VISIONS Service Adventures 2020

WELCOME TO VISIONS

We believe that stepping outside of ourselves and encountering new perspectives fosters profound
and positive change. We know that young people who engage in meaningful service in unfamiliar
environments gain exceptional insight—it’s been our program model for more than 30 years. Our students
settle into the daily life of the host community, get to know local residents, experience different customs
and in the process, begin to feel a sense of global connection. As one of the first international summer
service organizations for teenagers, we celebrate this connectedness—and the hope it holds for the future.

Since 1988, we’ve built more than 1,300 structures and provided countless hours of social service.

Join us.

D I G D E E P. “It gave me
DO GOOD. a sense of
A M A Z E Y O U R S E L F. what I want
to do in life.”

–N I C H O L A S M A G U I R E ,
2018 & 2019 ALUM

-B E N M E S I K A , 2 0 0 1 A L U M

PROGRAM BASICS PROJECTS

Duration: 10 to 25 days We work an average of five hours each weekday and pack in a lot of skill-building
Service Hours: 35 to 90 and fun. Projects depend on community needs and include construction,
Avg leader to student ratio: 1 to 4 environmental work and social service. Students collaborate with community
Group size: 12 to 25 students members and get to choose from two or three different worksites each day.
Rotating homebase crews complement the service projects and give each student
IS VISIONS RIGHT FOR YOU? a chance each week to help prepare meals and go to local markets for the day’s
RE ACH U S AT shopping.

VISIONS-SERVICE.COM ACTIVITIES
OR
After work ends around 2 pm, cultural exchanges, recreation and other activities
406.551.4423 anchor us in community life. We also set aside a couple of full days each week for
excursions and travel. Students will experience the “must-see” sights along with
exploration far from the beaten path.

LEADERS

VISIONS leaders are conscientious, motivated and compassionate mentors who
enjoy working with teenagers. They join us from a variety of professional
backgrounds including emergency medicine, carpentry, the arts and academia.
Our leaders are seasoned travelers trained to manage risks and harness the
tremendous energy, empathy and enthusiasm of teens.

LODGING & FOOD

We live as a group in the heart of the community. Our homes away from home are
basic but clean and comfortable with showers, bathrooms and full kitchens. Meals
and snacks are varied and healthy. Food allergies and preferences can be
accommodated and vegetarian options are available at all meals.

LANGUAGE IMMERSION PROGRAMS

DOMINICAN GAL APAG OS GUADELOUPE PERU
REPUBLIC FRENCH
S PAN I S H S PAN I S H
S PAN I S H 6/13 - 6/27 • 15 days
6/16 - 7/4 • 19days 5 0 service hours • $ 4 0 5 0 6/10 - 6/24 • 15days
6/26 - 7/14 • 1 9 days 7 0 service hours • $ 6 1 5 0 5 0 service hours • $ 3 8 5 0
7 0 –sIeRrEvNiEc eO ’hBoRuI rEsN ,•2 $0 047 7A L5U0M 7/4 - 7/25 • 22 days
7/9 - 7/27 • 19days 7 5 service hours • $ 5 7 5 0 6/29 - 7/19 • 21 days
7/18 - 7/29 • 12 days 7 0 service hours • $ 6 1 5 0 7 5 service hours • $ 5 2 5 0
40 service hours • $ 3 3 5 0 Dive into La Vie Francaise with a
Venture 600 miles west of the Ecuador Caribbean-Creole twist on the French 7/24 - 8/7 • 15 days
Help build much-needed schools and mainland to where three ocean currents West Indies island of Marie-Galante in 5 0 service hours • $ 3 8 5 0
organize a summer camp for kids from the meet, volcanic activity shapes the land and Guadeloupe. Dig in (literally) at an
poorest neighborhoods of Santo Domingo. the diversity of species inspired the theory organic farming cooperative, participate Work with indigenous farmers on an ever-
Spend off-hours in classic Caribbean style of evolution. The Galapagos are a global in mini internships with local small expanding water conservation and irrigation
— socializing, dancing, laughing, telling treasure under threat. Live and work on a businesses, clear trails and spend time project and construct improvements to local
stories, practicing Spanish and playing permaculture farm in the highlands of with local kids. Learn island traditions, school facilities, all while practicing Spanish
pickup baseball with new friends. Complete Santa Cruz Island to help establish sus- such as natural indigo dyeing, cane in daily life. Attend artisan workshops such as
the experience with excursions to the Zona tainable tourism alternatives. Snorkel with syrup-making and Gwoka drumming— chocolate-making and pottery, and join
Colonial, artisan markets, beaches, caves sea lions and observe blue-footed boobies, all while improving your French community members in pickup soccer
and—on the longer program—the majestic marine iguanas and giant tortoises. language skills. matches and dancing lessons. Surrounded
Dominican Alps. Practice your Spanish while expanding by spectacular Andean vistas, engage with
your view of the natural world. ancient history at Machu Picchu and other
Inca ruins.

