Teen Travel for Middle School Students: Why This Age is the Perfect Time to Start

Summertime can be boring for middle schoolers. Summer camp opportunities dwindle as tweens and teens age out of summer programs. Filling in the time in different ways can be hard when you’re too young for most summer jobs.

Parents may struggle to figure out how to make sure their child doesn’t spend the whole summer behind a screen. One of the best options is teen travel. The middle school years are a perfect time to begin teen travel programs.

While most local summer camps begin in preschool, teen travel programs – like the Young Explorers program in Costa Rica – start at age 12 or 13. That’s when students begin to have the level of maturity necessary for teen travel in a well-monitored program. Plus, it’s the time when the need for more independence grows.

But choosing the right teen travel experience is key. A teen travel program that’s well-matched to your child will get them off on the right foot and reassure you that all will be well.

We were very small, innocent 14-year-olds who had not traveled many places without our parents, nonetheless out of the country. I could write thousands of words about that trip and still would not cover it all.”
– Rustic Traveler Ryan Barish

How to Get a Student Started

There are several questions to consider when looking at travel programs for a middle schooler, including:

1. How do I pick a program?
2. How will my child benefit from traveling?
3. Should my child travel?
4. How do I prepare my child for the trip?

We dive into these questions below to get you onto the road to success.

How to Get Middle School Students Started (Works for High School Students Too)

There are several questions to consider when looking at teen travel programs for a middle schooler, including:

1. How do I pick a teen travel program?
2. How will my child benefit from traveling?
3. Should my child travel?
4. How do I prepare my child for the trip?

We dive into these questions below to get you onto the road to success.

How To Pick Summer Programs?

When choosing a teen travel program, factors to consider are:

1. How far do you want your child to be from home?
2. What activities does your child want?
3. Do you want your child to have the comforts of home like Western amenities?
4. How much travel is there during the program?
5. How will you get them to the program?

Copyright: Rustic PathwaysYou can look at a teen travel program like Young Explorers in Costa Rica to see how it’s designed for the needs of first-time travelers. Here are some aspects of the program that make it a good introductory teen travel program for younger travelers:

• All the students on the program are middle schoolers.
• The program has a large variety of activities for students who are trying to figure out what they like. It includes ziplining, service, waterfalls, hot springs, surfing and animal encounters.
• The program leader to student ratio is low, and our leaders are trained to engage groups and ensure safety.
• The accommodations all have Western amenities.
• The travel time from most places in the United States is relatively short – about five hours for direct flights.
• On-program travel is kept to a minimum so that we travel for great experiences and not just to fill time. Extra time on a tour bus can wear down younger travelers and take away energy better spent on having fun with new friends.
• The chaperoned flight options make it easier for your child to travel as an unaccompanied minor.
• The weather is generally mild. It does get hot sometimes in the summer, but not unbearably so. Rain is refreshing most of the time rather than downpours.
• Costa Rica is the safest country in Central America.
• Many Costa Ricans speak English, so the language barrier is not high.

Other options for students who are age 13 and older have similar advantages for newer travelers. This includes Island Living and Eco-Service in the Dominican Republic. And at age 14, nearly all the program options are available.

That’s the time when Ryan Barish began traveling. He says his parents and his friend’s mother convinced him to head to Costa Rica for a travel program after he finished eighth grade.

“We were very small, innocent 14-year-olds who had not traveled many places without our parents, nonetheless out of the country. I could write thousands of words about that trip and still would not cover it all,” Ryan said.

This journey ignited a passion for travel, and Ryan later took Rustic trips to Fiji, Thailand and Laos. With each new program, his confidence grew. And these teen travels laid the foundation for future academic and career goals.

How Does Travel Benefit Middle Schoolers?

It’s well known that middle school is a challenging time for many students, and in turn many parents. The academic and social challenges grow.

Students may be changing classes for the first time and dealing with having different teachers for each subject. They can easily get overwhelmed trying to adjust to the varying expectations of each educator and class. They have more to keep track of – more books, supplies, homework, etc.

