The Service Trip Experience
Christian service immersion trips are designed to help students be the hands of Christ to those who are in need outside our community. All Christian Service trips are from the Catholic Christian perspective, so students are given time to journal daily, join in daily group prayer and attend Mass if the trip falls on a Sunday.
All students must have a valid passport if traveling outside the United States.
Scholarships and fundraising are available for Christian Service trips. Parents must attend the informational meeting(s) given prior to departure, in order for their student to attend any trip sponsored by NDP.
We are currently collaborating with the organizations with whom we partner to plan meaningful and safe mission trips for our students. If you have any questions please contact our Center of Mission and Ministry.
We hope that as many students as possible will accept the challenge to travel to the poor and be the hands, feet and heart of Jesus Christ to those who need Him most.
- Aravaipa Farms With K2 - March 4-6, 2021
- Tanzania, Africa - June
- 1Mission (Canceled in 2021)
- Cusco, Peru Trip (Canceled in 2021)
- Kino Border Initiative (On Hold for 2020-21 School Year)
- Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (Canceled in 2021)
- Summer Youth Pilgrimage to Lourdes, France (Canceled in 2021)
Aravaipa Farms With K2 - March 4-6, 2021
Register here: https://k2adventuretravel.com/
Day 1
Scottsdale – Aravaipa Farms | Thursday, March 4 | Meals - Breakfast and Dinner
- The team will meet at Notre Dame Prep at 8 a.m. to check in and begin the 2.5 hour drive to Aravaipa Farms by private bus. Einstein's Bagels will be served for breakfast on the bus.
- On the way, the team will stop at a local grocery store for a team adventure to participate in purchasing groceries and food items for a local food bank. All expenses for this challenge will be covered by K2 Adventures Foundation. Immediately following the adventure, the team will drive to a local food bank to either volunteer or to make a donation of all the items purchased.
- After the adventure, the team will stop for lunch at a location TBD. Cost of lunch is not included due to multiple options in a plaza-type setting. In the late afternoon, the team will arrive at Aravaipa Farms to check into their adventurous accommodations and enjoy a delicious 3-course farm to table dinner.
- Reflections by Father Frank prior to lights out. Accommodations Cabins & Tents at Aravaipa Farms. Accommodations will include cabin rooms with beds and floor space for air mattresses and sleeping bags, as well as outdoor tents. Sleeping accommodations will be determined by NDP staff. Meals Breakfast and Dinner
Day 2
Aravaipa Farms | Friday, March 5 | Meals - Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
- Breakfast will be served at 8 a.m.
- After breakfast, the team will volunteer at Aravaipa Farms doing a variety of farm/inn tasks. Some examples of tasks are
- pruning fruit trees,
- weeding in the garden,
- chicken coop maintenance
- trail building/maintenance.
- The team will also have the opportunity to go on a farm tour, have a Q/A session with the farm owners and participate in other educational activities.
- After a productive morning, lunch will be served. In addition, Aravaipa Farms will donate 10% of garden produce/egg sales at the inn for the following week to the local organization the team volunteered at on Thursday.
- After lunch, the team will go on a short hike down to the creek, leaving right from the farm property.
- In the evening, the team will enjoy another 3-course farm to table dinner OR they have the option to have a local carniceria come and do an outdoor traditional asada onsite for a unique experience!
- Reflections by Father Frank prior to lights out.
- Accommodations Cabins & Tents at Aravaipa Farms. Accommodations will include cabin rooms with beds and floor space for air mattresses and sleeping bags, as well as outdoor tents. Sleeping accommodations will be determined by NDP staff.
Day 3 Aravaipa Farms - Scottsdale | Saturday, March 6 | Meals - Breakfast and Lunch
- The team will wake for breakfast and have beautiful mass in the orchard.
- Breakfast will be served at 8 a.m. After mass, the team will check out of their rooms and meet around 10:30 a.m. to make the 5-10 minute drive to Brandenburg Mountain trailhead for a morning hike. This amazing, intermediate level hike goes along the ridgeline of the mountain giving an incredible birds eye view of the canyon and surrounding mining towns, including Mammoth.
- After the hike, the team will begin the 2.5 hour drive back to Notre Dame Prep by private bus.
- A box lunch will be provided for the bus ride home.
- The team will arrive back at Notre Dame Prep at approximately 5:30 p.m.
Tanzania, Africa - June
Tanzania Itinerary
Notre Dame Preparatory High School
The Tanzania Christian service trip through K2 Adventure Travel is set for June18-30, 2021. The cost of the trip is $3,250 per person and does not include airfare. The group airfare cost will be $2,075 per person provided we have 10 people or more. NOTE: This trip is organized through K2 Adventure Travel. If you have any questions, please contact Kristen Sandquist at: kristen@k2adventures.org or by phone at 480-797-2950.
