So, you’ve found a service trip you’re excited about that requires international travel. Now comes the next step: telling your parents. If their first reaction is worry or concern, that’s completely normal, especially if you’re a minor. The concerns parents raise are usually reasonable, and the best way to answer them is with information, patience, and honesty. Let’s look at some ways you can help your parents feel more comfortable with sending you abroad to do service-learning work.

Start With Why

Before you talk about flights, dates, and logistics, first explain why this trip matters to you. Maybe you’re interested in health care and want to understand how access to care works in other places. Maybe you want to learn from local health workers and community leaders from other parts of the world to gain new perspectives. Be specific. “I want to learn” is more convincing, and more realistic, than “I want to change the world.”

Questions Parents of Volunteers Ask Most

Prepare clear answers to the questions you know are coming.

Is it safe? Find out where you’ll stay, who will supervise the group, and what safety plans are in place. On a MEDLIFE trip, you’ll travel with a group of other volunteers and have a MEDLIFE trip leader overseeing everything while you’re in the country.

What about your health? Parents often worry about illness. Explain that you can see a doctor or travel clinic before the trip to go over things like vaccinations and health precautions. If you’re traveling with MEDLIFE, you can explain that comprehensive travel insurance is included within every service learning trip fee.

What will you actually be doing? Be honest. You’ll be there to learn and observe, alongside licensed local professionals who provide the real care. Your role will simply be to assist in things like mobile clinics, educational outreach programs, and community development projects.

How will we pay for it? Come with a plan: savings, fundraising, or university travel grants if your school offers them. There are a lot of options out there for volunteers who are concerned about meeting the financial requirements of joining a service learning trip.

Let Them Hear From People Who’ve Been

One of the most persuasive things you can do is show your parents the story someone who has already gone. Natalie, a MEDLIFE chapter president at Lamar University, had never been on a plane before her first trip, and her parents weren’t open to it at first. What finally convinced her was a sit-down Q&A with a past participant about where students stay and what each day looks like. Chat with a MEDLIFE advisor to learn how you can invite your parents to something similar.

Invite Them Into The Conversation

When Malak started a MEDLIFE chapter at her college, some of the 24 students going on the trip were minors, and not all of them had fully explained the plan at home. So the chapter set up a meeting where their MEDLIFE coach walked families through lodging, safety, and the trip plan. Most volunteer’s parents feel much better once they can ask questions directly, and Malak said the parents came away reassured.

If you don’t have direct access to a nearby MEDLIFE chapter, ask whether MEDLIFE staff can answer your parents’ questions by phone or email.

Be Patient

Plenty of volunteer’s parents say no the first time. Natalie kept talking with hers and kept attending interest meetings until they were comfortable. Treat it as an ongoing conversation, not a single pitch.

If the answer is still no, respect it. Look for service opportunities closer to home, build experience with your chapter, and revisit the idea next year. Showing that you’re committed, and that you listen, is often what changes their minds.

Got questions? To learn more about how you can get involved with MEDLIFE today, fill out the form below or download our brochure today to get in contact with an advisor.