Whether you’re a complete beginner or already have some experience, our leaders and outfitters provide all the guidance, training, and support your teen will need along the way. The challenge level of different trips varies, and we’re here to help you choose the trip that’s right for your teen. The only requirements for a successful Moondance adventure are a positive attitude, physical condition that meets the program requirements listed in the trip-specific medical form, and willingness to collaborate as a member of a small group.
We continuously work through our waitlist throughout the year and see movement up until mid-March. If you have gotten off a waitlist, we will send you an email and give you a call with a waitlist spot offer.
We see the most movement in February, after full tuition is due and non-refundable.
The Good Decisions Agreement at Moondance is a set of guidelines and expectations designed to ensure a safe and positive experience for all participants. It emphasizes responsibility, respect, and adherence to rules throughout the program. Participants are expected to make good decisions, communicate effectively, and follow all policies outlined by Moondance. Any violation, including but not limited to possession of alcohol or drugs, disrespectful behavior, or unauthorized use/possession of electronics, may result in immediate dismissal from the program at the parents’ expense, without refund. These rules are enforced from the beginning of the trip until return home, including travel days. It is important for both students and parents to thoroughly review and understand these expectations before departure. The full document will be included in your teen’s paperwork in Clustdoc.
International trips: May 1st
Domestic trips:
A great resource to check out to help you gain a better understanding of our trips is to visit our Vimeo Page to watch the incredible experiences from previous summers. You can also spend some time reading our Trip Guides which are located at the bottom of every trip page, as well as reading previous summer’s Trip Updates! Our team at Moondance HQ is always happy to help you decide on what trip may be the best fit for you as well, so feel free to give us a call!
At the time of enrollment, you will only be required to fill out the enrollment request, TripMate Travel Protection form, and sign the terms of agreement. Summer paperwork will be launched after enrollment.
We enroll students based on the current grade the student is in for the Fall-Spring school year. For example, if your teen is in the 8th grade for this school year, then they are eligible for our 8th grade summer trips.
Creating a community is perhaps the highlight for many on their Moondance trip. One of the greatest elements of a Moondance trip is meeting new people and being yourself in an entirely new group. We encourage your teen to partake in that valuable experience, and we love what happens when a group of strangers comes together to form a team. That being said, sometimes teens request a friend. Friend requests are not guaranteed. Your teen should be willing to travel with Moondance without a friend. We also limit our groups to no more than two students from the same school and three from the same hometown.
How to Request a Friend:
If you see limited on our website this will mean a trip is full for a gender, hometown, or school. If we don’t have any availability for you because of any of those limitations, we will add your teen to the waitlist and discuss other options with you.
Our trips fill on a rolling basis. If your first choice is full, we will reach out to go over other options. We will hold a spot on one session for your teen for 24 hours if you need to discuss it with them, before charging any deposit. We will also put your teen on the waitlist for their top choices that are full, and any other waitlists you are interested in.
Moondance requires all students to have a Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis} shot within 10 years of their trip. Moondance suggests that families follow CDC guidelines for vaccinations and immunizations. Depending on your trip, you may need special immunizations. This can change from year to year, and we operate under the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control.
For specific trips, see the enrolled trip information page. Additionally, we ask that you discuss immunizations and any pre-existing conditions with your family doctor or local travel clinic. Moondance will provide a detailed map of where the group will be traveling for you to take with you to the travel clinic. Please visit the CDC homepage for more information.
We will work our best with you and your family to find the correct trip for you based on your restrictions. Not all trips can accommodate all food allergy/ dietary restrictions so please call us if you have any questions! Specifically, if your teen has a peanut/tree nut allergy or has celiac disease, please call the office before enrollment to discuss accommodations.
$1000 is collected per your selected payment method at the time of enrollment to hold your spot (plus a processing fee for credit cards).
The remaining tuition balance is due by or on February 1st. If you would like to pay in full prior to February 1st, you can do so on your parent dashboard.
