We strive to make our trips as turnkey as possible for educators. You can expect to dedicate 7-10 hours of preparation for your trip, plus travel time. Preparation includes the following:

Attend 1-2 Online Webinars (Approx. 1-2 hours)

Participate in one or two online webinars with other educators leading trips. Each webinar lasts one hour and takes place in the evening. During this time, DV staff will provide you with all the information you will need to lead the trip confidently. 

Meet with DV Staff (Approx. 2 hours)

In addition, you will have one or two individual phone or in-person meetings with Dream Volunteers staff. We’re available to meet more often if you need additional support.

Lead Pre-Departure Meetings (Approx. 2-3 hours)

We will give you all the agendas and information you need to lead three pre-departure meetings, two for your students and one for your parents. Each session lasts approx. 45 minutes. 

Travel Time (Approx. 1-3 Weeks)

The additional time commitment will be the trip itself, which lasts anywhere from one to three weeks.

Dream Volunteers wants you to feel supported, confident, and well-informed throughout our entire time together. If you’re debating the cost of travel, please know we’ll pay for your travel expenses and provide you with an on-location cellular phone service. 

Before the trip, we’ll provide pre-trip webinars, personal phone calls, and sometimes, in-person meetings. Our support also includes complete agendas for your pre-trip meetings, as well as guidance for running them. During the trip, our local leaders will guide your group, be primarily responsible for the logistics, and manage the trip’s itinerary. You will have a knowledgeable, experienced, bilingual local program director to support you every step of the way. We also have our emergency protocols in place, which our on-site staff leads in case of illness, injury, or emergency.

Your chief role is to mentor your students and communicate back home with Dream Volunteers.

Dream Volunteers staff are available by phone anytime you need them during the trip and 9:00 – 5:00 Pacific Monday through Friday on days before the trip.

To sign up, simply click on “Sign Up” for the trip you would like to join and complete the application form. You will be asked for a deposit to hold your space. Trips that are restricted to private groups (stated in trip description) may ask for specific information to ensure eligibility. All other trips are public and open to all.

No, though there may be projects that require participants to be a certain age. We have trips designed for just about any and every age group. There are middle school trips, high school trips, college trips, family trips, and even custom trips. Find the trip that’s appropriate for you!

No specific skills are required. We engage in volunteer projects that can be done by just about anyone. For light construction and technical projects, there will be a local project leader guiding you throughout the project.

No language skills are required. We have bilingual staff and project leaders as well as hosts that have become accustomed to “creative communication” over their 10+ years of working with our volunteers!

You’ll participate in one or two online webinars with other educators leading trips. Dream Volunteers staff lead the webinars and will provide you with all the preparation and information you’ll need for the trip. Each webinar lasts approximately one hour and takes place in the evening. In addition, you will have one or two individual phone or in-person meetings with Dream Volunteers staff. Beyond that, you will deliver (with agendas and materials from Dream Volunteers) three pre-departure sessions to your students and one to the parents. Each meeting lasts approximately 45 minutes.

Your role on this trip is to guide and inspire your students and support team communication. You’ll work with the local program director to teach the students through the experience and adapt the curriculum appropriately throughout the trip. In addition, we ask that you communicate regularly with DV headquarters staff to receive additional support and guidance. We also ask that you provide updates back to participant families, as well. You will have time to interact with your students one-on-one or in small groups, and with the support of our on-site director and team, you will have plenty of opportunities to immerse yourself and enjoy the trip as a participant.

These are Dream Volunteers trips. We support you and your school in coordinating them for your students, and we assume the liability. Dream Volunteers has a $2,000,000 per occurrence general liability insurance policy.

We have tested emergency protocols in place and trained staff to support you throughout the trip and in the event of an emergency. You are not the main person in charge should there be an emergency. That said, you may be the first on the scene. We will walk you through our Risk Preparedness and Emergency Protocol Manual prior to the trip.

Absolutely. There are several teachers and administrators who have taken their students on trips with us in the recent past who have made themselves available to share their experience with you and answer any questions you may have. Please fill out this inquiry form. One of these educators will respond to your questions and/or arrange a short phone call if that is what you prefer.