My daughter went to Latin America at age 16 in a very unstructured volunteer program. She had an amazing experience and came back speaking nearly-fluent Spanish. But it was not without its issues. Communication was almost impossible and a couple of the kids came back with parasites. One kid had a medical emergency and had to have surgery down there. You have to be prepared for all of these things if you are considering a “third world” exchange situation. I was very apprehensive about her going but it really changed her life. Also, she paid for the trip herself which I think made it even more meaningful for her. I would stay away from the shorter trips (e.g., the two-week jaunts) because I think they are more party-oriented and the kids probably don’t really get as much out of them culturally although I’m sure they still have a lot of fun.
My son spent a junior year abroad in Jordan. There was at least one week when it looked like they might evacuate to Morroco, but thankfully things stayed calm the entire year he was here. He had a fabulous year and went from struggling to get C’s in Arabic to getting A’s as a senior. He particularly liked the immersion program where all the participants were required to sign a language pledge not to speak any English except when calling their parents. He got a local phone and called us via Skype once a week.
D1 spent this past spring semester in Scotland at the University of St. Andrews. Had fantastic classes and professors, got to travel around the UK and went to Poland for a week to stay with another friend who was studying abroad. She learned a lot of new skills and independence managing things on her own, using public transit, etc. She got an inexpensive UK mobile phone to use in the UK, and used her US phone to send emails/skype when she had wifi(often), so we were able to stay in touch easily.
DD studied in India for the first semester of her junior year; her friends who studied abroad went the second semester of their junior year so it meant a year without seeing them. DD attends a LAC in the Midwest, and the LACs formed a consortium to make overseas study possible. She made very sure that she participated in a program where her financial aid would transfer and would integrate into her majors’ requirements; hence her choice of first vs. second semester. India was her choice because she wanted to go to a place radically different from the U.S. and not just associate with other Americans. She was part of a group of 16 students.
The program was extremely safety conscious, especially with regard to the girls. It made DD appreciate the freedoms she has in the U.S. as an American female and annoyed that she couldn’t go out at night to the festivals like the boys could. She also recognized that she was a guest in the country and needed to respect the rules. Over a break, she traveled with two other girls in her program. Through a travel agency, they hired an older driver who was very protective of them and a stops went through a parent’s litany: Do you have your phone on you? Your passport and money? Etc.
The academics were not particularly taxing, but the learning outside that and with her host mother were IMHO invaluable. All the kids got sick, probably because the overuse of antibiotics in India has created resistant strains of tummy bugs. We heard from her fairly often, probably more than I expected due to the time difference.
DD is pretty independent and outgoing; it was her choice to attend college half-way across the country where she knew no one. She also has highly developed executive functioning, i.e. planning skills.