Opinions please - sending your kid abroad... good or bad idea?

[Roguelet]

My son is a Freshman in High School this year. He convinced me to go to a meeting with him last night to find out about travelling abroad with his school's Spanish teacher and French teacher during the summer of 2017. The trip will be through WorldStrides Educational Student Travel Company; it's their 10-day French and Spanish Provinces trip.

Everything presented at the meeting made it sound like this would be a wonderful opportunity, and my son really wants to go, but I'm trying to sort out how I feel about it. For one thing it's expensive... and for another thing he's just a kid and France and Spain are SO FAR AWAY!

He's 14; he would be 16 by the time that the trip rolls around. He's taking his first year of Spanish now, and would take a second year before the trip, but would have no exposure to the French language before going (unless he decided to double up on languages next year.)

Does anyone happen to have personal experience with WorldStrides, or with sending their kids abroad, or with going abroad as kids themselves, that they would be willing to share? A commitment to go and a deposit are supposed to be made by October 1st, which is right around the corner, so I need to weigh the pro's and con's and come to a decision pretty quickly.

 

[printcraft]

Do you have money or a particular set of skills?

 

[eldirector]

My sister traveled, studied, and lived abroad from High School through college. Western Europe several times, and Japan twice. Expensive, but she paid for a portion each time. She was pretty serious about it, too. Studied Japanese for several years before and after she went.

If it is well coordinated, and the adults have experience and will be good chaperons, then it may well be a great experience. Also consider your son's maturity. If he is or can be serious about it, then great. If it is a 10-day party, well.....

Don't worry about the languages. Tourist destinations speak English. If he knows Spanish fairly well by then, reading French will be easy enough (both are Romantic languages - my mother knew enough Spanish to navigate through Italy a while back). Spain and France are still rather welcoming to Americans. Maybe he can hook up with Sylvain?

 

[MCgrease08]

I did a similar trip to Spain as a senior in H.S. We were there for 14 days and visited five or six cities in that time, ending in Madrid. I had a blast.

It was expensive and my parents made sure I had a job and contributed to the cost. I also had to earn all of my own spending money IIRC.

I had a very basic Spanish proficiency, but didn't need to speak it all that much. In most places your guides and vendors speak English. The museums, architecture and old towns very amazing to visit. We saw incredible works of art by the world's most famous Spanish artists.

We were well chaperoned and kept very busy so there wasn't much time to get into too much trouble. The last night in Madrid we were allowed to go out on our own as long as we were back at the hotel by midnight. Yes we did drink that night as the drinking age is younger and laws are much looser there. The chaperones pretty much looked the other way when we got back to the hotel.

It's been almost 20 years, but I believe we were given instructions and resources about what to do if we got lost or in trouble. But we spent so much time as a group it wasn't really an issue.

I personally thought it was an excellent experience and was thankful to have the opportunity.

My sister spent six months in France while in college. One of her friends from living abroad showed up at her wedding years later and eventually became my wife. We would never have met if it weren't for her going abroad, so I may be biased.

If you can afford to send your son and feel he's responsible enough to go, I would recommend you let him go. Make him take some ownership by having him pay for part of the cost.

It will be an experience he remembers forever.

 

[T.Lex]

Maybe he can hook up with Sylvain?

Wait.

I think this means something different in Europe.

 

[Spear Dane]

If you can afford to send your son and feel he's responsible enough to go, I would recommend you let him go. Make him take some ownership by having him pay for part of the cost.
It will be an experience he remembers forever.

That's the best bit of advice you're gonna get right there.

 

[HoughMade]

A broad? The gals don't like being called that. I think he's a little young for you to send him a "broad" anyway.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Travel abroad is amazing. It opens your eyes to a lot of things you would not otherwise have considered. I'd send my kid to Spain or France in a heartbeat, and long before I sent him to Chicago or New York.

 

[Hogwylde]

Have you watched the movie "Taken"?

 

[17 squirrel]

One of my sisters did her last two years of high school in Geneiva, i dont know who it was through but I know it was through the HS she went to. She was a studious kid before she went and continued to be while she was overseas.
She came home for the summer for maybe a month or so and then returned.
.my mother and SF visited her a few times along the way.
After she came back, she went to Denison Univ for two years and again went back to Geneiva for her final two years. The first summer she bought a euro train pass and traveled that summer.. She had a great time. That was in the late 80's..

 

[spencer rifle]

Most of my experience is with college age people.
Oldest son: spent college junior year in UK, learned much, traveled Europe, currently in Wolong Province, China
Oldest daughter: Spent semesters in Costa Rica and the DR, traveled with her brother in Central America, Europe and China. Currently in Beijing
Youngest daughter: spent most of a high school year in the DR.
We are currently hosting a German high school exchange student. We have dinner table conversations with a ready source of information about how Europeans (and Germans) think about things.
All of them have experience with the wider world I could never hope to have, and more accurate perceptions on how people are both the same, and different, culturally. Young people - travel now while you don't have a job to tie you down and you still have health and energy.