If you would like to enroll in our payment plan, please select the option during enrollment or email accounting@moondanceadventures.com. If you choose to pay via a payment plan, your remaining balance will be divided equally over the number of months remaining until (and including) February 1, starting with October.
Please reach out to our office by calling 800.832.5229 or emailing our finance team at accounting@moondanceadventures.com, and we will be happy to you update that information or instruct you on how to do so through the parent dashboard.
When you sign up for a Moondance trip, you have accepted a limited space within a small group. Once that space is reserved, we are no longer able to offer it to others. Regardless of whether the cancellation is personal, academic, or medical, or occurs during the trip due to dismissal, medical reasons, or another reason, Moondance is not able to provide any tuition refund other than what is outlined below. Due to the seasonal nature of our programs and our investment in staffing, planning, food, and equipment before a trip, we have a strict no refund policy. Your initial investment and tuition are used for our operating expenses prior to the summer, and your investment in Moondance contributes to your teen’s summer experience as we hire trip leaders, research, and refine trip designs, attend risk management conferences, and prepare for the upcoming summer. Expenses are contracted for the season and are based on a total-group, rather than a per-person basis. Moondance cannot recover course expenses for cancellations, even if due to illness or injury, late arrival, early withdrawal, or any other reason. If you must cancel your space, please notify us in writing via admissions@moondanceadventures.com.
Moondance refund policies related to cancellations are:
Moondance is not able to provide any tuition refund other than what is outlined.
Included in your tuition cost:
Not included in your tuition costs:
We offer 2 payment options for your trip with Moondance Adventures. We offer ACH payments as an option, which directly links your bank account to us at no additional fee. The second option is to pay via credit card, which has a 3% processing fee automatically added to all transactions.
The $200 incidentals deposit is incidental funds Moondance collects in May and returns in August in the event that they are not used. Previous examples of what an incidentals deposit has been used for include, but are not limited to:
Full payment for our summer trips is due on February 1st. You will be automatically charged for the remaining balance due on this date or the next business day.
On a case-by-case basis, Moondance offers Financial Assistance to families through the Hayes Hitchens Scholarship Fund. If you are interested in learning more about our Financial Assistance options, contact our admissions department at admissions@moondanceadventures.com.
Not at all! Our admissions team processes all paperwork by hand, so it takes time for the approval to come through on your end. We will email you if any issues or questions arise regarding your paperwork.
This is our paperwork platform that holds all of your teen’s paperwork and trip-specific waivers. You can access it by logging into your parent dashboard, clicking on your teen’s name, and going to their “forms”.
Our Plans of Action (POAs) are documents that allow us to gather more information about your child’s specific medical situation. They span a wide variety of topics including mental health, musculoskeletal, allergies, asthma, seizures, diabetes, and more. These documents are designed to be filled out in conjunction with the medical form with a medical provider and do require a physician’s signature. They are directly emailed to you. We request that these documents be filled out in a timely manner!
The trip leader will administer and supervise medications while on the trip. The student will have a shared responsibility for accountability in asking for their medication. Leaders will collect ALL medications, including vitamins, over-the-counter medications like Advil or Zyrtec, melatonin, and all prescription medications.
Students with asthma will keep their rescue inhaler with them at all times. Students with anaphylactic allergies will keep at least one EpiPen with them at all times.
All medication MUST come with students in a pill organizer pack. These hard plastic boxes have spots for AM and PM medications. The medication must be placed in the correct spaces PRIOR to the child departing for their trip. The bottom of the pill pack should be labeled with the student’s name and trip, the medications included, and when each should be administered. We have found that duct tape and Sharpie tend to work well for this purpose.
Medication may NOT be sent with the child loose in a bag, or in bottles. Utilizing the above technique helps us correctly administer medication according to the physician’s instructions.
All medication use will be logged.
