Health & Safety

Safe Environments

We take safety very seriously and thoroughly vet all our providers, partners, and facilities. Your students are supervised and chaperoned throughout the trip and can communicate with family back home. Our staff is trained and experienced at hosting student and youth groups and devoted to creating the best experience possible.

You can count on the following:

  • Constant care and supervision by staff
  • Safe, secure lodging
  • Safe and comfortable transportation in modern vehicles, with licensed, experienced, and insured and drivers
  • A thorough orientation with safety tips and program rules
  • Extensively screened staff with years of work experience hosting service trips
  • First aid kits on site with the group at all times
  • Trusted and vetted clinic and pharmacy access within a 5-minute drive
  • Local cell phones carried by trip leaders at all times
  • Students always being in groups and always near a chaperone
  • Robust safety protocols, including 24-hour emergency contacts and evacuation procedures
  • Established relationships with local health care providers and clinics
  • Frequent email updates from trip leaders to parents sharing highlights
  • Notification of any itinerary changes
  • Schedule flexibility to accommodate special needs, including quiet time to rejuvenate

Healthy
Foods

Healthy food and safe drinking water, reliable access to quality medical care if needed, smart program guidelines, and experienced staff are key to ensuring participants stay safe and sound.

Whether in home stays or guest homes, volunteers will enjoy:

  • Meals prepared fresh daily with a variety of fruits, vegetable, dairy, and grains
  • Local specialties and Western-style staples such as pasta and sandwiches
  • Vegetarian options are always available and most dietary needs (i.e. gluten free) can be accommodated upon request.
  • Unlimited, purified drinking water throughout the day.

In addition, group leaders are equipped with first aid kits at all times and medical facilities are never far from home base (typically within 15 minutes to the closest clinic or hospital) with transportation readily accessible in the event of emergency. Local staff have established relationships with field experts and medical professionals, are in constant contact with the administrative team at our US headquarters, and prepared to handle emergencies should they arise.

Ready for the Trip of a Lifetime?

Find out how to get started

“No one wants their child to have an emergency overseas but knowing how well Dream Volunteers handled the situation when my daughter injured her arm on a school trip last summer gives me so much confidence in the professionalism of this organization and how thoroughly they manage every aspect of the experience.” 

— Shital, Parent of a high school participant

Communication

Group leaders carry cell phones at all times. Parents are always given multiple in-country phone numbers that they can dial should they need to reach our staff or their child.

On nearly a daily basis, our staff will send an email home to update parents and loved ones on our progress and noteworthy experiences. In most locations, volunteers will have Internet access. In places where they do not have Internet access, a communication device can be made available to them should they have an urgent need to communicate with someone back home.

Comfort

While our service trips are designed to challenge our volunteers and connect them to the local way of living, we strive to ensure our accommodations and overall experience are relatively comfortable.

You can expect a clean, comfortable bed with plenty of blankets, warm showers, an opportunity to have your laundry done, and fresh, safe food. Most importantly, you will be looked after by kind, loving hosts and guides whose primary goal is to send you home with a positive impression of their country and culture..

Want to learn more?

Check out these Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).

Let us connect you to an alumni trip participant. We can match you with another student, parent, teacher, or administrator.

We are always happy to connect and answer questions. Please contact us.

Ready for the Experience of a Lifetime?

Find out how to start the journey