High School Outdoor Education Programs in Caribbean

I have always been on the somewhat negative side of life. After coming to the Dominican Republic I have realized that life isn’t bad. This inspired me to change my attitude and help out the Dominican Republic communities with a better attitude. I will take this back to the US

I feel like a better person and that I truly immersed myself into the communities. The instructors were very smart and they knew how to explain things that the volunteers maybe didn’t understand. They truly touched our emotions.

Rustic Pathways responded to this reviewAugust 22, 2024

Hey Jack! Thanks so much for joining us in the DR! We're thrilled to hear you had such an immersive and touching experience. We hope you join us next summer!

I had an amazing experience with Holly, Nacho, and Kaitlyn in the DR. I experienced things I will never forget and truly felt the passion of my guides to immerse me into their communities. I’m forever grateful for my experiences and I hope to potentially come back in the future

Rustic Pathways responded to this reviewAugust 02, 2024

Hey Austin! We know that our Program Leaders were happy that you were part of the group in the DR. Thank you so much for traveling with us, and we're so glad you had a great time. We hope you join us next summer for more adventures!

This program was amazing and has 100% changed my life. Seeing others live in such hard conditions and having the opportunity to help them out was so awesome. The adventures like the waterfall and the beach also made all the hard work that much more worth it. Thank you Rustic Pathways for an amazing week.

Rustic Pathways responded to this reviewAugust 02, 2024

Hi Abraham! We're so happy to hear how rewarding this experience was for you. Thank you for being a part of it and for all your contributions to the communities you visited! Your life was changed, but we also know you helped change lives too! We hope you join us again next summer!

An all around great experience integrating with the culture here in the DR and seeing the different sides of the country. Gained life lessons and a new understanding of myself along with the satisfaction of helping the people.

Rustic Pathways responded to this reviewSeptember 06, 2024

Hey Warner! We're happy to hear you had a great time in the DR and that you gained some life lessons! We hope you join us again next summer!

Best: When we did the community service and helped out the community-Interacting with the community during service work. The most memorable part of the Dominican Republic was bonding more with my brothers and seeing the impact we had on the community

When I traveled to the Dominican Republic with Rustic Pathways I loved many of the activities. Helping others get water to their village, the waterfall, beach, and the entire trip as a whole was a great success.

The service work was the most gratifying part of the travel to the Dominican Republic. However, speaking and expanding my Spanish vocabulary was the most memorable to me. It really helped my Spanish spaking skills

The service project in Dominican Republic with Rustic Pathway was impactful. The guides were amazing. Learning about their culture through personal conversations with them really elevated the experience for me.

It’s safe to say that this trip was certainly a once-in-a-lifetime experience! I had no clue what to expect when I first arrived. I could tell each and every one of us was excited and nervous, which made it so easy to meet each other and form friendships. Our trip leaders were incredible; helping us adjust, leading us through the day, and always being there if we had questions or needed help. I was lucky to go on a trip with such an amazing group of kids. I met people from all around who shared my interests and were open-minded to getting to know everyone and creating long-lasting relationships. The service was an eye-opening experience. I was touched by the sense of community and love the people who I met valued so much. It was clear how hard they worked, not only to rebuild their own houses but others as well. We enjoyed working as one big group. There was always something to do and help out with, and it felt good to know that the people we worked with truly appreciated our help. The service was an integral and unforgettable part of the trip, but so were the other countless activities and late nights we spent together. Kayaking in the bioluminescent bay was so fun, and an amazing way to end our trip. Our trips to the beaches every day led to a lot of laughs and memories. The nights we spent in the Big Yellow House are something that I will always remember! We had a bake-off, played countless games, volleyball, and lounged around listening to music. You could always find someone to talk to and something to do. We took a dance class, had a karaoke night, and spent one night learning about the culture of Puerto Rico. My trip was so enriching and fun, and I am so grateful I got to experience it with incredible people. I would definitely recommend this trip, or any trip Global Works offers, to anyone who wants to meet new people, learn about cultures, and spend an amazing time somewhere new!

Before discovering Global Works and this trip, I was searching for a summer activity that I could attend that satisfied my love for traveling while also serving as a way to help a community in need. Fortunately, I decided to go to Puerto Rico. The trip was amazing! It allowed me to make so many friends, experience a new culture, serve a community, gain travel experience, and to overall learn more about myself. Before going on the trip, I knew almost nothing about Puerto Rico or the devastating effects of Hurricane Maria, but after attending the trip, I returned home with incredible eye-opening stories and experiences to share. The trip leaders were all amazing and truly wanted to get to know each and every traveler and make sure everyone was healthy and actively engaged in service and the experiences. All information before the trip was clearly provided and made my parents feel more comfortable with letting me travel alone to the Caribbean, and I was able to call my parents daily, which they appreciated. If you are wondering whether or not you should go, I would 100% recommend this trip!

My trip to the Caribbean was, in short, a life changing adventure. Living out on the water for 2 weeks made me connect with the people around me and further appreciate the beautiful nature and marine wildlife. I was able to witness things while scuba diving that many dream to see, such as sea turtles, nurse sharks, spotted eagle rays, and the overall diverse species of fish. While I do have amazing memories of the sites I saw, more importantly, I cherish the friends I made and the fun times we had together. Right after the first day, the whole group immediately bonded, and every night on the boat we would dance to music and just get to know each other. We became so close, that by the end of the trip we were already planning a reunion. Every day was a new adventure with something fun planned, and if I had the chance to do another Broadreach trip I would do so in a heartbeat.

