1. ”We need to build fewer walls and more bridges” - Anonymous
The Rise of Volunteer & Purpose/Impact Family Travel
October 24, 2016
Family Travel Association 2016 Summit
”We need to build fewer walls and more bridges”
- Anonymous
Website:
Tel:
Jennifer Spatz

2. Creating Meaningful & Fun Family Volunteer Experiences that have a Sustainable Impact on the Community

3. Global Family Travels’ “3 Pillars”
LEARN
SERVE
Brief Intro to GFT and what we do :
Global Family Travels’ mission is to “Learn, Serve and Immerse,” using travel as a means to build cultural bridges and to foster global citizens. In partnership with community-based tour operators and local non-profit organizations, Global Family Travels creates and offers service learning tours for families which include a unique mix of cultural and educational activities, homestays and participation in local service projects aimed at improving the lives of people in the communities we visit.
IMMERSE

4. Pre-trip Learning lends itself to a more impactful volunteering experience
Pre-departure learning session - prepares families for trip and understanding of the country’s history, religion, food, language, climate, cultural norms & etiquette, and community’s socio-economic development challenges

5. Work with the Right Non-Profit/Community Partner
Due diligence about NGO and their local impact:
Work with the community side-by-side
Is NGO involving the community when it comes to implementing projects?

6. Use of Photography- Makes Project FUN & Impactful
Photos can be used to tell impactful story about socio-economic challenges community faces and for advocacy issues.
Use of photography and sports to foster cross-cultural communications and make it fun for all; Photos can be used to tell impactful story about socio-economic challenges community faces and for advocacy issues.
On this trip, we made it fun both visitors and community by donating used digital cameras to school children and using them in a village cleanup in Ladakh, India. We taught the kids how to use them.

8. Worked with school children to clean up their village in Himalayas and educated them about the hazards of burning plastics and throwing garbage in local water streams, teaching children how to use digital cameras to do an eco-documentary project of the clean up.
Mention making signs youth made to encourage a zero trash policy and presentation to the elders of village

9. Encourage policies related to project that foster global citizenry in community & back home
Zero Trash policy
We made it fun both visitors by donating used digital cameras to school children and using them in a village cleanup , reaching the kids
Use of photography and sports to foster cross-cultural communications and make it fun for all.

10. Worked with school children to clean up their village in Himalayas and educated them about the hazards of burning plastics and throwing garbage in local water streams, teaching children how to use digital cameras to do an eco-documentary project of the clean up.
Mention making signs youth made to encourage a zero trash policy and presentation to the elders of village

11. Peru: Learn, Serve Immerse
in the Sacred Valley
Incorporate fun learning activity for visiting families as part of volunteer experience, like weaving, learning to cook local food, etc.
Our Peru tour has an emphasis on international development, as it pertains to helping to helping the local community improve their living conditions in Peru. During the trip, two learning sessions will help travelers understand how our partner approaches development in their work with female artisans in Peru.
Incorporate fun learning activities for travelers, as well as Economic Development theory and how local partner applies it to their work

12. Panda Keeper Volunteer program in China
Working with animals makes it fun for families and creates awareness about conservation issues.

13. Incorporate Sports into Volunteer Project Encourages local youth to partake !

14. Building a Community Center in Nicaragua (Also used to play soccer!)

15. Incorporate Sports into Volunteer Project Encourages local youth to partake!
When donating equipment, think about a way to encourage locals to give back to environment when using it. For example, we implemented a system to check out balls and nets from local community center in exchange for picking up some garbage around the fields.

16. Take a break and have fun with local host community!

17. Celebrate the end of the project
with a Festival that Everyone will Enjoy!
We were lucky to get Nicaragua’s #1 Band, La Cuenta Son Machin at end of service Project (

18. Post-Travel Slideshow to share and create Sustainable Impact
Post-Trip Debrief & Digital Storytelling for friends, family & classmates – opportunity to reflect & share what has been learned
Post-travel follow-up with non-profit partner and community can lead to more sustained service
Either in return trips, or to more informed and deliberate forms of volunteering back home for international or development causes
Virtual exchange in the aftermath of trip with community, to monitor project’s impacts and discuss future related projects
Post-travel follow-up with non-profit partner and community can lead to more sustained service, either in return trips, or to ore informed and deliberate forms of volunteering back home for international or development causes
Involve advocacy to benefit local community or related project back home