Questions to Ask When Choosing a Teen Service Project

Adventures Cross-Country (ARCC - http://www.adventurescrosscountry.com/) since 1983 has delivered international cultural experiences through travel that combines service projects, adventure and sometimes language immersion for students ages 13 to 19.

Adventures Cross-Country affords opportunities for youth to explore culture and communities in 21 countries on six continents. Service projects span the globe, from constructing water filters in Cambodia to rhino tracking and conservation in Uganda to serving the impoverished in San Francisco.

"I am extremely proud of the lasting impact that ARCC students have had on people, on communities and on the environment around the world," reflects Scott von Eschen, President. "Many of their travel experiences are life-changing as students learn to be contributing members of our global community."

A father himself, von Eschen understands parents' concerns when it comes to exactly what their children will be doing service-wise while they're traveling. He and his staff suggest that parents delve with their children into the literature surrounding ARCC programs and others to find what destinations and projects they are drawn to the most.

"And then ask a lot of questions," he advises. Among them are:

Will the service be meaningful or just busy work? Will students be seeing patients in a clinic or cleaning up garbage? Will they be building much needed classrooms or picking weeds? Or both?

How many hours/days are students engaged in a project? Are students near the volunteer site or is time spent getting to and from the site, reducing the service hours?

Who benefits from the service? Are there local communities, people or animals benefitting or is it an individual or company taking advantage of free labor?

Will students have a sense of pride in having completed a project? Will they engage in a project from beginning to end or be responsible for just a small piece of the project?

Will students have ample opportunity to engage in the designated tasks that will see a project to fruition? For example, will 15 people be sharing three sets of tools?

Who else will be working on the project? Will it just be your group or is your group part of a bigger team of people? Who is in charge? Have the participants in the other groups been vetted?

What safety protocols are in place when using tools and equipment or working in a dangerous area?

Will students stay in the same location on the same project the entire time, getting to know villagers in this "home away from home"? Will boredom become an issue? Or will they be moving around?

Has the company worked with this scheduled project(s) before? Are references and/or student testimonials available?

Who is in charge of the students? Are they used to dealing with teenagers? And are they comfortable with teenagers in a community service work setting?

Is there a service curriculum? How are the students briefed, facilitated and debriefed as to the service project?

"Not long ago the vast majority of young people were primarily eager simply to backpack and explore the US and Europe independently. But now we are seeing students seeking more substance in a summer program. They want redeeming international experiences that address real world issues," von Eschen adds.

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