Terminally bored teenager wants to travel

November 14, 2006 6:46 PM

My 16 year old teenage daughter is going stir-crazy in this Canadian one horse town and wants to see the world. However, she hasn't graduated high school yet. What are her options?

She's got a year and a half left of school, but she's terminally bored of the city she grew up in. I wonder if there's an organization she can join that travels. Or maybe become a foreign exchange student? Or maybe we should just get up and move to another city? I could use some ideas.

posted by dropkick to Travel & Transportation around Canada (30 answers total)

At that age I did a summer trip as a student ambassador. It consisted of organized group travel (a bunch of other students from my state, plus three teacher chaperones) to a bunch of countries, featuring a mix of tours, experiences, homestays and organized meetings with locals. I think I could have earned class credits from also doing assignments as we went along, but I didn't partake in that option.
posted by xo at 6:59 PM on November 14, 2006

Overseas summer study, volunteering, etc.
posted by jesirose at 7:00 PM on November 14, 2006

Oh, and how could I forget AFS? She can do a partial or a whole school-year exchange in another country of her choosing.
posted by xo at 7:02 PM on November 14, 2006

Rotary's youth program (Interact) does a foreign exchange program. You could talk to your local Rotary club.

Also, churches often have youth mission trips. The one I went to had service-oriented trips for teenagers that did not require you be a church member or even an avowed Christian, just pay your share of expenses and be prepared to build some porches/paint some buildings/etc.
posted by dagnyscott at 7:05 PM on November 14, 2006

At 16 I dropped out of school, stayed in China for two months and India for two months by myself staying with the friends of family friends and never looked back. I got my GED (a general high-school equivalent degree here in the states) and, now 10 years later I am a 3rd year, and close to being ABD (I hope) PhD student.

Let your daughter travel, especially if you can connect with friends or acquaintances who would be willing to lend a hand. I attribute a lot of my success now to being able to get the hell out and be on my own at that age (note: just getting the money together to do that as a 16 year old taught me a lot).
posted by sablazo at 7:18 PM on November 14, 2006

Well- this may be close to get-off-my-lawn-you-scall-a-wags kind of talk.
But bored? teenager?? IS she getting straight A's? Has a job?
Her job right now is school I think why not have hr devote her time and energy to preparing for life after high school?
Have her get a job. Pay her own way. If she's advanced in school maybe take an online course preparing her for college.
posted by beccaj at 7:19 PM on November 14, 2006 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: @MonkeySaltedNuts:

Don't hold back. Tell me how you really feel.

@beccaj:

I think she inherited the 'wanderlust' gene my brother and sister have. Both left home at early ages and travelled extensively. As for my daughter's marks: she's a smart kid and her grades are solid, but I'm looking for a way she can finish her high school and get a change of scenery at the same time. I'm merely entertaining possibilities, nothing more.
posted by dropkick at 7:33 PM on November 14, 2006

A number of my friends had good experiences with the Katimavik program.
posted by crazycanuck at 7:39 PM on November 14, 2006

Second both xo and dagnyscott - I did People to People in middle school, and Rotary's full-year exchange my senior year of high school, and they were both fantastic. P2P is good for kids about your daughter's age, as there's rather more hand-holding, while you still get a good experience (I had a short homestay with a Danish family, for example).
posted by wandering steve at 7:43 PM on November 14, 2006

Don't overlook boarding school. I'm not familiar with the offerings in Canada, but in the U.S. there are a range of options with specialties to fit any interest (arts, science, whatever). Yes, they're expensive (though probably not much more so than many study abroad programs) but if your daughter's grades are good, she can likely secure a scholarship.
posted by chickletworks at 7:44 PM on November 14, 2006

From what I've heard the People to People programs are great. My school in Sydney was a "host school" for these programs. Basically, the kids came to the school for a day and got to see what an Australian school was like. I've got a number of friends from across the US who I met through this and they all had a ball doing it.
posted by cholly at 7:58 PM on November 14, 2006

What are her options?

