With thousands of choices out there, how can you be sure that you have chosen the correct camp for your child?

The best, easiest and safest way to make a good choice is to enlist the help of a Camp Consultant. We research, investigate and evaluate camps based on tough standards for programming, staffing, value and safety. This extra research will give you confidence that your child will have a positive experience at the program you choose. Not all Camp Consultants are equal; a good Camp Consultant also takes the time to know you and your child and makes sure that the camp you choose will be a good fit.

Camps will advertise themselves to their best advantage. A cabin that they call rustic might be dirty to you. Five private acres might be adjacent to a major highway or shopping mall. Camp Consultants have nothing to hide. We want to make sure that you get your money's worth and that your child will have a positive experience at the program you choose.

While individual camps have a lot to lose if you decide not to attend, Camp Consultants have nothing to lose by giving you choices on where to attend. Although Camp Consultants are compensated from the programs for referring participants, above all, we represent the campers and their families first. A consultant understands that every child is unique and that their summer camp should be suited to their interests. We will help you choose a camp whose activities, setting, philosophy, staff and environment offer a happy, safe experience, tailor-made to suit your child.

Camp Consultants evaluate the camps we represent annually and have their safety records verified. We will make sure that you're not just paying for a baby-sitting service and that your child will look forward to going back to camp year after year.

My summer experience started out as a diving adventure, but it turned out to be so much more. I am a certified scuba diver and I wanted to go to on a trip where I could do some really cool dives and extend my diving skills. This teen travel trip seemed perfect - nineteen days on a boat with a few counselors and a bunch of other teen divers in the Windward Islands

The day I arrived we got right on the boat. We were taught some basic boating skills. There were three counselors on board, but each kid needed to pull his own weight if the trip was to be a success. There were thirteen of us from all over the country. Some people had come with friends; others like me had just come for the adventure. As far as diving, our skills matched up pretty well.

Each day after we cooked our breakfast, we went diving or sailed to the next dive spot. The locations were breathtaking. We did all kinds of dives -- recreational, training, and certification. I am now certified to do water rescues, which was a major accomplishment.

Occasionally we docked and got off the boat to see the land around us. One day we hiked to the top of this big hill and saw an amazing waterfall; another day we spent on a hidden beach. I was really awed by the beauty of the landscape, but also the attitude of the people. In the islands there is no competition; people seemed so relaxed away from the rat race. It made me realize the pressure we feel is just part of the society in which we live.

What surprised me the most about this trip is how I grew as a person, not just as a diver. I really had to take care of myself, but not just myself. The others on the boat depended on me completing my tasks, as I depended on them. I recognized other people's talents and was grateful for it. I made great friends and I saw a part of the world that few people get to see.

Overall, it was an awesome experience. One I will never forget.

Zach L. Bryn Mawr, PA

The exotic locations and exciting activities attract participants to many of the summer teen tours. There are thousands of trips to all the corners of the world, but along with a once-in-a- lifetime experience, many teens gain an unexpected bonus.

Whether it is because they have seen a lifestyle different then their own, been impressed by the culture of a distant land, awed by the beauty of a rain forest, or captivated by a pristine beach, many teen travelers return home with more than great pictures and wonderful memories.

For many of these kids it is their first true taste of independence. Being on your own in unfamiliar territory and being expected to take care of your own needs can only be learned through experience. Dealing with the unexpected, solving problems, and adapting to something new and different can be the first steps toward becoming an adult.

In many programs the teens take part in the planning and decision-making process. There are choices to be made that affect the individual and the group. Being part of group means you are responsible for others beside yourself. On most excursions the participants are expected to take turns with essential chores or activities, such as cooking, cleaning, transportation, even entertaining. Team building, peer support, and communication skills are developed in a fun, challenging environment.

Living with a group of strangers through these remarkable adventures can be eye opening, but trips also offer insight to the location they are visiting. Often these trips take you to places tourists do not usually travel - into villages, to the tops of mountains, inside historic sites. This gives participants a unique opportunity to be aware of the vastness of the world.

There are hundreds of teen tour programs, varying in activity, location and style, but they all have one thing in common - your teen will have the experience that will help him or her grow as a human being.