Visions Service Adventures

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9.8 / 10 after 18 Reviews Based on overall, support & value average ratings

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From the onset, we felt well-informed with expectations and tips well documented.

Leading up to the adventure, both my daughter and I received emails and more details than we could have hoped for. My daughter felt like she was able to really experience the culture, work hard, exert herself physically, and participate well with a group of kids and counselors.

She keeps pointing out new discoveries she made - everything from identifying the beets in the fridge as something she picked to the water pump in a museum as something she used for 30-40 minutes to get clean water. She connected with those she served with as well as those she met in the retirement home and on the "rez".

She was already a child mature beyond her years but she came home wiser, more aware of others, and ready to back next summer. So thankful for the Visions team and the stellar job they do for their communities and the youth that spend just a bit of their summers trying to make a difference.

And that the kids make life-long friendships in the program is just a bonus.

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Location:
Posted: September 1, 2014
Overall:
10
Support:
10
Value:
10
Age:
41

Having experienced three VISIONS trips so far (British Virgin Islands, Montana Northern Cheyenne and Dominican Republic), I figured I could lend an interesting perspective on what it is really like being a part of this community service program. Unlike other summer community service trips I looked at in the past, VISIONS is honest about accomplishing its main goal: to do community service. They do not try to pretty it up online with vivid descriptions of the beautiful beaches or tall mountains on whatever program you are looking at. Everyone who goes on a VISIONS journey shares an objective in common, which is to help the less fortunate and give back. The staff members know exactly how to discipline, as well as hang out with, both middle school and high school students. They are never overbearing or annoying, and if there is ever a bump on the road you feel able to have a genuine conversation with them. They also do not act like your superiors; the staffers are more like older siblings rather than parental figures. The campers on each individual program are always a hardworking, fun, well-rounded group of kids. I have never encountered a bully or clique thus far, which is impressive considering how teenagers can often have exclusive relationships. The excursions we all go on after work during the weekdays or on the weekends are diverse and engaging. From venturing out to waterfalls and a ‘discoteca’ to overnight backpacking in Wyoming, you never feel bored or out of the loop of whatever culture you are immersing yourself in. At times you may feel sad or homesick or angry, which is normal for both new and veteran travelers. This is where circle comes into play. Circle, also known as ‘communidad’, is a time where everyone sits in a circle, shares what happened that day, and completes an activity that helps everyone get to know each other and how they are all currently feeling. At first this sounded extremely cheesy to me. And on paper it does. I promise that we do not sing Kumbaya or hold hands. During circle, we open up to each other and share laughs, tears, and honest feelings. It is a healthy thing to do, especially in such an active environment where you have little free time. I am a huge fan of VISIONS, and while my review may sound biased to some, I feel like I was honest with how my three trips went as a whole. I had been searching for a reliable summer program for years. I cannot wait to go on my fourth VISIONS trip next year. I hope to see you there!

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Location:
Posted: August 23, 2014
Overall:
9
Support:
10
Value:
9
By: Sarah Y
Age:
14

the two weeks i spent in ecuador during the summer were the best two weeks of my summer! i loved being in a new setting with new kids and a whole new culture. being in ecuador really changed my perspective on life and getting to see a new culture was incredibly interesting. The other kids i met on the trip made my experience so much better along with the awesome councilors.

Program:
Location:
Posted: August 23, 2014
Overall:
10
Support:
10
Value:
10
Age:
15

Before leaving for the British Virgin Islands with Visions Service Adventure, I was pretty nervous because I wasn't certain as to what I was expecting. I was leaving home to go to a new country with complete strangers! It was quite nerve wracking... But once I got there and met everyone, it turned out to be one of the best experiences of my life! We helped out people from the community, we got to experience things that tourist wouldn't even think of doing and we had fun while doing this all. At first I thought 3 weeks would be a long time, but now I wish I had never left. I got so used to getting up with a house full of friends and having a blast getting up and ready at 7 in the morning to get the day started (something I thought I'd never say before)! The day would start of with a typical daily breakfast and packing a lunch and then it was off to the work sites to start of the day of non stop activities. But, even after a days full of work, you would still get back to a planned activity to keep busy. It sounds like a lot, but actually is perfect. You got to give to the community and also take in the breath taking BVI and do stuff that you couldn't even think were possible to do whilst on vacation. We got to go coconut carving with a local farmer, we got to play amazing race in one the national parks as a group, we went to beaches that were unknown to the tourist and even unknown to some locals, we even got the chance to go to church and learn about their culture. Nevertheless, my favorite part of the week was homebass day. Homebass was a day during the working that you get off and away from the work site with some of the other team mates and did the chores around the living area and went out to do stuff, it was like a day off from the work sites and you still got to do the afternoon activities. My experience with Visions was a once in a life time adventure and I would definitely recommend it to anyone and everyone thinking of joining in on the fun! I've even already started saving up to go to Alaska with them next year!

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Posted: August 19, 2014
Overall:
10
Support:
10
Value:
10
By: Clo099
Age:
15

I had an incredible experience with VISIONS over the summer. I went to a small region of France called Guadeloupe, and lived with 23 other teens for a month. We all got to know each other really well, and I made long-lasting friends. The time we had I think can be called "life changing." We got a chance to fix up schools for the local french kids, and we taught english classes to them. It is so amazing that feeling you get when you know you've changed a person't life, or helped them in some way. Working with the local kids made me feel that way every day, and I would give anything to have that feeling again, which is why I'm going to try to continue doing community service at home. However this trip was not all just about working, we also got chances to go the the beach and go snorkeling, hiking, and all sorts of other activities on the island. I had so much fun on this trip, and would definitely recommend it to other teens.

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Location:
Posted: August 17, 2014
Overall:
10
Support:
10
Value:
10
By: siennam6
Age:
16

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