Costa Rica: Beachside Service Adventure Program for Teens

GLA allowed me to have a rare life changing experience; the two weeks I spent in Costa Rica were the most amazing and genuinely unforgettable weeks I have ever had. My eyes were opened to another country and I was totally immersed in its culture and language. We actually got to know the locals as we helped rebuild their schools and reforest their land, forming real relationships with them. The service projects we participated in had remarkable effects on the community and feels so good to know that we had a positive impact. At the end of my program, one man spoke to a group of us and generously thanked us for everything we did; it was a heartwarming experience I will remember forever. I also formed strong friendships with all of the other teens who were in Costa Rica with me. In fact, we still talk almost every day. Within only a few days, it felt as if all of us had known each other for weeks. Without GLA, I never would have met such strong leaders who helped challenge me to develop my own leadership skills. Our mentors were also one of the highlights of the trip. We talked daily about how this experience affected our previous beliefs and we were given a great amount of instruction, advice, and guidance from our mentors.
From playing on the beaches to zip lining upside down through the rainforest to planting hundreds of trees, I learned myself as well as our planet while in Costa Rica and these experiences have affected my life in more ways than I ever though they could. I am so grateful I had this opportunity and wish I could relive the entire experience!

GLA Costa Rica sports adventure trip was one of the best trips I have ever taken. The program provided top of the line housing and staff. I met so many people that I know will be life long friends. Experiencing the culture and meeting the locals was life changing. It changed my whole perspective of the world.

My adventure in Costa Rica was, without a doubt, one of the best experiences in my life. The three weeks were a perfectly constructed concoction of work, education, and fun(don't worry, they were mainly fun). Almost every weekday involved work early in the morning with the community. Sometimes the work was hard, but it was extremely fulfilling and it was never boring. We planted coffee plants, fertilized the land they were grown in, made bokashi(manure), mixed cement to make sidewalks and stairways, and stuffed eco-bricks. Every day, after lunch, the moms from the communities would make us delicious, authentic Costa Rican food. Usually we would return to home base for Spanish lessons- and several times these were held in the city, so we could unleash our newly learned Spanish skills on the natives. There were group activities every night that made sure we were introduced quickly and were all close friends within days. Every weekend, we were given a break from Spanish lessons and the community work and were instead taken on awesome excursions. The trip definitely changed my view on the world and was a great way to spend part of my summer, I wish there had been a way to extend my stay.

My only regret about the trip was having to leave all of the people I had grown so fond of during my stay and knowing I wouldn't see many of them again.

In June of 2015 I was part of Sports Service Adventure in Costa Rica with the organization GLA. From the minute we got into the village we were greeted with warm hellos from everyone. Pura vida.. it's a lifestyle. It's the way were welcomed and made to belong.
We had locals cook us amazing meals to get us all set for our hard day at work. Even though we worked really hard everyday we always had a fun activity to end the day off. The best part of this trip was feeling like you're a part of something great and knowing that you are changing the world. It was amazing to see the children so happy all the time. We were honoured to go play some soccer with the local kids and they were amazing, they're love for the game unreal and their playing was impeccable. I met some amazing people that I will never forget for the rest of my life. This experience has changed me in so many good ways. I am now so grateful for what I have and wanting to make a difference in the world. . Definitely the most amazing thing I've ever done.

I can honestly say that these two weeks I spent in Costa Rica were the best fourteen days of my life. I have always loved to travel and to do service, and this program was a perfect combination of both. While we got to visit many beaches and go on many adventures such as hiking a volcano and zip lining, we also had multiple days designated to working in local schools where we got to interact with locals and use our Spanish skills and also to working on reforestation projects.
During my two weeks, my group had the opportunity to see both the dry forest and the rain forest, a unique feature to the program I chose. This was definitely one of my favorite parts of the program because it felt like two different trips in one. I also became friends with people from all over the country, whether that be Ticos, students that travelled with me, or my mentors. My group bonded and got along since day one, and we still talk almost every day. At the end of the two weeks, there were many tears shed as we said our goodbyes and had our final late night conversations.
I have learned so much about myself and about our planet from this trip because of GLA and my amazing mentors. It is truly a life changing experience, and I could not reccommend it enough.

This was seriously the best experience I have ever had. Going into the program I was nervous since I was traveling alone, first time out of the country, and I didn't know anyone, but that's what made my experience even better. I made amazing friends who I miss dearly and the GLA mentors and Hotel Playa Garza staff were so amazing and supportive during my 3 weeks in Guanacaste. They don't lie about cultural immersion. Thoughout my whole stay we were talking with locals, participating in common acts, and comparing our lives with their during feedback every night. The adventure is no joke! Zip lining, surging, hiking, and whitewater rafting were extremely fun and something I had never done before. And not forgetting the main purpose, the children we met changed my point of view and I now hold a special place for them in my heart. The moment we finished the park for them, the smile on my face was from ear to ear just like the little ones faces were. That moment will be one of my favorites forever. I am so proud of myself for pushing my limits and it definitely paid off this summer and I would love to do it 20 more times if I could.

I've always wanted to travel abroad and do something non-academic with my summer, and the Global Leadership Adventures program gave me the perfect opportunity. I was scared that my first time outside of America with a group of people I'd never met before would be frightening, but it was the best experience of my entire life. The food was amazing and freshly prepared each and every day, and were authentic to the culture I was immersed in (Costa Rican). I played sports with not only my new friends but also native children, did volunteer work among the dryforest, rainforest, and a local elementary school, swam in a natural hot springs, hiked through the rainforest and up a volcano, just to name a few.
I've made experiences and memories that I will never forget and still look fondly back on every day (no, I'm not exaggerating). I would recommend this program and country to anyone in a heartbeat. It has truly given me the most amazing experience.

During the two weeks I was in Costa Rica I was able to experience an unique culture that has left me with so many positive memories. Our days were action packed with community service and adventures. My group finished up a biogarden at a school, beautified a town, added artwork to the beach, and much more! I had the time of my life during our adventure activities. Just some of these activities included snorkeling, surfing, waterfall jumping, kayaking, zipping, and hiking. I fell in love with the atmosphere of Costa Rica. Everyone I met during my trip was friendly. My mentors were amazing and made sure we were safe and reassured our parents of it by having us call as soon as we arrived at the airport. Where we stayed for the majority of the trip, Hotel Canto De Ballenas, was great. The staff was very friendly and we were served healthy and filling meals that were always ready for us when we woke up and after a long day of working. The rooms were clean and we were given fresh bedsheets and towels around every two to three days, the showers were only cold water but it wasn't as big of a deal as I had been worried about because it was very refreshing after a day of sweating. We also spent two nights in a hostel in San Jose which was a positive experience. We got to explore the city a bit the day we arrived and spend time in the lobby as a group which allowed us to get to know each other and say goodbye. My trip with Global Leadership Adventures was nothing but positive and all I ever talk about now. I hope to take another trip with GLA in the near future and highly recommend it to anyone interested in travel.