Immersion Service Community

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The
VISIONS
Story

VISIONS has set the standard for international community service programs for high school students for 35 years. Collaborative service work and cross-cultural living help our teen volunteers understand a complicated world & learn meaningful ways to contribute productively.

Our roots go back to the early 1970s, when a few New York friends and educators relocated to a Pennsylvania farm to establish an experiential summer camp for teens. Many summers in this setting taught us that teens thrived while working and living together. They loved the camaraderie, the physical labor and the shared sense of purpose. The concept of VISIONS sprang from this knowledge. Teenagers want to be part of something bigger and are willing to work hard to meet big goals. In 1988, we decided to take these ideas beyond the farm, sensing that this kind of volunteerism would appeal to teens. We were right.

VISIONS collaborates at the grassroots level, with a strong commitment to our community partners. We have lived and worked in the Dominican Republic, Montana Indian reservations and British Virgin Islands for more than three decades. Most of our other sites have hosted VISIONS teens for at least 25 years. When we develop new programs, we do so with long-term partnerships in mind. These enduring relationships translate into exceptional opportunities for deep cultural learning. You will interact with local people who know and care for us. And you will leave with a greater understanding of what life is like in other parts of the world.

 ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Construction Projects

More than 1,500 labor projects, including:

  • 26 Community Centers
  • 3 Medical Clinics
  • 66 Homes
  • 27 Schools
  • 60 Playgrounds
  • Plus, wheelchair ramps, firehouses, park pavilions, powwow arbors, fences, baseball dugouts, wood sheds, outhouses, bridges, dog houses, remodels, renovations and more.

Environmental Work

  • 14 cisterns and wells
  • I84 clean-burning stoves in homes
  • Potable water systems serving hundreds of households
  • Gardening and organic farming projects
  • Trail work, removing invasive plant species, and the list goes on!

Social Service

  • Day camps for thousands of kids
  • Teaching in classrooms
  • Serving meals to elders
  • Food distribution at soup kitchens
  • Swim lessons for people with disabilities
  • Helping with community events

OUR TEAM

Administration

Katherine Dayton

Director & Owner

Josephine Foster

Director of Operations

Amanda Pincock

Director of Outreach

Leyri Garcia

Program Coordinator

Deb Earl

Outreach Coordinator

Juan Jose Arias O.

Technology Coordinator

Patricia Nielsen

Controller

Program Staff

Santos Ramos

Dominican Republic Project Coordinator

Marina Florentino

Dominican Republic Cook

Georgia Calimeres

Dominican Republic Director

 

Joan Cobell

Montana Blackfeet Cook

KD_Portrait

Katherine Dayton

Montana Blackfeet Director

 

Camille George

British Virgin Islands Cook

 

Megan Schneberg

British Virgin Islands 1 Director

Raven Earls

British Virgin Islands 2 & 3 Director

Neyda Rivera

Peru Cook

Nico Jara

Peru Project Coordinator

Armeno second bio pic

Armeno Pellegrini

Peru Director

VISIONS in The New York Times