ABOUT JOURNEYS
EXPANDING WHAT YOUNG PEOPLE BELIEVE IS POSSIBLE
Journeys uses meaningful travel and cultural experiences to help young people see more of the world—and more of what might be possible for their lives.
WHY JOURNEYS EXISTS
Journeys began with a simple idea: travel can change the way we see the world—and the way we see ourselves.
The idea grew from a love of travel and a belief that some of life’s most meaningful lessons happen when we step outside what is familiar. Seeing a new place, experiencing another culture, meeting different people, or discovering an interest for the first time can open a young person’s eyes to possibilities they may never have considered.
That belief became Journeys for Appalachian Youth: an organization created to help young people experience more of the world, broaden their perspectives, and discover possibilities for their own lives that may exist beyond what they already know.
WHAT WE BELIEVE
WHERE YOU BEGIN SHOULDN’T DETERMINE HOW FAR YOU CAN GO
Every young person deserves the opportunity to see beyond what they already know—to experience new places, encounter new ideas, discover new interests, and imagine possibilities for their life that may not have seemed possible before.
We believe Appalachia can be a starting point—not a boundary. A young person’s roots can be a source of strength while the world beyond them becomes a source of discovery, understanding, and opportunity.
EXPLORE
Discover new places, ideas, cultures, and possibilities.
GROW
Build confidence, curiosity, and a broader sense of what’s possible.
UNDERSTAND
Experience different people, places, cultures, and perspectives.
GIVE
Use what you’ve gained to make a difference for others.
THE JOURNEY IS JUST THE BEGINNING
We want young people to return home with more than photographs and memories. We want them to return with new perspectives, greater confidence, deeper curiosity, and a stronger sense of what might be possible for their lives.
Because the destination matters. But what a young person brings home matters even more.