Many exchange trips consist of mostly white travelers “helping” people of color, but educator Chandell Stone has created a company that interrupts the white savior narrative.

Stone founded Destination Teach to give people of color the opportunity to travel and volunteer in countries like Kenya and Morocco with each other rather than being tokenized.

“American ethnic minorities are virtually non-existent within international volunteer programs,” according to the organization’s website. “At Destination Teach, we believe that diversifying travel cohorts allows for pertinent cross-cultural dialogue and presents a more realistic representation of America to global communities.”

Destination Teach takes black travelers to countries with populations that mostly consist of people of color where they do standard travelling activities along with volunteer work. Stone, 26, launched the organization in 2014.

"When I was in grad school, a friend of mine told me about an elementary school that her family ran in Kenya, and how they needed more resources to support the work there," Stone said in a statement to Blavity. "We decided to try to generate money by bringing volunteers there.”

"What it evolved into was a movement, where black millennials have become a driving force behind this organization, turning their travel into an opportunity for sustainable development in Africa," she continued. "Once there we decided to focus on teachers, namely providing scholarships."

Participants in the program go on city tours, safari excursions and glam camping, popularly known as glamping.

Stone said over 40 people have signed up for exchange trips this year.

"What is crazy about the whole thing, is here I am struggling to pay my own student loans, and being able to be a blessing to someone else's college education," she continued. "It is crazy how God works. The teachers are so grateful for the opportunity to get more schooling and improve their practice."

But, if you aren’t a teacher or work in a school, don’t worry.

“Anyone can go,” Stone said.

Although Destination Teach has a socially responsible focus, it is a for-profit company and travelers must pay to go on trips. This allows the company to sustain itself and donate resources to the schools it serves.

If you’re interested, head to the website to check out the trips.

chandell stone

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