Australia & Fiji: Island Village Initiative

My daughter just returned from her trip to Australia and Fiji. She said the group became very close and that, miraculously, all 15 of them got along and appreciated each other. She loved her leaders, she said they were fun but also good about letting them know the boundaries. In fact, my daughter mentioned that the Fiji guide told the group that they always love to have ARCC on the island bc the group is the most respectful of the teen groups. ARCC seems to attract a service-minded, community-minded teen. This is our third trip with ARCC and we couldn't be more pleased with the resulting mindset, memories and friends that our daughter has when she returns home. We love the no cell phone policy, and our daughter has said that it has been so nice to unplug. She said it forces the group to bond, sing songs, do skits, and be goofy bc they don't have any other choice but to be social with each other. My daughter didn't end up getting her diving certification as she panicked in the water training at the last minute, but they accommodated the change by letting her snorkel and stay on the boat with the group so she didn't miss out. Fantastic trip. I did ask my daughter to tell me which trip with ARCC has been her favorite so far, and she said, they are all so different that she can't compare. She attended the Costa Rica La Pura Vida, Ecuador and Galapogos and now Australia and Fiji. She is already ready to select her next trip.

From the first inquiry email to her good-bye hug in the LAX airport, ARCC is a world-class provider of a wonderful experience for a student travel program. Our high-school daughter traveled to Australia and Fiji this past summer (2018) and had the time of her life. She experienced different cultures, taught English to Fijian children, built a kindergarten classroom, became scuba certified in the Great Barrier Reef while forming relationships with 14 other students her age from the USA. She had the time of her young life. This experience will always be in her heart.

I had such an amazing time on my ARCC trip! I was able to explore new places (Australia and Fiji), make new friends, and do service work. I felt very safe while with ARCC. My leaders were fun and responsible. The group size was just right. One of the highlights of the trip was becoming scuba certified as well as living with a Fijian family. I would highly recommend ARCC trips.

This trip was life changing, it was absolutely amazing the people and staff were great! the activities were always fun and their was never a dull moment the culture was so eye opening I’m so glad I got to experience a taste of how others live there wasn’t anything I’d change

I wanted to do something different the summer before my junior year. I was looking at teen service trips all around the world, but I was sold the moment I found ARCC's Australia/Fiji trip. It was specifically for teens, so it allowed me to make an impact while staying safe and protected. The ARCC office staff was communicative and had an answer to my many questions. They knew just what to bring, told us up front exactly how much it would cost, and had recommendations on health and medical concerns to ensure my safety. The trip leaders I had the honor of working with were AMAZING. They connected with us instantly and handled every challenge with ease and grace. They were organized, loving, adventurous, open, and qualified. I honestly cannot imagine more perfect people to lead a trip like this. My group had the opportunity to do our service work in Nawaisomo on the island of Beqa in Fiji before our adventure time in Australia and on the Great Barrier Reef (which is gorgeous, by the way), and so we grew close to each other as we learned more about ourselves. The service work, building a footpath and working with the kids, was so much fun, and it was nice to see our hard work visibly progress. We really felt like we were making a difference. When we stayed in the village, we got to stay (in pairs) with host families, and I got really close to my host siblings. I learned so much about Fijian culture by getting to fry fish, shave coconuts, and help unload fishing boats with them in my free time. Overall, The Australia/Fiji trip was a life changing experience that taught me so much about myself, the world, and the importance of loving and take care of your community and everyone in it. There is no better way that I could've spent my summer.