Frequently asked questions.

Everything you need to know about Impact Explorers, our two brands — Volunteering Solutions and Med Trips — and how we design faculty-led programmes, educational travel, volunteer abroad placements and medical internships across 30+ countries.

Faculty-led programmes

How does a faculty-led programme abroad work?

A faculty-led programme is a short-term study abroad experience designed and led by a university or college instructor for their own students. Typically 1–4 weeks. Impact Explorers builds the in-country experience — accommodation, transport, programme content, local partners, safety logistics — to match your course learning outcomes, while the faculty member retains academic ownership and travels with the group. See our full faculty-led programmes page for the typical 6-step planning timeline.

What’s the difference between faculty-led programmes and traditional study abroad?

Traditional study abroad sends individual students to a foreign institution for a semester or year, usually independent of their home faculty. Faculty-led programmes are shorter (1–4 weeks), keep the home instructor present throughout, are tightly aligned to a specific course, and typically cost 50–70% less per student. They suit departments that want to deliver an international experience without the visa, credit-transfer and pastoral overhead of semester study abroad.

What’s the minimum and maximum group size for a faculty-led trip?

We run faculty-led groups from 8 students up to 40+. Below 8, we recommend students join one of our open-enrolment volunteer or medical internship programmes instead. Above 40, we split the cohort across parallel programmes with shared briefings and excursions. Most successful faculty-led groups land at 12–20 students — large enough for cost efficiency, small enough to deliver real depth.

Do faculty members travel free?

Yes — on qualifying group sizes (typically 10+ paying students for a single faculty escort, 18+ for two). The free faculty place covers their programme fee in-country: accommodation, meals, transport and programme content. International flights and personal travel insurance are usually still the institution’s responsibility. Full terms are quoted in your custom proposal.

Can students earn academic credit for a faculty-led programme?

Credit assignment is set by the home institution, not by us. Most faculty-led programmes we deliver carry 3–6 credit hours under the faculty member’s department code (independent study, service-learning, fieldwork or a section of an existing course). We provide the in-country logistics; you assess and award credit per your institution’s policies.

Can a faculty-led programme be customised for a specific course?

Yes — that’s the default, not an upgrade. Every faculty-led itinerary we build is sketched from a 30-minute call with the lead faculty member about course objectives, then mapped to specific NGO partners, host communities, clinical sites or field locations. Stock itineraries don’t deliver the right learning outcomes; bespoke ones do. Get a starting draft within two business days by requesting a proposal.

How early should we start planning a faculty-led trip?

Six months ahead is comfortable; 9–12 months is ideal for university travel-office sign-off, student recruitment and financial-aid coordination. We have delivered well-run programmes on 8-week notice, but the destination and accommodation choice narrow significantly inside 12 weeks.

Custom group travel for schools, colleges and universities

Do you run programmes for high schools, sixth forms or pre-college groups?

Yes — for groups of 15+ with adult chaperones (typically a 1:8 ratio). Programmes for under-18s have specific safeguarding additions: enhanced DBS / background checks on local staff, single-gender accommodation arrangements, and child-protection-trained in-country coordinators. Contact us if you’re planning a school trip — we’ll route you to the appropriate brand team.

Can you align a programme to specific curriculum standards (UK A-Level, IB, AP, undergraduate)?

Yes. We’ve designed programmes that map to UK A-Level Biology fieldwork criteria, IB CAS hour requirements, US Advanced Placement environmental science modules, and undergraduate global health, education, social work and engineering courses. Send us the syllabus and we’ll mark where each activity satisfies it.

What does a custom group programme typically cost?

Per-student costs typically range from £950 (10-day volunteer programme, sharing accommodation, Asia/Africa) to £2,800 (3-week medical or research-led programme, Latin America with internal flights). Group size, destination, programme intensity and accommodation tier are the four main cost drivers. Your proposal will include line-item pricing so you can flex any of those.

Programmes, destinations and dates

What’s the difference between Volunteering Solutions and Med Trips?

Volunteering Solutions delivers volunteer abroad programmes in childcare, conservation, teaching, women’s empowerment, sports development and community construction. Open to anyone 18+. Med Trips delivers supervised clinical placements — medical, nursing, dental, midwifery, public health, pharmacy and allied health — and requires applicants to be enrolled in or have completed a relevant healthcare programme. Both sit under Impact Explorers Ltd and share the same B Corp standards.

Which countries do you run programmes in?

30+ countries across five regions. Most-requested destinations: Sri Lanka, Nepal, India, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ghana, South Africa, Argentina, Peru, Costa Rica, Mexico, Ecuador, Bali and Romania. Browse our full destinations directory.

How long can a programme last?

Minimum 1 week (most popular for faculty-led groups), maximum 24 weeks (typical for gap-year volunteer abroad). Medical internships are usually 2–8 weeks. Programmes longer than 12 weeks may require a different visa class — we’ll flag this in your proposal.

Are there age requirements?

Independent travellers must be 18+ for most programmes. Faculty-led groups can include participants 14+ with appropriate chaperone ratios and safeguarding measures. The oldest participant we’ve placed was 78 (a retired teacher in Kenya).