This is actually not a Moondance requirement, but rather an international travel requirement based on each country. If your passport is not valid for at least 6 months after your return to the US, you may be turned away at the airport. Please double-check your passport, and if it needs to be renewed, please begin that process immediately!
No! The Moondance medical form does not require a physician’s signature. If your child has extenuating medical conditions, you may be asked to fill out a Plan of Action (POA), which does require a physician’s signature.
Trips with SCUBA require a PADI-specific medical form. This may require a doctor’s signature based on your teen’s medical history.
You will receive an email with a link to your teen’s trip photos within two weeks of your teen’s return. The timing depends on when Moondance HQ receives the SD cards from the trip leaders.
You will receive your teen’s trip video in the fall, after your trip, once all footage has been processed by our media production partner.
For specific questions about the packing list, you are welcome to reach out to us! You will also have an opportunity to speak to your teen’s leader during our Meet the Leader phone calls if you have specific questions. You can find the packing list by following this link and clicking on your trip!
Though Moondance has students come from around the world, we have a strong US following! We’ve had people hailing from 45 states and 2 foreign countries last summer alone. We love to connect people from such vast distances in search of experience and adventure.
Moondance groups typically consist of 10 to 13 participants, with two to three leaders.
One of the greatest parts of a Moondance trip is unplugging from the doldrums of your device. We do not allow any electronics, including watches, on our trips. Cell phones are permitted in transit in case of travel complications. Once you arrive on your trip, you will turn in your electronic devices to your leaders, who will hold them until the final day of your trip when they are returned to you at the airport. Phones detract from the experience we cultivate on a Moondance trip, and we strongly believe in the positive effects of digital detox. Moondance will not be responsible for lost, damaged, or stolen electronic devices.
TSA does not require minors traveling domestically to present identification; however, if you are traveling internationally, you will need to present a passport valid for 6 months after you return home. Certain programs will require further documentation such as visas or entry documents. You will be notified after enrollment if your trip requires a visa or other documentation. If you have any questions about TSA requirements, you can visit their website here. If you have questions about obtaining a passport, please contact our office, admissions@moondanceadventures.com or 800.832.5229 and we can assist you! We recommend applying for a passport as soon as you are accepted into a trip, if not before!
We believe that the excitement and value in arriving with an open mind and a blank slate about your group members adds an irreplaceable component to our programs. Therefore, we don’t disclose student information in advance. We ask that you don’t call the office asking for this information.
Yes, we always have a handful of families that live outside of the US on our trips. We recommend that you understand your country’s travel recommendations as well as the areas we travel before finalizing your trip enrollment.
Moondance leadership positions are coveted as amazing leadership opportunities for dynamic, responsible, and driven individuals. We receive a large number of applicants every year, with many returning leaders. After a rigorous selection process, we choose only the top 25% of applicants. Those who are accepted through our written application and interview process are then required to attain a medical certification (either Wilderness First Aid or Wilderness First Responder) and attend a 12-day staff training. During this training, our leaders immerse themselves in their trips, their students, and Moondance’s policies and procedures. Staff training is a chance for us to get to know each leader deeply and ensure they are a good fit for their trips and our mission. For more information, see our “Summer Jobs” page!
800.832.5229
615.610.5900
9am-5pm M-F CST
info@moondanceadventures.com
MAILING ADDRESS
PO Box 23350
Nashville, TN 37202
PHYSICAL ADDRESS
209 Tenth Avenue South
Suite 322
Nashville, TN 37203
There are spaces available for both genders for the upcoming season.
We are full for girls, but we have select spots for a boy.
We are full for boys, but we have select spots for a girl.
Limited means a trip is either full for a certain gender, school, or hometown.
This trip is currently full and we are accepting students on a waitlist through enrollment request submissions. You may be enrolled in a trip and on another trip’s waitlist. There is no financial obligation to be placed on a waitlist, and you can be on as many waitlists as you would like.
Enroll