Overview

Overview:

Unschool Adventures leads long-term international trips & semesters and U.S.-based experiential educational programs for self-directed young adults, ages 14-21. Each of their trips builds the skills, experience, and self-confidence that a young person needs to transition into independent adulthood. Their trips typically enroll unschoolers: young people who are given large amounts of freedom and responsibility to design their lives and educations as they see fit. But you need not use the term “unschooler” to join. They’ve enrolled homeschoolers, alternative school students, and high school students in the past. They offer enrollment to any young person who is enthusiastic and prepared for the trip to which they’re applying.

Unschool Adventures isn’t like other travel companies that offer regular, repeating trips and programs. Every Unschool Adventures trip is new and different. They do this in order to take advantage of changing world conditions (e.g. weather, prices, safety, suitability for groups of Western teenagers) and to keep things fresh for both the participants and trip leaders.

Details:

  • Length: Varies – typically between 4-12 weeks
  • Apply: Varies – check the website for details

Spud’s Thoughts:

More and more folks are becoming familiar, and comfortable, with the concept of unschooling – where you let individuals craft the learning experience they most desire. Unschool Adventures is built on the philosophy that designing your own itinerary or simply wandering through a town and trying to find your way out can be the most impactful. Some of my most favorite learning moments have happened when I was literally lost in a city or rural community and had to wander for hours to try and find my way home. Unschool Adventures brings that spirit into an international trip for youth. Blake Boles, one of the visionaries and leaders behind the organization, is one of the people I deeply respect in the alternative learning space and he offers a lot of great resources on his personal website if you want to dive deeper into this field.