The concept of voluntourism, while relatively new to the minds of most students, is age-old. “Voluntourism,” per Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is the act or practice of doing volunteer work as needed in the community where one is vacationing. In public places like the workplace and schools, people seem to believe that they are able to seamlessly combine the fruits of vacation with the dedication of volunteer work, ultimately forming a best-of-both-worlds scenario for world travelers.

Fortunate students, like students from SPA, often take advantage of “voluntourism” during seasonal breaks from school and even long weekends, often traveling to developing countries such as Nigeria and Nicaragua in order to help communities by building houses or schools, engaging with the community, and donating old supplies to residents, all while exploring what foreign nation have to offer. Conceptually, there seems to be no problem with partaking in these adventures, but realistically, it is impossible to successfully balance each scenario.

Ironically, the formal dictionary definition accentuates the balancing problem the term creates in teenaged environments. More often than not, students travel to developing countries on vacation, and while they are there, they choose to volunteer in the community as part of their vacation experience rather than as a specific reason for travel.