Costs, payments and what’s included

What’s included in the programme fee?

Standard inclusions across most programmes: accommodation (homestay, volunteer house or guesthouse depending on destination), meals (typically breakfast + dinner, sometimes lunch), airport pickup, in-country orientation and cultural briefing, programme placement and supervision, 24/7 in-country emergency support, and a certificate of completion. Your proposal will detail any destination-specific extras.

What’s NOT included?

International flights, travel and medical insurance (we recommend specific providers), visa fees and processing, vaccinations and pre-travel medications, weekend excursions and personal travel, alcohol, optional add-on activities (e.g. safari weekends, scuba dives), tips for local staff, and any costs related to early arrival or late departure.

When do I have to pay?

A deposit (typically 25%) confirms your booking and locks in your dates and placement. The balance is due 60 days before departure. For faculty-led groups and large institutional bookings we offer staged payment schedules — usually 30% / 30% / 40% across three milestones. We accept GBP, USD, EUR by card or bank transfer.

What’s your cancellation policy?

Refund tiers depend on how far before departure you cancel: typically full refund minus deposit if cancelled 60+ days out, 50% refund 30–59 days out, no refund inside 30 days (though we’ll often re-credit toward a future programme). Full terms in our Terms & Conditions.

Safety and support

How safe are your programmes?

Safety is our highest priority. We are a B Corp Certified group with a verified Impact Score of 88.2, run pre-departure safety briefings, maintain 24/7 in-country support teams, conduct annual accommodation safety audits, and operate under documented emergency-response protocols. We hold GO Overseas “Top Rated for Safety” status and BETA accreditation. Full safety framework on our Safety & Support page.

What happens if there’s an emergency abroad?

Every participant has the mobile number of their dedicated in-country coordinator — answered 24/7, with UK-office escalation behind them. We maintain protocols with local hospitals, English-speaking clinics, embassies and your travel insurer. Our incident-response checklist covers medical, security, natural disaster, and family-emergency scenarios. We’ve handled everything from broken ankles to coup d’état evacuations — without losing a participant.

What vaccinations or pre-travel preparations do I need?

Requirements vary by destination. Common recommendations include Hepatitis A, Typhoid, Tetanus boosters and (in some destinations) Yellow Fever or Rabies. We provide a destination-specific health document in your pre-departure pack, and recommend you consult a travel-medicine clinic 6–8 weeks before travel. UK travellers can use the NHS Fit-for-Travel tool; US travellers, the CDC Yellow Book.

Do I need travel insurance?

Yes — mandatory. We require proof of comprehensive travel and medical insurance covering medical emergencies, evacuation, repatriation and personal effects for the entire programme duration. For volunteer and faculty-led work specifically, ensure your policy covers “volunteer activities” and any sport or fieldwork in your itinerary. We recommend specific providers in your pre-departure pack.

Logistics, accommodation and daily life

Where will I stay?

Accommodation type depends on destination and programme. Most participants stay in our purpose-run volunteer houses (shared rooms, communal kitchen, host families nearby) or in vetted guesthouses for medical internships. Faculty-led groups can opt for a step up — boutique hotels, university-quality residences or eco-lodges depending on budget. Single-room and en-suite upgrades available on request.

What about food and dietary restrictions?

Vegetarian, vegan, halal, kosher, gluten-free and most allergies are accommodated in every destination — flag them in your application form. Severe nut allergies in certain destinations (e.g. parts of West Africa) require additional pre-planning; we’ll discuss case-by-case.

Will I have phone and internet access?

WiFi is available in 95%+ of our accommodation. Local SIM cards are inexpensive and we recommend you buy one at the airport on arrival (we point you to the right counter). Faculty-led groups can request a local WhatsApp group set up before departure for in-group communication.

Do I need to speak the local language?

No — English is the working language of every programme. Volunteer assignments often involve teaching or assisting in English; medical placements are in English-speaking hospital wards. You’ll pick up survival phrases of the local language naturally; some destinations offer optional language tuition as an add-on.

Other common questions

Can you provide a letter for university travel offices or scholarship applications?

Yes. We routinely provide institutional letters confirming programme details, dates, supervision arrangements and risk-management protocols for university travel committees, scholarship panels (Gilman, Fund for Education Abroad, Erasmus+, IDEAS) and faculty grant applications. Email info@impactexplorers.com with the institution’s requirements and we’ll turn it around within two working days.

What does B Corp Certified mean?

B Corp is an independently verified standard that assesses companies on social and environmental performance, governance, workers, community and customers. Impact Explorers Ltd holds a B Impact Score of 88.2 — well above the 80-point certification threshold and 73% higher than the median score for all businesses assessed. Read our impact report for the full breakdown.

I’m a journalist / researcher — how do I request interviews or data?

See our Press & Media page. We respond to interview and partnership requests within 24 hours during UK business hours.

Still have questions?

Request a Proposal or email info@impactexplorers.com — we respond within one business day.

Looking for something more specific? See our faculty-led programmes, destinations directory, or safety framework.