QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ROOTONE VOUCHER?
Join us for one of our upcoming RootOne information sessions to learn more about the voucher. Hear from our Summer Team on eligibility rules, obligations in return for the grant, and other important information regarding the RootOne. Find sessions and register here.
For more than 70 years, BBYO has been the most trusted name in teen travel. Our global network and partnerships, now spanning 63 countries, make us experts at planning the perfect summer for your teen. BBYO is also a proud RootOne Trip Provider. RootOne is an initiative that helps connect thousands of Jewish teens currently enrolled in grades 9–12 to Israel each summer for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
For Summer 2025, they are opening voucher applications for alternative trips outside of Israel to continue strengthening teen connection to Israel, Israeli society, and Jewish peoplehood through authentic Mifgashim—encounters—with Israeli teen peers outside of Israel.
RootOne voucher applications are not open yet for Summer 2025 programs. Once you apply for a trip that is eligible for a RootOne voucher, BBYO will communicate when the voucher application becomes available.
ABOUT THE VOUCHER
Voucher eligibility for families is determined, and subject to change, each year at the discretion of RootOne.
BBYO Passport is a leading expert in teen travel, with over 70 years of experience guiding Jewish teens on safe, meaningful, and transformative journeys worldwide. We’ve been trusted by thousands of families who choose us for our commitment to top-notch safety and security, meticulously crafted itineraries, and close collaboration with tour providers who share our values. Our understanding of what teens need to feel secure, engaged, and inspired ensures every trip is a uniquely enriching experience they’ll never forget.
Eligibility rules are determined by RootOne. Please note, teens currently in 8th grade are not eligible to receive a RootOne travel voucher. For more information on Voucher eligibility, please visit RootOne’s website. Voucher eligibility is not connected to financial need or merit. Additionally, applicants must be in good standing with BBYO and cannot be on probation—if they are a member—or owe any funds to BBYO.
EUROPE, ASIA, AND AMERICAS VOUCHER ELIGIBILITY
Eligible voucher applicants must identify as Jewish and be currently enrolled in 9th through 12th grade. Teens must be citizens of the United States or Canada. If you have previously received a RootOne voucher for travel to Israel, you are not eligible to apply again for a voucher towards a trip to Europe, Asia, or The Americas. If this is your first time receiving a voucher, it will not affect your eligibility to use it for Israel travel in the future.
ISRAEL VOUCHER ELIGIBILITY
Eligible voucher applicants must identify as Jewish and be currently enrolled in 9th through 12th grade. Teens must be citizens of the United States or Canada. If you have previously received a RootOne voucher for travel to Israel, you are not eligible to apply again.
RootOne provides vouchers of $2,000 or $3,000 per participant, depending on the length of a program. Visit a BBYO trip’s landing page to see if it is eligible and how much the voucher received will be.
Yes! The RootOne voucher is open to graduating seniors for Summer 2025 trips.
No. If you have previously received a RootOne voucher—for any program other than BBYO’s Volunteer Israel trip—you are not eligible to apply again. Other BBYO and community scholarships may be available. You can find additional scholarship information here.
While obligations for the grant have not been finalized for Summer 2025, you can reference their requirements for Summer 2024 below to better understand what is typically expected.
RootOne Voucher recipients—regardless of voucher amount—must take part in engagement programming (~8 hours total) in the spring prior to travel, as well as complete a post-program confidential survey. Non-fulfillment of these obligations, cancellations requested after our final refund deadline, and/or removal from the program due to a Code of Conduct violation will necessitate repayment of the voucher to BBYO.
The voucher may be applied to select BBYO Passport Summer Experiences in Europe, Asia, the Americas, and Israel, including connected programs that combine experiences (e.g., Europe + Israel). For Summer 2025, our Western USA Trek and Volunteer Israel travel programs are not eligible for the RootOne voucher, nor are domestic BBYO summer leadership programs, including CLTC, ILTC, or International Kallah.
Yes, you may receive a RootOne Voucher and still be eligible for other forms of scholarship for Israel travel and Camp Leadership programs from BBYO as well as from other funding sources.
Families are responsible for paying the balance in full minus any scholarship awards they are expecting to maintain a current account balance. If your family overpays for their teen’s experience—which results in an account overage—BBYO will refund your family (or funder) for your account overage by sending a check in the fall after account reconciliations have been completed. Please see our Enrollment & Registration page for details.