ENGLISH PROGRAMS

ALASKA BRITISH M O N TA N A M O N TA N A
VIRGIN ISLANDS BLACKFEET NORTHERN
6/14 - 7/8 • 25 days CHEYENNE
90 service hours • $ 5 9 5 0 6/27 - 7/15 • 19 days 6/28 - 7/22 • 25 days
7 0 service hours • $ 4 9 5 0 9 0 service hours • $ 5 9 5 0 6/26 - 7/10 • 15 days
Live and work in an Athabascan Native 5 0 service hours • $ 3 8 5 0
village at the base of the Wrangell 7/19 - 7/30 • 12 days 7/27 - 8/10 • 15 days
Mountains. Learn carpentry and power tool 4 0 service hours • $ 3 6 5 0 5 0 service hours • $ 3 8 5 0 Learn the storied history of the Northern
skills for construction projects, from Cheyenne tribe, who live under the big
woodsheds to smokehouses to home Embrace a rare opportunity to engage in Live on a conservation ranch on the skies and on the vast prairies of
repair. Spend time on the rivers and lakes ongoing hurricane relief work. Help with stunning Blackfeet reservation in north- southeastern Montana. Help tackle
around Tetlin and spot bald eagles, caribou animal welfare, from direct care to building western Montana. Where rolling grasslands hands-on renovations to homes and
and moose. Weave birch bark and catch dog houses for island pets. Work with kids at meet the towering Rocky Mountains, work on schools, leading a daycamp for children and
fish with native elders, ice climb, canoe a local day camp and gain hands-on building environmental and building projects that serve serving meals to elders, who love sharing
and backpack in the spectacular Alaskan skills through a variety of construction the Blackfeet Indian tribe. Learn about the traditions that many fear may soon be
wilderness. projects. Learn tangible lessons about the contemporary native life and historic lost. Experience a traditional powwow, tour
social and environmental issues the islands connections to the land. Attend sacred the Little Bighorn Battlefield and witness
face in the midst of increasingly destructive ceremonies and a powwow, go backpacking the throughline connecting distant past to
storms. And swim, snorkel, SCUBA dive and and horseback riding, and explore gorgeous present.
explore in one of the most idyllic places on Glacier National Park next door.
Earth.

MIDDLE SCHOOL “My community and I have worked with
many groups over the years. But
M O N TA N A
BLACKFEET something I will tell you about Visions
is this...they are the groups who see me
6/15 - 6/24 • 10 days
3 5 service hours • $ 3 1 5 0 and my fellow Dominicans as equals.
Who spend time with us as friends and
The VISIONS program for middle schoolers
is carefully crafted with the younger student where the exchange is mutual.”
in mind. We live at the Yellow Bird Woman
Sanctuary, a conservation ranch that the late –A L B E R T O R A M O S , C O M M U N I T Y L E A D E R ,
Elouise Cobell, a renowned Native American, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
asked us to caretake starting many years
ago. Kids get to know the tribe through “VISIONS taught me how important
modest building projects and social services,
which are wonderfully balanced by cultural it is to have confidence in myself,
immersion and recreation.
and that taking risks can lead to

beautiful experiences and growth.”

