<p>My son, who is completing the 10th grade in June, is looking for volunteer opportunities this summer. Has anyone had any experience (positive or negative) with Landmark Volunteers?</p>
<p>I thought it sounded fantastic until I got the brochure with the price tag. I understand the reasons for the cost and am not complaining it's just something out of our price range.</p>
<p>My daughter had a good experience with Landmark Volunteers five years ago. She did the Williamsburg/Jamestown/Yorktown program, and decided she liked building split rail fences. Who knew? It seems to be a well-run organization, and one of the local scholarships she received specifically cited her work with Landmark as one of the reasons she was selected (it was a community service scholarship).</p>
<p>My child did a program in California and it was well run and a good experience. The price is tax deductible (at least at that time).</p>
<p>There have been several threads about Landmark in the past; you might try searching for them. Also, Landmark does give a limited number of "scholarships" to kids who genuinely can't afford it. </p>
<p>My kid also did this. While overall it's a good program, it does vary quite a bit from site to site and the adult in charge makes all the difference. My kid got a leader who left a lot to be desired. It was lots like having a lousy teacher. </p>
<p>Do see if you can find someone who volunteered at the same site. Some sites really are much better learning experiences than others. The one my kid did was hard physical labor in hot, humid conditions. </p>
<p>For us, it solved a problem. My kid's school requires community service and there really wasn't time during the academic year for my kid to get enough hours done. But overall, if I were rating it like a movie ot of 5 stars, it would get 3.</p>
<p>If price is an issue, the Student Conservation Association is still taking applications. it is volunteer work at national parks and recreation areas, usually 3-4 weeks long and is completely free (you pay for transportation).</p>
<p>thanks everyone for your help,</p>
<p>SCA does offer some crews of 3-4weeks, but many of the crews are for 5wks and, the more flexible a student is regarding time (ie: available for any 5 weeks during the summer) the more likely s/he is to be placed on a crew.</p>
<p>With Landmark, students can pick a placement for a designated 2 week period.</p>
<p>I'm not sure about Landmark, but it's WAY too late to even apply to SCA. The application deadline was in Feb. (?) and students have already selected, though they have not yet been assigned to crews.</p>
<p>I think I saw an email message saying that Landmark had some sections open yet. </p>
<p>Their web site says
[quote]
HOW LATE CAN I APPLY?
Landmark Volunteers has a rolling admissions policy and continues to admit students throughout the spring and summer. As long as space is available at specific locations, students may apply and be accepted
[/quote]
</p>
<p>My daughter had a very good experience at Landmarks two years ago, repairing trails, painting outbuildings and hauling dirt. The kids were well supervised and worked hard. They also shopped for food, cooked their own meals, and cleaned up. Yes, it is expensive, but it is tax deductible. She received a good recommendation, which she has used on a couple of occasions. </p>
<p>One thing I liked about Landmarks is that you can pick your level of how much your kid wants to rough it. My daughter was fine with sleeping in a communal room, but she did want an actual roof over her head. If your child is okay with sleeping in a tent, etc., I imagine that CSA would be fine (and cheaper). PM me if you want more info on Landmarks.</p>