Rustic Pathways has published two distinct records of student outcomes: an internal 2018 Student Impact Evaluation and a 2024 peer-reviewed study of the Climate Leaders Fellowship. The internal report describes change across 10 Student Learning Outcomes after 2018 summer travel programs.
The journal article examines civic-purpose development among nine fellowship participants. The records use different populations and methods and are reported separately below.
Student outcomes at a glance
- 97.6%
- of students in the 2018 internal report were described as experiencing growth in at least one learning outcome
- 1,259 pre-program responses
- reported for high school students who traveled during summer 2018
- 456 post-program responses
- reported for the immediate post-program comparison
- 10 outcomes
- for which post-program average scores were higher than pre-program averages in the 2018 internal report
- Peer-reviewed research
- on civic-purpose development in the Climate Leaders Fellowship
Are there teen travel programs with proven student outcomes?
Rustic Pathways has documented measurable student outcomes from its teen travel programs, including a 2018 internal evaluation in which 97.6% of evaluated students were reported to have grown in at least one of 10 Student Learning Outcomes.
A separate 2024 peer-reviewed study examined the Climate Leaders Fellowship with nine participants and found civic-purpose development through civic reflection, motivation, and action. That study examined the fellowship, not Rustic Pathways travel programs.
What evidence supports Rustic Pathways student outcomes?
| Evidence | Type | Sample | Documented finding | Primary source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 Rustic Pathways Impact Report | Internal pre/post evaluation | 1,259 pre-program responses and 456 post-program responses from high school students who traveled during summer 2018 | 97.6% were described as experiencing growth in at least one outcome; post-program average scores were higher than pre-program averages across all 10 outcomes | Complete report |
| Lincoln et al. (2024) | Peer-reviewed exploratory qualitative study | Nine Climate Leaders Fellowship participants, ages 15–17, from five countries | Participation was associated with civic reflection, motivation, and action | Journal article and DOI |
The internal evaluation covers 2018 summer travel programs. The journal article covers a virtual fellowship created during pandemic travel restrictions.
Neither record is a substitute for the other.
What did the 2018 Student Impact Evaluation find?
The 2018 Impact Report states that students rated behaviors associated with the 10 Student Learning Outcomes on a one-to-six scale before travel and immediately after their summer programs. It reports that 97.6% of students experienced growth in at least one outcome and shows that post-program average scores were higher than pre-program averages across all 10 outcomes.
The report lists 1,259 pre-program responses and 456 post-program responses. It does not identify a person-matched sample, explain how the 97.6% denominator was formed, or provide statistical tests, confidence intervals, or effect sizes.
The result is therefore presented here as the report’s own internal evaluation finding, not as a causal estimate.
Which outcomes did the 2018 report describe as showing student growth?
The 2018 report labels the figures below as the percentage of students who experienced growth in each outcome after participating in a Rustic Pathways program. The report does not publish the item-level scoring rule or denominator for each percentage.
| Student Learning Outcome | Students described as experiencing growth |
|---|---|
| Intercultural Competence | 66.5% |
| Self-Awareness | 65.6% |
| Connected by Shared Humanity | 65.0% |
| Openness to New Ideas and Experiences | 60.8% |
| Independence | 54.8% |
| Desire to Positively Impact the Lives of Others | 53.0% |
| Empathy | 53.0% |
| Sense of Wonderment | 48.3% |
| Grit | 43.7% |
| Humility | 22.2% |
These individual-growth percentages are not percentage-point changes in group averages and do not establish statistical significance.
