Why Cabo Verde is Ideal for Student Trips World History Cabo Verde is home to Cidade Velha (Old City), the location that in 1462 the Portuguese made the first port of the entire transatlantic slave trade, and thus it played a huge role in developing and shaping the New World. In addition, Caboverdeans began immigrating to the United States in the early 19th century making them the first group of Africans to do so willingly. Diversity Each island is truly unique, so you can essentially experience 10 locations in one country. Due to hundreds of years of influx of people from West Africa, Europe, the Middle East and even Asia, its language, genres of music and dance and cuisine all reflect the amalgamation that is Cabo Verde. Safety Cabo Verde has a stable government and low crime rates. Due to its prime geographic position, Cabo Verde seems almost immune to extreme weather and enjoys year-round sunshine, minimal rainfall and mild temperatures. Proximity Depart at night from Boston, Newark or New York and, after a usually brief stop in the Azores or Lisbon, arrive in Cabo Verde the next morning. Not bad for travel to Africa. Or arrive from Dakar within 1.5 hours or Casablanca within 3 hours. Ease No required vaccinations. No visa necessary. And Cabo Verde’s small size – both in terms of land mass and population – makes navigating it a breeze. In fact, we jokingly refer to Cabo Verde as “Africa Lite” because it provides the mystique, culture and charm of an African nation without being overwhelming or stressful. Why A Vontade Tours is the Perfect Company to Organize Your International Student Trip We have first-hand experience with American independent schools. A Vontade’s founder, Joli Moniz, attended Miss Porter’s School in CT then later worked in its Admission Office for years before serving six years as Director of Admission and Financial Aid at School of the Holy Child in Rye, NY. While at Holy Child, she helped organize and chaperone student trips to China, Portugal and Ghana. We speak your language. Our team members speak both English and the local languages where we host student trips and have a thorough understanding of and respect for all cultures. We work with local vendors and community members in a culturally responsive way, finding a balance between local and US travel. We support local sustainability and provide authentic experiences. We are adamant about supporting locally owned businesses and providing authentic experiences. We focus on the details. At A Vontade Tours, we take a personalized approach to everything from individual dietary restrictions to matching students with appropriate host families. Total accountability is key to us and we take full responsibility for making sure our tours run smoothly from start to finish. The Essential Elements of Our Student Trips to Cabo Verde and Beyond A Vontade’s hub is Cabo Verde but we also arrange student trips to countries such as Portugal, Senegal and Guinea-Bissau that all have strong ties to Cabo Verde. These countries serve as beautiful compliments to Cabo Verde travel, or just as well on their own. Trips are designed with each school group’s dynamics and interests in mind. Possible themes include: Arts and Cultural Immersion, Service Learning and Cultural Immersion, Science and Service, Evolving Gender Roles in a Young Country, Exploring Women’s Economic and Political Roles in an Evolving Africa, Entrepreneurship in an Emerging Economy. All of our student trips incorporate experiential learning, social and cultural engagement and FUN!
