Reviews + ADD REVIEW

Our trips are one-of-a-kind, life changing adventures. But don’t just take our word for it.

 This Broadreach experience has been a chance of a lifetime and a trip ...

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“This Broadreach experience has been a chance of a lifetime and a trip that everyone should take. This trip had so many highlights starting from day one. Going rafting and meeting everyone while camping was an amazing way to start off the trip. Going to homestays and school for a week was truely unforgetable. The family I made in Costa Rica will always be in my heart. Going to Nicaragua and doing the community service was a real eye opener and something everyone should have the chance to see. I made a whole Broadreach family and the people that I met on the trip became my best friends. My trip leaders made this trip incredible and taught me how to stand up for what I believe in and accomplish anything I set my mind to. I really suggest this trip to anyone who is looking for an unforgetable summer. The things you see on this trip, the people you meet, and the places you go will change your life forever.”— Jenna K (age 16)

 I had an amazing time on my trip to Costa Rica and Nicaragua. My favorite ...

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“I had an amazing time on my trip to Costa Rica and Nicaragua. My favorite parts were going to see the community and being able to play with the kids in the land fill in Nicaragua, and getting to experience a new culture up close and personal in my home stay. I learned so much over the corse of the trip both educationally and mentally. I will never forget any part of this spectacular adventure or any of the new friends that I created. I hope I will never stop talking with them, and so far we are still bedt friends. ”— Jillian S (age 16)

 My daughter loved her experience with Broadrach in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. ...

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“My daughter loved her experience with Broadrach in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. It was eye opening, culturally enriching, and safe too. She worked hard (for example mixing cement to build a bus stop) and loved her recreational time surfing and zip lining. She feels good about her conversational Spanish and her ability to develop lasting relationships with a group of strangers of mixed ages and backgrounds. Thank you for contributing to the development of our child.”— Parker S

 My husband and I were very impressed. We liked the academic dimension ...

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“My husband and I were very impressed. We liked the academic dimension and the service component. More than anything, however, we liked the positive attitude that seemed to permeate throughout the group. In comparing Broadreach to other organizations that we have used, Broadreach had more organization and was more thorough regarding paperwork, office personnel who were on top of everything and prompt and thorough customer service. I would highly recommend Broadreach as an excellent organization that realizes there is nothing more valuable to a parent than his/her child.”— Rebecca S from Danville, IL

 It's hard to adequately put into words what my experiences with Broadreach ...

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“It's hard to adequately put into words what my experiences with Broadreach have meant to me. Without a doubt, besides my parents and the high school I chose to go to, nothing has changed or affected me in such a way. The way I look at myself and the world has been altered for a lifetime!”— Gabriella K from Raleigh, NC

 I came into this trip not knowing anyone. From the beginning with the ...

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“I came into this trip not knowing anyone. From the beginning with the icebreaker activities, I felt so welcomed. First white water rafting and getting to know each other was amazing. Then staying with a host family practicing my Spanish and doing community service then staying at a nature reserve with more community service! And in between ziplining, shoping, etc. it was incredible how with such great activities we got to know each other so well and wish we weren't going home.”— Jessica L (age 15)

 This trip had everything in one. Adventures (hiking, rafting, zip lining), ...

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“This trip had everything in one. Adventures (hiking, rafting, zip lining), language (homestay, classes), TURTLES! The homestay was definitely my favorite because I realized that is the only way to really learn another language and culture. This was my first trip alone and I was very nervous but this turned out to be the best experience I've ever had and I would definitely do it over again.”— Priyanka A (age 18)

 I will never forget swimming underneath the waterfall, meeting the chief ...

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“I will never forget swimming underneath the waterfall, meeting the chief of a village, staying with a family in Orosi, playing games with the orphans, and allowing myself to open up to all kinds of people. My Spanish was not too great when I started, but now I am at the top of my class in school. Broadreach helped me grow as a person; it made me a better person, and enriched my life. Oh, and we definitely had a lot of fun!”— Mary K from Spartanburg, SC

 I would go on this trip a million times

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“This was such an amazing experience. Yes, it may sound cliché, but it’s the truth. I would go on this trip a million times if I could without a doubt, and I miss everyone already. Every morning I wake up wishing I was back with my friends ready to go on some new adventure. You don't just make friends, you make best friends.”— Erin R from Metairie, LA

 My daughter went on the Costa Rica/Nicaragua Language Immersion (ICN21) trip ...