This is not a school-sponsored trip and no NDP staff will attend. NDP does approve this trip and will give service hours to the students who choose to serve abroad.
Trip Documents
What’s Included:
- All accommodations, double occupancy
- All meals as stated in the itinerary
- All game drives in a 4×4 private safari vehicle
- English-speaking private driver as your guide
- Two bottles of drinking water per day while on safari
- All park fees
- Return transportation to your hotel in Moshi or Arusha
- Airport transportation to JRO International Airport for your departure home
The 13-Day Itinerary
5 Days of Community or Medical Service / 1-Day Safari / Coffee Plantation / Waterfall Hike
Days 1 and 2
These are travel days with an arrival into Tanzania at Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) the evening of day two. Look for a K2AT English speaking representative as you exit baggage claim. He will assist you with your luggage and take you to your hotel. Dinner included.
Overnight in Moshi or Arusha.
Day 3
First day of Community Service at one of the 3 locations listed above.
You will wake for an early breakfast and leave the hotel by 9:00 am and arrive back at the hotel around 4:00 pm. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.
Overnight in Moshi or Arusha.
Day 4
Second day of Community Service at one of the 3 locations listed above. You will wake for an early breakfast and leave the hotel by 9:00 am and arrive back at the hotel around 4:00 pm. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included.
Overnight in Moshi or Arusha.
Day 5
Today is Sunday and the team will attend a local Catholic mass celebrated by Father Aristides. Mass is said in Swahili, which is the native language of Tanzania. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included.
Overnight in Moshi or Arusha.
Day 6
Third day of Community Service at one of the 3 locations listed above. You will wake for an early breakfast and leave the hotel by 9:00 am and arrive back at the hotel around 4:00 pm. You will also visit a local market called the Blue Zebra where you can purchase authentic trinkets and souvenirs. This market has a non-profit component that gives back to the local community by providing art lessons to underprivileged youth. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included. Overnight in Moshi or Arusha.
Day 7
Fourth day of Community Service at one of the 3 locations listed above. You will wake for an early breakfast and leave the hotel by 9:00 am and arrive back at the hotel around 4:00 pm. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.
Overnight in Moshi or Arusha.
Day 8
Fifth day of Community Service at one of the 3 locations listed above. You will wake for an early breakfast and leave the hotel by 9:00 am and arrive back at the hotel around 4:00 pm. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included.
Overnight in Moshi or Arusha.
Day 9
The morning will be filled with a visit to the coffee plantation and followed by a beautiful hike to a waterfall. The coffee experience will be like no other, including picking, peeling, grinding and sipping locally grown coffee. Afterwards, you will enjoy a breathtaking 40-minute, moderate hike through the local village to the Materuni Waterfall. Finally, the team will visit a local pizza restaurant for lunch. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included.
Overnight in Moshi or Arusha.
Day 10
This is your one (1) day safari to *Tarangire National Park and visit to a Masai Village. You will wake for an early breakfast and leave the hotel by 7:00 am. The drive takes about 3 hours to arrive at the park entrance. After the safari and picnic lunch, in the mid afternoon the team will have dinner in a local restaurant in Arusha. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included.
Overnight in Moshi or Arusha.
*Tarangire National Park Tarangire is the 6th largest national park in Tanzania, covering over 1,100 square miles. The park is famous for its high density of elephants and baobab trees. Visitors to the park in the June to November dry season can expect to see large herds of zebra, wildebeest and Cape buffalo. Other common resident animal include waterbuck, giraffe, dik dik, impala, eland, Grant's gazelle, vervet monkey, banded mongoose, and olive baboon.
Day 11 This is your day to travel to Arusha to visit Summit Happy Home Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.Overnight in Moshi or Arusha.
Day 12
Spend the day relaxing and preparing for your flight home. Your private driver will pick you up at 6:00 p.m. and take you to Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO). Breakfast is included.
Day 13 Arrive back in the United States
1Mission (Canceled in 2021)
1MISSION is the leader in organizing and leading short-term mission trips with a long-term impact to Rocky Point, Mexico. Our mission trips are Christ-centered, safe, affordable, and hassle free.
It's our mission to connect people to people, not people to projects.
Come along side of a family who has invested hundreds of hours in their community, and in just a few days help build their entire house. You'll truly be on a mission 'with' not 'for' them. Healthy missions are fully-dependent upon genuine partnerships, long-term relationships and sustainable development - connecting the church on a global level.
The next mission is set for October 17-20, 2019.
The 1Mission Trip taking place 2nd semester with Fr. Kurt is now OPEN. This trip will be February 6-9, 2020. Total cost is $475 and you can receive up to 30 Service Hours! This trip will be limited to 42 students on a first come first serve basis.
