Global Leadership Adventures (GLA) Reviews

When I first heard about GLA, it felt like a dream—traveling abroad to volunteer with a group of teens sounded exciting, but I was nervous since I’d never traveled alone before. I signed up for the Elephant and Education program in Thailand, unsure of what to expect but ready to face my fears and make new connections.

Saying goodbye to my parents at the airport made the reality of my adventure sink in. On my layover in Korea, I met another GLA student, and our conversation calmed my nerves. By the time we arrived in Thailand, I was excited, though still worried about fitting in.

As we entered the dining room, I felt unsure if anyone would want to be friends. Just as I was about to gather my courage, a friendly girl introduced herself and brought me into the group. Soon, I was playing cards with new friends, feeling welcome and confident. By the end of the first few days, I had formed deep connections with the group.

The community service was fulfilling—we learned about elephants, fed and bathed them, and worked on the sanctuary grounds. I’d never been so close to elephants before, and the experience gave me a new appreciation for them. We also taught English at a local Thai elementary school. Teaching kids who didn’t speak our language was challenging, but we used games, pictures, and videos to make lessons fun and engaging. Despite the language barrier, we formed bonds with the students, which made me reflect on my own privilege.

The trip taught me a lot about leadership, self-confidence, and respect. When it was time to leave, I was sad to say goodbye to the students, especially after they gave us heartfelt cards and gifts. Their emotional farewell showed me how much of an impact we had on their lives.

By the end of the trip, I returned home with a new perspective on myself and the world. GLA helped me grow as a person, gave me more confidence, and taught me the value of being part of a community. I now have friends from around the world and know that stepping out of my comfort zone can lead to life-changing experiences. I highly recommend GLA to any teen—it offers incredible opportunities for independence, self-discovery, and growth.

I went to Peru with GLA in June 2024 and quite literally loved every second of it. With 12 other students, I learned about healthcare in rural areas, toured around Cusco, and even learned a bit of Spanish! We did 4 clinic days, where we shadowed medical professionals in pop-up clinics. We got to work with all different ages from young children to grandparents. I think my favourite part of the clinics was getting to spend time with the children and form such a strong connection with them in just one day. While I originally thought that the language barrier could make collaborating and connecting with members of the community difficult, it wasn’t at all. The doctors I was working with were understanding and patient, and helped me when I was confused. One of my favourite memories from my trip is laughing with the children of the village, they are all so funny! I learned how to read, write, and say various phrases in Spanish and even some more complex medicine related ones too. For me, these were my favourite days because this was when I could do my most hands-on work. Seeing the impact we had on the lives of the patients was life-changing, and sparked my desire to work in medicine. If I could change the program, I would want to do more clinic days. They were so special for me, and I wish we could’ve done more so we could’ve had even more of an impact. On top of clinic days, we went to Machu Picchu, went whitewater rafting, saw the Maras Salt Mines and explored Cusco! We also got to explore the town of Ollantaytambo, before boarding a train to Aguas Calientes, the town base of Machu Picchu. Machu Picchu was amazing! We got there early so we could be ahead of the crowds, and had a guide to tell us about the Incan Empire and Machu Picchu. These fun experiences gave me the chance to bond with others in my group, and in only 2 weeks I made some of my best friends! Most evenings, if we weren’t too tired from the day's activities, we would go on a Cusco outing, wandering around markets, the town square, and seeing all it had to offer. We were frequent visitors of Cusco’s famous market, San Pedro. I bought some souvenirs for my family, and had the best dried mango I’ve ever eaten. It was these fun little experiences that made my trip so special. It gave me the chance to bond with others in my group, and in only 2 weeks I made some of my best friends!

My name is Leia and I am currently a senior in high school. Over the summer break me and my family decided to enroll in a volunteer organization abroad with Global Leadership Adventures. I enrolled in the three week summer program called Ghana: the Children of Africa. The volunteer mission of the trip is to learn how to build bricks to organize a new school for the education field in Ghana. As students we also went to local primary schools to teach children academic subjects such as Math, English, and science. We were each assigned a partner to teach the primary students at the two different schools.

