Do-Gooder Trips?

[vhoffman]

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[FSUDisneyGirl]

While I can see some teenagers benefitting from a trip like the ones you have described, I also think that the $$$ spent on travel, food, etc for the traveling students is a huge amount of waste that could have been sent to a non-profit organization in that country, and could have had a much bigger impact. granted, i think it's great that for high school/ college-aged students to experience poverty or other similar situations in order to gain a larger world view, but i think that maybe waiting and traveling with an organization such as the peace corps would be more beneficial to both the student and the recipient of the help.

my cousin belongs to a church in new jersey and about a year ago (he's 17 now) the church youth group traveled to the appalachian mountains and helped repair houses/ trailers and schools in low income communities. the parents donated money for gas, they took 2 vans, the kids brought $ for food, and they slept at the local church. the trip had a huge impact on my cousin, who comes from a very well-off family. sorry to blab on and on...

i guess i'm just saying that i agree with the poster...there are many ways for students to help out (locally or around our country) without spending crazy amounts of money to travel somewhere. not that it's a bad thing... it just seems a bit wasteful to me. just my opinion, you all are welcome to disagree.

 

[vhoffman]

I really don't see what good those trips do.

Just wondering, from those of you with kids more closer to college age (ours are 9 & 10), is this type of thing really popular with the college bound?

 

[MSSANDRA]

I can kind of see a little bit of both ways. Helping others is an important part of the education i want to give my son. Our local highschool requires so many hours of comunity service in order to graduate. Our church youth group does a youth mission trip every year but it is always with in the US. That trip serves a multi- fold purpose. The children have the chance not only to help in some way,but to bond as a group away from other distractions of life. It is a social time for the children as well. This year our kids were in a program called give a hand by the sand. It took place at the beach. The children spent 6 hours a day working at various places like the soup kitchen, the nuring homes and habitat for humanity for the older youth. The trip was wonderful for the group. Yes they could have done all the same things at home but the experence was so much different. The thing is that many of the upper class teens take a senior trip that often takes then to Europe or some other out of the county place. If they choose to combine that experence with a "helping" trip, I really can not see that as all bad. True the monivation might not be coming from the heart but it still might help someone. The money is very imporatnt but sometimes you need people as well as money. You have to have money to create a lake and stock it with fish but there has to be trained people to go and teach them how to run the fish farm. If the money that would have been use for a joy trip can teach someone how to make a living, that just can not be all bad. JMHO. Our youth do not go out of the county for the reason that many stated. Our funds are limited and there are so many who need our help here. However we have friends that attend church where the children do go out of the county on these trip and the rewards of these trip has changed so many of these chidren's direction in life.


MsSandra

 

[barkley]

don't know about how it plays out on college apps. but it's certainly popular around here for highschoolers and college kids (esp. those with christian church affiliations). let's see-at last tally one of dh's nephews (during college) had gone to africa, russia and several trips to mexico. another had been to south america, micro-nesia and several times to mexico, and a neice did several mexico/south america trips.

i'm not saying they did'nt do 'good works' on these trips, but since most of them included (in the planned itineraries) a whole lot of excursions and tours of historic/popular sites-it was'nt entirely structured to 'do-good' for the residents of the places they went to. i also question the real dollar/safety value in having unskilled/untrained high school kids participate in physicaly 'building' (as in construction duties) any building. for the most part the kids brought back photos of themselves visiting villages and orphanages, handing out gifts of clothing, food and bibles, and participating in bible studies and other evangelical outreaches. it just seemed to me that if the intent was to financialy help people the tens of thousands it cost their parents could have gone allot farther with a donation to an agency that provided daily assistance for these folks.

the trips are generaly set up in a package format, and from what i've seen could be done allot less expensivly on one's own.

the one trip that none of the kids opted to go on but my bil did was to somewhere in mexico, but required either existing medical training or participation/completion of some basic med. skills training before departure. the group that went literaly worked the entire time they were there tending to basic medical needs of residents, and giving instruction on basic first aide and health (and they brought all the med supplies they needed plus some stuff to leave behind). for me that seemed like a trip that did some good (and as i recall it was much less expensive than the other trips-but it did'nt include any tours or excursions).

