September 19th -23rd

Create a sustainable partnership in Puerto Rico through service, cultural immersion, design thinking, permaculture, ecotourism, social entrepreneurship, and alternative education. Participants see the world differently by establishing a service learning collaboration with PECES, the community of Punta Santiago, and the Land + Heart Project to rebuild homes, co-create food forests, and design the future with hands-on education.

 

Students are immersed in a real-world design lab thinking through the pressing issues of sustainability in the context of tourism, Puerto Rico and Philadelphia, new economies, self-sufficiencies, climate change, wellness, and activism. Mindful voluntourism. The Puerto Rico Project is hoping to raise $5000 and bring labor for 5 days to double the impact of solving pressing issues in Puerto Rico with the long-term health of PR in mind.

 

This is a PILOT program. This one trip is designed to identify our challenges and solutions with the intention of making this trip ongoing, symbiotic, and mindful. We have identified the logistics we need from our partners at PECES because of their understanding of the needs of the community and their boots on the ground coordinating current volunteer efforts.  PECES has developed a Global Giving Campaign to raise awareness and funds for construction costs in their Rebuild 100 Homes campaign. We want to help.

 

1. Service learning opportunities for young people from all sides - Cocreate projects before, during, and after the trip. Can we create open lines of communication with the young people of Humacao and PECES to identify ways we can work together?

2. Workshops at PECES for young people to attend and co-create. Can we plan at least 3 full days with the students and teachers of PECES? We can plan and prepare for the workshops.

3. Hands-on Volunteer works REBUILDING 100 HOMES - Construction jobs, water system implementation, clean up, and urban gardens for high school-aged teens and adults. Can PECES identify the materials list and specific projects 15 - 30 volunteers can work on for 20 hours and to best use the $5000? We would love to help develop these opportunities.

4. Sponsorships, tools, and labor. We can bring support with a clear list of what is needed.

 

We are global citizens rebuilding our communities with our future in mind. Let’s create mindful voluntourism. The future built today through relationships, land, and love.

 

Potential Partners

The Puerto Rico Project is a partnership of PECES, Teens Inc, Global Classroom Project, Youthbuild Philadelphia, Foundation for Puerto Rico, Motivos Magazine, and the Land + Heart Project.

 

 

Connecting Teens to the World

 

Service, Immersion, and Design Lab in Punta Santiago, Puerto Rico

Exploratory trip to design the ultimate voluntourism experience that sustains communities in Puerto Rico while developing and implementing solutions to real-world philanthropic challenges of service, volunteering, tourism, and cross-cultural collaboration.

 

Six-Day Draft Itinerary

Participant tuition includes the cost of ...

 

• Construction materials - WE ARE RAISING $5000 for construction materials.

• Housing - two homes, two design teams, internal activities (meals, thinking sessions, and wellness)

• Meals (pay in advance is suggested)

• Service activities - Rebuilding Houses, PECES peer-to-peer Design Thinking workshops, and team building.

• Camping Equipment, service projects, and meals with Land+Heart

• Transportation

 

Highlights

• Housing at comfortable AirBnB with design studio and kitchen

• Camping, farming, and fresh farm foods

• Learn from locals, infuse the economy with funds and ideas, and cultural immersion.

• Mindfulness, wellness activities, and eco-adventure challenges

• Design thinking and community service lab

 

Day One -

• Depart Philadelphia International Airport

• Arrive in San Juan Puerto Rico: Bus pick up at airport.

• Travel to Punta Santiago and arrive at

• Welcome lunch provided and an overview of the week

• Dream

• Community Activity - Explore the beach and community.

• Workshop #1: Shopping challenge for apartments. Each apartment team must purchase food for communal meals and snacks for the apartment. Each team gets a budget.

• Welcome Celebration dinner

• Wellness Activity #1: Journals, rules review, and dinner.

 

Day Two -

• Wellness Activity #2

• Student made Breakfast

• Transfer to PECES introduction to school and services*

• Workshop #2 Dream

• Lunch with students at PECES

• Dinner at the local restaurant House of Mofongo  

• Wellness Activity #3

 

Day Three -

• Wellness Activity #4: Journal Prompt

• Student made Breakfast

• FLIP Service Project

• Lunch

• FLIP Workshop #3

• Dinner at restaurant  

 

Day Four -

• Wellness Activity #6

• Student made Breakfast

• Workshop #4: FLOW Group Service Activity

• Lunch

• Land and Heart

• Dinner  

• Wellness Activity #7

 

Day Five

• Wellness Activity #8

• Student made Breakfast

• FLOW

• Lunch

• Workshop #5: The Plan

• Dinner and Dancing

• Wellness Activity #8

 

Day Six -

• Workshop #9 Realize

• Land and Heart

• Breakfast/ Journal Prompt

• Humacao Nature Preserve - Kayaking, Trail maintenance, and Biking

• Transfer to airport

 

Puerto Rico 2019 Trip  Cost Breakdown

House $300 -$1000 split TBD
Meals 300 individual
Construction $5000 split
Flights 500 individual
Transportation 500 - 1500 split van rental TBD
Guides 500 split TBD
Equipment tools, camping 300 individual TBD
Adventure/activities 150 individual TBD

$1950 total including a $500 donation to PECES

 

A. ServiceTeam Experience Project Costs

 

Homestays, 3 meals per day, two bilingual guides, and material costs for all of the service and home build*

$1125

($125/day)

B. Application fee

Includes travel insurance

$145

C. 6+ Meals

During our trip to the Lake and on Sundays, we eat at restaurants.

$140

J. Flight

 

$575-$850

E. Ground Transportation

Includes transportation in the US to airports

$160

F. Adventure activity*

Ziplining, volcano hiking, and/or whitewater rafting.

$135

D. Cooking and Dance classes*

Approximately $15/p for supplies, space, beverages, and instructors.

$30

K. Admin Fee for Teens Inc

 

$400-$700

 

More Specifically...What’s Included In This Price?

 

1. ServiceTeam Tuition: You will have two staff members coordinating your travel, itinerary, logistics, and planning of your entire ServiceTeam Experience. Accommodations and three meals per day (19 meals a week) with a pre-selected, well-regarded Guatemalan host family. Your ServiceTeam Experience Project Costs also include all construction materials, transportation of materials, site preparation, government paperwork or licenses (if needed), full-time instruction with a professional Guatemalan mason who will accompany your ServiceTeam, accompaniment by ANA team members, transportation to and from work sites when required, sack lunches, and other costs as determined. Included are the food donations, hours at Casa Jackson, and support staff at the shelter. Guides and Translator. La Asociación Nuestros Ahijados will provide at least one, and possibly several professional team member(s) to assist you with your trip while you are enjoying your ServiceTeam Experience. Gratuities for guides and builders are included here.

2. Your $145 registration fee covers up to 14 days of  International Travelers Insurance coverage, including the days of arrival and departure. Each volunteer is automatically enrolled in an

international health and medical evacuation insurance program. This enrollment is mandatory

since many, if not most, stateside insurance programs will not cover you if you become ill or

injured while overseas. This is also the application fee.

1. Restaurant meals tend to be more expensive because they are in tourist locations. This also includes gratuities, ice cream night, and snacks for day trips.

2. We hire local people to teach our classes.

3. Ground Transportation to/from San Juan International Airport for ServiceTeam, Travel to adventure activities and coffee farm, and bus service to and from US Airports (typically Newark International).

4. Admin Fee for Teens Inc includes:*

   1. some chaperone costs,

   2. chaperone training meetings,

   3. organizing and leading 4 parent meetings and 8 traveler meetings

   4. organizing pre-trip fundraising (over 10 events/opportunities) and teaching fundraising methods,

   5. coordinating flights and ticket purchases,

   6. coordination of ground transportation in the US,

   7. consulting on the itinerary: constructing unique learning experiences with schools, farms and community,

   8. donated goods luggage fees and collection organization,

   9. peer-to-peer web hosting,

   10. insurance,

   11. 5% scholarship fund

 

*Any traveler/family who put a deposit down before Nov. 1 received a $300 discount (over 10%).