Gen Z Travels PLUS: South America 2027

Unstuck, Empowered, and Inspired: Your story begins here

Do you have big ideas and dreams but are feeling stuck, anxious, and unsure of what your future holds? Would you describe yourself as neurodivergent or navigating a challenging season of life?

You’re not alone, and you don’t have to figure it out on your own. With us, you can travel, explore, and feel supported every step of the way.

Our founder, Jeff “Willy” Willis, has spent a considerable amount of time there, building relationships and learning directly from communities across the country. There’s something about Colombia’s energy, warmth, and resilience that stays with you. It doesn’t pretend to be perfect, but instead shows what it means to rebuild, reimagine, and move forward with purpose. At Fireside, Colombia continues to call us back.

This experience brings together the strengths of Vancouver Counselling and Wellness (VCAW) and Fireside Adventures in a thoughtful, grounded way—combining counselling-informed support with outdoor, experiential learning. VCAW contributes deep expertise in supporting individuals through anxiety, identity exploration, and life transitions, while Fireside creates immersive environments where growth happens through real-world experience.

PLUS is designed for Gen Z travellers who benefit from additional support, a lower-stimulation environment, and connection with like-minded peers. Whether you’re neurodiverse or simply needing a more intentional way to engage with the world, this program creates space to grow at your own pace. With skilled, empathetic instructors and daily coaching support, participants are guided to build confidence, manage overwhelm, and step into new experiences with care and encouragement.

A nation of cultural and biodiversity

Join us for one of our most ambitious and meaningful cultural travel experiences yet: Colombia in 14 days. This is a powerful journey through a country defined not only by its beauty but by its resilience, creativity, and transformation. From the lush coffee regions to the high Andes and into the dynamic energy of Bogotá and Medellín, this experience invites participants to see South America through a climate, culture, and community lens that shifts perspective in lasting ways.

Colombia is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, home to parts of the Amazon rainforest, the Andes Mountains, and vibrant urban centres like Bogotá and Medellín. It’s also a country that has faced immense challenges—yet through it all, Colombians have never surrendered their hope, dignity, or sense of identity. That spirit is something you feel the moment you arrive.

DATES
August 1 – 14

AGES
18+ (co-ed) Minimum of 8 to participate

LOCATIONS
Ecuador: Quito • Otavalo • Cuicocha • Cochasqui • Cayambe • Cotopaxi • Napa River region
Colombia: Bogotá • Medellín

PRICE (CAD): $5999 + GST
Non-refundable deposit: $1000 + GST

Includes:
– Pre-course Zoom orientation
– 8-hour Spanish
– 8-hour Coaching
– 14 days in Ecuador and 7 days in Colombia
– Direct contact with our Duke of Edinburgh Award Centre (18-24 year olds)
– 24/7 instruction and support by Fireside & VCAW staff
– Most meals
– All accommodation (eco-lodge, hotel, homestay)
– Private ground transportation
– Flight coordination and guidance
– Admission into all parks
– Horseback riding in Cotopaxi
– City tours of Quito, Medellín and Bogotá
– White-water rafting and river canoeing experiences with gear

Does not include:
– Flights to and from Ecuador/Colombia (departing from Vancouver or Toronto)
– Anything not mentioned above

More info: office@firesideadventures.ca

Why this hits different

Travel P.L.U.S. – Adventure with Support, Built for Gen Z
We believe every young person deserves the chance to see, feel, and experience the world. Gen Z Travel P.L.U.S. is designed for participants who might benefit from a little extra support, patience, and understanding, whether they may be neurodiverse, navigating life challenges, or simply seeking a more grounded and supported way to explore. Adventure doesn’t mean being thrown in the deep end. At Fireside, adventure means being met where you’re at, supported daily, and guided forward so you can expand your comfort zone.

P.L.U.S. = Purpose • Leadership • Understanding • Support

• Purpose: Travel with meaning, not pressure

• Leadership: Build confidence through small, achievable wins

• Understanding: Trauma-aware, neurodiverse-informed instruction

• Support: Daily coaching, check-ins, and a lower-stimulation environment

What you’ll do

Go deep in nature:
Navigate rainforest trails, rivers, and high-altitude páramo (the Andes’ “water towers”), learning how ecosystems store carbon and supply water to millions.

Live the culture:
This is not surface-level travel. Stay in homestays with local and Indigenous families, help prepare traditional meals, learn everyday Spanish phrases, and develop hands-on skills such as weaving, carving, and chocolate-making.

Meet change-makers:
Connect directly with individuals leading meaningful change: reforestation teams, river guardians, and youth leaders who are transforming their communities through creativity, education, and resilience.

Build real skills:
Develop practical, transferable skills including expedition planning, navigation, risk awareness, urban transit confidence, and storytelling. Participants will also create a short “Through-the-Lens” mini-documentary (2–3 minutes) to capture their journey and voice.

Pre-departure Learning & Preparation
Before departure, participants take part in a structured pre-trip program that includes:

• 8 hours of online Spanish learning

• 8 hours of 1:1 coaching with a Latin American instructor

This preparation builds foundational language skills while introducing mindfulness and reflection tools to support emotional readiness, confidence, and group connection throughout the experience..

What you’ll take home

Climate literacy that sticks:
You won’t just hear about climate change, you’ll see it in glaciers, forests, and streets, and learn what communities are doing right now.

Cultural humility and connection:
Respect, reciprocity, and real friendships—because the best memories are made around kitchen tables and campfires.

Leadership you can trust:
Confidence, purpose, and a plan so you return as a Gen Z Traveller ready to lead at school, at home, and in your community.

Come with curiosity. Leave with courage.

Co-led by Vancouver Counselling and Wellness Centre

This journey is supported and co-led by Matty Devenish (founder of VCAW) and other very talented counsellors from VCAW, who provide wellness guidance, facilitate reflection sessions, and ongoing support throughout the expedition. Matty has been working with young people for 20 years in various settings and brings a unique blend of adventure, playfulness, humour and levity as well as mentorship, encouragement, support and deep conversations aimed to expand one’s sense of themselves and their lives. Matty believes that a solid balance between fun/adventure and challenges/growth can lead to life-changing experiences.

Their presence ensures participants have safe spaces for personal growth, open dialogue, and mental-health awareness woven into each stage of the adventure.

Eva Sarango

Eva is a proud and charismatic Ecuadorian outdoor educator who believes that protecting the planet means protecting and teaching humanity—especially youth and young adults. From this vision, Conscious Tourism was born as one of the most powerful alternatives for global awareness. Her purpose is to show her country and her continent in all its dimensions, cultures, and faces.

Besides her passion and commitment to exceptional experiences, Eva is bilingual, widely travelled, and recently graduated as a Development Projects Specialist.

Ethan Barnes

A lifelong traveller, Ethan has helped lead adventures with Fireside from the Yukon to Fiji. Along the way, he has also spend hundreds of hours working one-on-one with neurodiverse youth supporting them in expanding their comfort zones and building life skills. Ethan is also completing his Master’s in Counselling Psychology, graduating in 2027.