What ‘type’ of person participates in a Road Less Traveled summer program?

If you are a parent or guardian of a teen who is considering joining a summer program with The Road Less Traveled, you might understandably wonder whether your child is the kind of person who would thrive on one of our summer trips. After all, you will want to be sure that your child will fit in well with their fellow travelers during their time away from home. 

It would be easy to imagine that The Road Less Traveled trips might only appeal to a very specific “type” of teen. You might assume that our summer programs are best suited to someone who has lots of previous experience of taking on outdoor wilderness adventures or maybe already has a long list of service hours and experience there. But that's not the case!

Our summer trips aren’t only for one ‘kind’ of teen! 

The question of what “kind” of teen thrives on our summer travel programs, has a more nuanced answer than the above might indicate. In truth, our student adventure and service trips attract a broad variety of participants. We have city kids, outdoorsy kids, first time travelers, seasoned RLT alum, kids who have never done service before, through to kids who want to challenge themselves on bigger and more exciting adventures then their previous camp experiences.  

In terms of interests, some kids may be big into sports, some love volunteering, some are foodies, some love history and culture, some love camping and roughing it in the wild, while others want more of an urban exploring experience. We really do have such a broad mix of teens join us. 

What our teen travelers do tend to have in common, however, is a thirst for adventure. They aren’t looking for “just another” lazy summer, but instead to take on new challenges and broaden their social and cultural horizons, in support of their own personal growth. 

When your teen is well-matched to their choice of trip, they will be well-placed to thrive 

It would however be an oversimplification, to suggest that we accept “anyone and everyone” for each RLT program; quite the opposite, in fact. 

We have high expectations for those who join us on our trips. This is why we seek out individuals who are genuinely excited about the prospect of their participation in their chosen trip, and who are willing to help make a positive contribution to the group dynamic. 

Those high expectations are reflected in our enrollment process, which includes a requirement for all parents and guardians to complete a detailed enrollment form and personality profile form. 

Every new prospective participant in a The Road Less Traveled program must also submit a teacher or coach reference. Furthermore, we expect all participants to schedule a pre-trip phone call with a member of our office staff, to discuss various aspects they will need to know about ahead of their time away. 

All these steps enable us to ensure your child is genuinely interested in joining us on one of our teen service trips, and will be well-suited to the challenges and experiences they can expect during the program they have applied to. It also means when our group meets on the first day of the trip, they all have the same energy and enthusiasm towards the trip, and we can build on that momentum over the coming weeks. 

If you have any further questions about our teen summer programs and if they would be a good fit for your child, please get in touch to learn more!