Advice for parents

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So your child wants to take a year out. As a parent it's only natural you may have concerns about your son or daughter heading off into the world alone, which is why we've dedicated this section to you and hope to answer some of your questions. You might even decide that once they've flown the nest to join an expedition yourself. Why should young people have all the fun?

Why choose Raleigh?
Since our very first expedition in 1984 we've been offering people from all walks of life the chance to experience different cultures, develop new skills, form new friendships and make a difference to communities and environments across the world. To us a gap year is much more than going from beach to bar and back again. It's a chance for your child to take a different route for a while and challenge themselves before continuing on their path, be it school, university or work. And when they do they'll have a set of desirable skills and a maturity level that will really set them apart.

What are the expeditions like?
Our expeditions are no holiday. We like to think of them as a crash course in life! And we don't believe this has to be a year, which is why we run different length expeditions to Borneo, Costa Rica & Nicaragua, or India. Depending on the expedition your child will be involved in team-based projects with other young people, working alongside locals in remote locations, helping communities with things we take for granted and protecting the country's natural environments. The final challenge is a tough mental and physical adventure battling nature's elements. All our projects are safely planned with project partners and have been endorsed by educational establishments and employers.

How will my child benefit?
All our young people acquire skills they need and even ones they didn't think they did. They usually return more confident, willing to face new challenges armed with grounded leadership and team working skills and a network of friends for life.

How can I help my child make the right decision?
Encourage your child to include structured time out in their gap year. We suggest you visit the many gap year and career fairs together and find out the options available. We hold open events where you can meet us and past volunteers to find out more about the projects, the types of skills your child will develop, our safety procedures and what it's really like out there.

Don't take our word for it. Browse our website with your son or daughter. Watch our videos to see how Raleigh can benefit your child, or check out what life on Raleigh is really like in our photos, forum and blogs in Live Raleigh.

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Call us on +44 (0)20 7183 1270 or email info@raleigh.org.uk for more information