I am looking into some options for my daughter. More likely a summer service trip abroad. Does anyone else have a child that has previously done this and has any tips, advice, or suggestions? Was it a positive experience for your child? If you are considering it with your current senior, what country/type of service work are you considering and why?
My D is most interested in doing a service trip that involves teaching young children. She will not turn 18 until August 22nd, so we will have to find a company that allows 17 year olds if she does a summer trip.
There are tons of great programs out there for high school kids, which I think would accommodate the fact that your daughter will only be 17 at the time. My daughter did a combined service/language trip to Peru this past summer with GLA (Global Leadership Adventures), and it was a really wonderful experience for her. She was 15 at the time, but many of the kids on her trip were 16 or 17, so your daughter wouldn’t be out of place in terms of age. GLA has lots of trip options available, many that focus just on community service, and others that combine service with language instruction. My older kid is planning on doing a gap year after graduation, but he’s not particularly interested in community service, so is focusing on other types of activities.