–SYLVAN L E B R U N, 2017 AL U M

“It is where kids learn their adulthood
is full of opportunities. It is an

experience that pushes you to be your
honest self. It is exhausting in all the

best ways. VISIONS is NOT a summer
camp; it is a life-altering gift.”
–GRETCHEN BADE, VISIONS LEADER SINCE 2000

WH AT D I S T I N G U I S H E S VI S I O N S

STRONG COMMUNITY TIES
Average history with our host communities is 22 years. Live as a group within the
community and experience authentic cultural immersion. Share stories, worksites,
traditions, meals and ideas.

COMMUNITY-DRIVEN SERVICE
Service projects address community needs as defined by community members. VISIONS
values the ability of community service to build relationships on trust and respect.

CIRCLE MEETINGS
Gather as a group a few times a week for genuine reflection, sharing and listening.
Acknowledge and address issues that arise naturally within a group. Circle
meetings unite us, help new insights stick and bind all of the other program
elements together.

TECH FREE PROGRAMS
Unplug from tech devices and the internet to be fully present. Time is carved out
once a week for students to call home.

INCLUSIVE GROUP DYNAMICS
An almost unheard of average ratio of one leader to every four teens ensures that students receive clear communication and guidance, as
well as the opportunity to bond with a mentor. Inclusion is further promoted by our policy that no more than two friends may attend the
same program together, which encourages students to forge new friendships.

VISIONS is a woman-owned organization dedicated to creating connections that are transformative and that make a positive difference for the
individual, community, living creatures and the earth. This is not your average teen summer program. Our long-standing program model built
on the pillars of meaningful service, authentic cultural immersion, and open-minded exploration has created a global community that will have

ripple effects for years to come.

even more uniqueness

“This trip taught me that doing good is not
always what you expect. True service is
doing what the community needs.”

–SOPHIA MARASCO, 2018 & 2019 ALUM
–G R A C E L E E , 2 0 1 5 , 2 0 1 6 , 2 0 1 7 A L U M

L AS T I N G I M PACT CUSTOM PROGRAMS

When our students engage whole-heartedly in our program In addition to summer programs, VISIONS runs customized trips for
activities, they gain: schools, clubs and other groups who want to travel with the spirit of
service, immersion and adventure. Choose from any of our program
• Knowledge of the culture, history and society of the host locations, any time of year. Teachers are welcome and we work
community together to create a program that aligns with your goals.

• Communication and community-living skills required in “We feel very blessed in the partnership
order to successfully live in a group
that we have created with VISIONS.
• Hard skills required on the worksites, including tool use
• Understanding of and respect for diversity, in the

broadest sense
• Confidence as an engaged member of a community and

as an agent of change
• Positive attitude towards interacting, learning and

exploring across cultures

This is a time to step outside of yourself,
to do more and be more.

The trips are challenging emotionally,

physically and spiritually; it is not

a vacation. The kids feel trusted

as citizens of the world to make

this earth a better place.”

–R A B B I M A R C E L O B R O N S T E I N ,

B’NAI JESHURUN, NYC

Each fall we hold a 2019 PHOTO CONTEST WINNERS
VISIONS Photo Contest
1ST PLACE
to provide Amanda Warwick
students with the
opportunity to share MONTANA BLACKFEET
their creativity and
2ND PLACE 3RD PLACE
perspective. Sierra O’Brien Claudia Craig

We look forward to
seeing your shots next
year! Follow us to see
what else is happening:

@visions_service

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC PERU

PRSRT STD
U S PO S TAG E

PA I D

G R E AT FA L L S, M T
PERMIT NO. 151

2 0 3 N O R T H C H U R C H AV E N U E | B O Z E M A N , M T 5 9 7 1 5 | V I S I O N S–S E R V I C E . C O M | 4 0 6 . 5 5 1 . 4 4 2 3

D I G D E E P. D O G O O D . A M A Z E Y O U R S E L F.

“The greatest hope my husband and I had
for the program came true; we feel like joy
is reignited in our teenager. He got to see a
glimpse of who he wants to become instead
of being tied to who he thinks he was. He got
a real chance to shed the insecurities of boy-
hood and step into leadership and true work.”

–A L I S O N F I O R I T O , 2 0 1 9 A L U M PA R E N T