Mission Trips For High School Students
Have you ever considered volunteering as a way to travel internationally? Are you a high school student who is looking for an abroad opportunity that’s affordable, meaningful, and fun?
Mission trips are great opportunities. You will be able to combine your passion for doing good deeds with service work, advancing your career, and seeing the world. This once-in-a-lifetime experience will broaden your world views, help you empathize with others’ beliefs, foster personal growth, and open doors to your future that you may not have even known existed!
IFRE offers a variety of international programs where you can volunteer on a mission trip for high schoolers in over 18 different countries that will fit any person’s needs, interests, schedule, and budget. Programs may include teaching English, caring for abandoned street children, community development projects, empowering women, and youth athletic projects. Our goal is to connect you with an organization where you can utilize your skills and passion to make a real change in peoples’ lives.
Start your journey today by reading about some of the volunteer programs we offer and contacting us to let us know you are interested. We will work with you to select the best program for you.
Take a minute to complete the form and we will be in touch.
Table of Contents
Benefits of Mission Trips For High School Students
There are numerous benefits that go hand in hand with volunteering internationally. Everyone’s experience will be different and as such individual benefits will vary. Here we have listed some common benefits of volunteering that everyone can receive:
Volunteering makes you feel good:
Well of the most well-known but perhaps underappreciated benefits of volunteering is that you will gain a remarkable sense of accomplishment, pride, and fulfillment from knowing that your selfless actions have made a significant difference in the lives of others. This will encourage both you and others to feel happier and healthier!
Volunteering helps you gain practical experience
International mission trips for high school students allow you to practice skills you already have and realize your abilities with respect to other attributes you may not have realized you possessed. You will also utilize and advance your knowledge in whichever field you volunteer in.
Volunteering advances your career
The more experience you can acquire during your time as a volunteer, the better off you will be moving forward with your career. What’s more, volunteering in real-world settings allows you to explore your interests so that when you do start devoting time to a career, you feel good about your commitment.
Volunteering may change your perspective
Volunteering abroad also present you the opportunity to learn a new language, connect with people from different parts of the world, become immersed in a new culture, and experience life differently, all of which can really help you develop a new perspective on life.
Helps you overcome anger, stress and anxiety
Mission trip opportunities for high school students can create a lasting positive impact on your psychological well-being. People usually experience a profound sense of satisfaction after helping others in need. There is nothing better than a meaningful connection that you build with your communities and the individuals you support through your volunteer work. This connection will bring new meaning to your life. Working with people and their welfare is also scientifically proven to improve your overall wellbeing and reduce anxiety.
Take a minute to complete the form and we will be in touch.
Popular Volunteer Programs – Mission Trips For High School Students
IFRE provides over 200 different programs and projects worldwide. The programs offer a lot to those who contribute, and we hope to work with you to find the program that best fits your needs and interests. As a starting point, we’ve listed some of our most popular mission trip options below.
Costa Rica
Volunteer In Healthcare
Costa Rica is one of the more developed countries in Central America, poverty is still a major social issue. People living in rural areas still have very limited or no access to quality medical care, and often lack education that would allow them to care for themselves and their health better.
When students team up with volunteer programs for high school student medical mission trips, responsibilities include shadowing medical staff and assisting with any extra help they may need. You may also be asked to participate in community outreach, give health ‘charlas,’ assist with administrative tasks, or provide basic care to patients.
This medical program aims to connect students with medical staff in local hospitals and clinics to get these underprivileged patients the care they need. By shadowing local doctors and medical professionals in their treatment of these patients, you will make a direct impact on individuals’ lives and gain valuable experience from observing real-life medical cases. You will feel great knowing you are participating in a program that is serving underprivileged patients who are very much in need of the medical care they deserve.
To learn more about how you can participate in volunteer programs that support medical mission trips for high schoolers, read more details on the program page or reach out to us directly with any questions you may have.
Other Volunteer Opportunities in Costa Rica
Other projects in Costa Rica that may fit your mission trip ideas include working on coffee farms, contributing to turtle conservation, teaching English, and more. To learn more, please visit the following link:
Peru
Teach English In Rural Schools (Cusco)
Despite tourism being a leading source of government revenue, many Peruvians don’t have the opportunity to learn English, which limits their opportunities for work. Schools in Peru are underfunded, and even though English is required, there are a limited number of staff who are qualified to teach it.
Students volunteering on high school mission trips abroad in this program will work 4-5 hours per day on weekdays. You will teach basic English in local primary schools, and the rest of the day you will plan and lead extracurricular activities, health education, and potentially even contribute to teaching other subjects like math and science.
