High School Outdoor Education Programs in North America

The trip started off with a few delays in flights, but our counselors and group just took the opportunity to bond even closer! When we made it to Waikiki we started the trip off with a nice, relaxing walk around the area and some great food. The next few days were filled with surfing, beach time, Pearl Harbor, and bonding. Then, we left for Maui. In Maui we stayed at an amazing hotel, about a 5 minute walk from the beach. Our service leaders were so kind, and we got to help clean up beaches, learn about wildlife in the area, go snorkeling with turtles and fish, learn about coral reefs, and even visit an aquarium with a sea turtle rehabilitation area. The food on this trip was amazing, we got to try hawaiian poke, acai bowls, shave ice, and more. Plus, the people and counselors that made up our group made it even better. From working together on our service trips to hanging out at the hotel pool after dinner, our group was so tightly knit, even with how different we all are. Going on this trip brought me so amazing friends from all around the globe. The counselors on this trip were amazing as well. Even though they are older than all of us teens on the trip, they felt like friends throughout the two weeks. They hung out with us by the pool and beach, and took pictures with us by the sunsets. Overall, this trip was absolutely amazing and I loved my experience so much!

The most memorable parts were the service project with SBP, the alligator tour, and the tour around New Orleans. The guides and tour leaders were amazing! Really patient with us all, and really good people!

Rise to the challenge of getting used to a new culture and a different way of life. Make sure to do every activity with full enthusiasm! I'm grateful because I got more comfortable with the Spanish language and I got to meet amazing people. I definitely encourage future students to apply!

I enjoyed the hell out of the rest of the trip! Our Arcos director was great and always answered every question of ours. Really, the best part was just being in Mexico and speaking Spanish. I genuinely suggest considering this program - it has a lot to offer.

I would absolutely recommend this program to future students - it's worth it!! I really appreciated learning about different cultures and trying new foods. I also had a lot of fun practicing Spanish. Soak up every moment because it goes by sooo fast. Do everything you can!

I enjoyed gaining exposure to a new culture and meeting new friends! Our Arcos director was efficient, supportive, fun, relatable, and a problem solver. I would 100% recommend the Hike and Surf program to high school students. My advice is to just have fun!

My advice is to make lots of friends and try to speak Spanish as much as you can. The greatest benefits of this program were having fun with new friends, learning about Mexico and seeing how people live. I would recommend this program to future students.

The biggest benefits were getting out of his comfort zone, being away in a foreign country and experiencing unique activities. This is a program for kids that are okay being our of their comfort zone. Overall super great and well-organized program. Noah really enjoyed the activities planned and it also helped that he got along with all the other boys (which makes a huge difference).

Many benefits; exposure to culture, social confidence, much greater interest in Spanish language and Mexican culture. Can't wait to go back! Some places your child will go there will not be any people who speak English. Basic Spanish skills will lead to a better experience, especially if they want to move about independently.. Pamela, the program director, was amazing, Dylan can't stop talking about how great she was and how her connections are what made the trip so incredible for him.

I had an amazing time on the surf and hike trip- the other boys were cool, our program director Pam was great, and the surfing was fantastic. The worst part was getting montezuma revenge - no bueno. Favorite parts were Chacahua, surfing, deep sea fishing and the bioluminescent trip. Hiking portion was alright but could have skipped it - the food at the place where we stayed was probably better suited for vegans. Wish there was AC especially in Puerto Escondido where it was heck of hot. Overall it was a sick trip.

The public health internship in Guadalajara was an experience I will never forget. From the moment I landed in Mexico, I knew I would be taken care of by the staff every step of the way. The accommodation was super clean and comfortable, and everyone who was a part of the Health Internship program resided there along with a few others. Going to Guadalajara, I was able to immerse myself in things I had never done before. I would recommend this program to any teen who likes to adventure and wants to spice up their resume. Travelling alone was a smooth and breezy process and Projects Abroad helped me through every step of the way. I was so excited to meet the five people I spent the duration of my program with. Together, we were able to set up a travel clinic and aid those who needed medical assistance and we even had the opportunity to tour two of the busiest hospitals. On weekends, we would go to tourist attractions and we even went to the Melaque beach. Patty, the person we stayed with, was super nice and gave us access to the Wi-Fi and did our laundry when we needed. She provided meals three times a day and the food was excellent. I made friends in my accommodation that I will keep for the rest of my life and I am so happy that I spent my summer at the public health internship. :)

On this trip I met so many amazing people and I tried new foods and tried new things that I normally wouldn’t do and pushed myself out of my comfort zone and I don’t regret it at all I had an amazing experience this summer seeing the Grand Canyon and going to California and I recommend so many other people do so.

