<p>Does anyone have experience with summer travel programs that they could share with me? Is there a really great one you know of? One that you had a bad experience with? Enlighten me.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>not really a travel program but oxford royale academy does some great stuff</p>
<p>One good travel volunteer program I know of is global leadership adventures.</p>
<p>NSLI-Y offers study abroad summer opportunities for different languages, they’re free. 800 in total are chosen so it’s pretty prestigious. I’m a 2014 korean summer alum</p>
<p>Check out the Putney Travel programs as well…</p>
<p>If you’re into volunteering, no doubt Visions Service Adventures. This organization is not just another money-making teen travel party program, it’s focused and centered around volunteering while being completely immersed in the culture.
I went on the Peru trip last summer and the community’s relationship with Visions was touching. To see a volunteer company that is more than poverty porn (look it up), made me so happy. Additionally, I got to practice my spanish! 
let me know if you have any questions</p>
<p>Just like choosing a college, it’s important to find a summer program travel program that matches your interests and will help you develop the skills or connections you are looking for. It seems like there are a few different types of summer travel programs (and many that touch on a few of these categories)</p>
<p>-Teen Tours
-Service Programs
-Study Abroad/International Classroom Experiences
-Special Interest Travel/Tours
-Language Programs/Immersion</p>
<p>When finding a program you might want to speak with students who have traveled on a program before and see if they had similar purpose for travelling as you did. Any reputable organization will happily share contact information from past students/parents. The caveat is that travelling is fun–and it takes a lot of things going wrong for a student to truly have a bad travel experience–so most programs will have mostly positive feedback.</p>
<p>I started an organization that leads project based trips that focus on collaboration and impact and push based some of the typical challenges of service trips. I of course can tell you that I am proud of the trips we lead – but I let alumni and our projects speak to the quality of my programs.</p>
<p>When I look for students that are a good fit, I am seeking students that have an interest in the project and want to develop the skills that a specific program is focused on. The result is that I can help a student become more passionate about a global issue and get better involved in this type of work. Whatever type of program you choose, you shouldn’t choose it because it will make for a good college essay or is something you think will look good on your resume, but rather because it will help you to grow in a specific way.</p>
<p>Happy to answer any questions about summer travel (from my perspective behind the scenes) and what different programs can look like.</p>