On top of that, middle school is famous for its social challenges. There may be new cliques and certainly more pressure to fit in. Depending where you live, the middle school social scene may be narrower than your child realizes. There are certainly cases where students feel like they don’t fit in at their school, but when they travel their world opens up. They may realize they get along better with people with different backgrounds.

It’s known that travel helps students deal with these kinds of challenges. Among the benefits of travel are that your child can:

• Try new things
• Learn to connect with others
• Seek personal growth
• Enhance their global competence
• Try delicious local cuisine
• Form a service-oriented mindset
• Increase their problem solving skills
• Get out of their comfort zone
• Create an independent spirit

They may also begin finding their life’s purpose on these epic community service projects. Rustic Pathways has many alumni whose travels helped them realize what they wanted to do after high school, ranging from international relations to animal conservation.

For Mark Scaglione, he knew he wanted to major in journalism after traveling with Rustic beginning at age 14. First he went to Costa Rica and then India. The people he met while on the road inspired him.

“I’ve always been super curious, and that led me to travel and also led me to journalism. I think the two go hand in hand,” Mark said. “I’m interested in exploring new places and meeting new people. I love pitching stories and telling the stories of different people and places.”

After graduating from college, Mark landed a job working at NBC News Now in New York as a production assistant. He hopes to eventually work in the field as a producer. Starting young with an unforgettable experience was key.

I was so thankful to be exposed to the Rustic Pathways programs in middle school because I knew I had the opportunity and time to try and travel the world, which is exactly what I did in the years following.” – Rustic Traveler Megan Kahrs

Should My Child Travel?

Generally most middle schoolers are at the age when they can thrive during a teen travel program. It’s normal for them to be a little nervous, but student travel programs have lots of guardrails. Just like any summer camp, there are leaders who guide them and ensure their safety.

If you have doubts, it’s good to know you’re in great company when you allow your middle schooler to travel. Many of our most-traveled alumni began their journey in middle school. Catching the teen travel bug during these years often leads to a more adventurous spirit, along with greater confidence.

Megan Kahrs is among the students in this group. Like other Rustic Pathways alumni she started a little closer to home when she traveled in middle school. Then eventually she made larger international trips in high school on our teens program.

Megan was introduced to Rustic in 6th grade. For her first trip, she completed two teen travel programs in the United States before heading out to the Dominican Republic after 8th grade for an international trip.

“I was so thankful to be exposed to the Rustic Pathways programs in middle school because I knew I had the opportunity and time to try and travel the world, which is exactly what I did in the years following,” Megan said.

In high school, Megan traveled farther, heading to Laos and Tanzania. This seems to be a common path. Many of our travelers who live in the United States start with programs in the Americas or Europe and eventually travel farther and longer like to South Korea – or on programs that are more rugged.

How To Be Not Just A Tourist During Teen Travel

Avoid travelling with a standard tour bus company. Try to join a program (like ours) where you will develop new friends possibly lifelong friendships over four weeks (could be one, two or three weeks) on community service programs.

Over that fantastic experience on our summer programs, your teen will enjoy deep cultural immersion and push out of your comfort zone.

How Do I Prepare My Child for the Trip?

So if you’re now set on sending your child on a journey, what’s next? Logistics include tasks like making sure your child has a valid passport and checking if any immunizations are needed. You’ll also need to check out the packing list.

But there are smaller things you can do too. You can go over their teen travel itinerary so they can envision how the flights will work. You can research their destination to set the groundwork for what they may see.

Most importantly, you can reassure your child that they got this. They’re ready to try a new adventure.

As a new world opens up for them, it’ll affect their next steps. It may play a role in deciding what courses they’ll take in high school and how they spend their remaining summer vacations of their youth.

If they start traveling at an earlier age, there’s more time to take advantage of those precious younger years. And it’s certainly more fun to peruse photos of your child having a blast in Costa Rica than knowing they are locked in their room on their phone – again! It really is – you’ll have to trust us on that!

If you’re ready to take the leap for a teen travel program, view the teen travel programs available for students ages 12-14.