Kayla Anzalone is Director of Parent Experience & Portugal Operations at Rustic Pathways. She is the point of contact for families before, during, and after a student's program.
Kayla oversees Rustic Pathways programs in Portugal, including local partners, logistics, and student safety planning.
Kayla led Travel For All, a Rustic Pathways initiative to open educational travel to more students. She also launched the Global Perspectives Scholarship, which funds international programs for students who could not otherwise attend.
Kayla writes about the questions parents ask most: travel documents, health and safety preparation, packing, and what daily life on a program looks like. Her guidance draws on Rustic Pathways' experience running student programs since 1983 in 38 countries.
Kayla has traveled across the Americas, Europe, Asia, and the South Pacific.
Latest
Brooklyn Student Creates a Movement to Plant Trees With Green Space Initiative
Tabor set out to improve his community due to the lack of of green space around underprivileged areas of Brooklyn. Learn how he has requested over 50 trees to be planted and has expanded the project to all of Brooklyn.
How a 15-Year-Old New Yorker Helps 500 Homeless Individuals as a Student
Learn how Malaika raised funds to purchase and donate eco-friendly socks to individuals experiencing homelessness.
Rustic Spirit Spotlights x Climate Leaders Fellowship: Student Impact Goes Coast to Coast in the USA
Read about Ruby and Elyse’s efforts during the Climate Leaders Fellowship in California and New York!
Rustic Spirit Spotlights: Connor, Ciara and Jhanavi
Teens around the United States are teaching youth important skills and helping individuals in need.
Rustic Spirit Spotlights: Samar, Rebecca and Pyncha
These three teens are dedicated to impacting their communities and beyond. They advocate for human rights, quality healthcare and ensure the growth of future generations.
Cora Nicolaisen on the Heart of the Jungle Program in Costa Rica
Cora Nicolaisen of Weston, Massachusetts, did community service in Uvita and Puerto Jiménez, Costa Rica, on Rustic Pathways’ Heart of the Jungle program in 2021.
Zoe Ogden on the Pura Vida Service Program in Costa Rica
Zoe Ogden of New York dug trenches, laid cement and made friends from across the U.S. on Rustic Pathways’ Pura Vida Service program in Costa Rica in 2021.
Christian Robert on the Pura Vida Service Program in Costa Rica
Christian Robert of Jackson, New Jersey, volunteered at a school in Costa Rica on Rustic Pathways’ Pura Vida Service program in July 2021.
Brice Cooper on the Thai Elephant and Turtle Conservation Projects
Brice Cooper of New York City cared for elephants in Thailand in 2015 and sea turtles in Costa Rica in 2016, then studied wildlife conservation at Cornell.
Online Volunteer Opportunities for High School Students
Explore the best online volunteer opportunities for high school students in 2025. Earn service hours, build skills, and make an impact from home.