 

[funeralweb]

If you can afford to send your son and feel he's responsible enough to go, I would recommend you let him go. Make him take some ownership by having him pay for part of the cost.

It will be an experience he remembers forever.

MCgrease08 and Spear Dane are correct. My daughter spent 6 weeks in Spain between Jr. & Sr. year of high school with IUHPFL. She was totally immersed in the culture and the language (no speaking English) and is still reaping benefits 4 years later. It took her a few hours to start speaking in English again when we picked her up at the airport. If you feel your son is responsible enough to adhere to the spirit of the program, you can't put a price tag on the opportunity.

 

[IndyGunworks]

I am going to be the odd man out here.... It might make you understand culture, and slightly change your view of the world as an adult, but I wouldn't sent one of my children. For that kind of money you can make your child well rounded as an American. Use the money to pay for a college degree, or if travel is a must travel the states so he can understand American heritage better. Its less risky and if something does happen WAY less expensive for healthcare, legal care, or just getting them back home in general. Plus your money can go a lot farther in the united states in general not including travel expenses.

 

[Kutnupe14]

One of my sisters did her last two years of high school in Geneiva, i dont know who it was through but I know it was through the HS she went to. She was a studious kid before she went and continued to be while she was overseas.
She came home for the summer for maybe a month or so and then returned.
.my mother and SF visited her a few times along the way.
After she came back, she went to Denison Univ for two years and again went back to Geneiva for her final two years. The first summer she bought a euro train pass and traveled that summer.. She had a great time. That was in the late 80's..

recognize, I'm giving you a pass.

 

[PistolBob]

My youngest son joined the Marine Corps and they sent him all over the place...well mainly Iraq, Kuwait, and Ireland....for free!

 

[Reagan40]

I spent 5 weeks in Europe the summer between my Jr. and Sr. year of high school. It was an exchange program that the school setup. I was a fairly mature kid and went with 5 other mature kids. We had a decent handle on the language of the country that we spent most of our time in. Most everyone over there also speaks English. At times it was a bit annoying, as we were trying to improve our conversation skills in their language but they wanted to practice english. Anyway, it was a very good experience and something that 2 decades later I still appreciate. Though it would be tough, I would likely send my child when she is older if she wished to go.

 

[findingZzero]

Point.
Both my daughters did the high school Spain trip (Valencia) and both made lasting friends and have visited them in Spain. Nothing gives one more perspective than living in another culture.

Counterpoint.

Don't do it! Nothing but foreigners over there. And they'll get a view of America you might not agree with and prolly come back as Marxists. In the event that something goes very wrong, mom or dad needs a very particular set of skills, skills acquired over a very long career. Skills that make you a nightmare for people who would do your kid harm. Skills that will allow you to look for the bad guys, find them, and kill them. Do you possess these skills?

 

[MCgrease08]

I am going to be the odd man out here.... It might make you understand culture, and slightly change your view of the world as an adult, but I wouldn't sent one of my children. For that kind of money you can make your child well rounded as an American. Use the money to pay for a college degree, or if travel is a must travel the states so he can understand American heritage better. Its less risky and if something does happen WAY less expensive for healthcare, legal care, or just getting them back home in general. Plus your money can go a lot farther in the united states in general not including travel expenses.

I think giving kids more exposure to the U.S. is a great idea too, and definitely should be a part of their experience growing up.

A couple of points about traveling abroad.

Ten days touring as part of a high school trip is around $3-4k. A lot of money, but not enough to pay for a college degree by any means

The risk of traveling to Spain and Europe as part of a group like this is pretty minimal. Equal or less than traveling here.

I agree with your point about legal expenses being potentially high if the kid gets in trouble over there, but if behavior is an issue that should be a disqualifier to letting him go in the first place. I also think you can get travel insurance at a minimal cost, it's probably an option as part of the group offering.

As for medical expenses, just an anecdotal story, but my sister is a H.S. French teacher and takes groups of students to Europe every other year. A few years ago a student got ill in London and needed emergency surgery. It was completely free because they have universal healthcare. I don't know the specifics, or if other countries have similar coverage, but I have a hard time imagining medical treatment can possibly be more expensive than what we pay here in the U.S.

 

[vitamink]

Every movie I've seen on the subject would suggest it's a horrible idea. Your kid will be kidnapped and you'll have to go there yourself. You'll find the police to be inept or even part of the group that kidnapped your kid, so they'll be no help. Your own government won't get involved for fear of creating an international incident. Your best bet is to kill your way up the hierarchy to get to the boss of the agency, which is probably someone you know, and then kill him. The good news is you then get your kid back and everyone will believe your vigilante body count was necessary so life returns to normal...and then your other kid wants to take a class trip to Japan.


sounds like too much work to me.

 

[Roguelet]

Well, I certainly have a lot to think about. We're going to sit down and discuss it in more depth this weekend. He's a really good kid or I wouldn't even be considering this as an option. He's not, in any way, a trouble maker or a party-er. However, this trip is almost 2 years down the road, and while I'd love to assume that he will still be a good student with his head on straight at that time... Yeah, of course he will be.