International cultural immersion trips

"We wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfilment."  Hilaire Belloc

A ‘purpose trip’ is more than just a glorified tour or travel experience where you take in the sights, sounds, and experiences. A purpose trip is a much deeper cultural and personal connection to the people and culture at the destination.

Our ‘purpose trips’ include school visits and genuine interactions with locals to get a much deeper understanding of the culture and way of life. We also partner with local contacts to engage in local or village empowerment projects of community service  to show our love, support, and connection to the people. Roll up your sleeves and open up your heart and be ready to be amazed!

We are currently booking private school China Immersion trips for the spring of 2026. 

Back in 2012, we took our first group of 8 American High School students for a 3-week summer environmental science research project in Wuxi, China.   Students conducted high-level research at the Freshwater Fishery Research Center in Wuxi, China.  These talented high school students completed their research and even had their findings published in a prominent research publication!

Additional successful trips in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2018, & 2019 all involved student, teacher, and administrator groups traveling throughout China for educational & cultural immersion experiences.

Two 30-person groups from 2 private US schools visited China in the spring of 2025.  These immersion trips include more than just sightseeing experiences.  Students interact and engage with local Chinese students and participate in many cultural, educational, and fun activities together.  

We have also hosted countless students from China, Korea, Japan, Italy, France and more as part of our English summer immersion program associated with our domestic camp programs with Camp Concepts.

All of these inbound and outward bound student/teacher experiences provide rich cultural travel experiences that expand our geographical and cultural understanding of the greater world around us.  Nothing brings greater worldview perspective and understanding than interntational travel.

How often do these trips occur?  We try to arrange 1 or 2 trips per year.

What countries have been destination sites?   We have taken purpose trips to China (multiple), Costa Rica, and Kenya and hope to add more destinations in the future.

How much do these trips cost?  Each trip is priced differently based on itinerary, destination distance, and accommodations along the way.

How old does my child have to be to travel?  The ideal age of students traveling is 11-17 years of age.  Some trips are open to parents and in those cases there is no age limit the child has to be to travel.  Not every trip includes parents.

Who chaperones these trips?  Advantage-USA is a subsidiary of Camp Concepts, Inc.  If the trip is planned through Advantage-USA initiatives, Steve Haines is usually always the lead on the trip.  If the trip is open to schools, the school always sends one or more chaperones to accompany the studnets.  If the trip is arranged through Camp Concepts, then usually a Camp Concepts senior administrative leader accompanies the group.

How do we prepare for the trips?  Prior to each trip there are several online or in person trip preparation sessions.  We guide students and parents in each step of the journey.