To reserve your spot, login to Smart Tuition and pay the $100 non-refundable deposit. Once 42 students have paid their deposit the trip will be closed. Smart Tuition recognizes when the first 42 students have paid their deposit and will no longer allow any further deposits to be paid. Due to the high demand we are making the possibility of signing up for this trip as early as possible.
Here are the forms to download for all 1Mission Trips:
Cusco, Peru Trip (Canceled in 2021)
Kino Border Initiative (On Hold for 2020-21 School Year)
Kino Border Initiative
Nogales, Mexico
Kino Border Initiative offers food, clothing and shelter to men, women and children who have been deported. The Kino Border Initiative (KBI) is a binational organization that works in the area of migration and is located in Nogales, Arizona and Nogales, Sonora, Mexico The KBI’s vision is to help make humane, just, workable migration between the U.S. and Mexico a reality. Its mission is to promote US/Mexico border and immigration policies that affirm the dignity of the human person and a spirit of bi-national solidarity. Students work at the comedor preparing and serving food and providing care for people in need.
If you’d like more information regarding this organization, please visit KBI online. Please fill out and submit your application to Miss Dinges or Señora Santaella.
Here are the dates for our KBI trips for the 2019-20 school year.
September 20
September 28 (parents only)
October 18
November 22
January 31, 2020
May 1, 2020
Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (Canceled in 2021)
Join us for a one-week immersion trip to our NPH home in a Spanish-speaking nation. Speaking Spanish is a plus! The dates for these trips have not been set yet. Download the NEW information flyer!
Experience firsthand how NPH USA transforms the lives of children! You will meet the amazing children, staff, and volunteers of NPH and learn about their daily lives. Whether you are new to NPH, or a longtime supporter, visiting our homes is the best way to see NPH in action.
We will have the unique opportunity to stay at the NPH home with the children, in a newly constructed visitor’s house. This will allow us to immerse ourselves in NPH life with the children.
While the children are in school, you will help out around the home (helping with daily chores around the property, working in the gardens and farm, caring for the babies, working in the kitchen, and viewing the school, etc.). Relax or hang out with the pequeños in the afternoons.
We will coordinate activities with the different age groups throughout the week. Note: An NPH USA chaperone will lead and oversee all travelers throughout the duration of the week.
All chaperones are background checked and are experienced volunteers.
Cost: $1,950 per person.* Cost includes:
- Roundtrip airfare
- Pre-trip orientation
- On-site accommodations at the NPH home
- Airport transportation
- Meals while at NPH
- NPH USA chaperone
- Daily travel insurance
- Donation to the NPH home
*Price does not include
- Outside meals or optional attraction costs.
Payment Schedule
- $975 non-refundable deposit
- $975 Remainder
For more information, please contact Belinda Roda at broda@nphusa.org or call (480) 237-3007.
My experience through NPH changed my life. I got the amazing opportunity to go to the Dominican Republic last year in October. Through this trip I made new friends that I am still friends with today. The pequeños were so happy, sweet, and loved to play and have fun. They not only impacted my life, but they also touched my heart. This trip helped me to get better at my spanish and to appreciate everything I have. I think about all of them every single day and I hope to get go back and see them again in the future.
-Macy Brennan, Class of 2021
Summer Youth Pilgrimage to Lourdes, France (Canceled in 2021)
The Summer Pilgrimage to Lourdes, France with the Order of Malta is postponed to a date yet to be determined. The information provided here is just to give readers an idea of what is to come, once it is safe to do so.
The Knights and Dames of Malta have been assisting pilgrims at religious sites for over 900 years. Our high school group will consist of approximately 20 young men and women (ages 16-18) and six adult Knights and Dames as chaperones, including a Chaplain of the Order of Malta. Students earn 30 Christian Service Hours for this trip.
The Summer Pilgrimage is designed for teenagers and involves physical work, spiritual exercises, and cultural activities. It is demanding, beautiful, and life changing.
The application can be completed online:
https://orderofmaltawestern.formstack.com/forms/summer_youth_pilgrimage_registration
Complete Application Checklist:
• Online Application
• Pastor Recommendation
• Teacher Recommendation
You must submit a complete application by February 10, 2020. There is no application fee. The Selection Committee will conduct in-person interviews of all persons with completed applications, along with their parents. The invitations to take part in the pilgrimage will be made in late February 2020.
To accept the invitation, the successful candidate must deposit $2,500 by March 5, 2020. Financial Aid is available based on need. Partial refunds may be made for cancellations up through May 1, 2020.
The payment covers all travel and lodging expenses and pilgrimage work uniforms for the entire trip.
We look forward to receiving your application soon.
God bless you!
Michael & Cecelia Grace Father Jim Baron
2020 Summer Youth Pilgrimage Leaders 2020 Pilgrimage Chaplain
michael.grace@orderofmaltawestern.us