Vale of Glamorgan Council’s Youth Service secured the scheme with months of preparation and support from youth workers, earning funding through the Welsh Government’s Taith programme, which supports global learning opportunities for young people.
Hannah Brown, youth development officer, said: “This isn’t just a trip, it’s a process.
“The young people have already completed resilience activities, residential experiences and team-building sessions.
“This trip will further these skills through building independence, budgeting, resilience and cultural awareness.
“Some didn’t even have passports and some had never travelled beyond Cardiff.
“Now they’re going to Texas.
“That’s the power of youth work.”
The three-week programme this month will take participants to Texas as part of a programme designed to build resilience, confidence and broaden horizons through structured international learning and cultural exchange.
Activities will include a visit to a working ranch, a four-day camp with 84 young people from across Texas, a San Antonio rodeo, a visit to the Houston Space Center and aquatics training.
Senior youth engagement worker Annette Harrison, who has worked in the service for nearly 22 years, said: “It’s a lot of responsibility.
“Some of them have never flown.
“Airports can be overwhelming.
“But that’s part of the growth.
“You can’t just get back in the minibus and go home – they’re all the way on the other side of the world.”
Cllr Rhiannon Birch, cabinet member for education, the arts, and the Welsh language at Vale of Glamorgan Council, said: “This exchange demonstrates the transformative impact of youth work in the Vale.
“This programme builds confidence, resilience and aspiration – qualities that will benefit these young people long after they return home.”
