How to reflect on a teen travel program after the trip — seven prompts to make sense of the highlights, the challenges, what you learned about yourself, and how to bring those lessons into the rest of the year.
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Why outdoor time matters for teens — Olly Cayless on the cognitive and emotional case for moving teens out of urban routines (the directed-attention vs. soft-fascination contrast) and how RLT outdoor-based teen trips put it into practice.
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Will, a Summer 2022 RLT alum, on his Malama ‘Aina trip to Hawaii — his first time flying solo, environmental community service with locals, the all-day Na Pali Coast boating-and-snorkeling adventure, and what made him sign up for Costa Rica next.
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What cultural immersion really means for teens — Olly Cayless on the difference between sightseeing and showing up: shared meals with locals, service work alongside residents, and how it builds cultural sensitivity, self-knowledge, and a wider perspective.
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How to help your teen build social skills — join interest-based teams or programs, balance online and in-person time, and put teens in tech-free settings where they can practice empathy, active listening, and reading body language with peers and trained leaders.
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Maya — RLT alum and trip leader — on her Costa Rica Pura Vida middle school trip, the Norway program that changed her, kayaking 70 km through the fjords, backpacking 60 miles in Jotunheimen, and what kept her coming back as a leader.
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How RLT keeps teen travel programs safe — winter logistics planning, twice-interviewed leaders with background checks, a 10-day in-person staff training, 80+ hours of Wilderness First Responder + CPR + AED + Lifeguard, and a 24/7 Director and on-call licensed physician network.
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Kacy Lebby on how RLT teaches Leave No Trace and stewardship on every trip — invasive species removal, trail maintenance, beach clean-ups, garden infrastructure, and field data collection that asks teens not just what they’re doing but why the work is needed.
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Kacy Lebby on the Type 1 / Type 2 fun framework on RLT trips — the comfort-zone moments (the spilled mac and cheese, the wrong-way trail, the rainstorm tent) that build resilience and confidence — plus how soul groups, private journals, and rotating leadership roles are baked into every trip.
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Why service has been central to RLT since 1991, and what makes it different — Kacy Lebby on community-driven projects defined by local partners across four areas: environmental stewardship, animal conservation, cultural immersion, and community service.
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How RLT approaches diversity and inclusion on trips and as an organization — Kacy Lebby on what makes a group feel safe, the work of building inclusive trip culture, and why varied perspectives strengthen every cohort.
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Why community is the point of an RLT trip — Morgan Sanden on the planning, cooking, struggling-and-supporting we do together; how unplugged programming makes deeper connection possible; and why the lowest-density moments (just being together) build the longest-lasting friendships.
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Why life-changing experiences begin with intentional programming, meaningful service, and stewardship — and the toolkit RLT participants take home from a single summer.
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Why responsible travel matters — RLT’s commitment to honoring, preserving, and sustaining the natural environments and communities we visit, starting with the reefs.
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Twenty years with RLT — Morgan’s story of growing from teen participant to Trip Leader to full-time staff, and what makes that path feel possible.
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RLT alumnus Aaron H. reflects on his Colorado: 5280' middle school trip, exploring wolf conservation, community service, and what travel teaches teens about caring for the world around them.
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Why an RLT summer trip is a unique blend of community service, outdoor adventure, and cultural immersion — and how the work shapes participants for life.
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RLT’s June 2020 statement of solidarity with Black and Indigenous People of Color — a commitment to ongoing learning, listening, and action.
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Pierce, who started as a trip leader with RLT in 2018, on what makes RLT trips special — the insight, experience, and enthusiasm that shape life-changing experiences for participants.
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On pain, joy, and the universal threads that hold us together — a reflection on supporting young people through challenging times, and what that looks like at RLT.
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