Costa Rica: Sea Turtle Initiative Program for Teens

My experience on my GLA program was completely life-changing. I traveled to Costa Rica alone, so I went into it very nervous about being away from home and whether the people would be inviting or not, but all of my nervousness went away when I started my program. I made lasting connections with many of my companions on this trip, and I made so many memories that will last a lifetime! The nighttime turtle walks were such an amazing experience, because on our third night walk, our group found a leatherback sea turtle. I was completely in awe when we discovered it, and it is something I may never would have experienced if not for this program. Also, as someone who is going into the environmental field, the experience that I had on this trip has inspired me more than any other experience in my life to pursue what I am passionate about.
The only downside to my experience is that my group and I were not prepared for their being no airconditioning in the house we stayed at, no WiFi, and only around two hours of electricity each day. I feel like it is not highlighted enough in the program description, for my group and I would have packed our attire differently if we had known. But overall, I would highly recommend this program to everyone!

My son attended the Sea Turtle Initiative. It was the first time he had been away completely on his own and it was a wonderful, valuable experience. He learned he can travel on his own, cope in a country where he does not speak the first language, make new friends and his self confidence soared. It's a really nice combination of volunteer work which is great for resume/university application and fun activities. Everything is so well organized, truly felt comfortable with GLA as an organizer. Even called to Costa Rica once and spoke to his team leader as we noticed he had forgotten his cellphone charger and he was flying home by himself.

Our son spent his 16th birthday with GLA! I was nervous to send him out of the country on his own, but confident that it would be a great experience. He returned and it was better than we even expected!

We received a blog about every other day with lots of photos and an update - the coolest photo was of our son with a homemade birthday cake they had made for him, we never even mentioned his birthday! It was nice to see the photos and what they were up to.

When he returned he was smelly, dirty and happy, just as a 16 year old boy should be! He gained SO MUCH confidence during his stay in Costa Rica. He made lots of new friends and they still have a group text chat going 6 months later. He loved where they stayed at the Eco Lodge with Jason, who he still talks about all the time, and hopes to go back for a family vacation to see Jason again, and learn more about the community.

I look forward to sending him on another trip this coming summer, and his younger sister will follow in his footsteps at GLA.

I am VERY happy with the support from GLA!

Our son attended the Sea Turtle Initiative/Costa Rica during the summer of his sophomore year. We felt confident in our choice and the staff of GLA kept us informed. We felt good about sending our son overseas with this group. We had all the information we needed, and the staff posted pictures of the activities so we could enjoy peace of mind knowing our son was well cared for. He had a fabulous experience and grew in his knowledge of the environment, as well as enjoying a new culture and friends.

My 17 year old daughter went with a friend and loved it. The first night was a little difficult because it was a very rustic camp and took some getting used to, but by day two she was in the groove. Took her out of her comfort zone, met wonderful new friends, and explored. Our daughter is vegetarian and had lots of options for food & really enjoyed it. The night patrol got rained out a few times but they were able to see turtle eggs that were laid. I would highly recommend this company and they offer camps all over the globe.

The staff was supportive and friendly and formed a strong bond with me and the other students. Favorite parts of my trip were the monkeys and wildlife, exploring the farm and village, beach time (cleaning, swimming, games, night walks), zip lining and whitewater rafting! Along with service learning and adventures, we also learned about the culture of Parismina and took part in dance classes, cooking lessons, and spent time in the village meeting the locals, drinking smoothies, and doing service work in the park.This was out of my comfort zone, but I took risks and made memories and friends that will last forever, as well as saw a 6 foot turtle lay her eggs!