Appalachia is a commitment of our participants AND our communities - parents, guardians, siblings, extended family members, and loved ones invest so much to make the trip a success each year. Thank you for your support and for sharing your youth with us! We couldn't be more grateful.
This page contains information specifically for parents/guardians and links to other resources across the site. As the trip approaches, please also take advantage of the Participant Resources page for lists and other key information.
Dates & Documents for Parents/Guardians
Each year, we host a meeting for parents/guardians during which we review in detail all aspects of the trip. This meeting is mandatory for at least one parent/guardian of any participant who is:
age 18 or under AND...
is going on the trip for the first time AND...
has not had a parent or sibling go previously.
Exceptions: If your child is age 18 or under but has gone before, or has had a parent or sibling go previously, or will have a parent/guardian on the trip this year, the meeting is not mandatory. However, any parent/guardian is welcome to attend.
Make-Up Meeting: If no one from a participant's family is able to attend this meeting, we are happy to set up a separate time to meet. Please contact Katharine (katharine.h.conroy@gmail.com) as soon as possible to make alternative arrangements. Students are not able to go on the trip if this meeting is missed, but we will absolutely work with you to ensure that schedules are not a barrier to participation.
This Year's Meeting
The 2026 Parent/Guardian Meeting will take place on Thursday, April 30th at 7 PM in the Parish Center at St. Therese (105 Leetes Island Road, Branford, CT 06405). This meeting runs parallel to the regular meeting for participants and will last for the same duration (~ 7 PM - 8:15 PM).
The week of the Parent/Guardian Meeting, we ask that each participant:
Return a form confirming their interest in the trip
Submit their Commitment Money
Commitment Money is each participant's individual contribution to the trip of $150. If possible, it should come directly from participants themselves, but we understand that parents/guardians often contribute.
As is shared on our Fundraising page, no one will ever be excluded from the trip for financial reasons! If you have concerns about the trip cost, or if it would be helpful to pay the Commitment Money in installments, please reach out to one of the trip leaders. We will be happy to work with you, and everything you share with us will remain completely confidential.
For a high level summary of the trip and related logistics, please click here.