 

[pigget74]

This is not for college, but our church does a lot of outreach with our youth/college. FOr several years they went to Costa Rica. I was able to go on those as well as a leader. They did small repairs and a lot of painting and whatever. THe greatest impact was when we went to a homless place (it was not a shelter but a place they could come twice a week for bath, clean clothes, and a warm meal) and cooked meals. THe kids under great supervision (granted there were only 15 people at the place) washed clothes, tended sores on feet (major problem for the homeless b/c they typically don't remove shoes for fear they will be taken) cooked, I cut hair and the youth pastor shaved the men. Talk about a humbling experience. On other days we would go into churches that we have an established relationship with and hold services. We would also go into other areas and such and do children's programs. Now on last day they usually visited a spa at the base of a volcano and then it was off to shopping. We also have done a lot in the U.S. as well --reservations and such. Our church believes in outreach. We send a building crew to Costa Rica about once or twice a year and then the youth go in the summer. NOw we have an oldr youth trip to Costa Rica and the younger youth stay in the States. Costa Rica cost around 1200 and the states trip is under 500. We are going to Texas this summer and crossing over to Mexico to help in area we went to last summer.

 

[Whosemom]

I've never heard of it being a resume builder, but these trips do have an impact. I wonder after seeing real poverty face-to-face how much more each of tese teens will donate over the course of their lives? I bet way more than the $ spent on the trip, which, by the way, the kids I know that have gone have WORKED to raise. (thats a monument to poor grammar, but you get my meaning)

And as far as the quality of the buildings when its that type of project? Come on, Barkley. Who do you think is doing the labor part of the job anywhere? Some one a year or two older with no skills or experience in large part.

I think the difference in traveling to other countries is the opening of one's eyes to the scale of the problem. Reservations aside, we have pockets of poverty here in the US, but not the wholesale lack of all the things we take for granted that you might find in other parts of the world - clean drinking water from a spout comes most readily to mind.

 

[emma'smom]

While I'm not sure I would advocate this just to fluff a college application, I do think that these kinds of trips are eye-opening and life changing for young people- especially those who are from middle and upper middle class families where they may not be exposed to diverse populations (socioeconomically diverse) regularly.

I also think that raising the money to participate is just as important and so is traveling outside of a familiar environment. I think church youth mission activities are a wonderful opportunity for teenagers to test their own independence by traveling someplace outside of their community for an purpose other than simply to vacation.

I participated in many of these trips through my church youth group when I was a teen-ager and I really think they influenced who I am today. They taught me to question my understanding of the broader world, to learn to work together with a group (often interacting with other cultures), to be greatful for what I have and not to assume that it is my right to have it, and the traveling itself gave me confidence to solve problems and ask questions on my own. On each trip, we also did some "fun" things- I see no harm in this. We were visitors to these countries (and teenagers learning about the world) as well.

I think they are great experiences....but they don't need to be expensive! The other point is that the education that many of these college-bound students will gain will carry through when they become leaders of society (some of them will) and shape their understanding of the world.

 

[vhoffman]

bump

Would like to hear some more opinions!

 

[powellrj]

my kids usually go on a mission trip every year with their church group and I have to say its usually a life changing experience for them.

They have helped rebuild houses, do home repair for the elderly, feed homeless people as some of their projects. They also take trips to mexico to build a house every year.

We couldn't afford the trips if they were several thousand dollars. I know we just pay a few hundred dollars for the trips. They vans and stay in churches or college dorms to save money.

I am not sure I would do the trip just for fluff, but I do know they always learn alot from them and I am glad they get to go.

 

[disneygoof]

I think looking at these trips as resume builders is for the jaded. I believe the purpose of such trips is more for the good of the volunteer, not the recipient of the good works. If I were an admissions counselor, I would expect that the prospective student would have attained some intellectual, personal and spiritual growth from the experience, and that growth would have a positive impact on my college campus.

