Overview
Island life with real purpose for up to 24 teens, with about 50 hours of service and a letter of completion afterwards. From a simple eco-lodge at Momi Bay on the main island, the group works with nearby villages: helping skilled builders bring water to homes, running a Kids' Club for an after-school program, making crafts with village women, working on a pineapple farm and planting native trees at the Sigatoka Sand Dunes.
Four days in the remote Yasawa Islands follow, staying in beach tents on Barefoot Manta Island: reef and mangrove work with a marine biologist, farm work in Somosomo village and snorkelling with manta rays. There's a formal sevusevu welcome, storytelling, the dunes, Fiji's biggest zipline, mud baths and a farewell kava ceremony in Nadi.
The group travels by chartered coach and ferry with a professional local guide. On this trip the operator books the flights to and from Fiji (charged on top of the tuition) — see the flights FAQ.
What's included
The itinerary
- Days 1–2 Flight to Fiji — A chaperoned overnight flight from Los Angeles to Nadi; crossing the date line costs a day on the way out (it comes back on the way home).
- Stop Momi Bay (main island) — A sulu (traditional Fijian dress) and a formal sevusevu welcome ceremony. Service with local villages: a water project with skilled builders, craft workshops with the women of Nabila village, a Kids' Club for an after-school program, work on a pineapple farm and native-tree planting with rangers at the Sigatoka Sand Dunes. Plus a dunes hike and Fiji's biggest zipline.
- Stop Barefoot Manta & Naviti, Yasawa Islands — Four days of island life after a high-speed catamaran ride: reef and mangrove work with a marine biologist, a welcome ceremony and farm work in Somosomo village on Naviti, snorkelling with manta rays and beach time.
- Stop Nadi — Mud baths, a farewell kava ceremony and a local market.
- Day 18 Nadi — The flight home — the group gets back the day it lost on the way out.
Where teens stay
Three very different stays, in rooms shared with other teens: the Momi Bay eco-lodge (simple Fijian cabins with modern shared bathrooms, a pool, gardens, sports fields and a games room), permanent tents with bunk beds on Barefoot Manta Island (shared facilities, solar power), and a resort with a pool in Nadi for the final days. Laundry machines are available along the way.
Meals
Breakfast and dinner are included every day, plus 16 lunches — a mix of restaurants, buffets and meals the group prepares together. Vegetarian, kosher-style, gluten-free (coeliac) and lactose-free diets and most allergies can be catered for if you tell us in advance. Filtered water at every stay, plus containers of drinking water on the road.
More photos
Frequently asked questions
Which departure is right for my child?
Groups are put together by US school grade, so each departure has teens of a similar age. Grades 9–11 (roughly ages 14–17): Jun 30–Jul 17. The grade is the one your child is in during the 2026–27 school year — we'll help you match it to your school system. Dates are the operator's official start and end dates.
What does the volunteering actually involve?
About 50 hours of hands-on work done together as one group, with a letter of completion listing the hours and projects afterwards. Around the mainland base at Momi Bay: an ongoing project to bring water to homes in Bavu village alongside skilled tradespeople (digging, block-laying, painting, carpentry), craft workshops with village women whose crafts are then sold for the village, designing and running a Kids' Club for a local after-school program, weeding, planting and harvesting on a pineapple farm, and planting native trees with rangers at the Sigatoka Sand Dunes. Teens also help cook Fijian dishes for a local women's shelter. In the Yasawa Islands they join a marine biologist for tasks such as mangrove and coral planting, reef surveys, fish counts, removing invasive species and beach clean-ups, and help on the community farm in Somosomo village. Exact projects are confirmed in late spring and are similar to these.
What is the island stay like?
Simple, and for most teens the highlight. On Barefoot Manta the group sleeps in permanent tents with bunk beds a few steps from the beach, with shared bathrooms and solar-powered electricity — think glamping rather than a hotel. It suits teens who are happy to unplug for four days.
How do flights work on this trip?
On this trip the operator books all the flights, and the airfare is charged on top of the tuition. Normally the group flies together on a chaperoned flight from Los Angeles to Nadi (with a connecting chaperoned flight from New York). For teens coming from Europe the operator agrees the flight plan case by case — for example meeting the leaders at Los Angeles airport, or joining the group in Fiji — so please talk to us before you book anything; we'll get the options and the airfare quoted for your child. The chaperoned return flight goes back to the US via San Francisco or Los Angeles, with help connecting onwards after US customs. Whether teens arriving on their own can come a night early with the extra hotel night included isn't stated for the Fiji start — we'll confirm it with the operator.
What exactly is included in the price?
Accommodation, breakfast and dinner every day plus 16 lunches, the service projects and all the activities listed, the local guide, coach and ferry transport in Fiji, airport transfers for flights within the set time windows, tips and local taxes. Not included: the flights to and from Fiji (booked through the operator), other lunches, snacks, spending money, laundry, the operator's application fee, and travel insurance — optional, but we strongly recommend it.
Is there a discount for enrolling early?
Yes — at the moment the operator takes US$300 off the tuition for early enrolment, so the 18-day trip costs US$5,899 instead of US$6,199 (flights are charged on top either way). It's a limited-time offer and the operator can end it at any point, so ask us whether it still applies before you decide. The price shown on this page is the full tuition.
Does my child need a visa?
Families arrange travel documents themselves. Teens with an EU passport get a free visitor permit on arrival in Fiji; the passport should be valid for at least six months after the trip, and they need the return ticket. The group flights go through Los Angeles, so teens joining them also need an approved ESTA (the online US travel authorisation) — apply well ahead. For any other passport, ask us and we'll check what applies.
Who else will be in the group?
Mostly American teens — on most programs around 85% of participants come from the US, and the operator tries to limit how many teens from any one other country join each group. For an international teen that means a genuinely English-speaking group, which is a big part of the appeal.
How good does my child's English need to be?
At least a confident beginner level — the operator recommends A2 or above, since everything on the trip happens in English. Your child can ask for an English-speaking roommate, and one-to-one English conversation time with a staff member can be arranged daily or a few times a week.
Can my child come on their own?
Yes, and many do. The first days are built around icebreakers and getting-to-know-you activities, roommates are assigned and rotated, and the staff actively help everyone settle into the group.
Are phones allowed?
Yes. Teens can bring their phone, so you can call or message them directly. The operator also runs a communication centre that's staffed every day of the summer, with someone on call around the clock for emergencies.