Traveling with Purpose: 6 Students You Need to Know

One of our mottos is traveling with purpose. Wherever we go, we try to seek out locals and communities that are either making a positive impact on their environment or who need a little helping hand. Call it what you want – voluntourism, service, or cultural immersion, but it all boils down to traveling with purpose, and the earlier the exposure, the better!

Since 1983, Adventures Cross-Country (ARCC) has designed cultural immersion opportunities through travel that focus on, among others, cross-cultural understanding, learning a second language and community service.

Each summer, ARCC  announces nearly 20 opportunities for students ages 13 to 19 to roll up their sleeves to assist domestic and international communities while traveling from two weeks to over a month. Their 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.”

Previously, he notes, young people were primarily eager simply to backpack and hike in the US and Europe. But now they seek more substance in a summer program. “They want redeeming international experiences that address real world issues,” he adds.

Following are stories from a handful of students who have moved been traveling with purpose after the experiences they had while traveling with ARCC.

Deborah Frank of Ridgewood, NJ, traveled with ARCC in Africa, witnessing the difference in children who received the simple gift of a pair of shoes.

“It has inspired me to look for other ways to contribute to society on a larger scale.   I am currently in the process of applying for a community service based fellowship this year which will hopefully give me the foundation and knowledge I need to learn to how make changes in the world on a larger scale,” she says.

Juliette Hvistendahl of Greenbrae, CA, was so moved by her adventures in Costa Rica that she now collects monetary donations and school supplies to send to a school in San Isidro. “Since coming home, my perspective on life has completely changed.”

Shaun Rosen of Hampstead, Quebec, was inspired by a small community while working on service projects with ARCC in Costa Rica. Returning home he joined his school’s Free The Children club in order to become involved with certain issues around the world. He created a website to raise awareness for issues in Costa Rica.

From Bloomfield, MI, Jamie Ockner traveled to Thailand where she was inspired to begin designing art projects to raise money for an organization she founded, Trunks for Thailand. She sculpts and sells elephant pendants, key chains and pins; donations go to the Mae Maeh orphanage in Thailand.

Sarah Litwin of Newton, MA, traveled to Peru with ARCC. After working in a community kitchen in a small Peruvian village, she wrote: “My work in Huayllaccocha has inspired me for my lifetime. I joined a community service club at school where I am running my own fundraiser, ‘Peelers for Peru’, for Huayllaccocha. I plan to use the money raised to purchase work gloves and peelers for the workers and cooks in Huayllaccocha. Moreover, the people of Huayllaccocha inspired me to take action, and now, I hope to give back to them” The school service club is called, Tikkun Olam Club (“Repairing the World”).

Another fundraiser was organized by Sydney Handel of Penn Valley, PA, who founded “Meklah B’nina” or “Khobz (bread) for Hearts” after visiting Morocco and interfacing, despite language barriers, with students there.

“With this experience, our group has started a fundraiser to accumulate work tools, household items, clothing and school supplies from our hometowns across the country.  We look forward to making a large donation of items we know our new Moroccan friends need and use every day,” Handel writes.

About Adventures Cross-Country (ARCC)
Founded in 1983, ARCC has become a leading provider of Community Service, Service Learning and Adventure Travel programs for youth ages 13 to 19. For over 30 years ARCC has been offering life-changing experiences to students who participate in two- to four-week small group programs that visit 21 countries on six continents. From teaching primary school English and building water purification projects in Africa to running whitewater rapids in Costa Rica to enhancing fluency in Spanish or Mandarin in Spain or China, ARCC brings youth face to face with the challenges, realities and beauties of nature and our global community. For post-high school students ARCC operates Gap Programs in Africa, Asia and Latin America. These offer an educational and cultural bridge between high school and college combining a rich academic curriculum with the experiential benefits of international travel. Click here to view ARCC’s full 2014 e-Catalog online.

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