Getting ready to GoBeyond
Follow these steps to embark on your journey of a lifetime.
1. Find your Journey
The location and focus of programs differ greatly, so selecting the international service trip that has the right balance for you is the most important step. A lot of this has to do with you as a person… your interests and goals, yet if you’re not sure then call or email us with any questions that you have. We would be thrilled to talk through our options and help you decide which of our high school volunteer programs is best for you.
2. Speak to our alumni
If you think that you’ve found the right international service trip, we encourage you to speak to those whose footsteps you’ll be following. We recognize that taking the plunge and committing to joining our team is a big step. Speaking to someone who was once in your shoes can greatly help. Contact our office and we’ll connect you with some of our alumni and their families.
3. Consider your total investment
Hopefully you’ve already had a chance to consider the value of the experience, yet it’s equally important to fully understand the total cost of your investment.
Tuition includes
- All in-country journey accommodation, meals, and ground transportation
- Full-time staff supervision, local guides, and tips
- All group activities including service projects and materials, sight-seeing trips, and educational excursions
- Physical and monetary donations to our partner organizations
- One certificate of the President’s Volunteer Service Award upon successful completion of the journey (select journeys only)
Tuition does not include
- Air transportation, including in-country flights, taxi/ferry, are not included since our students come from all over the world
- Required emergency evacuation insurance & International SOS and MedAire Membership ($115 for 21-day programs & $95 for 14-day programs) LEARN MORE >
- Health insurance, travel insurance, medical and evacuation expenses
- Fees associated with obtaining passports, visas, vaccinations airport taxes & baggage fees
- Personal spending money
Financial Aid
Every year, GoBeyond is able to offer a select number of students partial financial aid for their high school volunteer programs. Eligibility is based on a number of factors including financial need, past academic performance, community involvement, and promise of success on the journey.
Ensure you meet our eligibility requirements
While the environment we create is appropriate for most, it is not appropriate for all. Successful GoBeyond students are in good physical, and emotional health and have an interest in immersing themselves fully in our community. GoBeyond is not a therapeutic program, so our experience is inappropriate for those experiencing behavioral, motivational, mental health, substance abuse, self-harm, or eating disorder issues (Please contact us prior to applying if you have experienced any of the above within 12 months of the scheduled program start date.) GoBeyond students are excited to learn new skills, experience new places and are capable of working positively within a close-knit team even when tired. They are enthusiastic, well mannered, and have a healthy dose of curiosity.
While not all-encompassing, please download and read the following Essential Eligibility Criteria Document to see whether you consider GoBeyond to be an appropriate experience at this stage of your / your child’s development. Feel free to call us with any questions.
5. Understand our expectations
We try to avoid calling them rules at GoBeyond; we prefer to refer to them as “agreements” because this is a common code of conduct that we all live by.
All students are required to sign our Code of Conduct Agreement before beginning their international service trip, which you can access via the link at the bottom of this section. Our agreements provide a framework for living in community and are something that we all strive to live up to. We agree to be respectful of others, their property and beliefs, and, in the case of our staff, their responsibility. We agree to hold our level of language to a high standard. We also agree to abide by our tobacco, alcohol, and drugs policy.
Review Student Code of Conduct
Another important thing to note is our electronics and cell phone agreement. The environment we strive to create relies heavily on each individual remaining focused on the group and the experience. Being tied to our modern world of technology and instant communications can, in certain circumstances, be a hindrance to personal and group processes. We seek to “live in the moment” and take full advantage of the extraordinary opportunities. With this mind, we restrict the use of electronic devices during the journeys. Laptop and/or tablet computers are not allowed, and while we strongly suggest students carry cell phones during travel days, once students arrive on the program all cell phones are collected. Yes! even if the phone doubles as a camera, music player and alarm clock! That said, there are times designated for phone calls home throughout the international service trips (typically every 2 to 5 days), when students can either use their cell or a local landline. iPods or other music playing devices are also allowed but restricted. Examples are during long bus or train rides, free time, or down-time onboard the boat in the BVI. However, students should understand that our staff can restrict or collect these devices, under any circumstance, if they feel it is in the best interest of the program.
6. Take the plunge & enroll
Jump to our online application using the link in the menu bar and get the process started – it shouldn’t take long to complete. Aside from requesting pretty standard information about you, we ask a couple of deeper questions that are designed to allow us to get to know you a little better, like what your motivation is for wanting to join our team and what you hope to get out of your high school volunteer program. If you are under the age of eighteen you’ll need a parent or legal guardian to agree to our Terms and Agreements before submitting the application. We suggest that you download and review these agreements before getting stuck into the form.
Once you submit the application, we’ll send you an e-mail immediately to let you know we got it. We then review your details to make sure we also feel that this is the right Journey for you. If we have any questions, we’ll contact you directly before fully confirming your place on our team. Be sure to print a copy of the application and have a parent or guardian sign it before mailing it to our office and congratulations, your adventure is just beginning!
7. Should You Need To Cancel
While we hope that this doesn’t happen, we understand that plans change from time to time. If you’ve already enrolled but need to initiate a cancellation please complete the following form.
Access, Inclusion, Diversity & Equity (AIDE) Vision
As part of GXG, GoBeyond is dedicated to the continued pursuit of greater access, inclusion, diversity, and equity.
As an experiential program, we strive to create an environment that promotes personal growth and believe that this is only possible when each individual is respected and accepted for who they are.
We welcome everyone, irrespective of gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic status, or other characteristics that add to the diversity of our team. We believe it is a shared responsibility to respect others and to maintain a physically and emotionally safe environment for all.
Commitment & Actions
We recognize that working toward our AIDE Vision will take commitment and positive action and that the goal itself is inherently intangible.
We are committed to taking the following proactive steps, yet will not be afraid to adjust our strategy as we learn more along the journey.
- Review organizational goals to ensure action on Access, Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity.
- Encourage active participation in the conversation. Introduce racial equity and justice modules into GXG’s staff training and student program curriculums.
- Amplify voices. Create a structure where those within our organization who have experienced or witnessed discrimination can share their stories.
- Share resources on antiracism and anti-discrimination for both staff and students.
- Focus on Financial Aid opportunities to diversify our student body.