ARCC Programs

Excellent experience and program for teenagers and young adults. Highly recommend as a must do and my teenagers will be repeat customers. The programming captivates the imagination of teenagers (something very hard to do today) as it had the right balance of intrigue, learning and fun. The experience is very authentic, and not manufactured, which is a key differentiator when selecting teen programs. The program managers and staff where excellent communicators and very available to answer questions and overall were highly professional. I recommend ARCC over all the others on the market, as the ARCC experience is a step above the rest.

My son had an ok time on the trip to Belize but there were some issues. My guess is that they overbooked the tour, such that 4 teenage boys had to share beds (my son says single beds, ARCC says Caribbean doubles which are smaller than US doubles) for 4 nights. Who makes teenage boys share beds for 4 nights? Also, he felt like the amount of diving was too small (the itinerary says a week on the "private" diving island but I think it was actually 4 days) and the buggy jungle portion was too long.

My 15 year old daughter looked at a number of programs before narrowing in on this program. ARCC was very professional prior to departure, during the trip, and afterwards. My daughter got so many experiences within the two weeks she was there-- all so valuable and educational. I loved that the teenagers were without phones for all but an hour of the trip. ARCC has the whole thing dialed. It's clear they know what they are doing.

My son went on the Vietnam/Cambodia trip Summer of 2024. He loved it!! He learned a lot about the culture, food, and just overall had a great life experience. He said the leaders were great and that he enjoyed getting to know the other kids in the group. The planned activities were great and the organization did a great job of teaching the kids about safe eating in foreign countries which was a concern for me. They did some volunteer work, building water filtration systems in Cambodia. My son said that this was easy and really fun. He said one of his favorite activities was going to a school in Cambodia and playing sports with the kids. My son did not know anyone going on this trip, actually none of the kids knew each other. So it was a great experience for all of them to meet kids from all over the country and bond through this experience. I felt very safe knowing he was in good hands. The organization did a great job being very clear on expectations and communication throughout the whole process. I found this organization on the internet while searching last year and am so glad that I just signed my son up for this. I highly recommend this program and organization. I will be sending my other son on a trip through them as well and would recommend this organization to anyone who has a kid that is interested in travelling and seeing the world.

My daughter had the most amazing time on the ARCC Colorado & Utah trip. She didn't know anything about either state before going and was therefore very pleasantly surprised by how much she loved both. It's inspired her to apply for a job that has her working outside, working with animals and/or a job that includes some manual labor. She's a phone addict like most high school kids and has never been camping in a tent for more than 2 nights. This showed her how much she was able to do beyond the normal camp site activities she's been exposed to. She now knows she can go white water rafting, take care of wolves, go without a shower for a night, step up when a friend needs her help on the trail, hike up to 14,000 feet (even though it was really hard), and much more. Her leaders were great -- let the kids be kids while also helping them grow into capable young adults. My daughter made some great new friends too from all over the US (and one from England). Can't say enough good things about this program.

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.

We are so glad she got to experience this once in a lifetime trip. It was well organized, the program kept you informed, and helped you every step of the way. She has made some really great friends from all over. Thank you for this memorable experience for her.

I traveled with ARCC Programs on their Pacific Islands trip after graduating high school. Along with 8 other peers and two wonderful guides, I explored Bali, Fiji, and Sumatra through epic adventures, ranging from scuba diving to jungle trekking, as well as meaningful community service projects, such as teaching English in local schools, volunteering in rural hospitals, and helping with environmental conservation projects. ARCC’s primary focus is on five global themes: literacy and education, public health, urbanization and the movement of peoples, environment and conservation, and microfinance and economic growth. By engaging with these themes in country, I was able to learn and connect with locals and truly appreciate the diverse cultures I was so warmly welcomed into.

Out of the organizations I’ve worked with, I don’t feel any have done as thorough a job with travel safety, reliability, cultural immersion, and incorporating education and FUN as ARCC has. I can’t recommend ARCC highly enough!