These trips are sometimes called immersion trips, as the volunteers are immersed in the culture of the community they go to help. What they learn, see, and feel on the trip creates a ripple effect when they return and communicate their experience to their family, friends, church and classmates. Usually they are inspired to do more good works when they get home.

I am familiar with many such trips in urban or rural areas within the US that achieve the same good as those trips abroad.

JMTC.

 

[DVCLiz]

My daughter has had three opportunities to travel abroad - a 10 day trip over Spring Break in her sophmore year to Chile, a 3 week trip to Uganda the summer after her junior year, and a 3 week trip to Japan, which she's currently in the middle of as a college freshman. I don't think any of these trips are in exactly the same category as the ones the OP has described, because they were all clearly affiliated with a school and in each case she's traveled with a teacher or professor and had organized classes (in Chile and Japan) or cultural visits to schools, etc. (in Uganda.) It certainly helped to have those on her resume, in the sense of showing her as a student interested in other cultures, but it wasn't the be-all and end-all that got her accepted to college. I look at it as a wonderful investment for her future - she has so much more of a sense of the larger world than I did at her age, and she's interested in International Relations and education world-wide, mostly as a result of seeing school kids in other countries and being able to compare first-hand the advantages she's had with her education. I think it's made her compassionate in a way that's hard for an 18 year old who's never seen another culture to achieve.

I don't think it ever occurred to me that it would be better to just donate the money to that country instead of paying for my daughter to go. I'll freely admit that I wouldn't do that - the whole point of my spending the money was to let my daughter have the experience. My charitable giving is a completely separate thing for me, and I do give both locally and, in the case of something like the recent tsunami relief efforts, globally.

As far as the mission work and building go, she's been going on the same mission trip with our church for 5 years, to work with kids and do Habitat building. She's gotten to the point where she's a "damn good roofer", according to the crew chief, and can swing a hammer and paint with the best of them. She said if she ever really needed a job, she felt she could get on with a roofing crew because she enjoyed doing it so much!!!!

Btw, one of the admissions counselors from a private college in my state told us that they were really tired of reading admissions essays about mission trips - so many kids go on them these days that it's become almost predictable. Not every trip with a youth group can be all that life-changing!

 

[Starr W.]

Big story in WSJ last year some time about Do-Gooder trips for HS students trying to impress college admission officials. There are companies that will help the student find the "perfect" type of trip for them! Now I have a cousin who's eldest did 2 of these in HS(wouldn't have known but they are the types who send out the "family activities letter" with their Xmas card). He ended up going to a state school, after turning down a full ride scholarship to a private school. So in the end, maybe he just applied to the private school for bragging rights, hence the D-G trips.

 

[DVCLiz]

Big story in WSJ last year some time about Do-Gooder trips for HS students trying to impress college admission officials. There are companies that will help the student find the "perfect" type of trip for them! Now I have a cousin who's eldest did 2 of these in HS(wouldn't have known but they are the types who send out the "family activities letter" with their Xmas card). He ended up going to a state school, after turning down a full ride scholarship to a private school. So in the end, maybe he just applied to the private school for bragging rights, hence the D-G trips.

I'd think the college admissions people would start to see through this pretty easily, too. The best "service" you can have on a college application is something you've been involved with for a sustained period of time. We were told by several admissions people that it wasn't the number of activities you were able to list but the amount of time and effort you had dedicated to them. One 3 week trip in the summer to a foreign country wasn't as compelling as four years of delivering meals to shutins, for example. That's also why they said they liked to see Eagle and Gold Awards in Boy and Girl Scouting - they knew it was an achievement that had been ongoing and had had some real effort given to achieving it.

The travel is wonderful, but if you're hoping it will guarantee you a spot in a particular college, I think you're wasting your time. DD was waitlisted at both of her "reach" schools, despite her travel.

