With the vast rocky plains, gushing glacial streams and staggering snow-capped peaks, the expanses of Northern India’s Himalayan range are a sight to behold for students on ARCC’s summer service program in India. Many come here to experience life at the top of the world and tour a landscape much different from Southern India’s urban centers. As you make your way North rising through
I’ve been volunteering in Tanzania for just over a month now, and being Sunday, it’s my day for hand washing clothes. The rains have been so heavy the past few weeks that the yard is flooded, ironically just in the spot where I dry my clothes. I can see Mt. Kilimanjaro from my bedroom window; it’s snowy glaciers towering close to 16,541 feet above our volunteer house which sits at 2800 feet. Below the mountain landscape there is a man herding goats up our road again and our electricity has gone out for the 3rd time this week. Our small volunteer library is my go-to indulgence on rainy, electricity-free days.
There is something mysteriously majestic and almost human about the earth’s largest land mammal: the human-like eyes, the muscular grandeur, the millions of wrinkles suggesting the wisdom of the ages. Elephants are unimaginably strong, immeasurably smart, and undeniably interesting, which is why no trip to Thailand is complete without an interaction with these creatures. This is why the spotlight service project of our Thailand: Elephant Experience trip focuses on conserving these incredible mammals by learning…
A few weeks ago we launched our 2017 Alumni Photo Contest with the theme “What does and ARCC Program mean to you?” Boy were we thrilled by all the incredible entries. There were hundreds entries and votes and needless to say some pretty phenomenal photos from ARCC alumni. After tallying the votes we have selected the winners who shared photos and captions from their ARCC programs. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
Everyone says a picture is worth a thousand words. ARCC alumni know this phrase doesn’t do their programs and adventures true justice. One could write 10,000 words and it might still be inadequate. However, with just one powerful image you can capture the impact, connections, and adventure of a Summer with ARCC.
With this in mind, for the rest of the year we’ll be accepting entries from for our 2017 alumni photo contest.
“Would you rather have candy corn for teeth, or candy canes for arms?” A group of ARCC leaders sits in an open field near Muir Woods during staff training and debates this well beyond the confines of what such a ridiculous question might indicate. We are all in our twenties, and not one of us finds this question odd or pointless. There is a lot to think about. Are the candy canes candy cane sized, or arm sized? Does the candy corn regenerate?
Over the past several years California has suffered from severe drought resulting in water restrictions, severe fires and hillsides that are a lot more golden than usual. This year however, water has come back to California and in huge amounts! So much so that students on our California Summer programs might even get a chance for a snowball fight in July.
Here at ARCC we offer unique and collaborative summer service programs abroad for high school students. These range from improving access to clean water for Cambodian villagers by building bio-sand water filters to bringing solar light to homes in Tanzania. No matter the project, the goal is common: to form connections between our students and local communities, working together to create long-lasting change and maximize a positive impact.
Even after poring over your packing list, attending your pre-trip briefing, and practically memorizing your itinerary, so much can feel uncertain to a first-time traveler. But after spending a summer traveling across the globe with a dozen strangers-turned-family, your first-timer fears are history. As an ARCC alumnus…
The ceiling fans hummed steadily as they spun sending a light cool breeze through the car as it shook and creaked along the tracks. Passengers were stacked three high on light blue folding beds hinged to the wall. Strewn into the aisle is a sea of limbs and bodies stretched out on their respective bunks fast asleep. It was…
