We welcome your application to join us

When we receive your application, we will: (1) email you to thank you and confirm your child's application has been received and is being reviewed, (2) follow up with any additional questions, if needed, and (3) if/when approved, send you an email with a payment link for full amount of $7,500 (USD)and our enrollment form for final execution to reserve the participant's spot. Both will be due within 48 hours of email delivery.

All applications, enrollment forms and full payments must be received no later than May 15, 2025

Due to the limited spot availability, all applications, enrollment forms and full payments must be submitted by May 15, 2025 to confirm participation.

A note about our enrollment form

Upon receipt of your child’s enrollment form, if we have any questions or concerns, we will be in touch with you. If the offer of a spot is withdrawn by our team, we will refund your final payment in full.

Non-discrimination policy

VoyaBella prohibits discrimination against and harassment of any employee or any applicant for employment, or any guest or any applicant to join our retreats, because of race, color, national or ethnic origin, age, marital status, familial status, genetics, ancestry, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, veteran or military status, military service or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal or state law. All personnel responsible for hiring and promoting employees, for admitting and enrolling retreat participants, for leading and supporting retreat participants, and for developing and implementing retreat programs or activities are charged to support this effort and to respond promptly and appropriately to any concerns brought to their attention. Individuals who feel they have been treated in a way that violates this policy and/or federal, state or local anti-discrimination laws are encouraged to notify one of VoyaBella’s directors immediately: Aimee Helfand at aimee@voyabella.com or Ines Kuperschmit at ines@voyabella.com. VoyaBella will not take any retaliatory action in response to an individual’s complaints.

Meals: general information

Delicious food, excellent nutrition and variety are the goals of VoyaBella’s meals. There is a chef who will prepare a daily breakfast and dinner for the group. Lunch will vary, depending on the day's activities and location. All meals will be a group experience, an important way to connect and bond with one another.

Allergies & intolerances

We recognize there are many young people with food allergies or intolerances and we will do our very best to accommodate. However, we ask parents of a prospective VoyaBella participant with an allergy/intolerance to please carefully consider the following important information:

Most meals at VoyaBella will be prepared by a private chef with fresh, healthy selections for breakfast and dinner based on local produce options and availability. That said, daily lunches will be consumed off-site and may be prepared and served in what may be allergen-contaminated environments. While we cannot guarantee allergen-free meal settings at all times, we will do what is reasonable to provide allergen-free/gluten-free options where available. In all things, our top priority is to help maintain all participants' well-being. To this end, all VoyaBella staff is trained to recognize and respond to allergic reactions, including administering antihistamines and epinephrine (both included in retreat's first aid kit); all directors will carry cell phones so that should the need arise, emergency and/or medical personnel can be contacted immediately and their services requested.

Managing food allergies/intolerances is a partnership

Our commitment is to the health and well-being of each of our participants. Our goal is a partnership in which:

• Parents clearly describe their child’s allergies or intolerances, and their child’s maturity level and capability to self-manage her allergy or intolerance.

• We work together with parents in a collaborative and interactive process to determine if there are reasonable accommodations that can be made so that otherwise qualified applicants can participate in our retreat.

• Retreat participants take an active role in managing their allergies, including reading food labels as needed, eating only those foods with known ingredients, and seeking a VoyaBella staff member if a reaction is suspected.

Vegetarians, vegans & specialized diets

For vegetarians who wish to join our retreat, we are happy to provide meat-free options as long as they understand they will share in the group’s meals but will simply have the meat portion withheld. For example: pasta at dinner with a fresh tomato sauce (while the rest of the group has pasta with a meat sauce, etc). We sometimes have requests from applicants with specialized diets—vegans, for example—to provide separate, specialized meals. As much as we’d like to be able to accommodate these applicants, there may be limitations beyond our control where this request will be impossible to guarantee.

Medication storage

Our VoyaBella adventures will include outdoor exploration experiences that are not limited to a single location. As a result, please be advised that there will only be refrigerators available at the retreat palazzo for cooling participants' medication.

Expectations

VoyaBella retreats are wholesome, structured experiences with high expectations of each participant’s behavior. Our girls are expected to be kind, respectful, positive, helpful and supportive of each other and of their leaders; they are expected to participate in all scheduled activities, customized around the region's spectacular offerings, including but not limited to walking tours, hikes, swimming, water sports/boat excursions and day trips to historical places. 

They understand that smoking, using any tobacco product, drinking alcohol or using any drugs (other than prescribed medications) is strictly prohibited. We reserve the right to dismiss any participant for any reason whatsoever—including but not limited to: rule breaking, misbehaving or an inability to fully participate. Participants who are dismissed receive no refund and all costs associated with the dismissal are the sole responsibility of the parents/guardians.

Cell phone policy

To maximize independence, self-reliance and a complete digital detox, we do not permit any cell phones on-site, nor any phone calls, emails or text messages to or from our participants (the exceptions to this are: your child will contact you on arrival and departure with our phones and assistance, and in the case of an emergency). If your child brings a phone for use while en route to our VoyaBella retreat, please consider sending an inexpensive prepaid phone instead of an expensive smartphone. All phones will be collected on arrival and returned at departure. While we will take reasonable steps to prevent damage, theft or loss to phones, we take no responsibility for phones and we will not make any reimbursements for lost, damaged or stolen phones.

Other electronics

Please do not allow your child to pack/bring any other electronics (e.g., iPods, iPads, Kindles or other readers, GPS or similar devices) to the retreat. All electronics will be mailed home on arrival (at your family's risk and expense). VoyaBella staff members will have digital cameras on-site to capture memories throughout the retreat to share with families via email communication.

Communication

During the retreat, the VoyaBella directors will be available from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. (CET) via email and/or text communication. In the event of an emergency, our directors can be reached via cell phone anytime. Direct contact numbers for both VoyaBella directors, Aimee Helfand and Ines Kuperschmit, will be provided upon child's enrollment.

To help participants meet our high expectations of independence, self-reliance, and digital detox, as well as to ensure that our VoyaBella leaders are devoting all of their time and energy to the group, we ask you to refrain from texting or calling for updates on your child. We will be providing periodic updates to all families via email communication throughout their stay.

Please be assured that anytime a participant is treated for an injury or illness by a doctor or medical personnel you will be contacted by us: a VoyaBella director will call you to explain the nature of the injury or illness and the proposed treatment. In almost every situation, parents are typically able to speak with the attending medical personnel, with their child’s leaders and with their child.

Payments & refund policy

Full payment and fully executed enrollment form is due within 48 hours of receiving application approval via email. ALL applications are due no later than May 15, 2025 and there will be no refunds after May 15, 2025.

Please note:

• We only accept credit cards (with a 3% fee) or ACH payments for the full $7,500 (USD) fee. No paper checks are accepted.

• If, at any point during or after the admissions process we determine that you have provided incomplete, misleading or false statements, we may withdraw the offer of admission and no refund of any payment will be made.

• If you withdraw your child after May 15, 2025, there are no refunds for any reason whatsoever (including, but not limited to: voluntary withdrawal, illness or injury, summer school, security concerns or any other reason).

• If your child leaves a trip after it starts, there are no refunds for any reason whatsoever, including, but not limited to: voluntary withdrawal, illness or injury, dismissal by VoyaBella (due to discipline, behavior, lack of participation/motivation, etc.), security concerns or any other reason. Any costs incurred by VoyaBella related to an early departure are the sole responsibility of the parents/guardians.