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The
VISIONS
Blog
Program Updates and Notes from the Field
Dig deeper into stories of friendships, community and projects.
Spotlight: Kristin O’Donoghue
Kristin shares her hopes for the future and explains how international community service fits in… “I would like to break down barriers of judgment that we have created for ourselves, that prohibit us from understanding one another and from making change…”
Spotlight: Marvin Mastin
When Marvin enters the room, the world gets a little brighter… “In my life I would like to create dialogue between people/groups. Everything starts with an interaction between two parties. VISIONS taught me that I only skimmed the surface of what there is to learn, share and discover…”
Spotlight: Kodee Cloninger
Kodee will be returning to Ecuador for her sixth summer with VISIONS and is excited to share her passion with another group…
“Through its focus on community and communication VISIONS has given me the opportunity to accept myself for my greatest strengths and weaknesses…”
Grow Your Grit with VISIONS
What trait offers the best chance at future happiness and success? Not a high IQ. Not even innate talent. According to the educational research, it’s “grit.” At VISIONS, we’re well acquainted with grit. Over the last 30 years, we’ve watched our participants build it right before our very eyes.
Spotlight: Amanda Pincock
Global citizen and longtime VISIONS Director Amanda shares a little about her world… “Having the opportunity to be placed in a community and live there for a summer, and being accepted by and working with people who have sometimes spent their lives there, was a blessing I will never take for granted…”
Spotlight: Eliza Trainer
Eliza will be heading to the Dominican Republic this summer for her second VISIONS program. Hear her reflections from Peru… “I want to continue to challenge myself and put myself in situations that will help me grow because it feels amazing to help others while having fun and learning at the same time…”
Spotlight: Molly Williams
Molly tells about her experience in Peru.
“Something that makes me hopeful for the future is knowing how even though America and Peru were so different, we could still relate to the locals through shared passions and humor. It’s nice to be reminded that we all share the same humanity.”
Spotlight: Jarin Mandros
Jarin will be heading to Ecuador this summer for her second VISIONS program… “I want to make people notice. We are all so focused on our own things and we never realize what is happening with the people around us…”
Spotlight: Andrew Goodrum
Andrew has traveled the world with VISIONS and will be back this summer as a leader.
“VISIONS taught me to be a lot more appreciative of everything I have in my life and to stop dwelling on the small things in life. Focus on the future because if you keep looking back you’re going to trip going forward…”
Spotlight: Claire Hortens
Claire is an inspiring global citizen, social justice seeker, and former VISIONS Director. Today we take a peek into her world… “VISIONS has been the backbone of my pursuit of social work and social justice for as long as I can remember…”
30 Years Strong
This summer, VISIONS turns 30. As one of the longest-running international teen service programs around, we’re proud of our age. Over the years we’ve forged deep friendships, completed successful projects and changed lives.
VISIONS Alums Returning in 2018
Double VISIONS: Participants return for another summer with VISIONS Many of our teens love their VISIONS experience so much they sign up for a second summer (and in some cases, a third or fourth!). Meet a few of our recent alums who are already signed up...
VISIONS Alum Raises Funds to Rebuild a School in Nicaragua
As the president of the Homestead High School Spanish club in Mequon, WI, Talia Gottlieb organized a fundraiser to benefit a community in Nicaragua where she lived on a VISIONS trip in 2015. After hearing from Talia, our local partner Victorino identified a great...
Lakota Food and Values at Standing Rock
Despite the ongoing passionate efforts of the Native American community, conservationists and activists, it appears that the Dakota Access Pipeline is indeed filling with oil that will flow underneath the Mississippi River and traverse the distance to Illinois —...
Thoughts on VISIONS Values
Defining our organization’s values allows everything else to flow from those things; leader interviews and hiring, teen service projects, where we work, who is accepted to our programs, and how we carry ourselves in the field and in the world.