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“My daughter went on the Costa Rica/Nicaragua Language Immersion (ICN21) trip last summer. I wanted to share with you the feedback that is on her report card this year from her Spanish III Honors teacher (a native speaker): "It is evident that the travel abroad she has participated in over the summer has really helped her oral production. She does a very good job speaking and her listening comprehension is very good. Thank you!”— Audra V from Coral Springs, FL

 I probably learned more spanish in one week than I would learn in a ...

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“I probably learned more spanish in one week than I would learn in a year.”— Andrew B (age 16)

 My favorite part of the trip was the homestay in Orosi, as well as ziplining, ...

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“My favorite part of the trip was the homestay in Orosi, as well as ziplining, rafting, and spending time at the beach. I learned a lot more Spanish and general cultural things. The experience was very memorable and worthwhile, I definitely made some new friends who I am staying in touch with.”— Maria G (age 15)

 I made a lot of new friends, and this trip will definitely improve your ...

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“I made a lot of new friends, and this trip will definitely improve your ability to communicate with other Spanish speakers as you're not going to have a choice. Community service was really rewarding and the outdoor activities were breathtaking. The beach is a great reward.”— Mateus D

 It was so cool to be able to put my Spanish to use. It’s so unbelievably ...

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“It was so cool to be able to put my Spanish to use. It’s so unbelievably satisfying when I communicate with the Costa Ricans here, because the years of dedication to my studies is paying off in a real-life experience. I learned so much and honestly could not have been moved more by this experience. Thanks! ”— Elise B from Menlo Park, CA

 Zack really enjoyed the trip. He especially enjoyed living with the family ...

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“Zack really enjoyed the trip. He especially enjoyed living with the family and to this day refers to the them as his Costa Rica family. The trip expanded his culinary world. He learned to appreciate new food. He loved the white water rafting. As a parent I have to say I was very impressed with how Broadreach handled my son's medical issue. All my concerns were addressed and all my questions were answered. Zack came home with more confidence in his Spanish speaking skills. ”— Faith L

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Journals

Check out
alumni journals
and college essays
from this program!

Nick Anderson

One year ago in August, a girl of about eight years stood on the side of a dirt road on the outskirts of Managua, Nicaragua. Dressed in clothes crafted out of dirty towels and other discarded ...

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One year ago in August, a girl of about eight years stood on the side of a dirt road on the outskirts of Managua, Nicaragua. Dressed in clothes crafted out of dirty towels and other discarded materials found at a local trash dump, she shielded her eyes from the sun and looked up as a bus full of eleven teenagers pulled into the nearby gas station. She heard the faint tune of The General, a song unknown to her, playing from the speakers in the back. Intrigued, she listened more closely and could here the sound of eleven high school students singing along to their favorite band, Dispatch. I waved to her as the bus came to a stop. She watched as we exited, still singing, and made our way into the convenience store.

It was pure coincidence that each of us, who had met up at the Dallas International Airport to travel to Costa Rica and Nicaragua, was in love with the same band. Maybe it was also coincidence that, following the band's break up in 2003, the drummer, Braddigan, had become interested in the conditions of extreme poverty in Nicaragua. And maybe it was coincidence that we decided to stop at that gas station for a break from our five-hour drive to the orphanage. Or maybe it was fate.

After practicing our Spanish by purchasing the chocolate and vanilla cookies know as chikis, we noticed that there was another American in the convenience store. Summer is not the high season for tourism in Nicaragua, and most tourists don't find themselves at local gas stations that often. We were curious. One of my friends on the trip, James, sparked a conversation with the man and we told him about our home stay in Costa Rica and our work at Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos (Our Little Brothers/Sisters), an orphanage in the middle of Nicaragua. When we asked what brought him to the country, he showed us a CD.

"I'm using my music to raise awareness of the poor conditions many of the children live in here in Nicaragua," he explained. My thoughts drifted back to the little girl outside the gas station. His next comment brought me back: "Have you guys heard of the band, Dispatch?" A flurry of enthusiastic affirmations followed. He then responded, "I'm the drummer."

James was the first to stammer: "...No, you're not."

