Virgin Islands Service

Overview

The Caribbean is a beautiful paradise right in our own backyard. Virgin Islands Service offers teens the chance to see the Caribbean as few people ever do: by serving its communities and ecosystems in need. Our volunteer work in the U.S. Virgin Islands will have a real impact on its communities and fragile environment. During our three weeks of teen summer service, we’ll grow closer as a group and enjoy what we've accomplished in the gorgeous Virgin Islands .

After we meet in Christiansted, we’ll spend two and a half weeks volunteering with local organizations that serve St. Croix’s disadvantaged populations. We'll become mentors to children at The Virgin Islands Sustainable Farming Institute and at a children's center in Christiansted, help maintain the island’s natural beauty at a botanical garden and work to restore beach habitat for nesting turtles.  During the late afternoons and evenings, we will have a chance to experience and enjoy Caribbean life as we seek out the best beaches, explore a tropical rainforest and visit historic ruins. Our work on St. Croix will have a direct impact on the people and environment of the island.

We'll end with a trip to St. John, where we'll explore the beauty of the Virgin Islands National Park and spend our final days together exploring the island on easy day hikes and swimming and snorkeling in the clear island waters.  At program’s end, we will look back on three weeks of worthwhile service, hard work, exploration, hiking and swimming, knowing that we have made a difference in the Caribbean.

“Overland was, by far, the best experience I have ever had.  Not only did I make life-long friends and spend three weeks in the US Virgin Islands, but I got the opportunity to serve a community totally different from my own."  Nathan Cogswell, Hickory, North Carolina

Highlights

• Reach out to the people of St. Croix
• Visit historic ruins & hike in beautiful settings
• Learn about sustainable agriculture
• Swim & snorkel St. John’s North Shore

Grade

For students who will finish grades 8-12 in June 2010.

Call us (800.458.0588) to check on current availability.

Challenge Level

3 (1-10, 1 is easiest)

Start and End Location

Starts in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands
Ends in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands

Dates and Fees

3 Weeks

Sunday, June 27 to Friday, July 16
Sunday, July 18 to Friday, August 6

$4595 (airfare not included)

Itinerary

Program Start

Virgin Islands Service starts in the airport on St. Croix, where leaders will be on hand to meet students and help to collect baggage. From there we'll head to our group accommodations just outside of Christiansted to get to know each other before our service work starts the next day.

Service Projects

While in the Virgin Islands, we'll work with a variety of local organizations to serve both the people and the land. We'll be coordinating with these organizations throughout the year to come up with the best possible projects for our groups and to be able to best serve the islands once we arrive in the summer.  Projects we will work on include:

The Virgin Islands Sustainable Farm Institute

For one week we will live and volunteer at the Virgin Islands Sustainable Farm Insititue.  The VISFI believes local, organic agriculture and a practical educational experience are the first steps toward building vital communities and achieving long term sustainability within a healthy environment. Our students serve as "natural mentors" for children in the community to learn about sustainable agriculture and traditional island skills that have been passed down through generations.  The Natural Mentors Program was selected by National Geographic magazine as a finalist for their "Geotourism Challenge" contest in 2009!  With the help of the VISFI, we may also get the opportunity to help replant the gardens at local schools in Frederiksted. 

Children's Center

We will partner with the Children's Center in Christiansted for a one-week mentorship program with local children where our students will act as one-on-one mentors. Our work will focus on reading and literacy and the children we work with will benefit from the confidence and attention our Overland group can bring them.  During our week at the Children's Center, we'll live at Mount Victory, a beautiful retreat on the west side of St. Croix, where we'll enjoy comfortable, but rustic platform tent accommodations.

Buck Island Sail

We'll spend one day sailing to and exploring the Buck Island Reef National Monument where we'll take time to snorkel and swim, as we visit one of the most spectacular marine gardens in the Caribbean.

Virgin Islands National Park

From St. Croix, we'll travel north by ferry to St. John.  We'll end our time together in the Virgin Islands with four days in the Virgin Islands National Park, a 7,000 plus acre park with lush valleys, pristine beaches and endless opportunities for hiking and exploring.  

Swimming and Snorkeling

We will have ample opportunity to enjoy the crystal clear water and abundant marine life in between our service work on both St. Croix and St. John.

Program End

After a fun final dinner and reflection on all that we have accomplished during our three weeks together, we will ferry from St. John to St. Thomas, from where students will fly home with memories to last a lifetime.

“I had an amazing time!"  Sam Jacobs, Briarcliff Manor, New York

Trip Details

Service Hours

40 hours of service

Students: Is this the right trip for you?

Virgin Islands Service requires a positive attitude and a willingness to work hard as teen summer service volunteers. The trail work on Virgin Islands Service makes this program physically challenging, as we'll work hard to build and restore trails. Participants should be eager to take part in a variety of service projects and be ready for both the challenges and rewards that service work in the Virgin Islands has to offer.

Keep in mind that your enjoyment of your trip will hinge on certain factors:

1. Your motivation. It's not always easy—you must be motivated!

2. Your desire to hike and do trail work. We'll spend much of our three weeks in the Virgin Islands working hard on trails and other outdoor projects.

3. Your commitment to teamwork. Overland trips require compromise, patience and selflessness. Support your trip leaders and your trips mates, and you'll find that you will have a great experience!

Please note that some of the service opportunities your group pursues will depend on the needs of the community and available service opportunities. We ask for students' flexibility in the service projects we pursue in the Virgin Islands.

“Overland succeeded in giving me an experience of a lifetime."  Lily Mehta, Birmingham, Michigan

Photos

Click thumbnails below to enlarge

Print View

Before You Go

• Enrollment Forms
• Prepare & Pack
• Travel Information
• Mail Stops
• Helpful Reminders

Apply Now

We welcome your interest in joining Overland this summer!

To apply, please complete and sign the application on page 47 of the Overland catalog or download an application. (You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to download the application).

Please refer to page 46 of our catalog for important information you should know before signing the application.

Send your application and $795 deposit to:

Overland
P.O. Box 31
Williamstown, MA 01267

For overnight mail via UPS or FedEx, please use our street address:

Overland
63 Spring Street
Williamstown, MA 01267

Sorry, we are unable to accept applications by fax, and we do not take credit cards. Applications are reviewed in the order in which they arrive at our office and we cannot hold spots over the phone.

To learn about our admissions process, please click here.