- “Emily had the experience of a lifetime. It was well rounded with a wonderful combination of experiential learning, environment, classroom and culture. What I like best is the opportunity for such a unique experience combined with college credit.”
- — Rhoda Bernstein, Fort Worth, TX
- “Academic Treks was an experience our daughter will always remember. It was the right blend of fun, learning and service. With the world continually shrinking, we are trying to impart ‘a citizen of the world’ mentality to our children and the AT program went a long way towards instilling that connection to other cultures and places.”
- — Beth Leonard, Birmingham, AL
- “This travel program was the third for my son. Of those three, Academic Treks was the most responsive and inclusive relating to issues of safety and program quality. Kyle said the oversight by the counselors and his home stay mom set the stage for mutual respect. ”
- — Joanne Matthews, Coral Gables, FL
- “As a parent you want your child to experience the pride and sense of accomplishment that comes from meeting new expectations and moving beyond your current limits. Also you want them to develop a concern for the larger world, fellow human beings and the environment. My son returned from his trip with a greater self confidence and awareness, amazed and enlightened by what he saw and experienced.”
- — Suzy Schneider, Atlantic Beach, NY
- “I have never learned about a culture as in depth as I did on this trip. It's a great trip that challenges you, but in turn betters your sense of living as a global citizen.”
- — Emily Pisano, Bainbridge Island, WA
- “I will never forget swimming underneath the waterfall, meeting the chief of a village, staying with a family in Orosi, playing games with the orphans, and allowing myself to open up to all kinds of people. My Spanish was not too great when I started, but now I am at the top of my class in school. Broadreach helped me grow as a person; it made me a better person and enriched my life. Oh, and we definitely had a lot of fun!”
- — Mary Katherine Smith, Spartanburg, SC
- “Academic Treks is a first-class experientially based program for teens that helps them become better stewards of the earth, themselves, and each other. Our daughter can't stop talking about it!”
- — Lynda Scalf-McIver, Tampa, Florida
- “Broadreach's attention to every detail of the planning and the trip itself gave me the confidence to put my 15-year old daughter on a plane by herself at JFK, knowing she would have the experience of a lifetime...and she did! Her conversational Spanish, her confidence in travel, her cultural awareness and her connection to her host family and friends.... all remarkable gifts from this trip! Thank you.”
- — Denise Ratcliffe, Wayne, NJ
- “The intensity of the personal relationships that our daughter developed with her "family" during the home stay and with some of the orphans at the orphanage was as important to her as the fun and excitement of the recreational aspects of the trip. We were enormously pleased with the whole experience. The group leaders were terrific, and the relatively small size of the group made it possible for everybody to play an important role. She loved every minute of it, and returned with a much better sense of the world and her place in it.”
- — Anne Forlines, Locust Valley, NY
- “Adventure Peru uniquely integrates experiential learning, history, language, culture, outdoor teamwork and global service. No other classroom can provide such a diverse and immersive experience.”
- — Zohra Choudhry, Fort Worth, TX
- “Allison came back buoyed by her experiences and her connections with her counselors and peers. Gaining first-hand experience in the field was challenging, but very valuable, as she absolutely loved it and feels certain that Marine Sciences will be her area of interest for college studies”
- — Karyn Rothstein, Reisterstown, Maryland
- “WTM was a terrific trip for my daughter. Although the WFR class was a lot of work, she really enjoyed it and learned so much. She absolutely love working in the clinic, and that confirmed to her that she'd like to pursue a career in medicine. She embraced the cultural experience and homestay, and learned to deal with different people and different situations. She came home more confident, sensitive and aware. I know she'll never forget the trip or the friends she made.”
- — Melissa Stafford, Littleton, CO
- “This trip surpassed our expectations in every way. The size of the group, the variety of activities and the wildlife were all perfect. This trip created memories to last a lifetime.”
- — Elissa Charbonneau, Yarmouth, ME
- “Seeing how Anne handled every challenge and adventure during this trip and how she took every chance to 'grow,' I think she is more ready to move on to college next year than I am.”
- — Gertie Van den Goor, Marlette, MI
- “The depth of the interaction we had with locals and the bonds we formed at every place was overwhelming. In addition, learning about sustainable development was certainly an eye opener.”
- — Leah Effron, Livingston, NJ
- “Broadreach provided the opportunity to explore Ecuador: climb mountains, learn to weave, live with a family, dance around fires, and make new friends with peers from different parts of the country. Sarah is now starved for more adventures. Thank you Broadreach!”
- — Marta Phillips, Darien, CT
- “Strangers, people we’ve never met before, welcome us into their homes with no expectations other than that we come open minded and experience their culture.”
- — Whitney Connell, Portsmouth, RI
- “Of all the ways to end our spectacular trip, dancing on the beach with a raging fire and booming music by the sea was one of the best. We had spoken earlier about what we had learned from this trip — to always take opportunities, to conquer your fears, to always be yourself — but most of all to make every experience count and shape you for the future.”
- — Lizzy McCarthy, London, England and Julia Bobo, Wilmette, IL
- “The hands-on experience and observation combined with the academics and cultural experiences seem to have kept Taylor going from 6 am to 10 pm (at least!). I am amazed at your ability to organize a rigorous, broad-based, and fun program integrating all that you do, stimulating many different teenagers academically as well as socially and have such a positive outcome!”
