Parent Concerns
Who will take care of my child?
You can feel confident about the safety and security of your student because of how deeply RIM invests in its leaders. All leader applicants complete a pre-screening process and in-person vetting, and all leaders attend multi-day training events prior to taking students on trips.
RIM uses a 3-tiered leadership structure to ensure health and safety, to handle logistics and ministry partnerships, and to provide discipleship and a personal experience for each participant. Your child is never alone outside of the lodging complex. They are always accompanied by an adult, and often this person is their MA.
What are the 3-tiers of leaders?
PROJECT DIRECTORS (PDs) are hand-selected, very experienced veteran leaders who have worked with RIM for years. Often they are full-time RIM staff, and they always pass FBI background checks. PDs are responsible for all the teams in a country and provide both spiritual and logistical oversight.
TEAM LEADERS (TLs) are age 21+ and work in co-ed pairs to head up teams of 25-30 young people. TLs handle daily schedule, discipline and spiritual environment for their teams.
MISSION ADVISORS (MAs) are age 18+ and are accountable for 3 to 8 team members. MAs focus on establishing relationships, investing in your student personally, and watching out for them.
How do I contact my child?
To facilitate greater engagement in ministry and with fellow team members, RIM limits communication with home/social media to designated team communication times. Instead of 24/7 connections that can cause distraction, the entire team will pause at various points along the way to call, email, post, etc. at the same time.
RIM guarantees an opportunity to connect with home once per week (however, we do not force your child to contact you – it’s their choice). Depending on your child’s location, they may have additional opportunities as well. In between team communication times, RIM does our best to post trip updates on our blog, our Facebook page, and in the ‘RIM Parents’ Facebook group for each of our teams.
What if there’s an emergency?
If it’s AT HOME, you can always call the RIM offices at 1-800-774-6746 during normal business hours. In addition, a 24-hour emergency number will be sent to you in the Final Packet (approximately 2 weeks before the trip begins). We’ll put you in touch with your child quickly!
If it’s ON THE MISSION FIELD, RIM will contact the emergency contact listed on your student’s application asap. In the event of an illness, injury, natural disaster, or political unrest, treatment and/or evacuation efforts will be coordinated through the international travel insurance policy all participants are required to purchase.