Immersion • Service • Community
Tech-Free: Disconnect So You Can Really Connect
Peru
High School Service Program
Water Conservation &
School Expansion
Peru 1
June 9 – 20 | 12 Days
40 Service Hrs | $4,290
Peru 2
June 26 – July 16 | 21 Days
80 Service Hrs | $6,290
Peru 3
July 23 – August 3 | 12 Days
40 Service Hrs | $4,290
“Going to Peru and becoming part of the community was eye opening and fulfilling. We didn’t just build irrigation canals, we built a family. I took home with me an experience and inspiration that will forever push me to do greater things.”
Living among Quechua people who are direct descendants of the Incan Empire, one embraces ancient heritage, time-honored traditions, and enduring spirituality that resonate through this breathtaking landscape.
Friends Become Family
In Urubamba, nestled within the Sacred Valley, your journey unfolds against a backdrop steeped in rich heritage and profound connections. More than 25 years of collaboration between VISIONS and the community have woven a tapestry of shared experiences, thereby enhancing your immersion throughout the program. You’ll be embraced by the warmth of local residents who await your arrival for projects and activities alike.
Each day has a familial ambiance, from communal meals to accomplishments at project sites, shared goals and incredible outings.
“I had a great time with the afternoon and weekend excursions and the adventures surprised me in many ways. My mind and body were kept occupied and I thoroughly enjoyed learning and seeing new things. There was beauty in every aspect of the trip.”
Snow-capped Andean peaks, indigenous cultures and vast ruins—your Peru home away from home offers endless opportunities for exploration.
GOING BEYOND
The connection to ancient culture is palpable, both in local traditions and in the physical landscape. You’ll explore the heart of Inca civilization, Machu Picchu, where we walk to the Sun Gate as the first light breaks over the peaks. You also will visit the ruins of Ollantaytambo and tour the Salinas de Maras, ponds where Peruvians still harvest salt.
You’ll spend time in the old capital of Cuzco, which is peppered with cathedrals and incredible architecture. Visit Pisac market, where artisans have been selling wares for more than four centuries, and wander highland villages, where life is lived in ways that have lasted through centuries. In the process, you may view your own place in history with new eyes.
ACTIVITIES AND EXCURSIONS
- Learn Pottery, Weaving & Chocolate-Making
- Explore Moray, Chinchero & Machu Picchu Ruins
- Walk Through Ancient Salt Flats
- Shop At Vibrant Artisan Markets
- Play Soccer With Locals & Explore Town
- Immerse In Rural Life During A Day Stay With A Family
- Stargaze Under The Darkest Sky You’ve Perhaps Ever Experienced
“I loved how while helping build the canals I got to know the people who would benefit from the work VISIONS was doing. It made the work personal and gave me even more incentive to do a great job.”
Service Matters
For more than two decades, VISIONS has worked in the Sacred Valley on projects that have had an extraordinary impact. Miles of concrete irrigation canals are testament to the success, and VISIONS high school volunteers are credited with helping to preserve the livelihood of several farming communities that have been dealing with a decade-long drought and are in need of water conservation initiatives. The work is hands-on and provides insight into traditions of this ancient civilization.
Also learn the most common form of historic construction in the Andes—adobe—during construction projects at local schools, which is another common initiative.
You’ll be amazed by how quickly the cobblestone byways of Urubamba become as familiar as the streets in your hometown. Our relationships in the community run deep and strong, and you’ll be part of it.
On this foundation of mutual trust and respect, you’ll make connections by hanging out with locals while shopping at the farmers market, working with maestros on service projects, making traditional foods with our dinner cook, Neyda, learning Incan history from project manager Nico, and playing soccer with “Urubambino” kids. We live right in town in a rented home that has multiple bunk rooms, bathrooms, kitchen and common area. Read more about your Peruvian home away from home.
Our
Home:
Urubamba,
Peru
Nico Jara
When VISIONS began working in Peru in 1999, one of our first connections was with Nico Jara. He began as our professional driver that first year, but he quickly proved himself so talented and capable on many fronts, he became our project coordinator. He’s also a close friend whose knowledge about the Sacred Valley runs deep.
Read More
Nico is with our program every day the kids are there, and digs in alongside us at worksites. He’s eager to laugh, joke around, and as a great soccer player, he spearheads plenty of games during the summer. Of Quechua descent (the indigenous people of the Andes), Nico speaks fluent Quechua and Spanish, but he knows only a few words of English, so there are ample opportunities to practice a lot of Spanish when they become his friends.
Nico’s favorite part of the VISIONS summer is helping the rural communities in Yanahuara, where we do many irrigation projects. He is particularly passionate about our work with irrigation and water conservation, which helps farmers keep their crops and livelihoods.
Nico loves to say, “Everything is possible.” His tireless physical contributions are matched only by his relentless optimism and positivism. It’s infectious. So much so, there are now countless VISIONS students and leaders who during their time in Urubamba came to share his belief, and have carried the idea that everything is possible out into the world.
Read more about Nico Jara.
Peru Blog Posts
Spotlight: Gillian Madden, VISIONS Alum & Leader
Gillian became a leader for the VISIONS Dominican Republic summer program after volunteering with us as a teen in Peru, and incorporates the experiential learning VISIONS emphasizes into her daily life as a university student in Byron Bay, NSW, Australia. Read on about her adventures!
VISIONS summer volunteer leader Armeno looks forward to Peru
As Armeno recalls past programs, he looks back on what he’s learned from each location and looks forward to his next, back in VISIONS Spanish immersion program in Peru this summer!