Global Leadership Adventures (GLA)

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The most incredible boy NIYO that i learned so many things from.

Amazing group of girls I was able to go with

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About

With a history and heritage in global education, Global Leadership Adventures packs our itineraries with leadership development, volunteering and the delight of taking learning off the beaten path. Our unique program design produces what many students call a life-changing experience, not just a spring break or summer program.

GLA provides high school students the opportunity to authentically discover another culture, safely engage in high adventure and above all, participate in grassroots service projects that directly impact the families and communities they become close with while abroad.

The long-term partnerships our global staff have developed with local individuals, community leadership and action-oriented organizations around the world continue to be the backbone of our programs. Helping them deliver sustainable impact while transforming the way we look at the world and ourselves is what gets us fired up every day at GLA.

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Website

www2.experiencegla.com

Founded

2004

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Reviews

I had the most meaningful experience participating in the Fall 2020 Global Impact Virtual Internship. The extraordinary relationships I formed, the unbelievably rich and personal conversations I endured, and the charitable service work we as a whole completed made me look forward to the three times a week I got to participate (even in a zoom setting). I truly believe being part of the GLA community was a gift that not only helped me grow as a person, but formed lifelong connections with people I would not have met otherwise. I will always cherish the meaningful opportunities and worthwhile conversations that brought me and my peers joy and knowledge during a time of uncertainty and dismay.

What was your funniest moment?

Each week, in every core session, our supervisor would ask us one fun question to “break the ice”. These questions were so funny and lighthearted and allowed me to see my peers’ true colors and share laughs with likeminded, passionate students.

I was under privileged compared to the other girls on the trip and they formed their own cliques within the first day. Some of the were really nice and included me in activities but if I was around some of the other girls it felt like they didn't want me there. The volunteer made me feel less alone but it would have been nice if I would have felt more welcomed by everyone throughout the trip. I also asked the girls to send me some pictures once we had service but none of them did. I feel like I missed out on a lot of memories and inside jokes. I don't have a lot of pictures from the trip because they were not sent to me after they agreed to send them.

What was the most nerve-racking moment and how did you overcome it?

I have always been terrified by the ocean and being able to swim in it knowing I was in a safe environment helped me step out of my comfort zone and try something new.

Global Leadership Adventures is hands down AMAZING.....My experience in Ghana was absolutely incredible and I can honestly say it has changed my life forever. Ever since I was a little girl I have always had the dreams to help those in need and to travel. But I was often told I was too young and to wait until I am older and more mature. GLA believes that anyone can become a leader it doesn't matter how old you are. I am so incredibly happy that I decided to do this trip at 14 years old because it completely flipped my life around in the best way possible.

While in Ghana we were able to participate in so many amazing cultural experiences including Ghanaian dancing, Bead markets, and we were even able to attend Church.
The service aspect of the trip was also a part that left me absolutely speechless. We worked in classrooms of children ranging from babies to 6th grade helping with their overall care and also very important academic skills the children would need to move on to their next grade.
But the truly most impactful part of the trip for me was park time. We did this every single day of the program for at least 2-3 hours. This was the time everyone made the deepest connections with the children of krobo that I will cherish forever.

An aspect of the program I wasn't expecting to be as impactful as it was. Was the teens I got to experience the whole thing with. I can truly say that each one of them will be my lifelong friends and I am so grateful to GLA for giving me that.

I will be returning to the same program next year and plan to until I age out of GLA. I would encourage EVERY SINGLE PERSON to participate on this program and honestly any program GLA has to offer.

What was the most nerve-racking moment and how did you overcome it?

The most nerve racking part of the program for me was teaching. As a 14 year old I felt as if I was still a child myself so I didn't know how the kids would respond. I chose to work in Nursery 1 which was a class of about 30 2-4 year olds. My first day of teaching was pretty scary because it was all new. The GLA staff was incredible and always stepped in if I needed help. The turning point for me in which I feel that I faced my fear was when I finally started being myself with the kids and trusted myself as a teacher.

My daughter returned from Costa Rica saying it was the best experience ever. She had to travel out of the country on her own and handled flight delays coming back. She built strong friendships with all the other attendees and they are already planning reunions. They helped out with children in the community but also learned many new activities including surfing, zip lining, white water rafting. They did cooking lessons, dancing lessons. The facilities were also reported to me as being very nice and there was a special cook who offered a wide range of food. We ran into no problems except the reto4 hour flight delay but that worked out fine in the end. I would highly recommend this program and we already told our younger son that he can go somewhere through GLA when he is the same age.

I loved GLA program and I loved Thailand. I went two years ago and on another program now because I’m not in high school anymore and I wish GLA wasn’t only to high schoolers because it was the best two weeks. They had a schedule and followed it, you were never bored although there was designated down time to relax and chat. It is expensive yes, but 100% worth it for what it provides. I liked how it was both touristy but we did volunteering like it wasn’t just one or another. If you went on this trip, you will be able to explore Thailand. They make sure you can. With volunteering, it was fun and educating and hard but worth the trouble. I made friends for life that I still speak to today, two years later. I wish I did the three weeks but I got so much out even just two weeks.