You will only need to pay the program balance, minus any expected scholarship funding that BBYO is aware of. Please see the example chart below:
| Program Balance |
RootOne Voucher |
Amount Due to BBYO |
|
$4,450 |
$3,000 |
$1,450 |
Yes! Receiving a RootOne voucher does not currently impact eligibility for Birthright Israel.
The vouchers are funded by RootOne. Seeded by a generous gift from The Marcus Foundation and powered by The Jewish Education Project, RootOne provides major subsidies for trip participants (called RootOne vouchers), invests in elevating trip curricula and experiences, and works with its partners to create deeper pre- and post-trip engagement opportunities to help strengthen participants’ Jewish identity and connection to Israel before they begin college.
Additional information about RootOne Vouchers can be found on RootOne’s website.
THE APPLICATION PROCESS
Application guidelines for families have not been released by RootOne for Summer 2025. The information below is subject to change at the discretion of RootOne.
RootOne voucher application availability varies from year to year. Once you apply for a trip that is eligible for a RootOne voucher, BBYO will communicate when the voucher application becomes available.
Applying for the travel voucher is as easy as:
- Choosing your RootOne-eligible travel program with BBYO
- The voucher may be applied to select BBYO Passport Summer Experiences in Europe, Asia, the Americas, and Israel, including connected programs that combine experiences (e.g., Europe + Israel)
- Signing up with BBYO by registering for your desired trip
- Completing the voucher application with RootOne once it opens and BBYO shares the application details.
BBYO will only send the RootOne application to families who have successfully completed registration for an eligible program within one (1) week of registration.
Once registration opens and the voucher applications are available, we typically expect RootOne to send notifications within seven days of receiving your completed voucher application.
Yes! Register for any eligible travel program of your choice now to qualify for the voucher. If you want to change programs, switch dates, or add a connected experience later, just email us to request to switch.
Please note that program transfers are only available if registration is open and there are spots available on the desired trip. Transfers will be processed at the discretion of the BBYO Passport team and are not guaranteed.
The RootOne travel voucher is used to cover program costs on your behalf. As such, those funds are considered a recipient’s financial obligation to BBYO in the event a teen cancels their participation beyond the refund deadline. For this reason, we encourage you to purchase travel insurance that covers the combined cost of your direct program/travel costs AND the $2,000 or $3,000 RootOne voucher. Please visit our Travel Insurance page for more information.
Welcome to BBYO Passport! Please reach out to your original trip provider and ask them to cancel your RootOne voucher application. Once this is done, email our team at [email protected] for instructions on how to re-apply through us. Each trip provider has a separate grant, so a new application is required.
Please email [email protected] with your teen’s full name, trip name, and a screenshot of the issue so that our team can troubleshoot.
AFTER YOU APPLY
Voucher obligations and nekudot requirements for families have not been released by RootOne for Summer 2025. The information below is from Summer 2024 and subject to change at the discretion of RootOne.
After applying, applicants are required to complete a series of educational experiences called nekudot—the Hebrew word for points. There are typically 18 nekudot to complete, which we estimate take approximately 4-6 hours to finish, depending on the activities and courses chosen.
Teens will complete their nekudot within an online portal, managed by RootOne.
Please email [email protected] with your teen’s full name and trip name and our team will provide an updated link to login. If you are experiencing a technical issue, please also include a screenshot of the problem.
Families are responsible for paying the balance in full minus any scholarship awards they are expecting to maintain a current account balance. If your family overpays for their teen’s experience—which results in an account overage—BBYO will refund your family (or funder) for your account overage by sending a check in the fall after account reconciliations have been completed. Please see our Enrollment & Registration page for details.
You will only need to pay the program balance, minus any expected scholarship funding that BBYO is aware of. Please see the example chart below:
| Program Balance |
RootOne Voucher |
Amount Due to BBYO |
|
$4,450 |
$3,000 |
$1,450 |
RootOne partners with many Jewish organizations, each of which receive their own grant. Deadlines, requirements, and communication may look different depending on the trip provider. Please follow the guidelines provided by the BBYO Summer team for your voucher.
RootOne LLC, [a/is a] Delaware limited liability company, whose sole member is the Board of Jewish Education, Inc. d/b/a The Jewish Education Project, a New York not-for-profit corporation.
NOTE: A completed voucher application does not guarantee approval. Voucher decisions will be at the discretion of RootOne.
