Alumni Trip
A Unique Blend of Service and Tourism
Alumni Trips are open to all past program participants, students and volunteer staff from any international site. The trips are also open to friends and family of alums, and all friends of YouthLINC. You do not need to live in Utah to participate.
The 2009 Thailand Alumni Trip
In May 2009, join us for the Alum Trip to Thailand, also open to all YouthLINC friends and family. We'll be visiting our service site in Khao Lak, a home for tsunami orphans, a local primary school and hospital. We'll also enjoy the rich cultural heritage and tourist attractions of the area, including a few days in the amazing city of Bangkok. Information about this unique service and tourism adventure will be available in November 2008.
The 2008 Kenya Alumni Trip
Due to recent political election unrest in Kenya, Trip dates have been postponed and are TBA.
Please complete this form with all necessary signatures.
Group size is limited to 25, and planning meetings will begin in January 2008. A $250 deposit holds your space. Please send your $250 non-refundable deposit before December 15 2007 to YouthLINC 1140 E. Brickyard Rd. # 76 SLC UT 84106. This trip is almost full!
Cost per person is $3,800 which includes airfare, in-country travel, accommodation, water/food, insurance, and the safari. It does not include recommended vaccinations, visa cost (which is $50), beveragesother than water, and personal tips/expenses.
YouthLINC is pleased to announce that Micato Safaris, named World's Best Safari Operator by Travel and Leisure magazine for the past five years will be organizing the three day safari associated with our Alum Trip to Kenya this year. Our group will be staying in a luxury tented camp on the Masai Mara for the price of an average camp.
Now this YouthLINC trip will be a celebrity experience as well. Along with his Vail firefighter buddies, fan mag idol, Iron Man, model, and poet Ryan Sutter will be part of this group traveling to Kenya. Ryan won the heart of Trista Rehn on ABC's The Bachelorette and (amazingly in the world of Reality TV) they are happily married with a toddler 4 years later.... and still in the fan mags. Expect media attention for this trip!
Humanitarian Projects for Kenya 2008
Service activities for the Alum Trip group will include orphanage outreach projects in Meru, where hundreds of children live on the street, orphaned by AIDS or abandoned due to poverty. Team members will be working with and bringing supplies for homes for street children.
Team members will also prepare a health fair on several topics as requested by the community. For example, serious burns are common in Kenya due to the use of open fires for cooking. Also, general first aid information, training and supplies are needed. As there is expertise and interest, team members may also volunteer at Meru County Hospital where conditions are dire. The group will be bringing much needed medical supplies and team members will have the opportunity to consult with physicians and medical professionals. Team members with medical expertise can also engage in professional exchange and training activities.
"You will never have the same experience as your first YouthLINC trip, but you will have one that is just as good-if not better in some ways. As soon as I arrived in Yanamono village, my heart returned to the way it felt on my 2000 trip to Kenya. The connection I made with the children of Yanamono was just as strong as the connection I made in Kenya. This is an amazing and rewarding way to see the world!" --Kelly Pearson, YouthLINC 2000 Kenya alum.
Peru 2007 Alum Trip Report
After a whirlwind flight and sleepless night on the floor of an airport, YouthLINC alums, friends and families set off on a once-in-lifetime trip to the sacred mountain retreat of Machu Picchu, and then to the Amazon for service and cultural exchange.
The trip began in Cusco, where participants saw ancient ruins and mingled with the local residents. From there, they boarded a train to Machu Picchu, which is located amidst the breathtaking peaks of the Andes Mountains.
Then they served. The team flew to Iquitos and then traveled by boat down the Amazon River to the Heliconia jungle lodge. This year's Alum crew was the first to visit Santa Rosa, a tiny village and a new YouthLINC site.
One team leader described the experience, "My heart is so full, not from what I have done, but from what I have learned. These people are kind, loving and hard working. They just need a little hand up. I came home and was embarrassed by what I own. Compared to them, I am royalty, even though at home I am no more than the rest. As an American I am so blessed. Now that I know, I need to share more."
The team laid cement walkways, taught English, passed out dictionaries, books, hats and clothing, and bought rubber boots for the children of Santa Rosa. They played together and taught dances and American songs. Most of all, YouthLINC alums said they came back with permanent friends.
One team member saved the life of a little boy who had fallen out of a tree and broken his leg. He had received no medical care for weeks, and needed to go to hospital. Through generous donations on his part and other team members, the boy is up and walking now.