My mom was in this position of researching how the trip would be and she was concerned she wasn't getting the whole truth about people's reviews towards this since it was the same cliched words. However, she goes back on her word as she lights up when I tell her the amazing experience I had over there. To say this was the time of my life and it is so easy for me to say this because it was. I have a glass bead necklace that I have never taken off since I got back. It’s been on whether it be a formal event or going to the beach for a swim, much to my mom's dismay. Those 21 days in the Caribbean not only introduced me to the most extraordinary 10 people but my family (ohana). There was never a moment on Pom D’ô, our boat, that I wanted to be elsewhere. Screaming glum free on the top of my lungs every chance I got. Making dinner and all of us taking a few moments to watch the sun disappear in the horizon with the explosion of colors coming from it. It was breathtaking; that bright orange glaze that would become the ocean and the swirls of red-blue that would become the sky and later, if we were in Saba, that sky would later reveal the never-ending Milky Way and the awe/silence that would overtake everyone. I met the greatest people on my trip and we all still keep in contact, before I went on the trip I was nervous about it, but looking back I know for a fact that it all disappeared with the first hour of meeting each other and the same goes for everyone ready to embark on a never forgetting journey.

This trip was a great experience especially for my first time being involved with Broadreach. The community and environment for this trip was very positive. The counselors were very engaged with us and were always there to help us learn something new or when we had a questions about something. I had the best time and this trip was awesome! It is a summer to remember! I look forward to doing more trips in the future and having more memories to share.

I had an experience of a life time!! I got there hesitant, but I stepped foot off the plane and all the instructors were so warm and welcoming. Living on a boat was such a fun and new thing to do, and everything was so well organized and prepared. The dives were all extraordinary!! Sam, Lex and Simon were such a riot to be around, and still completely knew what they were doing. I especially enjoyed going on the self led dives. Over all I would do it agin in a heartbeat!

This summer I journeyed to the Caribbean islands! The trip I did was the Caribbean Marine Biology 21 day Adventure. It was the best thing I have ever done. I met the most amazing people that I can now call family. I made the best of friends that live all around the world and Im still in contact with them and some are actually coming to visit me! I learned so much about myself and especially some great marine biology! I was so sad when it was over because I didnt want to go home. I had the best time with my instructors and my friends! The islands were all so beautiful and the people were amazing. I would definitely recommend this trip! Im planning on doing another trip this summer and i could not be more excited.

This trip totally exceeded my expectations! I was so amazed by the underwater world we were able to discover. I learned so much about both sailing and diving. My instructors and other boat mates became like family to me. There were many great leadership opportunities, and we got to learn about island culture and do community service. Every day was filled with activities and fun, there was never a dull moment. Over the 17 days I learned so much about all the friends I made, and most of all I learned a lot about myself. This trip is one of a kind!

ActionQuest is an extremely unique place that offers amazing experiences for kids of all ages and from all over the world. It has taught me so much, not only about sailing and scuba diving, but also about myself, and going to ActionQuest has made me a much happier person. I truly enjoy lifeworks forums. I think that they bring up important topics, and often bring boats closer. They also help connect the lessons that I have learned at ActionQuest to my life outside, so that I may bring these new lessons home with me. The instructors were always happy to answer any sailing question and hand over the helm to any student who wanted to learn more about sailing. They made it very fun and interesting to sail the boat. Scuba diving instructions were also excellent, the instructors would help us plan our dives in the beginning, but then allow us to figure out how to do it on our own later in the trip. Diving is my favorite part of AQ, and it never fails to amaze me. The instructors are amazing, they clearly love what they do, which impacts each shipmate and allows them to have a great time. The friends that I made at ActionQuest are some of my closest friends now, and would have never met them without going to AQ. The people that you meet are just so interesting and amazing. The diving is beautiful, and the sailing is so much fun

This program was great! super well organized, definitely pack more pants/leggings than the packing list says. i never used my long sleeves, its super hot in the Dominican Republic so be prepared! the leaders and group were great, i highly recommend this trip for anybody interested in public health or just issues in the Dominican Republic.

When I was 17 I went on the Grenadines voyage with Broadreach; to this day, 5 years later, as a 22 year old this summer was the turning point for me in my life. I have to say that the Grenadines voyage is a trip that you will never forget - it is still fresh in my memory. Weather it was hiking the Quil Volcano in Statia, the pirate's cove on Saint Vincent, or the sailing itself this adventure will give you whatever you are chasing in the Caribbean. For me the opportunity to sail was my most memorable opportunity, I had the pleasure of having an incredible leadership team. I learned a lot from the leaders and my peers; you will meet the most amazing people from all over the world. The diving was incredible; I also participated in the Leeward Islands program and had the opportunity to dive there as well. The diving in the Windward Islands is breathtaking; but, the training Broadreach provided was world class. I feel so comfortable with diving and sailing now, my friends look to me for guidance on diving sites and material. My biggest takeaway from this quite literal summer in paradise is hard to pin point; but, if i had to pick one it would be looking up at those clear caribbean stars. Laying on the Catamaran net staring up at this web of infinite beauty was like traveling back in time to a simpler place. Get away from the rat race, if not forever - do it just for a summer with Broadreach in the Grenadines. The best decision I ever made.