The ARCC gap trip grew my intro a stronger leader, a more well-rounded person, and a more conscious traveler. I am now applying for summer jobs in this incredible field and will be chasing a career of international travel once I graduate college. This semester has given me the deepest connections and my most cherished memories. It truly was the best semester of my life.

These two weeks in Belize were amazing. There were just the right amount of activities and they were all well spread out during the program. We got to see a lot of belize as we started ib the jungle and then move to the Caribbean sea. Beginning the trip at trek stop was very convenient as it was the perfect way to get to know the group better ad there weren’t that many activities. By the time we went to Placencia, we were already all friends which helped live this experience to its fullest. The snorkels and the dives were just amazing as we got to discover the beautiful coral reef. We also got to learn a lot about it during our stay on the island. The last two days of the trip we went back to placencia and got to relax and really enjoy our last moments with the group that by then became our family.

This was my first time with ARCC and my experience was amazing, I loved getting to know everyone and experiencing the culture. All the accommodations we're wonderful I really loved doing the homestays and getting to experience their life for a little bit. The service was amazing and it was so fun getting to help others for a change. We all really bonded and I would definitely do a program like this again!

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.

This was our first experience with ARCC and our son loved it. The program is well organized from the initial contact to the end when we received a letter verifying our son's community service hours. The trip leaders were outstanding. They were fun, outgoing, and fostered a strong group community from the very beginning of the trip. We would highly recommend this teen tour program and our son is excited to do another one next summer.

I loved every second of this trip! The leaders were incredible and it was an eye opening and unforgettable experience. I met the most extraordinary people who made me so incredibly happy, and I can’t wait to see them all again someday. I fell in love with Peru and I can’t wait to go back!

This was our daughter's first experience with ARCC. She is a shy girl, and not very adventurous. Needless to say she was very much looking forward to the service part of the trip, but kind of worried about the more adventurous parts. Well she came back as happy as can be. She made lots of friends and loved every minute of it. She is looking forward to going on another ARCC program next year.

Our sons age 15 and 17 went this past July to travel in Cambodia and Vietnam. They build and install water filter and taught at a school and made facility improvement there (build a wall to keep out livestock and animal out of playground). They were expose to culture, history, local food and lodging. The leader was amazing and the project was impactful and meaningful. Our boys really enjoyed their experiences and in the process really grew as a person. Pre , during and post trip organization, correspondent, updates were very well done and all our questions and needs was promptly accomadated. This is our boys first trip of this type abroad and ARCC made it very easy to do and meaningful. The price point was reasonable for all the support, organization and arrangement that was done. I would highly recommend ARCC and our boys would definitely return again.

The trip was awesome, our trip leaders were great and I loved hanging out with every single person in my group. The homestay was probably my favorite parts, all of the families in Mollejones were so welcoming and getting to meet the kids was an experience i will never forget. Overall, this trip was amazing and i plan to go on another one next summer.

One of the best trips my daughter has ever been it. I would recommend ARCC to anyone looking to send their kids on a positive, well organized adventure. From starting the process to the end, the staff was well informed and was able to guide me throughout the process. The kids were not allowed their phones which is a great thing in these times. The office was in constant communication with us and the blog updated us every couple of days.

My 17-year-old daughter attended this trip this summer. This was her 3rd trip with ARCC and we could not be more pleased. This trip was so impactful for our daughter. First, she bonded so closely with the entire group due to the amazing team building activities they facilitate. Second, she came back with such a perspective of how others live and can be happy with so little including the importance of service work and thinking about something other than themselves (amazing for a teenager)! Finally, the history lessons they included were one of the most important/unexpected takeaways she had. ARCC does an incredible job of allowing independence while maintaining a complete safe and responsible environment. Her young leaders were exceptional and so well trained/prepared. We would recommend this to anyone whose child is open minded, interested in learning and making new friends. Our daughter still talks to friends from her trip to years ago across the country.