For many tweens and teens, a large part of their summers are spent at a traditional summer camp. And rightly so, camp is awesome! Filled with fun, friendships, activities, and lots to do, it's a great way to spend a summer. But what happens when they age-out, or feel like they are ready for the next step?

What can my child do after summer camp?

This is a question asked by moms and dads across the country. As children grow older, their thirst for adventure, new experiences, and exploration evolves alongside them. And that's where The Road Less Traveled (RLT) can step in and help!

The transition from traditional summer camps to more immersive and dynamic experiences becomes the perfect next step in their personal development journey. Teen travel programs, like ours at RLT, are exciting and transformative adventures that go beyond the boundaries of the familiar campfire and canoe activities. 

In this blog post, we'll explore why a teen travel program is the ideal choice for adolescents seeking a unique and enriching summer experience, after their camp time finishes.

What are teen travel programs like?

RLT programs in some ways are very similar to camp. You meet lots of new friends from across the country, and get to do a ton of new activities, and have LOTS AND LOTS OF FUN! But at the same, they offer an experience that a summer camp cannot. 

Our programs take place across the world, so you could be visiting Greece, Italy, or Bali. We do fun adventure activities like camp, but ours are climbing on real rock faces, not synthetic, rafting down some of the most extreme white-water gorges, learning to surf in iconic surf spots like Hawaii, or going underground caving in Puerto Rico, to name just a few! Imagine camp activities, kicked up a gear to the next level of challenge and adventure. 

We also include service work in our trips, so as part of visiting a new country, you can work alongside locals, understand challenges being faced across the world, and do some good by helping out on meaningful projects. Service projects could involve helping at an elephant sanctuary, helping to build underwater coral reef systems, monitoring turtles and marine life, tackling food inequality, or building community projects in local villages. 

You will also get to experience new cultures, and learn about the history, heritage, geography, and unique aspects of the place you are visiting. We visit some of the most iconic places across the world, including the Colosseum in Rome, the Acropolis in Greece, the temples of Bali, the fjords of Norway, or the thermal pools in Iceland!

Sounds cool, right? Well, it gets better! 

At RLT, we have over 20 different trip locations on offer each summer. So, each summer, you can have a different, unique, and inspiring adventure in a different part of the world. 

Imagine this! 

• Age 15: age out of summer camp and you are ready for your next adventure. Go on an RLT trip to Hawaii to experience something different! Surf, swim, zipline, snorkel, and hike to explore these wonderful islands.
• Age 16: after loving your Hawaii trip, you get the travel bug and want a different cultural immersion experience, so you go to Costa Rica! Raft through the jungle, surf along the coast, help small communities in the Turrialba valley with service projects, and travel across the country while practicing your Spanish. 
• Age 17: with two summers of travel under your belt, you are ready to explore further afield and take on a three-week expedition in Norway, crossing the country by mountain bike, hiking trails, and kayaking through the fjords. This expedition is not an easy trip, and pushes you to your limits as you navigate the challenges with your group and leaders. 
• Age 18: after graduating high school, you want one last adventure before college. You finish your time with RLT with a combo trip exploring Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. What better way could there be to spend your senior-year summer traveling through Southeast Asia? 

In summary:

While traditional summer camps offer a plethora of benefits, a teen travel program provides a unique and enriching experience that serves as a stepping stone into adulthood. From fostering a global perspective to nurturing independence and leadership skills, teen travel programs offer a holistic approach to personal development after camp finishes. 

If you are getting to the end of your camp journey, and looking for the next step, a teen travel program could be just that! Check out our full range of programs for summer 2024 here!