When you volunteer with this program in Peru, you bridge the gap – providing children with English skills and a brighter future. Your support will improve the level of English education in Peru and allow disadvantaged children to pull themselves and their families out of poverty.
If you are interested in providing incredibly valuable English skills to underprivileged children in through a mission trip in Peru, contact IFRE for more information today or view program details by following this link:
Other Volunteer Opportunities in Peru
Other mission trips for high school students in Peru include working with street children, supporting medical projects, working in orphanages and more. Follow the link below or reach out to us to learn more about alternate ideas.
Guatemala
Work In An Orphanage
Unfortunately, poverty, abuse and alcoholism have left many children in Guatemala without families, depriving them of the parental love and care they need. There are a few orphanages trying their best to stop this problem by offering a safe environment where the kids can grow up and get an education, but they are chronically underfunded and undermanned, leaving them in desperate need of volunteers like you.
As a volunteer on a mission trip to Guatemala for high school students in orphanage projects in Guatemala you will typically teach English (4-5 hours a day) either at the orphanage or the day school the children attend. You will assist with day-to-day skills such as dressing properly, personal hygiene and travelling to school safely. In addition, you will be required to organize games, art lessons, singing, dancing as well as other creative, educational and fun extracurricular activities for the children. You may also be asked to assist in the care of the children who cannot yet attend school as well as lend a hand with food preparation, kitchen work and garden maintenance.
Your support will yield long-term results for the children in the orphanages. Since many are understaffed you will provide much-needed relief to the local workers, allowing them to care for and support even more children. By sharing love and hope with the kids you will inspire and change the lives of many children in Guatemala. By signing up to volunteer in a Guatemalan orphanage it will be an opportunity for you to change these children’s circumstances by providing love and care and nurturing them through both work and play. Your assistance helps keep these children off the street and provides them with a happy and productive childhood.
Do you want to fulfill your love and passion for kids, changing their lives in the process? If so, please contact IFRE today to learn more about this opportunity for mission trips for high school students.
Other Volunteer Opportunities in Guatemala
Other projects that may also interest you in Guatemala include teaching English, working with street children, assisting in health care, empowering women, and more. Please follow the link below to learn more about these alternative opportunities.
Take a minute to complete the form and we will be in touch.
Argentina
Medical/Healthcare Project
Many of Argentina’s social issues stem from their country’s violent past. One of the most prevalent issues today is that many Argentinians lack access to health care. This is especially true for rural populations.
If you are a high school student looking for a volunteer trip, this program may be right fir for you as you will have a direct and positive impact on peoples’ lives. You should expect to work 4-5 hours per day assisting doctors and nurses to treat patients desperately in need of care. You may also help lessen the workload by assisting in administrative work, planning educational workshops, performing sanitation outreach, and more.
You will gain an invaluable professional experience while helping people work toward a healthier community at the same time. You will also provide much need support to overworked and underappreciated hospital and clinic staff. You will learn from observing real-life cases and provide much needed help to patients struggling to navigate an underfunded healthcare system.
If you are interested in enriching your medical knowledge through a unique volunteer program on a summer mission trip for high school students, then contact IFRE to learn more about volunteering in Argentina.
Other Volunteer Opportunities in Argentina
Other volunteer opportunities in Argentina include working with an NGO in community development, assisting in a dental project, volunteering with disabled children, and more.
Ecuador
Teach English In Rural And Urban Schools
Despite tourism being a leading source of government revenue, many Ecuadorians don’t have the opportunity to learn English, which limits their opportunities for work. Schools in Ecuador are underfunded, and even though English is required, there are a limited number of staff who are qualified to teach it.
Volunteers in this service project will work 4-5 hours per day on weekdays. You will teach basic English in local primary schools, and the rest of the day you will plan and lead extracurricular activities, health education, and potentially even contribute to teaching other subjects like math and science.
This high school student mission trip opportunity allows you to help you bridge the gap – providing children with English skills and a brighter future. Your support will improve the level of English education in Ecuador and allow disadvantaged children to pull themselves and their families out of poverty.
If you are interested in providing incredibly valuable English skills to underprivileged children in Ecuador, contact IFRE for more information today or view program details by following this link:
Other Volunteer Opportunities in Ecuador
Other projects that collaborate with mission trips for for high school students in Ecuador include working with street children, teaching English, working in conservation in the Galapagos, and more. To browse these other Ecuador programs, follow this link:
Brazil
Teaching English In Brazil
Although Brazil is a well-known and spectacular tourist destination, its population struggles with poverty. Many families live in slums called Favelas, and because they lack education opportunities, many of these families get stuck in a poverty cycle.
