Younger teens taking more exotic trips

As part of the Senegal trip, students live in a thatched-hut village for two weeks. "They thresh grain, draw water from the wells, they might do weaving or go out in the fields," said Chris Yager, founder of Where There Be Dragons. For a service project, one group brought in avocado and mango trees, then worked with villagers to figure out where to plant them, how to protect them from animals, and how to distribute the produce. Students on the Senegal trips also get a goat to care for. At the end of their journey, they give the goat to a village to be slaughtered and eaten.

High school students have been taking summer courses on college campuses for decades. But Summer Discovery Pre-College Programs offers some of those classes for American teenagers abroad, at Cambridge University in England, University Politecnica Valencia in Spain and Instituto Lorenzo de Medici in Florence, Italy — in addition to programs at seven domestic campuses, from UCLA to Georgetown. The programs include language immersion and SAT prep as well as specialized subjects ranging from robotics to cooking.

Sometimes the pure fun of travel makes a bigger impact on kids than the educational aspects. Shana Jordan, 17, is spending spring break this year in Italy with schoolmates from Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart in Princeton. She'll be visiting Milan, Venice, Florence and Rome. But she expects to write her college essay not on Italian art and culture, but on two summer trips she took with ThrillCoaster Tours visiting amusement parks.

"It's being able to do what every kid loves — but parents don't want to take them to do," she said. "You come for the coasters, but you love it for the friends who turn out to be like family. There's a whole world of coasters. But I also learned so much about myself."

How do you find the right program for your teenager? Some groups have long track records and work with thousands of kids. People to People, founded in 1956, sends over 30,000 students and teachers abroad annually. It is one of SYTA's four largest member organizations, along with EF, WorldStrides and ACIS.

Deal of the Day Newfoundland and Labrador Explore World Heritage sites, glimpse into the life of the Vikings, more, from $1,635.

But many smaller, less well-known organizations offer specialized programming that may be a perfect fit. If you're trying to judge a program "beyond all the fun things your kid is going to see and do," Gibb said, check the company's reputation with the Better Business Bureau; ask about the ratio of adults to students (eight to one is typical for eighth grade, 10 to one for older kids); and find out how the program helps kids get to know each other.

"Some programs specifically say we don't want five kids from the same neighborhood because we don't want to start out with cliques," she said.

In addition, ask how emergencies are handled. What happens when someone needs medical care or an accident happens? And how do you stay in touch with your child? Are there regular opportunities to e-mail or call?

Just don't expect to hear from your teenager too often. "A lot of them have never been away from home more than two to three days," said Travis Rogers, choir director at Napa High School in California, who has taken his chorus to Italy, Ireland, New York and Hawaii. "They've got to learn how to get along with each other. The sense of community and family that gets built are memories that last a lifetime. You really see kids mature."

Ashley's mother agrees. "It gives the kids a different perspective on life," she said. "I did not travel like this growing up. And I don't have a huge desire to travel myself. But I think it's awesome that we were able to provide that for her."

Don't miss these Travel stories from msnbc.com   Popular ski playgrounds around U.S.   The top-rated travel photos of 2009 Uniquely American: PB&J and cheeseburgers Slice of heaven: The country’s best pizza The fastest disappearing natural wonders

MORE FROM DESTINATIONS

Destinations Section Front

Africa and Mideast Asia Down Under and beyond Europe Mexico South America Tropical getaways U.S. and Canada Destinations Section Front   Add Destinations headlines to your news reader: