Upcoming Trips
About Unschool Adventures
Unschool Adventures designs and leads multi-week international adventures and domestic leadership programs for teenage unschoolers. Our international adventures are lightly structured and exploratory, while our leadership programs are more structured and build specific skill sets. All of our trips share the mission of fostering independence and self-knowledge in self-directed teens.
Our trips are designed for "untethered teens", ages 14-19. There is no formal requirement for what type of learner you are. Homeschoolers, unschoolers, alternative school students, high school students, and the avowedly non-categorized are welcome. Enrollment is offered to any teen who is enthusiastic and prepared for one of our trips.
If you'd like to know more about the educational philosophies that motivate us, check out Grace Llewellyn's Teenage Liberation Handbook, the works of John Holt and John Taylor Gatto, and College Without High School (written by the director of Unschool Adventures).
International Travel, Unschool Style
Unlike more traditional travel companies, we grant our students large degrees of both freedom and responsibility in creating their international experiences (always within reasonable safety limits). On one of our trips you might find yourself wandering around a foreign city in a small group, figuring out how to cook dinner from scratch, or planning a full week of our itinerary.
While we have a zero-tolerance drug and alcohol policy and strict guidelines about staying safe in foreign destinations, we do not arbitrarily restrict our students' free time. We encourage exploration, open discussion, and reasonable risk-taking. To learn more about our trip-leading approach, please read the International Trips FAQ and always feel free to contact us with questions.
Innovative Leadership Programs
Our leadership programs give teens the time, space, tools, and encouragement needed to figure out and dive into their interests. We do this through a combination of hands-on and community-based activities (like creating your own internship) and dynamic workshops led by Unschool Adventures director Blake Boles.
A few of the core messages in our programs include:
- No one is going to give you an extraordinary life; you must build it for yourself.
- Failure is a learning experience.
- The ultimate resource is an entrepreneurial attitude: the ability to create opportunities for oneself.
- True leaders first learn to lead themselves.
Like our international trips, each Unschool Adventures leadership program gives students large swathes of unstructured time to accomplish program goals. We don't micro-manage or breathe down our students' necks. We provide tools and guidance, send you into the world, and give support as needed. These programs are appropriate for independent teens who are ready to push their comfort zones, take their dreams seriously, and move forward in life.
To learn more, please visit the Leadership Programs page.
Please note: Unschool Adventures and Homeschool Leadership Retreats will be merging in December 2010! After that date, all programs will be run by Unschool Adventures.
What Former International Adventurers Have to Say
(Argentina 2008)
"This trip was really a success in opening my eyes to new ways of travel outside of the one touristy path. I feel like I have grown in many ways and learned a lot of new things about life and traveling. Thank you!" - Phoebe J. (Argentina 2008)
"The activities you planned were all stimulating, and I loved the great pace we had. I enjoyed our freedom to push back morning activities when we were all tired, or to skip activities when needed." - Allen E. (Argentina 2008)
"This trip added direction to my life and introduced me to people who share a passion for life and learning and who encouraged and intrigued me. I learned so much and I can't wait to go on another trip with you guys!" - Anonymous (NaNo 2009)
"This trip was freaking stupendous. Not only have I gained skills and confidence, I have been inspired by y'all to do some independent traveling. I definitely think the trip mission was accomplished fully." - Quincie S. (Argentina 2008)
What Former Leadership Students Have to Say
"This has been a great experience--better than I could have ever imagined. Going into the trip I didn't really expect it to be that beneficial for me. I didn't think I would be able to come up with apprenticeships that I would be interested in doing, and I didn't have much motivation to try to come up with anything. But when I got to the retreat, the inspiration started forming. The motivation came and I had all of these ideas of what I wanted to do. The staff pushed us just the right amount and gave us so much support. This has been a life changing experience. " - Bekka Z. (Spring Retreat 2010)
"This has been a completely new experience for me, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Personal challenges, new environments, and a very warm and welcoming group of people are what made this retreat such a blast for me. I would recommend this program to any teen looking to push their boundaries a little bit and have a great time." - Christie W. (Spring Retreat 2010)
"The trip was awesome. The staffers were great. The group was great. A changing experience (for the better). General awesomeness!!" - William M. (Spring Retreat 2010)
"[The leadership program] made a huge difference in my outlook on life and what I'm capable of. I gained motivation to do something besides sit and watch TV all day. I also gained confidence in myself. Before this, I would have never gone and talked to store owners because I would have been nervous about them rejecting me." - Amber M. (Spring Retreat 2010)
"The Leadership Retreat was an extremely fun program that taught me about being independent and finding a job. The people I met on this retreat are going to be life-long friends." - Amanda M. (Spring Retreat 2010)
"Wonderful experience! Life changing, skill building, and friend making time. I will definitely be coming on another one of these retreats in the future. I feel I have the tools now to make my dreams come true and to accomplish my goals." - Josh B. (Spring Retreat 2010)
"The biggest benefit this retreat gave me was the confidence to jump forward even for things that seem out of reach." - Caleb P. (Spring Retreat 2010)
Parent References
Parents: Please e-mail us for references from the parents of former Unschool Adventure students.
Company History
Unschool Adventures LLC was founded in 2008 and is directed by Blake Boles. In December 2010, our sister company, Homeschool Leadership Retreats, will join Unschool Adventures. Our LLC is based in Oregon.
Other Recommended Companies
Is the trip that you want full? Are you looking for something slightly different? We recommend these other camps and travel companies for adventure-seeking teens:
Not Back to School Camp - premiere summer camp for teen unschoolers, held in Oregon and Vermont
Deer Crossing Camp - outdoor adventure camp in California with a top-notch leadership program
Carpe Diem Education - 3-month semester programs with a service emphasis, worldwide
Andeo International Homestays - homestay and language immersion programs, here and abroad
National Outdoor Leadership School - offers outdoor skills and leadership adventures, worldwide
Trackers Northwest - outdoor leadership and survival programs in California and Oregon
Employment with Unschool Adventures
Beginning 2011, Unschool Adventures will be hiring for international trip leader and leadership program staff. To learn about our opportunities, visit the employment page.