- — Dr. and Mrs. Gary Asher, Lunenberg, MA
- “I’m going home with a deeper, more sincere, intimate connection to my environment. Not just to nature, but to third world situations, to cities, to haciendas, to homes where other people let me eat their food and understand and share their lives. I am that much more able to welcome new ideas, new people, new foods, new anything — because I came on this trip.”
- — Sydney Linder, Providence, RI
- “In terms of adventure and education, you can’t get much better than this!”
- — Jean Young, Chatham, MA
- “Dallas had a very positive experience... He was extremely impressed with the instructors, the overall course presentations, and of course the challenge of diving. He thoroughly enjoyed the friends he met and is keeping in touch. He felt that the program was very professionally run.”
- — Rebecca Swift, Santa Barbara, CA
- “This adventure sparked a passion in my son for conservation and marine science… The fantastic instruction, the interaction with the islanders on Saba, the hands-on research, the great diving and the sailing trip to other islands created an adventurous and enriching experience he will never forget.”
- — Nancy Love, Burlington, VT
- “We have sent Evan to other marine biology summer camps in the past, but none compare to yours. We were SO pleased with the high level of organization of your outfit, the What's Up communications, the challenging level of the academic program, and (last, but definitely not the least) the counselors who provided such a fun, exciting and rewarding program for the kids. Bravo!”
- — John and Holly Bollier, Guilford, CT
- “It is difficult to convey adequately the superlative qualities of this program. Each facet — adventure backpacking in the Andes, Spanish language instruction at the hacienda, cultural immersion in a beautiful colonial city, community service — could have stood alone as justification for the trip. The leaders and organizers showed a gift and expertise in organization, attention to detail, vision, and the ability to realize their vision.”
- — Gardner and Deborah Britt, Santa Rosa, CA
- “The Immersion Oaxaca program exceeded any expectations for my son. The combination of new friends, cultural and language immersion and the connection to his loving host family has created a truly unforgettable like experience. He came back home yearning for more opportunities abroad. Most importantly he developed an even greater respect, appreciation and understanding of a culture beyond the one in which he now lives. It was life changing.”
- — Susan Strauss, Seattle, WA
- “It was so cool to be able to put my Spanish to use. It’s so unbelievably satisfying when I communicate with the Costa Ricans here, because the years of dedication to my studies is paying off in a real-life experience. I learned so much and honestly could not have been moved more by this experience. Thanks!”
- — Elise Birkhofer, Menlo Park, CA
- “The experiences provided by Broadreach/Academic Treks had a profound impact on our daughter. They introduced her to a new way of seeing the world — and her place in it. Madeleine went on this trip knowing no else — and came back with twelve close friends.”
- — Mary Raring-Hart, Lampasas, TX
- “This program is a celebration of culture; it’s a chance to absorb something else into yourself and to in turn give back some of your self to others.”
- — Kelsey Hudson, Blue Hill, ME
- “Fantastic all the way around! The adventure was professionally run and was the perfect combination of fun, work, accomplishment, and service. We lived for the terrific journal updates! We will definitely recommend this to friends, and will be sending our other children as well!”
- — Melanie Cox, Bryn Mawr, PA
- “We have accomplished so much. We have managed to touch other lives and add to our own. I connected with people not through common pasts or experiences, but by new days and experiencing things outside of our element. If only every person could do something like this, be rewarded…”
- — Ema Bravman, Wilton, NH
- “The Academic Treks experience provided my sons with adventure, camaraderie, cross-cultural language learning and I, as a parent, was assured they were in experienced capable hands.”
- — Janis Hastings, Shoreline, WA
- “Thank you for another wonderful summer! Your adventures are safe, educational, culturally enriching and fun… Really fun! I can’t imagine a better experience for my son.”
- — Rachel Lorentzen, Palm Beach, FL
- “I can say that this has been a life enriching experience, and I will never forget the time I shared with the 11 other individuals, and what they taught me about life and myself.”
- — Alec Griswold, Baltimore, MD
- “The staff was wonderful. The program was awesome. We were never bored, yet we always had time to ourselves. I loved how we saw many different climates, landscapes and cultures in three weeks. I couldn’t have had a better time in Ecuador and I loved every moment of it.”
- — Mackenzie Martin, Austin, TX
- “Jenny had an amazing experience... She had a lot of fun and her Spanish improved a great deal. She met wonderful people and will always have positive memories of her summer. Jenny learned a lot and appreciates different cultures now more than ever.”
- — Alice Hartman, New York, NY
- “Leaving Pimpollo today, I felt wonderful. I felt like I made so many people happy, myself included. I was so sweaty, very dirty and dead tired, but I’ve never felt happier… I was thinking how much we accomplished in one day and how much more that is than what I accomplish on a typical day in the summer.”
- — Lauren Swayze
- “Mike went on this trip because he wanted to be sure of his career goal to be a marine biologist. He was hesitant to leave all his friends at home behind… Upon his return, which was a reluctant one, he not only was confident in his career goal but realized that he possessed the self confidence to not only be away from the familiar, but that he could thrive and be happy in the unfamiliar setting as well.”
- — Lora and Mark Feldner, Mahwah, NJ
- “I have one word for this trip: indescribable. I can’t describe the magic of this trip and what it has done for me. This trip gave me a huge confidence boost.”
- — Kristina Telck, Detroit, MI
- “No program has had such a positive impact on my daughter than Broadreach. She had a wonderful time – all the while growing emotionally, physically, and intellectually. It has been months since her trip and she still glows when she talks about it and keeps in touch with her new friends.”
- — Akaela Michels-Gualtieri, Washington, DC
