Trip Resources

Hey, Trip Leader! We’re so glad you’re here. We know you care deeply about giving your students experiences that will help shape their faith. We want to provide you with all the resources you need to make your trip go smoothly – from sign up until you’re back home and beyond! Below you’ll find eight sections that follow your journey from now until after your trip. Check each section over the coming months to be sure you’ve completed any paperwork. You can also use the helpful resources in each section that will make your trip more than a one-time event, and turn it into an experience that truly impacts your students’ faith!

Love a checklist? We have everything below in a checklist you can print out if you want to!

Note: Some resources are not available yet. As the trip gets closer, each section will be updated to link the resources needed for that timeframe.

You’re registered for your trip. Hooray! Use these resources to get going:

  1. First read the Trip Leader Welcome – Start here! This will give you an overall picture of what to expect!
  2. Check out the Daily Schedule Overview for an overview of what your days will include. You’ll get a more site-specific schedule closer to your trip.
  3. Schedule Pre-Trip Meetings for parents, Adult Leaders and the whole group. See this Pre-Trip Meetings Guide for more info.
    • We recommend scheduling two parent meetings, two team meetings, and one meeting with your Adult Leaders (this could happen before or after a team meeting). Schedule meetings ahead of time to give attendees plenty of notice. Come back to this resource to prepare for / lead each meeting using the provided outlines. 
  4. Start recruiting! (Need help? Resources in the next section coming soon!)

You chose a date and a location for your trip. Now you just need Adult Leaders (AL) and students to sign up! Here are a few things to get you started.

  1. Be sure you understand the AL requirements for your group. You need at least 2 leaders (including yoruself), with at least 1 Adult Leader of each gender represented in your group. You can find more info about AL requirements in your Trip Leader Welcome.
  2. Use the Recruiting Guide (NEW!) to make a plan to get the right people to sign up for your trip.
    • Check out the Youth Covenant and Adult Leader Covenant. As part of the paperwork process, everyone will sign a covenant. Knowing what’s on these covenants will help you, the Trip Leader, recruit students and adults who will be a good fit for your mission trip.
    • Consider inviting a Hospitality Volunteer to join your group! Not familar with the term Hospitality Volunteer? Learn about them here!
  3. Check out our free Promo Resources. Download the ones you want to use and integrate them into your programming / social media.
  4. Use the Fundraising Ideas to plan any fundraising events. Pass any helpful into on to your students for individual fundraising efforts.

One of your responsibilities as a Trip Leader is to make sure everyone in your group (including you!) has a completed release form, a signed covenant, and all site-specific waivers complete by May 1.

Find more information on both group and individual paperwork, including step-by-step instructions and FAQs on Go.YouthWorks.com.

  1. Give people your trip-specific link. (You can find this on Go.) Everyone has access to Paperwork Instruction docs on Go.YouthWorks.com. There is one for Adult Leaders and one for Parents/Guardians.
  2. Use the Trip Leader Instructions to start, complete and monitor your personal and group paperwork.
  3. Review your roster on Go.YouthWorks.com routinely to ensure everyone in your group (including you) has a completed release form and a signed covenant by May 1.
  4. In the month of May, download the site-specific waiver packet from Go. Be sure you have everything you need for your group before leaving for your trip!
    • Check out the Trip Leader Instructions linked above for more information about site-specific waiver packets.

Your trip is getting closer! Let’s talk about food and some helpful guides for meetings and prep!

  1. Read through the Basic Meal Plan & Allergy Info. Share this info with your group, especially those with allergies, in a pre-trip meeting.
  2. Read the Updates & Reminders for Your Trip. This is new each year, so don’t skip it! If you’ve been on a YouthWorks pre-packaged trip before, read these updates. If this is your first summer on a YouthWorks pre-packaged trip, read these reminders.
  3. Use the Pre-Trip Meetings Guide to start hosting pre-trip meetings (if you haven’t already!).
    • We recommend scheduling two parent meetings, two team meetings, and one meeting with your Adult Leaders (this could happen before or after a team meeting). Schedule meetings ahead of time to give attendees plenty of notice. Come back to this resource to prepare for / lead each meeting using the provided outlines. 
  4. Share the link to the NEW Adult Leader Prep Page with each of the ALs in your group. You should also be familiar with all of the content on this page.
    • Go over the content in a pre-trip meeting.
    • As you have ALs continue to sign up for the trip, share the link to this page with them.
  1. Check out community-specific resources on Go.YouthWorks.com. You will get an email when these have been updated. Pass on any helpful info to your group.
  2. Read the Respectful Service document below that applies to your community. Share the info there with your group in a pre-trip meeting.

Note – Liability Insurance and Background Check Forms for your group are due May 1! You can find more info on these forms on Go.YouthWorks.com.

Each year we have a new theme. We’ll dive into the theme during your trip, but if you want to prepare for theme discussions beforehand, use these resources to do that:

  • Theme Intro – Share this year’s theme with your group
  • Theme Overview – Overview of each day’s main points (previously Parent Processing Guide), parents can download from Go.YouthWorks.com
  • Church Group Time Guide – you’ll get a physical copy on site, use this to connect the dots between the theme/trip and life back home
  • Trip Journal Preview – everyone will get a physical Trip Journal on site
  • What’s New in Programming – Find out what to expect this year, including new opportunities for students to lead
  • Sample Meal Resource – Your church group will likely be assigned to lead one or more breakfast preps during your trip. The YouthWorks Community Hosts will set things up for you and make sure you have all that you need to lead your students in preparing breakfast and lunch items for the large group. This is a sample of what your group will use to prep your assigned breakfast(s)
  1. Be ready for your arrival on site by checking out our NEW resource, What to Expect Upon Your Arrival.
  2. Review the Packing List and share it with your group.
  3. Check out the Resources for During Your Trip page to be familiar with what’s there in case you need any of those resources during your trip (someone gets sick, you need tips for dealing with misbehavior, etc.). Bookmark this page for easy access during your trip.

Here’s where you can make the most of your trip by keeping up the momentum!

Additional Resources

FAQs

More questions? Click the button above for our General FAQ page.

Guidebooks

Looking for more helpful Guidebooks? We have a wide variety of topics to choose from.