SUMMER 2020 Dedicated to Adventure Travel for Young People Ages 13 – 18 Let’S Get Bold
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
SUMMER 2020 Dedicated to adventure travel for young people ages 13 – 18 let’s get bold “My daughter’s trip was a great experience from beginning to end. It exceeded my expectations, the trip leaders were great, and my daughter had a wonderful time. It was easy to reach the staff, and they always answered my questions promptly.” – Bindi Johnson, first-year parent from Bryn Mawr, PA WHO IS BOLD earth? ounded in 1976, Bold Earth has more than 43 Fyears of experience as a leader in teen summer camp travel. We have facilitated more than 20,000 (and counting!) successful adventures for our students. Along the way, we have accumulated a great depth of knowledge and experience in the industry and a well-earned reputation for attracting caring, experienced trip leaders. We aren’t simply a summer vacation for teenagers. Rather, our trips are a chance for boys and girls to engage with locals in different cultures, visit spectacular landscapes, and be part of a close, kind community of peers. QUICK FACTS ABOUT BOLD EARTH Ages: Our students are 13–18 and are International locations: France, Spain, Italy, Trip leader medical training: At minimum, currently in (meaning finishing in spring Switzerland, Iceland, Croatia, Montenegro, staff are wilderness first responders and 2020) the 7th through 12th grades. Ecuador, Costa Rica, Belize, South Africa, certified in CPR and lifeguarding. Mozambique, Swaziland, Tanzania, Fiji, Group size: Our trips are coed with 10 to 14 Thailand Activities: Whitewater rafting, surfing, students and two trip leaders. We maintain scuba diving, snorkeling, ziplining, rock a 1:6 staff to student ratio, which allows us Trip length: Twelve to 21 days climbing, hiking, via ferrata, canyoneering, to give students the personal attention they hot springs soaks, rappelling, glacier deserve and foster a close-knit community. Personal program size: We have a selective trekking, mountain biking, sea kayaking, admissions process, screening new stand up paddleboarding, community United States locations: Colorado, Hawaii, students to create kind, supportive groups. service, mountain summits, safaris, cultural California, Utah, Nevada, and Arizona We intentionally limit our program size to immersion and homestays, and Spanish ensure a more personalized experience language classes community service eaningful service plays a valuable role on many MBold Earth trips. Service takes our students from observers to active participants in the communities and environments in which we visit. Whether it’s helping build trails on a 14,000-foot peak in Colorado or caring for rehabilitated primates in Thailand, our service projects offer students a chance to give back in a small way—and broaden their perspectives in the process. A crucial aspect to meaningful service is making sure it benefits the communities we visit; you won’t see us doing a project that isn’t truly beneficial and within the skill set of our students. That’s why not all of our trips offer service. These short-term projects deliver an opportunity to teach stewardship and a chance to expose our students to different cultural backgrounds in an authentic setting. Service lets us engage directly with locals in a way that’s more than just tourism. While our projects are not a replacement for long-term service aid provided by trained and skilled professionals, we can still offer the chance to develop a contribution mindset. “My son came back extremely happy. He misses the adventure, the friends, and the trip leaders he met. He was very nervous going by himself, but he feels so confident and proud he accomplished this great adventure. The leaders did an amazing job making Ian feel so comfortable!” – Olga Rapko, parent from Mt. Laurel, NJ A Global community In 2019, our students joined us from 14 countries and 26 U.S. states! Our diverse group comprises students with all different interests, from lacrosse and soccer players to speech and debate team members to actors and artists. Bold Earth students typically perform strongly in academics and are physically active, and they are usually well-liked, fitting in with many different social groups. We hold high standards for our students while they’re on a Bold Earth trip, which helps lead to clique- and judgment-free communities. Our trips are coed (sleeping arrangements are always single-gender). Our typical ratio is 45–50 percent boys and 50–55 percent girls. No Experience Needed Many of our first-time students have never traveled solo before! The flight out of their home airport on the way to Bold Earth is often students’ first real foray into independence and out of their comfort zone. The variety in our trips (some focus more on service, some focus