 

[amykathleen2005]

I am in college now and from my own personal experiences, doing community service activities in your own community are justas if not more important than trips, other than perhaps mission trips. It shows that you are a contributing member of your society. Also these are SO much easier to become involved in and really deidicate yourself too, as well as more opportunities for leadership. Students are able to find a problem in their community that they want to address and take measures to fix it, much like people in the "real world" can do. In addition, as I have mentioned before, these trips are more like fun/service and much of the time is not spent doing service but sightseeing. Also, the people who the students visit often are bombarded by do-gooders for a small amount of time ( who in SOME cases, do more harm than good) and than are left to fend for themselves, ignored, again, after everyone leaves. These trips should if taken establish a sustained relationship. IMHO, if someone really wants to do good works than they can just go to their local food kitchen, donate clothes, organize an activity or even collect goods and money to send abroad. Most schools and students realize that only the rich can really afford these trips for their children and therefore, those who don't have the money don't have the same opportunity. The money spent on these would be better used someplace else. I mean, if say 10 kids were going on a trip for two weeks for $3000 each, would the community they were helping rather have probably around a couple hours of service a day from each kid or $30,000?? I am not saying that all trips are bad, but that is my perception and I believe the belief of many colleges.

 

[vhoffman]

Ok, climbing into my flame-proof suit here, but could one reason why "do-gooder" trips are so popular is that they provide resume material from a safe distance? Going on a trip to another country, or even within this country, ostensibly to "do good" has the added advantage of not having an ongoing relationship with the down troden. I really wouldn't want my kids getting too chummy with the regulars at the Salvation Army, then have them make their way over to my house. You have to be especially careful what you expose a pretty young girl to (remember Elizabeth Smart!)

 

[DVCLiz]

Ok, climbing into my flame-proof suit here, but could one reason why "do-gooder" trips are so popular is that they provide resume material from a safe distance? Going on a trip to another country, or even within this country, ostensibly to "do good" has the added advantage of not having an ongoing relationship with the down troden. I really wouldn't want my kids getting too chummy with the regulars at the Salvation Army, then have them make their way over to my house. You have to be especially careful what you expose a pretty young girl to (remember Elizabeth Smart!)

I think that's a pretty far reach, in my opinion. My girls have done lots and lots of local community service with school, church and Scouts, and it never occurred to me to feel that they needed to be kept "safe" from the people they were helping. And Elizabeth Smart was taken by someone who was hired to come to her house, not someone she met in the course of community service work, for what that's worth.

I just think kids see these trips as a great opportunity, if the family can afford it. Who wouldn't rather go to Africa than spend a week down at the local soup kitchen?

 

[powellrj]

Ok, climbing into my flame-proof suit here, but could one reason why "do-gooder" trips are so popular is that they provide resume material from a safe distance? Going on a trip to another country, or even within this country, ostensibly to "do good" has the added advantage of not having an ongoing relationship with the down troden. I really wouldn't want my kids getting too chummy with the regulars at the Salvation Army, then have them make their way over to my house. You have to be especially careful what you expose a pretty young girl to (remember Elizabeth Smart!)

where does it say that kids that take these trips also don't "do good" in their own communities? Its not an either or situation. I know some of our trips have been to places that we have an on going relationship with missionaries we support.

Our kids already have a superbowl party planned for the local homeless shelter and have already made plans to set up the local cancer gourmet fundraiser. Just because a kid travels on a "do good" trip, doesn't mean they don't "do good" at home too.

 

[ZPT1022]

I don't know about kids going on them, whether or not to pad resumes for college, as my kids are still small, but it's the kind of trip I'd love to go on with a friend, or with DH when we're retired. I think it would be great to recharge your soul like that. I've done a few things like that back in my teens, with church, through school, and on my own but not to the extent of traveling to another country or for weeks at a time. I think it could be a great experience

 

[disneygoof]

Just another point, the trips I am familiar with do not have parents writing a check for the children to go away for a week and come back a changed person. The commitment is a year long, and the children (young adults) raise the money themselves, and the amount of teamwork this involves is incredible. Also, they are not set up with by a pseudo travel agent, they are organized by a pastor or church who has an established relationship with a parish or community who benefit from the help annually. The relationship is stable, the players change. The year leading up to the trip is spent teambuilding, studying the history and culture of the host community, and completing the requisite fundraising to support the trip and work to be done.