Program Reviews

I cannot even begin to express how much I loved Costa Rica. Though the housing isn't luxurious, it is not meant to be. This was an exciting and eye-opening experience for me. I was very lucky to have been with the most incredible group of people ever. We were a mix of different personalities, but we all got along well. We were also so lucky to have the best mentors ever. Gina, Sam, and Stef were unbelievably amazing and supportive throughout the entire trip. Everything we did was enjoyable. 10/10

My child went to Costa Rica last summer with GLA.
This is a good kid who has excellent grades and is home for curfew and does not use substances.
There were many kids caught drinking on her program, actually ON SITE. They stole alcohol from a store where they were taken shopping. This was the majority of the participants, and it was older boys who instigated and some were quite drunk.
My child was in the space but not drinking alcohol, and yet was punished with 3 other kids who were more actively participating, kicked off the program while many who were involved got to stay. I was literally contacted in the process of my child being carted off to a different location in a different country BY MY CHILD, not by any adult in the program.
THEN -- find out through that experience that there were kids drinking on other programs as well. No responsibility was taken that it was the ADULTS running the program that should have prevented this. My child wanted to have a conversation with the adult running the program about the experience -- never happened.
Terrible -- clearly these people have NO IDEA how to safely run a teen program, and how to model responsible behavior and communication.

My trip to Costa Rica was the best thing I could have done. The service aspect of the program was so incredible because not only were we actively helping out a community, but we were also learning about the environment. You make lifelong friends and experience things that you never forget. My experience built confidence, not only with travel but with making friends. The mentor groups at the end of the night were a great debrief of our day and helped to reflect on our service. The rooms we stayed in were great and beds were comfortable.

My daughter had an absolutely wonderful trip on her GLA adventure. She was on the Costa Rica Children's Initiative trip from July 25-August 7 2022. I honestly cannot say enough good things. The experience matched and exceeded my expectations. She absolutely adored all the mentors and the international director, Jonathan. She made so many new friends and is really missing them! The combination of service activities, GLA bonding and leadership activities, and recreational trips is perfect for a teenager. She talked all the way home from the airport about her experience. Most of all, I think she treasures the relationships that were formed. As a parent, the communication from the company before the trip as well as the blog during the trip was superb. I never worried about her safety, as I could follow along with their daily activities. I will definitely be saving up for another trip for her in the future.

My 16-year-old son recently completed GLA's service travel program to Hawaii, and it was a wonderful experience from start to finish. The GLA website provided very thorough and clear information leading up to the trip. When we did have questions, the GLA staff was responsive and knowledgeable. During the trip, my son enjoyed the service and travel activities out in the community as well as the social interaction with the leaders and other teens on the trip. As a parent, I truly appreciated the student-written blog updates which allowed those of us at home to read about and see pictures of the daily activities. When my son came home, he could not stop talking about all of the experiences he had with a wonderful group of people. He made forever memories and experienced growth while he was away. I would highly recommend this program to others!

My daughter’s experience with GLA was amazing from start to finish. Pre departure, staff was easy to reach and happily answered all of our questions. I felt the trip was extremely well organized and my daughter had an absolutely transformative experience. The leaders and mentors were excellent and the program provided the perfect balance of service, sight seeing and cultural activities. She returned home energized, full of insights and confidence, and excited to pursue a career in health care. The communication through the daily blogs during the trip offered a wonderful window into what she was experiencing and I felt confident that she was in good hands. I highly recommend GLA!

The trip had a heavier focus on standard camp activities than on animals. The “animal rescue” portion involved tidying the area around the site where animals were housed. This was 60% of the trip. Only one of the three weeks had vet experience. The program description oversold the vet aspect of the trip, and we wish there had been more of that type of experience. On the plus side, the students got to meet new people and try a variety of different activities and foods. They were happy with their mentors and felt safe.

My 16ye old daughter had a very positive experience with GLA in Peru. From a parent perspective, we appreciated the balance between community immersion, health &safety measures, group explorations, outdoors activities, and the global health focused community service and community engagement.
Highlights for our daughter were global health program clinic experiences, explore local foods and markets, community service, Machu Picchu, and hiking/ camping under the stars experience. Great supervision and program leadership.

As a parent of a participant, I was very pleased with the whole GLA process from start to finish. Their communication was just the right amount. I felt extremely comfortable with the leadership and organization of the program and staff. My son is a rising senior and felt very comfortable in a foreign country meeting new people in his group. He really enjoyed being involved in the spaying and neutering of the local animals in Costa Rica. We look forward to sending our other two sons on a GLA trip in the years to come.

GLA was actually one of the first organizations we looked into. Honestly, we ended up reading other GLA reviews on other sites, which left us feeling a bit concerned. After MUCH research and cross comparisons, we chose GLA Dominican Rep Global Health. It turns out all of the negative reviews were left by people who did not fully read the registration process/had a child who could not adapt to change or third world accommodations/foods/weather/environment which were FULLY described on their website BEFORE and during the application process . Many other volunteer programs left kids unattended and with free time for MOST of the day and all weekend. Completely unacceptable for a teen. GLA makes sure teens are accompanied by mentors and directors at EVERY volunteer project and tours. On top of that, the kids were treated to delicious local meals 3 times a day(almost ALL served on sustainable non-disposable dishwear/cutlery!! even during off-site projects!!). Morning yoga and group discussions which turned out to be incredibly therapeutic. Their website and application process is incredibly organized and communication with staff was superb. If you are hesitant or nervous about finding a legit organization/service project to send your child to - search no further. My daughter came home with a great appreciation for life and the importance of giving to others. GLA changed her life for sure. She even came to find the spiders harmless and absolutely LOVED the beautiful little green lizards that paid her netted bed a visit daily :)