Best High School Mission Trips in 2027
Updated: July 2026
D.J. Morgan
Creative & Marketing Director, Experience Mission
D.J. Morgan serves as Experience Mission's Creative & Marketing Director, helping connect volunteers to opportunities to serve and grow together on mission trips.
The best high school mission trips for 2027 combine meaningful, locally-led service opportunities with challenges that meet your youth where they are — spiritually, relationally, and practically.
Experience Mission (EM) offers mission trips to urban and rural communities across the U.S., as well as international partnerships in Jamaica, Costa Rica, and more. Trips run 6 to 8 days and range from $475 to $995 per person. All opportunities for high school mission trips are listed below!
What to Consider Before Choosing a Trip
Before picking a location, it's worth thinking through these three questions as a leadership team:
- Your students' starting point - Reflect on where your group is spiritually, and what skills or gifts they already bring. A construction-savvy church might thrive on a hurricane relief trip; a group drawn to relational ministry might do well in an urban community.
- What you hope they'll take away - From cross-cultural experiences in Latin America to hands-on rebuilding after a natural disaster to leading lessons for kids in an urban park, different trips build different kinds of growth. Check out What to Do After Your Mission Trip for ideas on keeping that growth going once you're home.
- Where your students want to go - Giving high schoolers a voice in the decision builds investment in fundraising, recruiting, and actually engaging once they're there.
Once you've thought through those three questions, check out the EM partner communities where high school groups can serve.
Urban Mission Trips
New York City
In one of the world's largest cities, your students will be exposed to countless cultures and a way of life different than what they may be used to. Your team will serve alongside The Salvation Army out of its Manhattan Citadel and New York Temple locations, supporting a daily food pantry, ongoing kids' programs, and outreach to the nearly 96,000 people who sleep in NYC shelters each night. In the process, your students will have their views challenged and be inspired to take a posture of service and learning back home with them.
Learn more about NYC Mission Trips
Portland, Maine
Over the last decade, there has been an influx of refugees from war-torn African countries to this coastal city. As families seek to settle in and make a home for themselves alongside long-time residents, you can take an active role in the lives of parents and children in this community. Your students will have the opportunity to build meaningful relationships with children and teens from diverse religious, social-economic, and ethnic backgrounds as you support the ongoing work of Experience Mission's partners in this community.
Learn more about Portland mission trips
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah pairs historic charm with real need. Much of the city's housing is aging, and many residents can't afford repairs on their own, while others are experiencing life without a home at all. Your team will partner with the city of Savannah, the local Salvation Army, and a local shelter for those experiencing homelessness. Serve on hands-on projects like painting and home repairs, and loving Savannah residents wherever they find themselves.
Learn more about Savannah mission trips
Chicago, Illinois
In Chicago, your team partners with Sunshine Gospel Ministries' Bridge Builders program on the South Side, blending hands-on service with real conversations about race, poverty, and reconciliation. Locally led from start to finish, this trip challenges students to listen first and serve alongside a community with deep history and resilience.
Learn more about Chicago mission trips
Rural Mission Trips
Diné/Navajo Nation, Arizona
In a world where teens are constantly connected to their phones, it can seem impossible to get them to engage in meaningful relationships. On trips to "the Rez," your students will do just that. Teams serving in Arizona will work alongside local church leaders as they serve their own communities. You'll have meaningful opportunities to slow down, build relationships, serve with dignity, and learn about the unique culture of the Navajo people.
Learn more about Diné/Navajo mission trips in Arizona
Marion, North Carolina
In the Appalachian community of Marion, North Carolina, your team will participate in Kids Club for local children and may also help with home repairs for elderly residents, support at a local children's home, or serve at a homeless shelter. Build meaningful relationships across generations while meeting practical needs in a close-knit mountain community.
Learn more about Marion, North Carolina mission trips
Muskegon, Michigan
In Muskegon, your team partners with Kids Belong to support local foster families, offering practical help like yard work and home projects, leading a Kids Club for foster kids, and giving exhausted caregivers a moment to breathe. It's a meaningful way to stand alongside families doing hard, often invisible work.
