<p>All our family summer plans have changed. Now, I'm looking for a summer program for my D. She'd like to go abroad. She's interested in knowing foreign countries and community service. So far, I only know of Rustic Pathways, which have some space available. We'd like to have more options. Does anyone knows or summer programs abraod that may have some spaces available. Thanks a lot.</p>
<p>Both the Oxford/Cambridge Tradition and the Creative Writing Program at St Andrews (Scotland, UK) are English-speaking; however they’re not community service. Overland and Rustic Pathways have overseas service as you mentioned.</p>
<p>According to their website, there is space available in some of the Oxbridge programs. </p>
<p>[Summer</a> Schools in Oxford, Cambridge, Paris, Montpellier and Barcelona for Junior High and High School Students](<a href=“http://www.oxbridgeprograms.com/index.php]Summer”>http://www.oxbridgeprograms.com/index.php)</p>
<p>thanks pinkpineapple and scualum. The programs that both of you mentioned sound great.</p>
<p>I considered sending my D on a Rustic Pathways trip but opted instead for her to go with a very experienced, well chaperoned andtrustworthy group on a mission trip to Peru. I am very glad I did as there was a post a year or so ago here from someone who said that his tour guide truly lost him in the middle of nowhere in southeast Asia and never found him. He had to rely on the kindness of strangers and luck in order to make it home.
Many churches do some wonderful mission trips to many countries and are probably safer and more responsible than RP. I felt that their prices were really high considering the shabby accomodations provided on some of their trips. Rustic was a very accurate term at best.</p>
<p>Also, I would avoid booking a trip with Explorica or EF tours. We had a really horrible experience with Explorica in Ireland and another group from our school went on an EF tour a couple of years ago and they were not happy with them. They bait and switch, put you up in either dangerous areas or really remote areas and meals were really bad. The terrible “guide” we had in Ireland was a Polish taxi driver who knew nothing about Ireland-what a surprise! So not only was it not educational, they endangered our lives, health and safety many times by where we stayed and the food served to us. One hotel was still officially closed for the winter so they refused to turn on the heat and served us rotten chicken. For what Explorica charged us, we could have gone on a Globus tour which at least certifies their guides and uses standard chain hotels.</p>
<p>Is she interested in learning French or Italian? D did The american school in switzerland 2 summers and loved it- gorgeous setting in the alps.</p>