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?

The fruits they have in Thailand, they were spikey on the outside and looked like a clear egg.

9.89 •9 reviews

During your time in Bali you’ll volunteer with inspirational community...

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Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Why did you choose this program?

After I was doing some research on primarily the safety aspect, GLA caught my eye and became one of my first choices. The safety was clearly demonstrated on their website and after being easily given contact information and talking with some very helpful staff. After looking at the destinations and what the different programs offered between my top choices, it was clear the Fiji at GLA was the perfect mix of volunteering and adventure.

What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

The GLA programs organizes everything that is involved in-country, leaving you to only have to organize the plane ride there. The program did give us a travel agency that they use to help set up your flights if you wanted to, which I did and had a great experience with them. GLA had transportation from the airport to the destinations for everything and there was always a leader from the program with us as well.

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What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

Be open-minded during this trip. It will bring you out of your comfort zone but you just got to go with the flow and be open to try anything that gets thrown your way. Understand that you are in a foreign country and things may be a little different but learn to be able to adapt. Also know that you will meet people from all over as well its different views, so be able to accept and understand your differences.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

While you are on the island, Monday through Fridays from 8-2 are spent at the village. The group was divided into three different groups that rotate throughout the length of the program. There was construction which build rainwater tanks, teaching in the school, and marine conservation. When in the village we would also have lunch everyday with the women who made us wonderful food while we were able to play with the little children who were too young to attend school.

After spending your days in the village you take a boat back to the home base and have until dinner to do as you please. You could swim, play volleyball with the staff, or enjoy tea time everyday at 4. On the weekends we would do different fun activities such as hiking or visiting a beautiful beach to have a cookout and snorkel with the locals.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it?

My biggest fear was making friends. Not that I am bad at making friends at home but I was still worried that maybe I would fluke and not be able to make any friends. Before I met all my soon to be friends, I gave myself a little pep talk to try and give myself some confidence and be myself.

Once I got to meet all the people I quickly released that all of my worries were wrong and that everyone was in the same boat as me, trying desperately to make friends out of strangers. In the end my fears were overcome by simply being myself and adapting to the new circumstance of meeting strangers who would soon be my family.

What is your favorite memory on this program?

One of my favorite memories would be the sunset hike that my group all took together one day after a hard day of work. The hike wasn't something that was very hard but just being able to enjoy the beautiful scenery around you while you spend time with your friends was so incredible. At the top of the hike was the best part though because after we all finished talking and taking picture, we were told to all sit in silence for a few minutes.

2015 Alum

Taylor Keena

2015 Alum

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Tell us a little about GLA and your role at the company.

Bridget volunteering in Guatemala

Bridget: As a Sr. Enrollment Advisor for the organization, my primary responsibility is advising families around the world who are seeking the right volunteer abroad opportunity for their teen. I am also responsible for custom groups and assist with training new Enrollment Advisors who join the team every year. I love visiting a new GLA program each Summer so I can experience it first-hand with our students and be able to offer the best support for our families.

How did you get involved in the volunteer industry?

Bridget: After returning home from my semester abroad in Australia, I was excited to stumble across a job posting for part time work as an Enrollment Advisor. I had a great experience traveling to another country and experiencing another culture and thought the idea of passing on this amazing gift would be very rewarding. Impressed by everything I read, I contacted the office in hopes of pursuing this position. After the first interview and learning more about the mission of GLA, I knew this is where I wanted to be. During the past three years, I've had the privilege of working with an amazing team of staff around the world and advising hundreds through their students life-changing experience.

What makes GLA unique?

Bridget: GLA is unique for three main reasons:

GLA believes that leaders are made and not born. Leadership Development and Personal Transformation are at the core of every GLA program and interwoven in the service, workshops, and excursions.
GLA operates only in developing countries in cultures significantly different from the West in authentic, non-tourist communities so that students will have a life-changing experience
GLA works only with high school students. Our safety standards (The Five Point Safety System) and curriculum (The Service Learning Adventure) are tailored to the growth and development of teens.

How do you ensure your programs are sustainable and mutually beneficial for you, the community, and the volunteers?

Bridget: GLA works directly with the community within the country we are volunteering in. Each program is managed by a local and international director, who have intimate knowledge of the host community and culture and the current and future impact of the volunteer work we will do there. Terra Education is also a Certified B Corportation, a company that uses the power of business to solve social and environmental problems.

What does the future hold for GLA?

Bridget: Each year GLA sends hundreds of students on life-changing volunteer abroad programs. GLA will continue to be the leader in service-learning abroad education programs.

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