Editor’s Note: In an effort to spread awareness of our global projects and celebrate the passionate and courageous individuals that support the Rustic Pathways Foundation, we are launching a series of blog posts that will attempt to illuminate the perspectives of those who work on our projects on a daily basis. We begin this series…
For alumni interested in nonprofit work and development, check out the Development Ambassador position. This volunteer position is through the Rustic Pathways Foundation and is available to alumni of all ages. We are recruiting passionate and creative fundraisers who are eager to represent our global projects with integrity while helping us to reach our ambitious…
For most of our alumni, their Rustic experience doesn’t end just because their program is over. Our alumni return home and create clubs to help support their program’s community service initiatives, make videos about their experiences, start blogs—we even have a few alumni that have done TedTalks! These experiences stay with you, and have inspired…
Being a photo editor has its perks. Reviewing photos every day allows me to travel and see the world without having to pack a bag or find my passport. One minute, I could be in Costa Rica, zip lining through the jungle, and with a few clicks on the trackpad I can travel thousands of miles…
Beyond the opportunity to engage with new cultures, step outside of your comfort zone, and go places you've never been before; what makes a Rustic Pathways experience so special, are the people. Watch this video to learn more about our Rustic family.
[caption id="attachment_6822" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Brent Watkins, vice president of program operations[/caption] Happy Friday! Recently, our very own Brent Watkins, vice president of program operations, talked with goabroad.com about his experiences working with Rustic, his extensive travels in Southeast Asia, and about our programs in Burma. You can check out the interview on goabroad.com right here,…
This is not your average job. In fact, working as a program leader over the summer for Rustic is about as atypical as it gets when it comes to work. Your office might be a remote village in Thailand, the desert in Morocco, or the Sacred Valley in Peru. Clocking in at 9 and then…
Happy Thursday! Since our Gap Semesters kicked off on February 1st, we thought we would check in with a former Gap participant and ask about their experience. Enter Brooke Cornetet. Brooke traveled with us in 2013 on the South Pacific Service and Ocean Skills Semester and then again in 2014 on the Golden Lands…
Check out our new video, A Traveler's Manifesto. Guaranteed to spark your wanderlust. If you need more awesome videos in your life, look no further than the videos section on our website. Enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uOROMq8Aew
To be quite honest, Turkey was not on my travel bucket list. If you asked me where I wanted to go next, I would say India, Colombia, Bora Bora, the grocery store—pretty much anywhere else besides Turkey. So when Ben Welbourn, one of the program managers in the Dominican Republic, told me he was going…
We LOVE your advice. Can you come share it at an open house near you? We have 11 open houses over this next week and hope you can join us. As a Rustic Alum, you are the one everyone wants to talk to. Which program is the best one? What surprised you the most? How did you…
861,571. That's how many photographs we have collected from our programs over the years. Each summer we send photographer guides out on our programs to capture the stunning imagery that our students and staff have the privilege to witness firsthand. Some of those photos end up in our catalog and on the website, but a…
People who work for Rustic are a unique breed; when we aren’t traveling for work, we often travel on the side for fun and a bit of adventure. As you can imagine, Rustic staff have gone on some incredible trips around the world and we thought we would share them with you to spark your…
As promised, the 2014 Service Report is hot off the press and ready for your viewing pleasure. For those of you busy preparing for the holidays and can't read the whole report, below are a few cool stats worth highlighting: 152,379 service hours completed in 2014 25,000 hours dedicated to a potable water project in…
Even though summer trips don’t depart for another 200 days or so, it isn’t too early to get excited and start collecting the things you’ll need for your program, especially with the holidays around the corner. Travelers, show this list to relatives and friends who are looking for birthday or holiday gift ideas. This is…
As a former Rustic Pathways student, I'm excited to share our newest video with you — and not just because I’m in it! Over the years Rustic Pathways has helped me, and many others, form our life trajectories. Our latest video showcases just some of the ways a Rustic Pathways experience can impact students. There are so many…
Have you ever seen a bear dance? Outside of The Jungle Book, sloth bears aren't meant to be dancing. That's why Rustic Pathways and Wildlife SOS initiated a partnership designed to work with the rescued sloth bear population in Agra, India. Wildlife SOS is one of the premier wildlife conservation organizations in India. They work all across the country implementing wildlife and environmental…
This summer, inspired by photographer Brandon Stanton’s Humans of New York, we began to collect photographs and stories of our students, staff, and community partners. The project facilitated interaction and dialogue between students, local staff, and local communities, and has enabled us to share what Rustic Pathways is all about — the people. When our students…
Rustic Alum Dany G. traveled from her hometown of Monterrey, Mexico to join our Rebuilding New Orleans program. She did not know anyone enrolled in the program, and was nervous about being so far out of her comfort zone. Below is her account of what happened next. "Before I had my first trip with Rustic Pathways, I…
Travel changes everything. It changes you. The things you see, the stories you hear, and the moments you experience, they change something deep inside of you. You can’t quite pinpoint what it is, but you know it’s there, because after you return home you see, feel, and think about things differently. There’s something beautiful, magical…