British Virgin Islands
Community Service: Infrastructure Development & Environmental Conservation with Sailing
A small archipelago in the heart of the Caribbean, the British Virgin Islands sustained a direct hit from Hurricane Irma in the fall of 2017. Few people get to see this place beyond its beautiful beaches and crystal clear waters but you’ll spend 2-3 weeks working directly with the local population to rebuild the communities left bruised by the storm.
This unique hurricane relief camp is run as part of our GoBeyond service programs where you will live with the rest of your service team aboard a sailing vessel. Living aboard allows us to visit most every island while providing a perfect floating home. It’s refreshing to be out on the water where there are cool breezes, and a great sense of camaraderie comes from working together as a crew. Respond directly to local needs and show the people of the Caribbean that they have not been forgotten.
*ActionQuest/GoBeyond offer a 21 and 14-day version of this journey. While the core projects are similar, the shorter itinerary will only include projects on two out of three major islands.
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Appropriate Age
High school ages
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Students & Staff
14 students and 3 staff
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Itinerary
This program follows a unique itinerary exclusive to Rebuilding Island Life that hops between the three major islands of the BVI
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Program Detail
This adventure is run in conjunction with our sister program GoBeyond
Dates | Days | Availability | Tuition | |||
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Session 1 | Jun 15 - Jul 05 | 21 | Open | $5,870 | ||
Session 2 | Jul 07 - Jul 27 | 21 | Open | $5,870 | ||
Session 2 | Jul 07 - Jul 20 | 14 | Waitlist | $3,970 | ||
Session 3 | Jul 29 - Aug 14 | 17 | Open | $4,970 | ||
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The Adventure
It all starts here

GXG BVI Update
Below you will find the itinerary for our Rebuilding Island Life community service summer camp, but here’s some background on where the archipelago stands today after the storm.
First Day Out
After a morning briefing from ActionQuest directors and staff, the student leader of the day will take our monohull or catamaran off the dock and set sail across the Sir Francis Drake Channel. Students get acquainted with the BVI waters by snorkeling the infamous caves of Norman Island. After the student chefs of the day serve dinner to the crew, we’ll begin our training for the necessary construction skills for the projects ahead.
ARRIVING TO ACTIONQUEST IN THE BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS
Your community service trip begins! The majority of students will be flying to St. Thomas (STT) in the US Virgin Islands. For students flying via STT, ActionQuest’s professional staff meet them and assist with the beautiful ferry ride to Tortola then on to the entire camp which awaits you in West End, Tortola. There you will go through the formal check-in process and make your way to your new comfortable and clean floating home. For those flying directly into the BVI (EIS), students are met by an airport representative.
Students then get to spend the rest of the first day preparing for their community service trip spent rebuilding the BVI by getting to know one another while the sun sets over the water.
After the first night spent sleeping on your new floating home alongside 13 other excited students, you are ready to embark!
Rebuilding Island Activities
Work Hard, Play Hard
The Need We Address
There’s an immense amount of satisfaction to be gained in seeing a project through from beginning to end but all work and no play is bound to diminish that good feeling. We’ll break apart the hard work with snorkeling, hiking, swimming, and just messing around on the beach.
Time to Say Goodbye
There’s always a mix of emotions on departure day. The excitement to go home is always overwhelmed by the realization that your community service summer camp is over and that it’s time to say goodbye to the people you’ve grown so close to over the last few weeks. Day 1 will simultaneously seem like the day before and a lifetime ago as you and your crew take a private ferry for the last leg of your journey together.
“It's definitely something I will never forget, and I will always keep with me. Not only did I connect with people and make new friends, but I also got the chance to give back to the community and feel like I was making a difference in other people's lives and their community around them.”
Need More Information?
Partner Organizations
Rebuilding Island Life is a focused community service summer camp run through our sister program GoBeyond Student Travel. In addition to the incredible BVI experience, you’ll have the chance to work alongside some of these organizations during our international community service trips.
National Parks Trust
- The mission of the BVI National Parks Trust is to preserve and manage designated natural and cultural areas in order to improve the quality of life in the British Virgin Islands.