Learn more about Muskegon, Michigan mission trips
Pikeville, Kentucky
In rural, mountainous Pike County, Kentucky, your team will take on home repair, yard work, and landscaping for elderly and disabled residents who can't maintain their homes alone. You'll connect with local partners like Rob Musick, a local chaplain uniting churches and ministries around Pike County, and Pikeville Presbyterian Church, along with neighbors along the way.
Learn more about Pikeville, Kentucky mission trips
South Texas (U.S.-Mexico Border)
Just five miles from the U.S.-Mexico border, your team will partner with Border Perspective to serve alongside immigrant families and local church leaders in the Rio Grande Valley. This service-learning trip combines hands-on ministry with an educational look at border life often overlooked by short-term teams passing through to Mexico.
Learn more about South Texas mission trips
International Mission Trips
Jamaica Hurricane Relief and More
In October 2025, Hurricane Melissa devastated communities across Jamaica, and your team can be part of the long rebuilding process in Catadupa and Cambridge. Working alongside Christian Fellowship Church, teams help repair homes, roads, and community buildings while also participating in a VBS-style Kids Club for local children.
Learn more about Jamaica mission trips
Puerto Rico
In Rincon, Puerto Rico, your team partners with The Family Church, led by Pastor Jose Garcia, still helping communities recover years after Hurricane Maria. Teams repair homes for elderly residents, work in sustainable gardens aimed at reducing the island's reliance on imported food, and prepare and deliver meals to those in need.
Learn more about Puerto Rico mission trips
Belize
Looking for a good introductory international mission trip? Belize could be a great fit for your team of high school students. While the official language is English (making it easy for you to get around), EM partners with the Family of God Church network, led by Pastor Nelzon Guillen, connecting Spanish-speaking churches across the country. Your team will have the opportunity to serve alongside local leaders as they continue to extend the reach of the local church and meet the needs of their neighbors.
Learn more about mission trips to Belize!
Cuba
Partner with the rapidly-growing house church movement in Cuba. On your mission trip, students will have the opportunity to immerse in vibrant Cuban culture and live life with local people. Your team will go beyond the headlines or what they think they know about Cuba, meeting real people and serving alongside them as they seek to improve the lives of their neighbors.
Learn more about Cuba Mission Trips
Costa Rica
In Shiroles, Costa Rica, your team will serve the Bribri people of the Talamanca region, coordinated locally by Victor Mayorga and his wife Sarah, who host mission teams and IMMERSION participants in their home throughout the year. Get your hands dirty building the local way, as you help build additions, repair homes, or improve facilities at a local school or church. Between work projects and Kids Club, there's ample room to practice your Spanish and learn about a culture that has preserved its own indigenous language and traditions for centuries.
Learn more about Costa Rica mission trips
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do EM's high school mission trips cost?
Per-person costs for EM mission trips range from $475 to $995 (for 2027 trips). This includes lodging, food, and project materials on every trip, plus ground transportation on international trips. Additional costs like airfare to the community and optional personal supplies are not included.
How long are high school mission trips?
All U.S.-based mission trips with EM are 6 days long. International trips run 7 to 8 days, depending on the community.
What safety measures are in place for high school students?
EM maintains a 6:1 student-to-adult ratio, and every EM Field Staff member is certified in First Aid and CPR. Each site has a medical kit for general accidents and ailments, and international locations also carry a trauma kit. If a team member becomes ill or injured, EM staff follow a clear emergency response plan based on severity, contacting parents or guardians and securing appropriate medical care. Team members are responsible for their own medical coverage, and international travelers are encouraged to carry additional travel insurance.
All community outreach and project opportunities are selected with care by EM and local staff partners, with group safety in mind. It is a priority to us that all volunteers are safe while serving!
Wherever you decide to serve with your high schoolers, we're excited that you're taking the first step on behalf of your students and we'd love to help make your trip a reality!
To consider partnering with EM on a high school mission trip, start by submitting an interest form and a member of our staff will personally contact you to answer questions, narrow down options, and get you going in the right direction.
About the Author
Further Reading
Site developed and hosted by Skycog, Inc.
Sign In
You must have a group size of at least 6 members to join this trip. Please view the Small Team trips or call our Servicing Department for more options at 888-475-6414.
For most trips, you must have a group size of at least 6 members. Please view the Small Teams tab on each Community page or call our Servicing Department for more options at 888-475-6414.