Canadian Coast Guard! Go rescue people for a living.
posted by frogan at 8:14 PM on November 14, 2006

When I was her age, I did Westcoast Connections, and while it is a bit pricey, it temporarily satiated my travel bug, and served as a great beginner for what has become a lifelong desire for travel experiences. Spend time with kids her age, some freedom, and a wealth of cities. Awesomeness.
posted by evadery at 8:37 PM on November 14, 2006

I was going to say Katimavik also, but I thought it was discontinued...I think it was recently brought back?
I was lucky enough to do a summer course for a grade 13 credit in Italy back in '86 and it had a huge impact on my life.
I remember looking into Lycee Canadienne en France high school exchange program when I was pissed off about my own shitty high school situation back in the day, but they don't seem to be running now...perhaps she can ask the guidance department about options for studying abroad? There's usually tons of stuff.
I remember that lots of people were doing Outward Bound at the time, too, which sounded cool.

Also, Googling brought me to this page of ideas courtesy of our government.

Don't know what the unpleasantness above was about, but, for what it's worth, I think some time in a completely different situation, at that age, can do really amazing things for a person. Good for you for encouraging, or at least facilitating it.
posted by chococat at 8:50 PM on November 14, 2006

Another former Rotary exchange student here. I spent my sr. year of high school (grade 12) in India. It was an awesome experience, and I can't recommend India highly enough. Once I got there, the Rotary sent me all over the country, speaking about life in America. Taught me my public speaking skills, too.
posted by QIbHom at 8:54 PM on November 14, 2006

If she's interested in a full year of foreign exchange, she should start looking now. Today. It may be too late, even.

It's much better to take an exchange year before she finishes school here, as a lot of countries simply won't take students who have finished here. Most Rotary programs have probably already started selection for next summer's departure, but she might still slip in. Some of the less selective, more expensive programs may have less pressing timelines.
posted by jacquilynne at 8:54 PM on November 14, 2006

Encounters Canada did wonders for me when I was about the same age. THe program runs weekly youth forums in Ottawa -- and they rotate through 11 different themes. It was free when I went many years ago and I believe it is still free -- including airfare and accommodation.

Although not as exotic as a trip to China or a year abroad, Encounters Canada is a great way to expose your daughter to arts and culture, the political system, the legal system, civic engagement, universities and more, not to mention whatever theme she chooses. This was one of the most exciting things I did as a teen.

As a high school student, I also took part in a government-sponsored exchange program to Japan for a month. Many Canadian school boards have a partnership with Utrek, but you might be able to find out whether she can apply independently. This was a life-changing experience for me. I still keep in touch with my host family, 17 years later.
posted by acoutu at 8:55 PM on November 14, 2006

(Incidentally, it looks like the pictures on the Utrek site are from my group's visit in 1989! But they seem to still be running.)
posted by acoutu at 8:56 PM on November 14, 2006

I completely n+1ed the idea of being a foreign exchange student. It would be an AMAZING experience; you learn so much, and it really affects you for the better. (Well, hopefully, provided the program you were on was a good one.)

I recommend getting The Teenager's Guide to School Outside the Box - it has plenty of great ideas and resources. Even as a uni student I find it interesting.

beccaj: this would help her with life in so many ways, far more than just traditional methods. Life isn't just about straight As.
posted by divabat at 9:16 PM on November 14, 2006

Around that age I went on an Earthwatch expedition to Spain for two weeks and then worked for a landmarks preservation group. It was great because it was organized and safe but still allowed me to go by myself and be treated as an adult.
posted by rmless at 10:28 PM on November 14, 2006

I was in a similar situation, and ended up going away to a boarding school for the end of high school. I thought about a music school, but ended up in India for two years, here. This is one of many similar schools under the United World College umbrella. They're great schools, and it's hard to go wrong with the experience; does add an extra year to high-school, though.
posted by metaculpa at 12:20 AM on November 15, 2006

Find a way to send her to Toronto for the summer. It's one of the best cities in the world and you could visit her pretty easily to make sure she's OK. If you do it as part of a summer studies program, it'll help her get ready for university in more ways than one.

