"Trip of a lifetime" half way through A-levels - good plan or not?

So what benefit does this influx of 17 year olds confer on the countries they are visiting? Apart from the usual benefits of tourism of course?

So why didn’t local people do those jobs?
Erm, lack of money to pay them to do it perhaps?

I thought of going on a similar charity event as an adult. Someone pointed out to me that without specific skills, the money spent on my airfare could do more good to the community than any two week contribution that I would make.

Volunteering is good, yes, but there is plenty that can be done in this country, which will also lead to personal development.

I think if she did go then she would be expected to have an opinion on it if she got a Cambridge interview. I’m sure they would ask her about it if she emphasises it in her statement and that would be an opportunity to give a balanced view of the ethics of such a trip and whether they really help.

I was asked questions about economics and about football in mine. Pretty much any topic can be used to show how you think.

So long story short - the wrong question may be being asked! Not - should she do this trip? - but - what will help her achieve her academic aspirations?

So focusing more on your DDs subject aspirations - if she is interested in Cambridge science ie Natural Sciences, and it sounds like Physical not biological, can I strongly advise that she needs to read the requirements for Cambridge. She would almost certainly need to do Further Maths unless her school doesn’t offer it. Humanities/EPQ less valuable than this.

Second - Cambridge science labs offer work experience to Y12 students (other universities do too!) and that might be more beneficial if she is really serious about Cambridge etc. The more weeks you can offer them that you are available the more likely you are to get a place. Plus there all the Sutton courses linked above, Headstart etc.

Plus there is a lot of extra work to prepare for the application and the entrance tests - my DD worked quite hard in Y12 summer holidays to prepare for her application and something like this trip would have caused her a challenge.

Finally such a trip would be irrelevant to her Cambridge application where all the focus is on your subject academic ability. My DD was asked precisely no personal questions in her interviews!

True enough Bettrand but there are lots of ways to help including direct donation and including visiting and helping and experiencing the country. The two are not mutually exclusive and the latter is not entirely devoid of value

5 grand could pay a lot of local labour.....

reallybadidea so is it not arguable that without what little help the travelling students gave the tasks would not be done at all?

So why didn’t local people do those jobs?

Erm, lack of money to pay them to do it perhaps?

Of course it isn’t the “function” of other countries to do that any more than saying it isn’t the “function” of Spain to provide us with Beach Holidays. But they do.

DD was (and is) privileged enough to have had an experience which both changed her and provided (a little) help to some communities. I can’t feel bad about that,sorry

My then 15yr old did Sutton Trust summer school at St Andrews last summer, and hopefully will again this year, she loved it, had a blast but found it really helpful too, and apart from lunch money and around £15 transport cost nothing

"And there was local employment in the various camps they stayed in, Trekking guides and money spent in the local economy just like all the other tourist spots
Nothing wrong with tourism. A lot wrong with pretending that this is volunteering, or aid work.

"However having seen the benefit to my daughter of going on the trip I’m a bit wary of the very cynical attitude demonstrated in this conversation"

Hmm. Do you really think a function of the developing world is providing experiences for privileged developed world children?

And there was local employment in the various camps they stayed in, Trekking guides and money spent in the local economy just like all the other tourist spots

So why didn’t local people do those jobs? I don’t know the answer to that question by the way. However having seen the benefit to my daughter of going on the trip I’m a bit wary of the very cynical attitude demonstrated in this conversation.

I'm sure there are local 17 year olds available to dig chess pits and drains......

Homebythesea - do you not think that the money would have been better spent on paying local people to dig said cess pits, thereby providing employment and contributing to the local economy? Not to mention the fact that they probably filled them in once your dd left and got the next group to do them again...

talkinpeace so the cess pits and drains my DD and fellow travellers dug while on a Camps Int trip were of no use to the locals?? I don’t think anyone was under any illusion that this was a holiday with some project work on the side but it’s a bit cynical to say that there is absolutely no value to the work done at all

summerschools.suttontrust.com/subjects-and-dates/

When we were waiting at Dar airport to fly home,
watching kids wearing every piece of clothing they owned
carrying their one donated cuddly toy
clutching onto the adults' hands
with labels on their bags saying
"Orphan -> San Francisco"
"Family -> Houston"
and the helpers from the UN trying to give them a chance of a better life
it reduced us all to tears.
There were over 100 of them on our plane alone.

The frankly paternalistic, imperialist approach of bods like Camps International
yah, we clever rich white people can do it better than you
annoyed us before
but it made us seethe afterwards

Go to Tanzania, but do not pretend its "charidee"

Strong no from me based on ethics. I feel irrationally cross when local public school does bag packing in Waitrose to fund their World Challenge holiday. Not sure why I should fund rich kids holidays. I don’t feel the same when local scouts do it.

I think the message this gives already privileged youngsters is of concern. I don’t think developing countries need their little ones to have lots of photo opportunities. Tell her to go on a fabulous trip but not through the profiteering of charity tourism. Tell her to go back with some skills that are useful and offer a longer period of time where she can actually do some good.

My DD has done a Camps Int trip and it was amazing for her personal development. She came back a different girl (in a good way). However we paid for the trip as we thought the fundraising would seriously interfere with school work and her extra curricular activities. We can afford it and were happy to do this. If that is not an option for you I'd reconsider. And in my experience no-one does much work over the summer holidays. If she's worried then the trip will give plenty of opportunities for reading!

I would hope that the university admissions people realise it’s unethical and would penalise the applicant for lack of critical thinking / research.

No I wouldn’t let my child do this. There are plenty of ways to volunteer and travel.

Apart from anything else, if your dd and a friend raised that sort of money they could have the most amazing independent adventure without contributing to the coffers of the voluntoutist industry........

Times might’ve changed but I don’t remember doing much work over the summer during A-levels and I went to Cambridge. We’re talking 20 years ago though...

I went on a school trip to Italy and took a book about quantum physics to read. I’d been told at the end of first year that I needed to study harder or I’d miss out on an A in Physics.

So I did extra reading and some revision. Turned out ok for me. Got 4As went to Cambridge. Personally I didn’t fancy any of the expedition type trips that some went on.

Laser like focus probably less important than being well-rounded and a creative, critical thinker.