Global Leadership Adventures (GLA) Reviews

I sent my two daughters on Global Leadership Adventure's "Preserving Nature's Wonders" trip last summer, and I could not have had a better experience with them. I was a little nervous about the idea of sending my two young girls out of the country without either parent, but GLA eased all my worries. From the very start, we had helpful staff keeping us updated on the necessary preparations for our trip. GLA made the entire process really easy and helped me feel better about the trip. My girls were safe the whole time, and they had incredible mentors with them on the trip. They both came home with a new outlook on the world, and I know GLA has truly changed their lives. I highly recommend this program to any parent and teenager looking to volunteer abroad.

My daughter, Nicole 16 at the time, sat my husband and I down to ask to go to Ghana Africa. We thought she was crazy! We immediately said no and then realized she was serious so we did our research into Global Leadership Adventures and Accra where she would be staying and it was very safe. We left her at the airport and waited 3 weeks to see her again. She came back a new person she had more appreciation and she was so happy. She raved about her trip and the children and the Staff and everything about it. So as a review I will highly suggest the trip all aspects were safe and my daughter got so much out of the experience that she will carry along with her throughout he whole life. As well she has experiences many kids her age do not have in which she can put on applications and apply to her work in the future because of the new aspect she has gained thanks to Global Leadership Adventures! As a parent I highly suggest this program for high school kids!

Last summer my seventeen year old daughter went with Global Leadership Adventures to Fiji. I was not very thrilled about the idea of my daughter going halfway across the world. After researching the program and speaking with a member of GLA I was more open to the idea. Immediately upon her arrival she was able to call and check in and GLA was very good about keeping parents updated with the well being of their children. Everyday there was a post about what the kids did and how they were doing. It really is like the Peace Corps for teenagers. When I picked my daughter up from the airport I realized that my little girl had grown up from this program. Her brother is very excited to jump into the program as soon as he can. I am much more relaxed about him going on the trip now knowing what an incredible and safe program it is. I am extremely proud of my daughter and all the hard work that she did in Fiji. She will take this incredible experience with her for the rest of her life.

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