Meanwhile, you could consider moving to Toronto. Not for her, but for you.
posted by pracowity at 12:26 AM on November 15, 2006

I congratulate you on being so keen on making your child's desires come true...not to be totally sappy, but you're doing a great thing just by thinking about these things.

Suggestions:

- a month-long trip somewhere reasonably far away and exotic during the middle of the school year (Mexico? Morocco?) if she can get that kind of time off; at least in my school district back in the States, teachers were willing to let you work out "independent study contracts" and do, say, a presentation on your work/experience when you returned

- working through a local service organization and seeing if their youth branches has some sort of exchange program

- finding a more interesting high school? Boarding school seems like it'd fit the bill here, especially if the boarding school was abroad.
posted by mdonley at 5:24 AM on November 15, 2006

In high school, I saved up enough money to take a three week student tour through England, France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, and Germany during the summer. Ignoring your typical student emotional outbursts and problems, a fight with a French waiter that involved throwing bread, and the cruddy tour-enforced restaurants (which we successfully turned into a stipend), it was one of the most fabulous experiences I could have had at that age.

It really opened my eyes about culture and I really enjoyed the experience of putting high school French into practical use, the joy of discovering that 7 years of music gave me a way to communicate in Italian, and respect for being unable to effectively communicate in German.
posted by plinth at 6:25 AM on November 15, 2006

Response by poster: Some great suggestions. Thank you.

I guess the main reason for this question is to empower my daughter with options. I don't want her to feel bored and trapped.
posted by dropkick at 7:22 AM on November 15, 2006

May I just say you are awesome for thinking of this for your daughter. I was bored out of my skull in high school (and yes, I did have a job, got good grades, did after-school activities, etc.) and lived in a very small town. My parents told me to suck it up and wait for college. If they had given me an opportunity to study abroad for a semester/year or go to boarding school, I would have leapt for it.
posted by sutel at 9:31 AM on November 15, 2006

I guess the main reason for this question is to empower my daughter with options. I don't want her to feel bored and trapped.

<snark>Well, then don't let her grow up. I mean, what do you call a job and a car payment and a mortgage?</snark>

Back on topic -- exchange programs are a great way to accomplish wanderlust. I can't find the name of it *anywhere*, but my best friend in high school did an exchange program with a girl her same age from Belarus. They spent a month in each other's country. When Kris went over to Belarus, she only knew a little bit of Russian, and she recounts the experience of learning to communicate with other people that very much didn't want to talk to her, for basic day-to-day needs, as one of the most humbling and rewarding of her life. She did the exchange her seinor year of high school. (Olga, the student from Belarus, spoke english with about 75% fluidity... but Olya is a freakin' BRAIN...)

The other value for Kris was that she got to see her life through Olga's eyes. She thought her little town in Oregon was the most horrible place in the world, but the way Olya described it to me, it was spacious, clean, and fresh. Kris told me later that she finally found peace in where she lived after learning to see it the way that Olga did.
posted by SpecialK at 9:55 AM on November 15, 2006

accomplish wanderlust? gah, too busy snarking to use the right words. Appease wanderlust is what I'd meant.
posted by SpecialK at 9:56 AM on November 15, 2006

One more not yet mentioned: Canada World Youth. If she wants to get out of the country, CWY is just about the best way to link into the NGO and development community. Several friends of mine did this through the eighties and ninties. It's my one true lasting regret that I never did this between HS and university (but your daughter needn't wait that long). Start looking now though. Placements sometimes take time.
posted by bonehead at 9:57 PM on November 15, 2006

When I was 17 I did Amigos de las Americas. I'm not sure that Canadians can do it, but there might be something like it. It was like a mini Peace Corps experience - I lived with a couple of other volunteers and we did health and sanitation projects in a small, Mexican village. It's mostly juniors, seniors, and some young college students. You need to raise the money and learn spanish and other skills - that all takes almost a year of prepping. It was tons of fun, piqued my love of travel, and I learned a lot as well. They go throughout Latin America - I happened to be assigned to Mexico.

I was also thrilled to come home at the end of the summer.
posted by Amizu at 1:37 PM on November 16, 2006