Book now to reserve your spot on Kautia Vaden and Scott Colby’s bottle school trip: July 9-15, 2016
A Voluntourism Trip gives you the opportunity to volunteer while traveling, work alongside kids and adults in the community, and experience Guatemalan culture. It’s not your typical vacation: it’s all about participating and connecting, serving and giving back.
As well as helping to build a bottle school, you will experience life in the beautiful country of Guatemala through the eyes of members of the community. You will also visit Mayan ruins, walk the streets of the picturesque colonial town of Antigua (a UNESCO World Heritage Center), experience Guatemalan culture and hospitality, and hear first hand what it was like to live through a civil war.
Come join us on a trip that will connect you with a group of unfamiliar people that are collectively trying to create a better future for their children.
– Kautia Vaden
Ever since I read the book “Start Something That Matters” by Blake Mycoskie (the Founder of TOMS shoes), I’ve wanted to find a way to contribute more to those in need. And while I have made donations to various causes, nothing has moved me. I haven’t been able to see first hand where my money has gone and the exact people it’s helped. As I searched for a cause that fulfilled me more, I learned about Hug It Forward, an organization that facilitates education and awareness by empowering communities in Guatemala to build “bottle schools” – plastic bottles stuffed with inorganic trash.
I participated in my first bottle school trip in 2014 and it was a special, life changing trip for me. I loved getting to know the people of the communities. They don’t have much, but they are always very happy and thankful for what they do have. And there is no better feeling than making a difference in children’s lives.
I’m excited to go back on another trip in July of 2015 and this time I will be co-leading the trip! I hope you’ll join me and make a difference!
– Scott Colby
A slideshow of our bottle school trip in July 2014
Some pictures from our bottle school trip in July 2014
How kids and communities build bottle schools
Want to know more?
Visit the Hug It Forward web site to find out all about bottle schools.
Information about your trip
Please make sure you read all the information on this web site, including the Information section and the FAQ.
Book now by Paypal, or by check
Your bottle school trip costs $1,195 per person. What does this include?
You can reserve your spot by paying a $595 non-refundable deposit by January 9th, 2015, with the balance ($600) payable in full by May 9th, 2015.
Please make sure you have read the Terms and Conditions before booking.
Have you read the Terms and Conditions?
How to pay for your trip
There are several ways to pay for your bottle school trip. You can avoid paying fees if you choose Option 1 or Option 2. Choose Option 1 if you have a PayPal balance or if your bank account is linked to PayPal. If neither of these are the case, please choose Option 2 to avoid paying fees. If you want to use PayPal and don’t mind paying fees, please choose Option 3.
Option 1:Pay using Paypal’s “Send Money” feature”
- Log in to Paypal (www.paypal.com)
- Click the “Send Money” tab
- Enter our email address servetheworldtoday@gmail.com and the amount $1,195 (or $595 if you are just paying a deposit now)
- Before you click “Continue”, choose the “I’m sending money to family or friends” button. If you have a PayPal balance or your bank account is linked to PayPal, you will not have to pay fees. If neither of these are the case, please choose Option 2 or Option 3
- In the “Message” box on the following page, please enter which trip you are booking!
- That’s it!
Option 2:Mail us a check
- Mail a check payable to “Serve The World Today” to:
Serve The World Today
4307 1/2 Ocean Blvd
San Diego
CA 92109- Please write on the memo line of the check which trip you are attending
- Send us an email to servetheworldtoday@gmail.com – please tell us:
- That you sent a check and what the amount was ($1,195 per person, or $595 if you are just paying a deposit now)
- Which trip the check is for
- The name on the check
Option 3: Paying by Paypal (this costs $36 in fees)
Click the “Buy Now” button on the right to pay the $1,195 cost of your voluntourism trip, plus $36 in Paypal fees.
Click the “Buy Now” button on the left to pay the $595 non-refundable deposit for your voluntourism trip.
Fundraising for bottle schools
You might also like to fundraise for Hug It Forward bottle schools. Fundraising for bottle schools is optional – it is not a requirement of participating in a bottle school trip.
If you choose to fundraise, we suggest a $250 fundraising goal, but some people choose to do more or less than this. It’s really up to you – how much you think your friends and families can give, how creative you can be, and how much time you’re prepared to put into it.