Caribbean Program: Develop Leadership Skills during an Immersive High School Summer Abroad on the Island of St. Vincent

The Global Routes program exceeded any expectations I had and gave my summer a purpose. I was in an environment where I had to try new things, which lead me to discover new things I never thought I would enjoy. For example hiking. I dove into learning about a culture through experience and from the first day felt so welcomed by the community we were staying with. My Global Routes experience was amazing and I would absolutely recommend it to anyone who is interested. At first I was hesitant to choose the Global Routes LIA trip. I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my summer, and going away to a different country without my family seemed frightening. I had a service requirement for my school, so I had to do something, but everything that I found wasn’t exactly how I wanted to spend my summer. When I finally considered doing the Global Routes trip, I really loved how I could bring something I love to kids who may not get to experience the luxury of going to camp every summer. What also sold me about the program, was how we, the students, got to create the summer camp ourselves, unlike any other program.

The summer I did this trip was one of the best summers of my life. This trip as influence me in so many ways. I have made so many life long friends, tried new things, and learned so much while on the trip. Getting to immerse in a new culture and really become part of a community was life changing.

One big thing on this trip was the chance to create our own summer camp and work with children. As someone who wishes to go into education this experience was extremely valuable. Running the camp taught me how to work in a group and how to communicate better with others.

Parents and students should take this trip as an opportunity to grow as a person. The Global Routes programs give students the awesome and unique opportunities to really experience a new culture and become part of the community.

When I was 17 I traveled with this organization to do traveling theater in Europe (a program that no longer exists). It was one of the most influential, life changing experiences of my life to that point. It was instrumental in me developing the values that I have today (and really making me cognizent of living those values). The organization emphasizes personal growth, development, and leadership. They take you out of your comfort zone just enough to be a challenge and still fun.

In my 20s, I came back to the program as a leader. All leaders are trained in experiential education, and are selected from a large, qualified pool of talented applicants. They work hard to make sure everyone has a good time, and that everyone is accepted and met (and challenged) at their level.

Global Routes is a fantastic organization. If you're thinking about a summer travel program for teens, they should definitely be at or near the top of your list.

I gave every category on this review a 10 because this trip was incredible. Although it was some time ago, it was one of the highlights of my entire adolescence. This was not only because of how much fun we had, but also because I was able to grow tremendously. And this was was not only internal awakening from visiting a place with so many underprivileged people. This trip, followed by one to South Africa the following year, really played a major role in the development of my leadership and teamwork abilities.

Thanks to our three leaders, there we’re never any safety issues, and everyone in our group had tons of support.

I’m confident that many other people in the group with me would have similar feedback. It was an ideal trip.

Despite having gone on this program 6 years ago, it's still something I think about all the time and rave about to friends and family. I had never really traveled abroad before, and if I had it was purely for tourism purposes. This program really pushed me to become a better leader and a better person. Not only did I make lifelong connections with the people in my group, but I got to experience a way of life I never could have imagined.

Running a day camp for the kids who lived on St Vincent and Bequia was not only incredibly fun, but also pushed me out of my comfort zone. Before the trip I was someone who was hesitant to take initiative or contribute to a group effort because I doubted my abilities. Being put in a position of responsibility really pushed me to grow into a more confident and adventurous individual.

Not only did we get to spend significant time with local residents, but we also were able to take part in their cultural scene. We had the opportunity to go to a local basketball game, attend our host family's church service on Sunday, and even got to be guests at a local family reunion. Feeling immersed in the culture of St Vincent and Bequia was an experience that's importance to me cannot be measured.

Additionally, we got to see all of the amazing BEAUTY the islands had to offer!! Hiking an active volcano, visiting a turtle sanctuary, and exploring the local businesses are just a few of the amazing opportunities we had! I would recommend this program to everyone, it is an experience I will hold very dear to me for the rest of my life.

Attending the 2005 Global Routes LIA Caribbean program has been one of the most impactful decisions in my life. I know that is a weighty and slightly dramatic statement, but it is the truth. As a current Global Routes travel leader, my experience as a student shapes the way I interact with my students, the communities we work in, and the world through which we travel. My leaders, Jim Whitmore and Lizzy Baker, did a spectacular job balancing the complex roles of Teacher, Mentor, Friend, and Role Model. They exposed me to hard skills like cooking for a group of 16, and soft skills, like how to resolve group issues respectfully and productively. They set a high bar for us in terms of individual responsibility and group cohesion, but provided us with all of the tools and support to soar over that bar.

The format and vision of the trip was particularly important to me. Our group had nearly a week of orientation is New Hampshire, where we camped together, cooked meals on coleman stoves together, and started planning out the structure and activities of the summer camp we were to run. By the time we arrived in St. Vincent, and finally to our new home on the island of Bequia, we already felt as if we were family. One of the most memorable moments from my trip wasn't as much a particular event, but a realization. I was walking to the vegetable market with two other members of my group. In that 15 minute walk we must have passed two dozen smiling faces, most of whose names we knew, and many who had attended our summer camp and came running to great us. The feeling of being grounded in that community, gladly welcomed with warm greetings and genuine interest, hit me like a soccer ball to the face. It gave me a blueprint for how to travel, how to forge real connections, and to try and make every interaction, no matter how brief, meaningful and positive.

When I think back on this trip, I don't just think about how cool it was to travel abroad—I think about the people I met, first and foremost. I was able to mingle and meet with people I normally wouldn't talk with, both within the group and in the local area. Though it's been years, the experiences have made such a bond that I still consider the friends I made on that trip something like family. The trip opened my eyes to see the fellow humanity in and find kinship with people across the globe.
Beyond the people met, the chances to learn leadership were fantastic. I learned leadership through collaboration, mistakes, healthy risks and different approaches. The leaders of the trip were encouraging and open-minded, and even when certain attempts at a task ended poorly, it never became a point of punishment. I learned how to lead and take command, something I had always shied away from in the past.

This trip changed me for the better. It taught me so much, all while being some of the most fun I've ever had.