USA: Good Works and the Grand Canyon

Arrive into Phoenix International Airport (PHX) and meet your Program Leaders who will be with you for the duration of the program. Head to your hotel in Phoenix and settle in over dinner, relaxing after your long flight, and join the group for an orientation discussion about the week ahead, expectations for your adventure, and an introduction to the local culture.

Drive to Flagstaff with a stop along the way for lunch to take in the beautiful Arizona landscape and Montezuma’s Castle or go for a hike just outside of town with lunch on the trail depending on your arrival the previous day.

Work with our partners at the Flagstaff Family Food Center and Food Bank, which serves one hot meal each day to Flagstaff residents. Prepare dinner for community members and families and learn how to mix donated fresh and canned food to consistently create a balanced meal for a large group each day.

Spend a day exploring Sunset Crater, an extinct volcanic cone crater that affords beautiful views of the desert landscape. Another day, take a hike in the area’s many desert trails that are perfect for capturing stunning photos and spotting wildlife. In the afternoons, spend time in Flagstaff, not far from the historic Route 66, the country’s first cross-country highway that helped populate the American West and create a tourism industry in remote corners of the desert like this one. Flagstaff is now a bustling international community with restaurants, cinemas, parks, and cafes. Join your group for a post-service debrief in the evening, discussing what you experienced and learned through hands-on work in the community.

Drive to the beautiful South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Watch the cactus and endless desert zoom by as you head toward one of America’s most breathtaking landmarks. Walk along the rim, take some photos, and explore! Hike on one of the iconic trails and catch some last shots of the sunset before heading back home to Flagstaff for another night of desert relaxation.

Visit picturesque Sedona with its beautiful landscapes and fun swimming spots. Continue on to Arcosanti, a unique desert community that uses ecology and design to create a sustainable space for people to live. Take a tour of the town and art studios before sitting down as a group for dinner.

At the end of each program, students reflect on their experiences and the issues they engaged with, and talk about how to apply this new understanding to their own worlds. During or after their closing discussion, groups participate in Rustic Ties, a unique and powerful activity that allows students to capture the memories and learning moments of their program to process and share with their communities back home.

Your Program Leaders will take you to the airport for your departure as you say goodbyes and reflect on your adventure.