventures offers teen international summer programs firmly grounded in ambitious service. Every student will do both construction and non-construction service work for communities in need. In the process they will experience the calm sense of purpose that come with giving of one's time and energy to other, for the greater good of others. They will return home more thoughtful, more aware, and more willing to take on the challenges of responsible citizenship in the global community.