Teen travel companies: Where There Be Dragons?
- Rating:
0 after 1 vote
My daughter is coming home early from a trip to Rwanda that we sent her on through the Where There Be Dragons program out of Boulder. She basically was put in a home-stay for the first 10 days with a non-speaking English family and left to walk around by herself. She didn't feel safe and as we tried to talk to Chris Yager, the head of the company, and tried to get her home, he hung up on my daughter's dad today. Has anyone ever heard of or used this company? Scary because I thought I did really great research!
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Joanna Trusdle on -
That is scary! I'm so glad you're able to get her back home. I would immediately contact the organization and work your way to the top. I don't know if that is Chris Yager or not - hope not. If you can't get any satisfaction from the organization, you could contact the State Department and maybe the Dept. of Education to report what happened. I looked up the organization's website, but how can one tell anything from that. They certainly look legitimate, so I wouldn't blame yourself. The more I think about it, you might want to report them to the State Department and Dept. of Education anyway.
-
Permalink Reply by Kid Organizer on -
I agree with Joanna- good advice. Also you may want to contact the Better Business Bureau and tell them your story
Marcella
www.organizingthedisorganizedchild.com
-
Permalink Reply by College Advice on -
I have known several kids who went on Where There Be Dragons trips. These are programs in less-traveled places (Uganda!) for very intrepid students. The first 10 days on any program abroad is going to be difficult, especially those with homestays. But WTBD is very rugged. Think "Peace Corps," not "wildlife safari for tourists."
It's certainly fine to report any organization to wherever one likes. And I'm sure a lot of research was done before choosing this program. But I also note that Uganda is going to be a tough trip for anyone, and basic research would have demonstrated that while English is an official language of Uganda, it's not what people speak in rural areas.
Further, it's a bit rash to want to bring the child home after a few days. Did she not really know what she was getting into? Further, does she feel really "unsafe", or is she misinterpreting signals? What actions has the young lady taken with the chaperones on the trip? What is really going on here? There may be more than meets the eye.
I do consultations with students planning a Gap year or summer adventure like this; http://greatcollegeadvice.com.
Announce yourself!
Badge
© 2009 Created by Megan Calhoun