During the three weeks we wake up to eat breakfast at 7:00 and then we leave to visit the school for brick making at 8:00. We were split into two separate mentor groups to perform the brick making and organize meetings. It was a fun and playful competition about who could make the more and higher quality bricks. We gathered the materials such as shovels, buckets, and cement. We mixed the dirt and cement with water and put it into the brick container. Then we lay the container on the ground to form the brick. After the brick making, we traveled to the schools. I love the children because they were very warm, welcoming, and friendly. My partner and I came up with lesson plans to read English stories to them, multiplication and division problems, and living vs nonliving in science. I loved playing rock paper scissors, duck duck goose, and drawing with them.

I had a wonderful experience with the local staff, international staff/mentors, and most importantly meeting new students from around the world to appreciate Ghanaian culture. I loved the cultural activities such as learning the drums, participating in Ghanaian dance moves, cooking red red and fried plantain with the chefs, getting my hair braided, high school cultural exchange and visiting a local church. I loved having dance parties at night with my peers. I deeply enjoyed the high school cultural exchange because we played games and sports and it was fun to interact with students my age. I still speak to some girls I met in Ghana. It was amazing to engage with the cultural traditions and celebrate. One of the reasons I chose the Ghana program is because my parents and family are from Jamaica. Jamaica and Ghana have a very close history and way of life such as food and social customs.

I love Global Leadership Adventures because of the values they teach to the students about how to become a leader. Global Leadership Adventures is very passionate about how a leader doesn’t always have to be born but can always be made. Every day on the trip there were one or two leaders of the day and we would wear necklaces, direct the cultural activities, make announcements, write a journal entry of the day and more. It is crucial to build up the confidence and find the leader inside of you. It was fun to engage in the mentor groups and talk about how we were doing and participating in social activities. I also loved the full group meetings because of the bond we shared and learning about different strategies to be a leader.

Prior to this trip I did not see myself as a leader but the experience, support, and independence I have gained has increased my confidence and self- value. I highly recommend Global Leadership Adventures to any student because the program was life-changing and an experience I’ll never forget.

I absolutely loved doing the Medicare and Healthcare Discovery program through GLA. The entire experience is one I will never forget for the rest of my life. I chose this specific program because I am interested in healthcare as a future career option. One of my favorite memories to look back on from this trip was when we spent two days in the Nursing Home and got to know a few of the patients there. I spent a half hour talking to an old man one of those days, and got to know his life story, and this experience stayed with me fondly. The culture that I experienced within the two weeks was incredible as well. From the food, to learning about Costa Rican slang, and even interacting with the little children and people we helped was an amazing experience. Another part of the trip that I loved was getting to meet new people. I still keep in contact almost every day with some of the people that I met, and programs like this one where interaction with others on the trip with you really fostered the environment for making new friends. Although they took phones most of the day, I thought it was nice to get a break and get a chance to talk to new people. Another thing I was nervous about coming onto this trip was the food. As someone with a severe gluten allergy, I wasn't sure if I would be able to be given three meals a day safely. However, I was pleasantly surprised when separate food was set aside for me at every meal, and I was always taken into consideration at any meal or food stop, which was very nice.

