My son went to Visions British Virgin Islands (Tortola) in summer 2011 and to Visions Montana the previous summer. He enjoyed both experiences. He is currently a junior in high school.
My son wasn’t thrilled about the prospect prior to going on his first Visions experience, but he agreed to give it a try and he LOVED it. (Visions Montana) He especially liked going to the Indian ceremonies.
I did NOT have to talk him into going to BVI. I think he got even more out of going this past summer, whether because he was older or because he’d been through it once and was more relaxed. He made far more lasting friendships (the previous year, I think he mostly found a few friends quickly, then stayed in his “comfort zone,” though he did have stories to tell about experiences with many of the kids).
Each year the kids do different service projects/tasks in the BVI. In fact, the July group was on a different island (Virgin Gorda) than the August (Tortola) group. The projects were similar to what he did in Montana. Building stuff, painting, etc. The staff made it a point to take the kids to different parts of the island in their free time so they really got to see and do a lot.
The group took scuba lessons on this trip, which was a big highlight for my son. He still facebooks with program participants daily.
