Program Reviews

Global Citizen Year is a unique experience that offers an amazing chance to independently immerse yourself in another culture. They offer great curricular support, and you are together with a Cohort of other awesome Global Citizen Year fellows that become your best friends. Ultimately the learning for me happened when I was supported into the community such that the world became playground. They create an great context for which to take risks, explore, and reflect. The program is expensive, but generous amounts of financial aid is available. If you are at all interested, just apply and see where it goes.

I went to a very small remote village in the Kedougou region where I learned the language Pulaar, and helped in the local community. This is not like traveling, this is living in one place and trying to learn a whole new way of thinking and while reflecting on what you've always been taught. Its humbling. Its becoming a respected (temporary) member of the community.

Some of my adventures include: (helping) to make charcoal, a well, mud huts, bamboo fences, a bakery, medicine, a garden, metal tools, hunting crocodiles, fishing with make shift supplies made in the wilderness, etc.. Each person walks away with their own handful of crazy life stories.

If you are unsure, contact any alum

My experience in Brazil was unlike anything I had imagined. That isn't to say that it was all rainbows and unicorns, but the daily barrage of new experiences helped to mold me in ways that I don't think would have happened otherwise.

I came into this program entirely convinced that I had a million useful things to offer the rest of the world by virtue of being well educated. I quickly learned that despite my education the world had much more to teach me than I had to teach it. But that's all very general, and not so useful to a potential applicant, so here's some information that will hopefully help you with your decision:

1) The people running this program care so much about their fellows. It was amazing how quickly I was able to bond with both the staff and with the fellows in my program. I'm still in touch with my team leader and a majority of the 16 fellows with whom I went to Brazil. This extends all the way up through the senior management, though obviously the relationships become less personal as they have more fellows to meet. I felt supported when I needed it, but the relationship with my supervisors was good enough that they knew when to set me off on my own, even if the water was a little choppy.

2) Freak out about the price, then calm down. They give unbelievable finantial aid. Seriously, I was amazed at the finantial package I was offered because unlike most packages from college, this one was actually something me and my family could afford.

3) Yes, it was damn scary to go off on my own. I'm so glad that I did. It has made the transition to college much easier than I expected because I learned to be largely self-sufficient over the program cycle that applying those skills in the college system seemed almost second-nature. What I liked was that we were given a lot of freedom after the first 5 weeks and this taught me how to have my schedule be self motivated instead of having someone "crack the whip" for me every day.

4) I worked for a collegiate chorus in the city of Curitiba where my duties were to help teach the music to my sections twice a week. Other than that I learned to make friends (in Portuguese) and started learning the practical aspects living in a large city. I started taking Brazilian Jiu Jitsu with some friends I made in the city and I'm still practicing it today. I alao learned a lot about community leveraging and finding the "In" in my community. It was wonderful.

5) I have a lot more to say, but limited time, so if you are curious about anything that I or someone else has said, I am more than happy to talk. My email is poira233@newschool.edu and you can contact me there anytime.

I went into this program looking to get out of my comfort zone, challenge myself, and do something I'd never done before. My experience in Ecuador shaped me in ways I never thought possible. It was with the constant support and encouragement from Global Citizen Year that made it all possible. My horizons expanded, my world view broadened, but most importantly, at the end of it all, I was able to reflect on the year I had and genuinely be proud of what I had accomplished. Immersing myself into a culture so different from my own proved to have immeasurable value, and I would do it all over again if I could! I missed home, I had trouble communicating at times, but at the end I found my place in a community that accepted me with open arms. Highly recommend this program!

My year with Global Citizen Year changed me more than I ever have and probably ever will in that period of time. The staff are all great and incredibly supportive in ways that make you grow and learn; they don't just fix it for you. I got a real life experience living with strangers who became my family and working/volunteering in a meaningful way. They do a great job of helping you immerse yourself in your community where you build relationships.

Incredible support from fellows, team leaders, and all in-country staff. They all contribute positively to the experience and are not over-bearing in the way that they take away anything. A high-immersion experience, and your year is what you put into it. Lots of opportunities and tools are available if you seek them out. It is a growing experience and there are lots of challenges that you will encounter but you are never alone and they make you stronger. You will meet people who will change your life and if you let yourself, you will really fall in love with your life there. It's a really incredible experience that I would do over and over again if I were given the chance.

Being in places so different from anything I had every experienced allowed me to learn so much about the world, human nature and myself. Living in Senegal allowed me to experience what it means to be truly happy. My host family, my fellow Fellows, and my team leader changed my idea of what "family" means.

Obviously, I had some bad days and struggles, but my year with Global Citizen year was overall extremely positive and I wouldn't have had it any other way.

I'd never traveled before, and Global Citizen year gave me the chance to leave the east coast for the first time. Even though there was a substantial language barrier at first, I learned so much about the people and about myself. I got to work with students and other professors, and it helped me realize that teaching is indeed my passion.

This program supported me in an experience that changed my life. I lived in a costal town in Senegal while working in a health clinic. Although the program provides outlets in which to live in a new culture, impact a community, and much more, the best thing it do for me was push me to answer questions about who I am as an individual. I like to categorize the program as "safely drowning with a lifeguard on staff." This is to say that they allow fellows to fail and journey by themselves while also providing a safety and controlled environment. Another important note is that what really makes this program are the passionate people that participate in movement. From Global Citizen Year, I have formed friendships that I will have for life. Please consider this program!

My experience with Global Citizen Year in the Sierra region of Ecuador has opened my eyes to things that would've been impossible to fully comprehend in a traditional academic setting. I had the opportunity to get work experience in a career field I was interested in and immerse myself in a culture and language that both fascinated and excited me. Beyond this many Fellows were able to hit their stride and use their skills in an unconventional but very effective way while living in their homestays. If you're looking for a practical experience that will challenge you and push you towards what you're really capable of, a bridge year is the only way to do it.

I choose Global Citizen Year because it gave me great financial aid, the blogs were so inspiring (the fellows talked about "real-life experiences" that I hadn't had with AP or IB), and I wanted to travel. My expectations were high, but the year ended up to be a lot more than I had ever hoped. I am so revitalized, inspired, passionate and grounded now thanks to the incredible framework of Global Citizen Year. My year with Global Citizen Year has been the best decision of my life so far. I really recommend applying!