Jost Van Dyke Preservation Society
- The JVDPS is a British Virgin Islands not-for-profit organization, dedicated to the preservation of the island of Jost Van Dyke – its land, the surrounding sea, its living creatures, and its culture through conservation, cultivation, education, and research.
Association of Reef Keepers
- The Association of Reef Keepers seeks to manage the natural resources of the British Virgin Islands in a sustainable manner. It was formed specifically to address the growing environmental stresses that the British Virgin Islands are experiencing.
Need to know
Is this adventure right for me?
Whether you’ve been building your entire life or you’ve never held a hammer or paint brush – this community service summer camp is for the student looking to learn through experience and make a genuine impact. You’re bound to make lifelong friends and unforgettable memories but it’s likely to be the stories of compassion and selflessness that stick with you the most. If you like the idea of challenging yourself by breaking ground on an adventurous and meaningful program then this is the adventure for you.
What is the difference between the 14 and 21 day itinerary?
We offer two itinerary lengths to better suit your summer schedule. Though we are not sure where our students will be needed or when – the 14-day itinerary will exclude either Jost van Dyke or Virgin Gorda.
What's the group like?
There’s really no rigid mold that ActionQuest participants are cut from. Since our students come from different backgrounds all over the world, the groups end up being naturally diverse. Everyone arrives with different goals, expectations, hopes, and fears but they quickly find common ground and begin to bond. The ActionQuest environment allows team members to connect quickly and become closer friends than anyone would expect. Many students report leaving feeling as though they had known their fellow students much longer than they actually had.
Our philosophy revolves around small group sizes that are still large enough to foster a sense of community. For this program, we can have a maximum of 15 students. This program does not require any previous experience, skills, or language fluency – only a willingness to get involved and appreciate each incredible adventure.
Where do we stay?
ActionQuest utilizes clean, comfortable, and safe accommodations during our trips – we aim for an authentic stay in the places we go, which rarely equates to luxury. In the British Virgin Islands, students spend their entire stay onboard a ~50’ sail yacht. Each student is designated a cabin down below with up to 5 other students. While there is bunk space in each cabin, many students prefer to sleep under the stars by stringing up a hammock or sleeping on the ship’s trampoline.
The tight-knit community that results from living onboard a yacht is a huge part of the experience for this journey. Student shipmates will rotate through responsibilities while learning to clean, care for, and even steer their floating home. Everyone comes to rely on one another over the course of a few short weeks, and students are often surprised at how much they have learned about life at sea – no matter what their experience level might have been coming into it.
Call into our office to hear more about life aboard!
Who will be my staff?
AQ is proud to attract and recruit the best in our field. Our summer staff includes professional maritime captains and medical professionals. Above all, we hire responsible and experienced facilitators and educators. All members of our team are dynamic, multi-talented, and passionate individuals with a devotion and commitment to the safety and experience of our students.
What's the food like?
At AQ we strive for nutritious, and delicious meals. Student chefs of the day prepare meals with help from the staff using a mixture of goods we have imported and local fresh food we pick up onshore every few days. On occasion throughout the trip, students will have the option to eat at a restaurant during shore time to sample the local offerings. Moving around the British Virgin Islands poses its own difficulties in terms of provisioning and cooking but when it’s all said and done, meal-time is often a highlight of each day.
During the application process, families can inform us of any dietary allergies or restrictions. We are usually able to accommodate vegetarians, vegans etc., as well as various food allergies. However, if your student has a severe allergy to peanuts or other common substances, please call our office to discuss the options.
What do I need to bring?
Given that students will be mobile for the majority of their adventure, we recommend that you keep things simple and avoid over packing. Students are given the opportunity to do laundry once in the middle of the trip, so there’s no need to pack several weeks’ worth of clothing.
Our hope is that families will have minimal purchases prior to the trip, so we’ve compiled our packing lists in a way that you’ll find most of what you need in your closet at home. Around mid to late March, we make available our Pre-Trip Packet to enrolled students, which contains a detailed packing list for this year’s adventures.