On my trip in Quebec City I had done a lot of new things and meet a lot of new people. With this program I was able to experience Quebec and it’s wonderful highlights. I also learnt a few news things in the French language, Quebec heritage and photography in general. All in all my trip was a great learning experience and I would not regret doing it again.

My first TFT trip was incredible. I got to see the various types of beauty found along the pacific west cost from national parks to vibrant cities. Not only were the destinations wonderful but so were the TFT staff. They were immensely caring and fun people to be around. Some of my fondest favorite memories came from those friendships. One of my favorite aspects of this trip was that we were taught to be travelers not tourists. Where we are encourage to seek and explore all corners of the earth. I loved my TFT trip and I hope to never stop traveling.

I was so lucky to be able to experience a TFT trip. I went to Hawaii on the sea turtle service and adventure. On my trip I met many new friends and created bonds with them which I will forever have. I had amazing role models as my counselors and I felt extremely comfortable with them. This trip all together was really the opportunity of a lifetime. I was able to begin my passion for traveling through this wonderful program. I learned many lessons that I will carry with me for my whole life. This experience was truly life-changing and booking this trip was the greatest decision I ever made. can honestly say that I had the best summer of my life in the year of 2019 and that is all thanks to TFT.

Getting to explore southern California has always been a dream of mine, and it came true with Travel for Teens! Going on a bike tour in Santa Monica was a great way to explore the area and learn about the community, and staying in dorm rooms at USC brought us closer together and showed us a little bit about the college experience. In San Diego, going sea kayaking through caves and watching the sea lions dive on and off the rocks reconnected us with the natural beauty of the United States. We then headed off to Arizona to see the Grand Canyon and Antelope Canyon! This was my favorite part of the trip. The Grand Canyon was overwhelming and had us all in awe, as did Antelope Canyon. Wandering through the red rock carved by flash flooding was a once-in-a-lifetime experience I will never forget. Our counselors made me feel so welcome and did a great job planning activities for us. I love Travel for Teens!

My daughter is the entire world to me and to place her in the hands and trust of people we do not know took a lot of salesmanship on Abbey Road's part. Rachel had a wonderful, safe and educational summer and at no time was I fearful of her safety. Someone from Abbey Road staff was always on hand, from second #1 at Kennedy Airport to the conclusion of the program, in our case me meeting Rachel in Boston. She loved her experience at the Leadership Academy program in Suffolk University. Rachel came home bright and energized and with a renewed confidence. She was very proud to be able to participate at a college level program and I am hoping that this will continue into the school year. Once again sincere thanks for the remarkable job.

I had the amazing opportunity to go on the Hawaii Sea Turtle Service and Adventure trip with Travel For teens this past summer. I had never been on a trip like this before so I was a little nervous and I wasn't sure what to expect. I knew as soon as I met the group in the airport that I made the right choice traveling with TFT. The staff was amazing and made the trip very enjoyable. The two different places we stayed at during our trip were beautiful and the trip itself was life changing. This trip allowed me to connect with people my age and gain friends that I will have for a lifetime. I would recommend TFT to anyone that is trying to give there child an incredible summer vacation!

Overall I think it was a very good experience for my daughter. Abbey Road was well organized and provided a very safe, stimulating setting. Quebec is beautiful, and the program leader last year was outstanding. I would say she was the highlight of my daughter’s experience. The leader had taught French at both the college and high school levels and was clearly very committed to experiential learning. The group was very active, as it seemed that most days they traveled throughout the city exploring and practicing. My daughter also found it to be very safe. The kids don’t have a ton of free time. My daughter would have liked more free time but they keep them very busy, which I personally think is probably a good thing. All the kids last year got singles (no roommate) which she enjoyed. It seemed quite lively with many students on campus studying. She attended for two weeks and said her French improved quite a lot. She was not terribly confident in her French before going (and was actually quite reluctant to go for that reason). The immersion approach really seemed ideal for accelerated learning. Now that we are several months past the program, I think my daughter is starting to realize how much she grew and learned from the experience. It was not easy for her in the sense that she would rather have stayed home. She was reluctant to go. Again, I think the program director made her feel so comfortable and much more confident in her French.

This past summer my son Will attended the program in Boston.  He enjoyed staying on the campus of Suffolk, and I think he got a good feel for college life.  Students were allowed to leave the campus for free time as long as they were in pairs.  He enjoyed visiting the Harvard campus and loved the day trip to Salem, MA.  The group had some international students, and Will's roommate was from Spain. The groups debated (which he loved) and researched quite a bit during class time.  With Will in his senior year now, Abbey Road has been wonderful to supply letters for college applications, and I believe this type of learning really sets students apart from other applicants. I love Abbey Road Programs and I hope to send my other children on trips when appropriate. Given the professional education of the facilitators, I believe the price is well worth it.  The trips have had a huge impact on Will.