Why be a Parent Builder? This is a question we get a lot.
You may be thinking, “I want my teenager to have their own experience”, or “how will I manage to leave work, family, and other responsibilities behind for 10 to 17 days?” Well, let us answer why you’d benefit from coming with your teenager on a humanitarian experience this summer.
In over two decades, HumanitarianXP has managed to create a trip structure that perfectly allows for each individual person to have a life changing experience. Each year, thousands of Youth Builders walk away completely changed, and Parent Builders come away with unexpected, lifelong friendships.
As a Parent Builder, you will have the opportunity to not only have a life-changing experience, but also to share it with your child. This doesn’t mean you must spend every moment together. The trip is designed so that you, as the Parent Builder, interact with and love all of your Builders, not just your child. Among everyone on the trip, you have the most unique opportunity to understand the youth and talk to them in ways they might not be comfortable having with their own parents. You get to sit by them on the bus. You get to work alongside them mixing cement on the worksite. You get to love them unconditionally. This trip is exhausting in the most incredible way. You get to keep up with the teenage pace in all the activities planned while forming relationships that will last forever.
It may seem like a sacrifice, perhaps, financially or time wise, but if you ask any former Parent Builder, they will tell you in a heartbeat that the sacrifice you make is worth it. Trust us when we say this is the most unique experience you can have with your son or daughter where you truly do each have your own individual experience.
“I went as a first-time Parent Builder to Cuenca Ecuador and had the time of my life. As a Parent Builder, I shared the responsibilities with my co-parent to assist the trip leaders, take care of medical issues, post on Instagram, and love the Builders. My attitude going into the trip was to help the Builders have a great experience and feel comfortable in a new country. The Builders ended up helping me become a better person, and changed me in the best way.
Each weekday was filled with challenging yet rewarding work as we constructed a women’s drug rehabilitation center. The evenings were filled with delicious food and fun activities with the local ward members. The weekend sightseeing was incredible as we explored the Galapagos islands and beautiful Andes Mountains. The daily scripture study, everyday service, Digital Detox, and working with the Ecuadorian people combined to make an enriching experience that helped us all draw closer to Christ through service.” – Joseph, Dad Builder
Picture this, you get to go on an incredible trip to a remote part of the world with an amazing group yet you are not in charge of any of the logistics. You are there to support the Trip Leaders, love the Youth Builders and be extra eyes to see that everyone is having an amazing trip.
As a Parent Builder, you get the first pick of trips if you sign up on the first day of registration, because we value you. We want you to know how grateful we are to have two additional adults on every trip to look after our Youth Builders but also know that beyond getting first dibs on trips—you are signing up for an experience that will change your life.