I've heard that denial is a side effect of shock, and as it turns out, James was wrong. Standing in front of us, in a gas station in the middle of Nicaragua, was Braddigan, the drummer of Dispatch. After the initial astonishment, we talked to Braddigan about his organization, Love Light & Melody, with which he raises money to help fight the effects of extreme poverty on the people living in the trash dump in Managua, Nicaragua. When it was time for us to get back on the bus, Braddigan gave us each a copy of his CD, and we said one last goodbye. We spent the rest of the bus ride telling ourselves the story over and over again as if to make sure that it had actually happened. As I clutched the CD in my hand I noticed it was titled, para nica, meaning for a Nicaraguan girl. I was once again reminded of the little girl I waved to when we arrived. I looked out the window one last time and saw her standing in the same spot watching us leave.

A year later and 3500 miles north, James was star struck a second time. We once again stood in front of Braddigan; however, this time we had just watched him perform on stage at the Naukabout Music Festival in Cape Cod. James almost fainted when, after the performance, we approached Braddigan and he remembered us. I don't remember much of the conversation except for the last thing he said to me as he picked up his guitar to leave. Very casually he said, "Hey, you should email us at the Love Light & Melody website, we'll totally come play at your school."

For the past two months I have been emailing back and forth with the executive director of Love Light & Melody along with Braddigan's manager. As a member of the Leadership Advisory Board, or LAB, an organization at my school that focuses on raising awareness of global issues, I have been working with the other members to try to organize a Braddigan benefit concert in Kansas City for high school students that would raise money for the organization.

While the story I will always tell my friends is how I met the drummer of Dispatch at a gas station in Nicaragua, my most vivid memory will always be of that little girl standing on the side of the road. When trying to organize the concert the one thing that has stuck in my mind has been the image of the little Nicaragua girl. Maybe it was coincidence that we happened to stop at the same gas station as Braddigan, but maybe it was fate that the girl happened to be standing there also, because I now have to motivation to organize the concert, and help raise money for that girl and the other children living off the trash dump in Nicaragua.

Callie McLean

During the summer of 2006, I spent three weeks in Costa Rica and Nicaragua for a Spanish immersion and community service program. Over the course of these three weeks, I met the most amazing ...

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During the summer of 2006, I spent three weeks in Costa Rica and Nicaragua for a Spanish immersion and community service program. Over the course of these three weeks, I met the most amazing people and saw both beautiful and tragic sights. On the trip I was required to keep a journal as a means of documenting the journey. In this excerpt from my journal, my group had just finished a four-day stay at an orphanage on the Island of Ometepe in Rivas, Nicaragua. We were asked to write about what we had learned from our experiences there, and how best to take what we learned and apply it at home:

“This experience in the orphanage has made me increasingly aware of how fortunate I am, but conversely how little other people have. Seeing how simply people live (either as a choice or otherwise) has made me realize that I take so much for granted. Generally, people from the United States are noted for living in a state of excess. This is something that I had been aware of prior to this trip, but I hadn’t had the opportunity or ability to compare my lifestyle with that of others and really see how little you actually need to get by in life. It seems to me that in the U.S. people get so bogged down with material possessions, work, etc. that they miss the big picture, which to me is to love the people you have, enjoy your time with them. I’ve noticed that even though most of the children in the Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos orphanage don’t have what most consider a ‘traditional family’, they are a close-knit group, and are extremely willing to accept others into their lives. The thing that struck me particularly about the children in the orphanage was how open they were to our group, which is not really something that can be said of the majority of the people from the U.S. upon initially meeting someone. People tend to be more amiable if they know you’re going to be around a while, but these kids knew we would only be there a few days and have turned out to be some of the friendliest people I’ve ever met.

Joe (one of the volunteers at the orphanage) said to our group that now that we’re aware of the suffering that goes on in the third world, it’s our challenge to take that knowledge back with us and apply it to the life we’re used to. I probably won’t be able to comprehend the full meaning of what the impact this experience should and will have on my life, but I will attempt to make conscious decisions that affect other people for the better. There are small changes I can make to my excessive American lifestyle, some as simple as not eating so much meat, that can positively affect others. It is an incredibly daunting task to try to save the world, but little things add up.”


- Callie McLean

Click here to read more Alumni Journals & College Essays from this trip!

In the News

The Parent Paper

Academic Treks is a great option for teens who want to go beyond the world they know and come back with new-found knowledge and respect for other cultures and themselves.

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Dunham Magazine

Together with 15 other teenagers across the U.S., Scales spent three weeks in Costa Rica and Nicaragua, exploring two culturally rich and very different countries.

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The Language Educator

There can be great value in connecting with the natural world in an unfamiliar, exotic landscape and/or taking physical challenges combined with language learning.

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