Human Connections through Community Service

You have the opportunity to do something, however grand or small, to make things better. Call it gratitude, or the human instinct to connect. Don’t define it at all. At Deer Hill, the spirit of service is about sharing, collaboration, learning, giving – of your time, your energy, your attention – and, in return, receiving more than you ever thought possible.

“The community service project was an incredible experience. We were working first hand with people who cherish their culture so much. For them to let us participate in their traditions was amazing.” Marin, West Roxbury, MA

Deer Hill is renowned for the quality and integrity of our community service programs. We have spent two decades forming deep and rewarding friendships with native peoples in our area. Most expeditions include up to a week working with one of our partner tribes: the Navajo, Hopi and Zuni in New Mexico and Arizona, or the Tico people in rural villages of Costa Rica. Stay with welcoming host families or communities, engaging in projects that are important to them and their traditional way of life. Learn practical skills, hear the history first-hand, get a lesson in ancient crafts. It’s not just “helping” people – and we’re not “saving the world” – but we are making a difference, sharing our stories and backgrounds, and learning a whole new way of looking at the world.

“The most meaningful experience of my trip was spending a week with the Hopi. I have always wanted to visit a Native American nation and I learned so much while I was there. My hosts revived values I thought I had lost and reminded me how important my family and my culture is to me.” Tiffany, Philadelphia, PA

Unique to Deer Hill, your journey may also include a native arts component, a hands-on way to connect to the culture. Learn about the ceremonial traditions behind Navajo sand painting and how to make your own. Carve a symbol into “tufa” rock, fill it with molten silver, and proudly wear the pendant you made in a Hopi village.

Give Back to the Wilderness: Conservation Service Projects

Some Deer Hill programs give you the opportunity to help preserve the landscapes and wildlife of the places you visit. While on your conservation service project, you will work alongside inspirational rangers and volunteers from the U.S. Forest Service. Build a footbridge to restore vital backcountry access, create a new trail above timberline, help monitor elk populations, or restore trout habitat along a beautiful mountain stream. It’s a way of getting closer to the wilderness and saying “thank you” for its gifts.