Safe Teen Travel and Service Programs
How do we emphasize the safety and wellbeing of our teen travel program participants?
When you are comparing summer student travel programs for your child, there are various priorities that you may have.
You might be eager to find a unique destination where they can immerse themselves in a new and inspiring culture. You may also wish to ensure whatever program you choose incorporates meaningful service projects, that offer certified service hours to meet their school requirements. Or even just looking for a digital detox, to give your teen a break from phones and technology and a chance to explore some of the best natural parts of the world.
There is, however, inevitably another priority that every parent considering summer student travel programs should have: checking that every possible step has been taken to ensure the physical and emotional safety of program participants.
Here at The Road Less Traveled (RLT), we are very much industry leaders in that regard. We take an utterly stringent approach to safety practices, and have carefully refined our processes over our more than three decades of organizing summer student travel programs.
So, what measures do we put in place to ensure safety?
The following are just some of the ways in which we have achieved – and continue to practice – the very highest standards of safety measures across our travel programs:
Our incredible program leaders. Anyone who wishes to lead our student summer programs is required to not only attend our in-house training over two weeks, but also to obtain at least 80 hours of wilderness medicine training, also including CPR and AED training. Aspiring leaders of our programs are required to receive training on Mental Health First Aid, too, as well as to complete American Red Cross Lifeguard or equivalent training. They are also driver training checked, well versed in behavior management, homesickness, group development, processing activities and youth development strategies. Our experienced leaders play a huge role in the success if our programs.
We regularly review our Medical Protocols and Standing Orders. This is done every year by our Licensed Medical Advisor.
We ensure an emergency medical physician is always available. Even when the very best and most effective safety measures are put in place, the risks of the unexpected can never be entirely discounted in outdoor settings. So, we have an emergency medical physician available 24/7 at every point during each trip.
We possess comprehensive knowledge and awareness of the locations we visit. We embark on specific scouting trips and build strong relationships with local communities in the parts of the world that our trips take us. We also develop well-honed Emergency Action Plans and evacuation routes, to make sure we have guarded against every conceivable risk – however small those risks may be.
We hold American Camp Association (ACA) accreditation. This status demonstrates that we have put in place policies in accordance with industry-recognized standards for health and safety and risk management of camp operations.
We run high quality trips with small groups. Typically our group size is around 14 students with 3 trip leaders. This allows us to invest time with each individual student to check in, build a relationship and get to know them, and support them over the trip. This is crucial to supporting the social and emotional growth of the students on the trip.
Our track record as an operator of safe student travel programs speaks for itself; since we were established in 1991, we have never had anyone stay overnight in a hospital from an accident or injury.
To learn more about the range of measures in place that help make our cultural immersion, adventure, and service trips so safe and rewarding for our young travelers, please don’t hesitate to schedule a call with an RLT director today.
