Ready to sign aboard?
Follow these steps to embark on your adventure of a lifetime.
1. Find Your Adventure
The focus of our Adventures differs greatly, so selecting one of our ActionQuest outdoor summer camps 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 the different summer travel camps for teens that we offer to help you decide.
2. Speak To Our Alumni
If you think that you’ve found the right ActionQuest Adventure, we encourage you to speak with those whose wake 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 ActionQuest 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 in one of our outdoor summer camps.
Tuition includes
- All accommodation, meals, and ground transportation once arrived at the program starting location
- Full-time staff supervision
- All certifications
- Group activities
- Sight-seeing trips & tours
- Educational excursions
Tuition does not include
- Air transportation, including in-country flights, taxi/ferry, are not included since our students come from all over the world
- Fees associated with obtaining passports, visas, vaccinations
- Emergency evacuation insurance & International SOS and MedAire Membership (required for all students – $95 for Adventures up to 14-days | $115 for 17 and 21-day Adventures | $195 for 40 and 50-day Adventures | $250 for 80 and 90-day Adventures.)
- Medical insurance, and optional trip cancellation insurance
- Airport taxes & baggage fees
- The cost of PADI scuba diving required books and materials – varies by trip (est $75 – $250)
- Spending money for souvenirs, drinks/meals ashore – We recommend $300 – $350.
- Emergency money for unanticipated events such as doctors visits etc. – We ask that all students bring $300, which is held by staff and returned at the end of the program.
4. Ensure you meet our eligibility requirements
The mission of ActionQuest is to deliver outstanding experience-based adventures for young adults through our summer travel camps. Through supportive yet challenging course design we create environments that promote self-discovery as well as social, emotional and intellectual growth.
While the environment we create is appropriate for most, it is not appropriate for all. Successful AQ students are in good physical, and emotional health and have an interest in immersing themselves fully in our community. AQ 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.) AQ 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 AQ to be an appropriate experience at this stage of your child’s development. Feel free to call us with any questions.
5. Understand our expectations
We try to avoid calling them rules at ActionQuest; we prefer to refer to them as “agreements” because this is a common code of conduct by which we all live.
All students are required to review and sign our Code of Conduct Agreement before attending any of our outdoor summer camps, 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. This is an important part of all ActionQuest summer travel camps.
Review Student Code of Conduct
Another important thing to note is our electronics and cell phone policy. 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 program. 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 trip (typically every 4 or 5 days), when students can either use their cell or a local landline. iPods or other music playing devices are allowed but may be restricted should staff 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 as we request fairly standard information about you. 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 an application to one of our summer travel camps, 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 Adventure for you. If we have any questions, we’ll contact you directly before fully confirming your place in one of our outdoor adventure programs. 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, ActionQuest 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 scholarship opportunities to diversify our student body.