Nitty Gritty
Are flights included in the tuition?
Since students join us from all over the world, the cost of transportation to and from the British Virgin Islands is not included in the program tuition.
Who should we contact to book travel?
Helping to coordinate our students’ travel is of vital importance – and a mammoth task! For this reason, we strongly suggest that all families start by contacting our travel coordinator:
Leah Hernandez – AQ and GB Travel Coordinator
Tel: +1.281.528.7727
Toll Free: 800.329.9000
Email: leahctn68@hotmail.com
Even if you are not originating in the U.S., Leah will be able to provide options and guidance.
How do we get there?
Our recommended route is via St. Thomas (STT) in the USVI although students also have the option of flying to Beef Island (EIS).
Does AQ provide support on travel days?
Yes. We understand that travel days can be stressful for both parents and students, so no matter what time of the day or night, our office team actively monitors and supports our participants during travel. We require students to travel with a mobile phone with domestic data capability so we can monitor their progress and communicate directly if necessary.
For students flying via St Thomas, ActionQuest arranges for a staff member to assist with the transfer to Tortola via ferry. After arrival in Tortola, students are met at the ferry dock by more of ActionQuest’s professional staff, then collectively continue onto a taxi that takes them to the boats.
Looking for more detailed information on travel?
AQ Tuition Covers the following:
- All accommodation and group meals once the adventure is underway
- Lodging and related government fees
- Staff, local guides, and tips
- The use of all AQ equipment
Not included in the AQ tuition:
- Travel expenses from home to the program start location in the British Virgin Islands – flights, ferry, taxi, baggage, taxes, visas, etc. (est. $140)
- Required emergency evacuation insurance & International SOS Membership (est. $50)
- 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.
Discounts and Savings
- A one-time total tuition fee deduction of 5% is granted for any two adventures or for two or more students from the same family.
- Any two consecutive programs may be joined to form one extended course. In the interim between programs, students stay with staff. The total cost is determined by combining the cost of each program and subtracting the 5% extended course discount. (This discount also applies toward any trips adjoining our sister program GoBeyond.) ActionQuest and/or GoBeyond enrollment for any two programs in the same summer will be considered as a single extended program in the event of withdrawal or dismissal from the trip at any time.
Travel Docs & Visas
All students traveling to the BVI need to have a passport which is valid for a minimum of three months after the date of departure from the BVI. Visitors from certain countries other than the US, UK and Canada may require visas.
For the most up-to-date and thorough information, please visit travel.state.gov. Students traveling on non-U.S. passports should verify passport and visa requirements for your nationality by contacting your local British embassy or consulate or the nearest BVI Tourist Board Office.
One important point to mention is that most students joining us in the BVI do so by flying via St. Thomas, which is part of the US Virgin Islands. This means that those students not flying on a US or Canadian passport need to consider whether they need to apply for a U.S. visa or ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization). Please call us with any questions.
Vaccinations
For visiting the BVI, the CDC recommends that all travelers are up-to-date on routine vaccinations that most of us had as children (measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine, varicella (chickenpox) vaccine, polio vaccine.
That said, we understand that families have varying opinions on vaccinations. Some greatly desire the precaution; others prefer to avoid possible side effects of certain medications. Coupled with the fact that each student has unique medical considerations known best by his or her doctor, AQ does not supply medical advice. For this reason, we recommend that all families refer back to the expertise of the CDC from time to time (wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel), their health care providers, and/or a travel clinic to gain the most up to date information.
Living in the moment
Though the fundamentals of our adventures don’t change, specific logistics evolve as we get closer to the summer and then day by day based on weather. The animated map along with the adventure overview portions on this page should give all families a basic understanding of the kinds of activities we do on the voyage. Since this is the first year we are running this program, we expect changes in the itinerary leading up to and even throughout the summer.
With this in mind, we encourage all participants to “live in the moment”. Traveling by boat requires flexibility and a willingness to accept adversity and change. We hope you’ll take any bumps in your stride, and enjoy the adventure!
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