Before my trip I was nervous, but by the first full day, I was so glad I went! My group connected quickly, and we all built our teamwork skills early on when we worked at Rancho Primicias and helped clear land for Giant Tortoises. We painted a mural at a school, which turned into a bit of a paint war, learned salsa from some very patient and kind professionals (we then proceeded to break out into salsa dancing every spare minute we got), and snorkeled with sea lions! Our guide Wilson taught us to dive for sand dollars and toss them to the sea lions, who would then play with them and balance them on their noses! In the evenings we did leadership activities, and had a mock debate about a real issue in the islands, and often broke into smaller groups to have meaningful discussions led by our mentors. The downsides for me were that I felt some social exhaustion from being around so many people all day every day, doing activities without many breaks, and I didn't like a lot of the food. There's only one option, so if you don't like it, that's it. I brought some snacks from home, so that helped, and the mentors did a check-in after the first week where we could put in any requests we had. However, what they can do is limited. Be ready to try lots of new foods and eat them even if you don't like them. Despite and also because of these issues, I feel that I grew as a person, a friend, and a leader. Several months later I am still in touch with my roommates from the trip, and will always remember the meaningful lessons from my mentors, who were incredibly supportive and welcoming.

I made a lot of friends that I’m still in contact with and found out about different cultures throughout those friends. I loved the Galapagos and it’s surroundings it was a wonderful destination. The staff and the locals we were in contact with were super nice and understanding. I really felt at ease even with my language barrier and all the staff and students were super supportive. The food was really nice and I felt safe throughout the whole travel. I felt secured because everything was planes in advance a we had access to the itinerary so we knew what to expect. I a 100% recommend travelling with GLA. It’s a must experience to do at least once.

I had the best time on this trip. I learned so many things not just about global health but about independence and leadership. From the moment everyone started talking in the airport before our connecting flight to the Dominican i knew that we were going to have a great time. Our mentors did a great job with getting to know everybody and coming up with activities for everyone to do. Even though we didn’t have any ac and had misquote nets over our beds i wouldn’t have changed anything about the trip. There is very little time spent without something to do, you are do anything from medical brigades, to concreting a house, to go on an excursion. Every trip is very different but GLA does an amazing job and i am so glad i had the opportunity to do something this amazing.

Our trip to Spain was an absolutely unforgettable adventure! Traveling with a group of friends, we delved into the vibrant culture of Barcelona, where we were amazed by the stunning architecture of the Sagrada Familia and explored the bustling markets and lively streets. Madrid’s historic sites, such as the Royal Palace and the Prado Museum, left us in awe. We enjoyed every aspect of the trip, from tasting delicious local dishes like tapas and churros to experiencing the excitement of a traditional flamenco show. Interactive museum tours, exploring beautiful parks, and participating in local festivals kept us engaged and entertained throughout. The trip was exceptionally well-organized, ensuring that every day was packed with exciting and enriching experiences. Each new adventure, from discovering hidden gems to enjoying spontaneous moments with friends, made this journey truly memorable. The blend of historical wonder, cultural immersion, and sheer fun made it a fantastic experience for all of us kids, and we returned home with stories and memories that will last a lifetime.

We researched so many programs and spoke to other parents about finding a program that was right for our teenage daughter. We are thrilled to have found GLA. From the moment we met with a GLA advisor, we felt at ease. They were always ready to answer questions and they were very organized with all the information that we needed. Sending your child across the world and traveling internationally is scary but trust in the process. It helps them mature and be independent. My daughter came home with an experience of a lifetime and we only wish we had sent her sooner. Highly recommend!

This service expedition was a great experience in many ways -
I learned a lot about communities in developing countries and was enlightened to the way things work in those areas, of which I'm grateful for. Working there and listening to my mentors invigorated a new passion for learning I never had before, leading me into the school year with a positive attitude. I thought my mentors were amazing and supportive and great role models, that I'll likely never forget.
On top of that the program itself was an amazing experience. From seeing macchu picchu to walking around Cuzco, to hiking the Lares trek, every day offered a sometimes challenging, but always rewarding experience. The service was fun too, with the different activities we did. Sometimes simple things like cutting grass can be more fun than you think and entertain you for hours on end!
If there was anything I had to criticize about the program, it would probably be the social situation and participants' attitude towards service. We were doing a good deed yet so many complained about the program they literally signed up for- I know management likely can't do too much about this, but I think hammering in the gratefulness aspect would prove useful to make the children understand what they have and the opportunity they GET to have here.