Parents as Leaders/Guests

Are guests or parents allowed on the program?
Our programs are designed to be group experiences in which students learn to work together, get along, and become more independent and mature. While Student Ambassadors will have the help and guidance of the delegation leaders and managers whenever they need it, they also learn to handle things on their own, without their parents’ help. For these reasons, parents will not travel with their student’s delegation. 

Can parents/grandparents apply to lead a delegation?
Yes, if you meet our leader qualifications and desire to help students explore and learn, we welcome you to apply to travel with a delegation. Student delegations are led by experienced teachers (average 5 years experience) who have experience working inside and outside of the classroom with groups of children. We follow a ratio of one teacher-leader for every 10 children on the program.

However, if accepted into the program, you would not be assigned to lead your child's or grandchild's delegation. When a parent accompanies his or her child's delegation, an important dynamic of self-discovery changes, not just for that student but for other members of the delegation as well. We have also found that having family members accompany their child's delegation can create problems, both real and perceived. For these reasons, we do not allow parents to travel as leaders with their students' delegations.

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