Does your teenager have the travel bug? Many adolescents want to visit different places in the world as they look for their place within it. While most parents don’t have the means or the desire to send their kids on a round-the-world trip, there are some ways to make it happen. If your teenager wants to travel, two excellent options to consider include being an exchange student and volunteering through an organization. Another option is to take an escorted tour with people in their age group.
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Exchange Student Programs: Exchange programs come in various forms, from two-week summer programs to full academic-year exchanges. Despite the name, you usually don’t actually have to host a student of your own in exchange for sending your son or daughter, but this is actually a great way to get to know about another culture without leaving home! Most exchange programs involve living with a host family, either for a short homestay or for the entire duration. Some programs require that the student have some level of fluency in a foreign language, and others offer language camps once the teen is in the target country. Going on a semester- or year-long exchange will immerse your child in another culture and language, and you both will be shocked at the level of his newfound biculturalism. Host families are background-checked and each student has a local supervisor to go to if there are any problems. Many programs have application deadlines coming up in the fall for the following year, so if this is something that you wish to look into, now’s the time. Some of the popular high school exchange programs include Rotary, American Field Service (AFS) and Youth for Understanding (YFU).
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Volunteer Programs: Churches in your area likely sponsor missions travel during the summer or school breaks. Some of the recent missions trips in my area put on by churches have included trips to the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Paraguay and China. These are typically well-supervised and will include a religious component. There are also programs that send teens to other parts of the world that are not affiliated with any religious organizations. Up With People, for example, sends young people aged 17 through 29 to different countries, where they will perform in various places and meet other students from other lands. AFS also offers a community service program for people 18 and over where they will teach English to children, help the homeless, lobby for human rights and provide other important services. This is a great way for an older teen, such as one who has graduated from high school and wishing to defer college enrollment for a year, to meet new people, see new things and broaden her horizons.
- Contiki Tours for 18 to 35 year olds: With over 50 years of travel experience, Contiki is one of the most reputable companies that offers trip for 18 to 35 year olds. They offer travel packages in over 46 countries and 6 continents including Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Asia and Latin America. Packages range from one week to 45 days and include accommodations, breakfast daily and some sightseeing with a blend of free time so they can explore on their own or with their new found friends. A roommate sharing program is available, or you can pay additional to have your own room.
If your teen is wishing to travel without the benefit of an agency or organization, there is always couchsurfing and visiting friends of friends in other countries, but this would take a lot more trust on your part and independence on his part! For the teen who wants to travel, there are many options available that will both satisfy his urge and satisfy your need to keep your child safe and secure.
Has your teen traveled the world? How did he or she do it?
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