When you volunteer on a mission trip in Brazil for high school students through an IFRE program, you help these families break out of that cycle. You will assist local teachers in helping young students master basic conversational English. You will plan and lead lessons, help children with their homework, and reinforce important life skills such as cooking, sewing, painting, cleaning and gardening. You may also support teaching staff and schools in with extra-curricular activities, administrative tasks, and fundraising.
Your hard work and dedication in helping teach these impoverished children will change their lives and hope for a brighter future. Your students will be able to use their English vocabulary as a stepstone for future proficiency that will eventually lead them to more job options in the lucrative tourism industry and ultimately helping them and their families escape the harsh realities of the poverty they currently live in.
If you are a high school student looking for a meaningful mission trip, this project in Brazil may be the fight fit for you. To learn more program details, please visit the link below or contact IFRE Volunteers directly to let us know you’re interested!
Other Volunteer Opportunities in Brazil
There are many other opportunities for high school students to travel and volunteer abroad. You may find childcare, youth athletics, teaching computer skills, or assisting in the healthcare field is a better fit for you and your group. To learn more about other volunteer options in Brazil, please follow the link:
Take a minute to complete the form and we will be in touch.
Skill and Qualifications
Most summer and spring break mission trip do not require specific skills or qualification. They only require a good attitude, compassion, and an open mind.
However, there are still some programs where a certain level of skills to volunteer abroad. Medical programs require that you are at least be a pre-med student, and English teaching program quire fluency in English.
The Start Date(s)
IFRE Volunteer programs start on Mondays. If you have a travel conflict, we will work with you to select a start day that works with your plans.
The Fee
Since 2006, IFRE has been the most trusted and respected volunteer abroad organization in the world, and also the most affordable. We’re dedicated to providing the highest quality volunteer trip opportunities for high schoolers at the lowest rate, which make it possible for everyone, especially students, to volunteer internationally and make a positive impact in the lives of others.
We believe in 100% transparency. Rest assured; we never use middlemen. Your one-time registration fee of $299 covers our administrative costs. The low weekly program fee is paid in the host country directly to your service project (via country coordinator), and includes housing, food, and minor expenses. IFRE is a non-profit organization, so your program fees are tax deductible.
To learn more about volunteer abroad fees, please visit:
Housing and Food
Your housing and food on your high school volunteering mission trip will depend on your specific project. Most students stay with one of our wonderful host families, who provide three meals per day in the style of traditional cuisine. Some student volunteers, however, may be asked to stay in a cabin, hostel, or home with other volunteers.
No matter what type of accommodation you receive, IFRE will ensure that you are happy, comfortable, and safe because we know that your living environment can make or break your experience.
To learn more about food and housing, please follow this link:
How can you apply?
You can apply to for a volunteer program that supports mission trips for high school students through a straightforward online application. We will be in direct contact with you within 24 hours of your application submittal.
To learn more about the application process, please follow this link:
Why go with IFRE Volunteers?
IFRE Volunteers is a global humanitarian non-profit who has partnered with over 22,000 people and hundreds of local organizations since 2006 to facilitate outstandingly significant and incredibly safe volunteer and intern abroad experiences.
We offer the most affordable international volunteer-based trips for high school students, and we use the tax-deductible registration fee to support your experience and enhance local projects while the program fee gets paid directly to your service project.
During your abroad experience you will to create long lasting connections with your home-away-from-home host family, project coordinators, and fellow volunteers. If for any reason you feel uncomfortable during your time abroad, our unparalleled support staff will do everything they can to improve your situation and ensure that you have a good experience.
How can you go as a group?
IFRE Volunteers understand the importance of volunteering abroad with a group. Please contact IFRE directly to customize your group travel and dates. We will work with you to find the perfect project.
Take a minute to complete the form and we will be in touch.
IFRE Volunteers is one of the top volunteering program providers in the world. We offer amazing volunteer programs in 20 countries across Latin America, Asia and Africa. If you are interested to volunteer in other countries than mentioned above, check out our best affordable programs in Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Bali, Cambodia, Thailand, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe and Morocco
Check out A Complete Volunteer Abroad Guide: Everything You Need To Know to learn more about what is volunteering abroad. If you want to know how to volunteer abroad for free, go through our Volunteer Abroad for Free article. If you are a college student and searching for meaningful summer volunteering programs, check out our popular articles Community Service Trips For College Students and Summer Volunteer Programs For College Students.
Other Possibilities are Featured in our:
High School Student Travel Programs
International Camps for High School Students
Community Service Trips for High School Students
Best Volunteer Abroad Programs for High School Students
Service Learning Projects for High School Students
Volunteer Abroad For High School Students
Volunteer Camps For High Schoolers
Where Can High School Students Volunteer?
Cheap Volunteer Abroad Programs For High School Students
International mission trips for high school students
Spring break mission trips for high school students