more on cultural immersion, and some focus more on outdoor adventure) allows students to find the perfect fit for them. Bold Earth participants do not need to have any experience in any of our activities prior to their trip; we will teach them everything they need to know! tHE GREAT 8 OUTCOMES dding to a fun summer, we strive for our Great 8 Outcomes to be learned through travel, adventure, immersion in new Acultures, and guidance under caring mentors. Our emphasis on using a kind and inclusive group of students, contribution to global communities, and interaction with new cultures makes Bold Earth a wonderful opportunity to learn life skills needed to thrive in the 21st century. COLLABORATION RESILIENCE CRITICAL THINKING Because teamwork is Everyone encounters The world’s problems our Program Goals essential to success, the challenges and failures. require the ability to ability to work and get Those who rebound from critically analyze a • Physical and emotional safety along well with others failure and see problems situation and formulate • Fun and exciting activities is vital—even when as opportunities will potential solutions that Personal growth and 21st century skills • your team is not of your succeed when others are not often obvious. • Longterm friendships choosing. give up. Our environment provides • Dynamic role models unique opportunities to • Lifelong passion for travel and global culture CREATIVITY LEADERSHIP improve decision-making. • No technology The ability to generate We solve problems in multiple ideas and groups. These groups COMMUNICATION think out of the box need leaders with Few ideas are the is engendered by a heart who know how product of a single supportive and free- to bring out the best in mind, and being able to “Michael and I cannot boast enough about our daughter’s Bold Earth experience. The thinking community its members. Bold Earth effectively communicate program takes personal care to make sure and the absence of provides numerous in a constantly parents are kept informed and up to date technology. opportunities to both lead changing world is a on all aspects of the child’s experience. and follow. much-appreciated Hands down awesome experience! The SELF-MANAGEMENT skill. Teammates need easy registration process and timely Lasting success requires OPTIMISM to be able to share follow-up made it clear that this program executive function: the An optimist is someone and articulate ideas, and all involved are not only committed but truly care about making everyone’s ability to manage time, who welcomes challenge, compromise, build trust, experience top-notch. We already have be responsible for self, believes that problems and understand each and will continue to sing the Bold Earth and postpone short-term are temporary, and other as they work praises.” – Jennifer Chadaloff, parent from gratification in pursuit of has the ability to effect toward common goals. Montclair, NJ more important long-term change. goals. “I loved my trip. It was a new and exciting experience for me that showed me how strong I am and helped me create meaningful bonds with everyone in my group.” – Kayla, student from Chappaqua, NY safety and risk management ntrusting others with the safety and care of your teenager thousands of miles from home can feel overwhelming. While no activity or trip can be 100 Epercent without risk, mitigating risk is our top priority and the foundation of everything we do at Bold Earth. We believe students are at greater risk in daily activities at home (driving, etc.) than traveling around the world with us. While we maintain a relentless focus on safety, we also know that teenagers need and crave an element of risk. Learning to manage and evaluate risk is an important step en route to independence. At Bold Earth, we begin by making “being safe” cool! We emphasize equipping our students with the judgment necessary to understand probability and consequences so they can bring home a safety-conscious mindset as a by-product of a Bold Earth adventure. These are skills they’ll use for years to come. our trip leaders arents, we want you to breathe easy when you Psend your teenagers to Bold Earth. Our trip leaders are professional adventurous educators, united by a firm belief that safety always comes first (fun is a very close second). In addition to years of leading trips with youth in the outdoors, our staff have, at minimum, Dan zahn 17 years with Bold Earth; Darcy book 4 years with Bold conrad bergeron 3 years bachelor’s degree in history, California Earth; bachelor’s degree in English, with Bold Earth; bachelor’s degree in medical certifications of wilderness first responder and State University University of California, Los Angeles business, University of Wisconsin CPR; all senior staff (at least one on each trip) have lifeguard certifications. Many of