Program Reviews

Two of my daughters went on the Global Leadership Adventure's Galapagos trip last summer. I'm beyond grateful for this program, my kids were completely safe and they enjoyed every minute of it. The stories they came back with still manage to amaze me! The staff made the process easy and stress free. I definitely recommend GLA to any parent who wants to send their child on an eventful volunteer trip abroad.

Words can't describe how special this program is. You get to swim with manta rays, see islands stretch for miles, laugh and play games with some of the greatest kids you'll meet, and create friendships that will last a lifetime. I thought this was the perfect amount of freedom mixed with 100% adult assistance for high schoolers. I also loved that this wasn't just a vacation, it was a chance to make a difference. I would not change this trip for anything and I will remember it for the rest of my life.

My experience with Global Leadership Adventures has been one I'll remember forever. The program that I was a part of (Galapagos) was very well structured. We got to kayak, snorkel, climb volcanoes, and more. We were always busy and had a great itinerary full of service and adventures. There was never a moment when we were bored. We cleared out invasive species, talked to the locals and the children, and played a ton of soccer which I made a fool of myself doing so, but it was all part of the fun!
The food was amazing and the housing conditions were rustic but an adventure. The staff was great - they were all so fun and relatable but were able to be great role models as well.
My parents were very reluctant to let me go on this trip when I proposed the idea. They had never sent one of their kids to a foreign country alone before. However, they became much more comfortable with the idea after talking to the welcoming and assuring staff who were more than happy to explain everything about the trip, from safety to fun.
I still miss this trip- one of the best experiences ever of my life. Would definitely recommend!! GLA offers such a friendly environment.

My name is Grace Lee and I was fortunate enough to have gone on the 10-Day Beachside Service Adventure in the Dominican Republic with Global Leadership Adventures, this past summer. I was a 15 year old and had just finished my freshman year of high school when I embarked on an experience that would change my life forever. Before, the DR I had never traveled internationally alone and had no idea what to expect. To calm many of your nerves, regardless of what your parents tell you about traveling internationally, it is something you figure out on your own. Luckily, when you sign up for your Global Leadership Adventures' program they provide you with a list of all the other kids in your program with their address, phone number, email, and most importantly their flights information. This allows you and your family to coordinate flights with the other kids on your trip, which is very helpful if you are uneasy about traveling solo. Global Leadership Adventures also sends you a shirt, an information booklet about your program, and a sticker before your trip. You wear the shirts on the day of travel, so you can find other kids from your program in the airport and your mentors once you arrive in the country. Also Global Leadership Adventures is very helpful and will provide clear answers to any questions or clarification one may have. Global Leadership Adventures is an amazing organization and I highly recommend it to any teen interested in volunteering abroad.

My 15 year old daughter Grace attended the Dominican Republic Beach Side Service Adventure in July 2016. This experience changed her for the better. Getting her outside of "the bubble" of East Grand Rapids, MI was such a blessing. In our town the kids live in comfort & privilege often taking it for granted. In the DR Grace was able to meet and make relationships with the local adults as well as children. These relationships were her favorite part of the trip. Not only was she able to communicate using her Spanish speaking skills, she was also able to connect to the humanity that binds us all. She found that these people though financially poor were rich of heart, love and zest for life. Grace learned a wealth beyond money that until that trip she had not experienced in a way that transformed her view of money and people. This experience was such a blessing to her, to our family, and now to her leadership skills and desire to serve our local community & our world. Thanks Global Leadership Adventures.

My daughter went on a trip last year with GLA to Thailand. At first we were nervous about our her going so far as a young teen, but GLA was great and it ended up being a trip of a lifetime. The GLA staff were very patient and informative with all my questions, they were completely on the ball at every step of the way and made us feel very comfortable as parents. The volunteer work with the elephants and a local Thai school was great for our daughter, but even more, the immersive cultural experience with like-minded teens from various places and backgrounds was irreplaceable. She is going with GLA to another locale this year and we're excited for her and the impact these trips are having on her world view, life experience and sense of self as she navigates the world with such adventure and purpose with a group that we feel safe and comfortable with.

I was looking for a volunteer trip abroad that was safe and put me out of my comfort zone. When reflecting on this experience it realize how much it helped me grow as an individual as made me realize my part in elephant conservation and how I can 'be the change'. This program was exciting and funfilled. It exposed me to new ideas and cultures. The food was spectacular as was the ability to uniqically work with elephants in the Thai mountains

Our daughter went on the GLA trip to Galapagos in July 2016. It was truly a remarkable fun-filled adventure that enriched her leadership and social skills and provided an acute awareness of our fragile environment. Snorkeling amongst the sea lions, turtles, climbing volcanoes and learning about exotic species such as the giant tortoise were just some of the highlights. The program attracts outstanding, intellectual students from around the globe whom our daughter still stays in touch with.

As a parent, I was particularly impressed with GLA's organization and caliper of their trip leaders. We felt safe and secure on trip arrangements and it was comforting to receive daily briefings and photos from the students.

The GLA program is second to none on their organization, adventure and mentorship.

GLA (which stands for Global Leadership Adventures) offered a life changing journey for my daughter as a 17 year old. She came back a different person meeting a diverse group of people from various countries whom she made very close friends with. They offered to go to many different countries and my daughter chose Ghana. She learned about a new culture, learned about volunteerism, mentoring the old and younger kids. It was a very Inspiring program for her working side by side with local people learning about their social issues, community service, and exploring places of historic and cultural significance. As a parent I was very hesitant to send her but I am glad I did. I can indeed say that she is a much better Global Citizen since her return from Africa.

This program was amazing! I met so many awesome people from the other students, to the staff, to the community members - everyone helped make it such a memorable trip. It was incredibly well organized, especially compared to some other programs that my friends have gone on. It was definitely unique in the sense that it felt like a trip where the community was helping the community and not a bunch of foreigners helping a less fortunate community.