Program Reviews

What sets GLA apart is not only the amazing cultural immersion and the knowledge that you're actually contributing to the local community, but the incredibly open minded and thought provoking environment. Every night by kerosine lamp light, amazing mentors (shoutout to Swiff Amy Paulina and Sara!) would inspire profound conversation about our personal lives, Tanzania, and world/societal issues that would leave everyone reluctant to go to bed. I found myself spending a morning discussing philosophy in a safari car with people I'd just met, then spending that afternoon whooping with the roof down and wind blowing as we drove alongside wildebeest herds. Every single day we would learn more about Tanzanian culture (I bought WAY too much art at the markets) and fall more in love with how beautiful the country is, and our local staff were family to us. We would even call them kaka (brother), dada (sister), and mama! On top of that, the friends you make on a GLA trip will not only be some of the most amazing genuine and thoughtful people you'll ever meet, but they'll also inspire you to be open minded everyday henceforth. Out of all 40 people who went to Tanzania with me, not one of them felt as though their life was not changed afterwards. There is just something about walking home hand in hand with little Zainabu singing Waka Waka as the sun sets that makes you love life more. There was never a single moment not filled with discovery of both self and surroundings, and because of GLA I have become a wiser, more passionate, and more compassionate person. I am thankful for my experience everyday.

Traveling with GLA this past summer was honestly one of the most amazing things I could have done with my time. The two weeks I spent in Ghana were absolutely life changing. I made some amazing friends and experienced something that can't fully be explained by words. The food was amazing, the people were amazing, and never in a million years did I think I would fall so hard in love with Africa. I highly recommend this program to any teenager looking to make an impact and see what life is like outside of the US.

I took this trip after my Freshman year in college. Now I am a graduating senior and I look back to think about how much this trip has truly changed my life. You learn so much from the families you come in contact with and it has shaped where I see my career going in the future. I would go back in a heart beat!

Hi all! I am a Global Leadership Adventures Alumni and I had an amazing time in Peru, this past summer! I really recommend GLA! The housing experience was great! GLA Peru rented out a hotel in Cusco, for both the 2 week and the 3 week groups. I felt very safe there! I had never been to Peru, so I felt that by being there I grew, a lot! I understood much of their culture and what their lifestyles are like. The program staff were very supportive! I felt that I was able to talk to them about whatever I needed, or if I was frustrated with other students! Overall I recommend GLA to all High School age students.

I went on Global Leadership Adventures Initiative for Children, in Costa Rica and it change my perspective on everything. It broaden my perspective on how others in the world. I was able to see first hand how volunteering helped people. I gained a new respect for nature and the country of Costa Rica. Because of this amazing program I take the "Pura Vida" lifestyle everywhere I go. I have gained amazing friendships with people from all over. I have done things I never would have imagined from hiking to a beautiful waterfall, zip lining over tree tops, to surfing on the gorgeous Costa Rican coast. GLA is an amazing opportunity, I encourage everyone to seize it.

The name of the program has to be 100% true. Last summer, I chose to go to Thailand with Global Leadership Adventures instead of having a Sweet Sixteen and I could not be any happier. I learned so much about the Thai culture and absolutely loved the program. I learned about the food that they ate, even making my own, how to pray like a Buddhist monk, and about the country as a whole. I made so many friends, who I still keep in touch with and would love to go back. There was certainly the element of "Adventure" while I was there. We went zip lining, biking, kayaking, hiking, and so much more. We met a local hill tribe and even went to a Thai high school where we met some students. We also had the option to shop at markets. It was an immersive opportunity and I will never forget it. The volunteering itself was wonderful as well. We went to an orphanage and a home for women. The children at the orphanage were extremely happy and appreciative of us coming, which was always a pleasant experience. At the home for women, we helped build some bamboo fences and prepare the home for the rainy season which was approaching rapidly. They were very appreciative as well. Overall, I loved this program so much that I decided to go on another program the following year in Ghana. I believe Global Leadership Adventures is worth every penny and is truly a life-changing experience that everyone should consider.

This summer, I went to Krobo in Ghana with Global Leadership Adventures and it was absolutely amazing. We spent most of our time with the children, whether we were building bricks, teaching, or playing with them. We immersed ourselves into the culture right away. We were able to try all of the traditional foods, dances, and even the local language Krobo. They took us to the market where we were able to shop for our own fabrics that we had tailored into clothes. I learned so much on the trip. In the afternoons, after teaching in the morning and before we went to play with the children, we would learn about Ghana and how we could continue our service. We participated in leadership activities about privilege and how we could better the world. At the park, where we played with the children, we always seemed to have the best of times. We would play and laugh with the kids. They would all come meet us at HomeBase and walk with us to the Park. We brought fun toys and games like bubbles, soccer balls, and other things. When we taught in the mornings, the children were eager to learn, and our mentors helped prepare for our days in the classroom. We also had a chance to eave the community and go explore Ghana. We went hiking and to a beach club which was really cool. I honestly loved volunteering in Ghana so much and would go back in a heartbeat. I recommend this program to anyone who is interested, and those who are not should reconsider it because it changed my perspective on the world.

This summer, I travelled with Global Leadership Adventures to Anloga, Ghana with the Children of Africa program. It was honestly the most amazing experience I've ever had. What made the program so great was the perfect balance between service, cultural learning, reflection, and free time. In the mornings, we would break into our two "mentor groups" and visit separate schools. There, we made bricks that would go towards building a new classroom for kindergarteners and we also taught the students. Teaching was a completely new experience for me. We taught the same class of students everyday which was helpful because we were able to begin building relationships with them. It was difficult at first to figure out how to approach it, but we were all partnered with another GLA student, so we learned how to work together. The teaching was definitely one of my favorite things that we got to do in Ghana. In the afternoons, we did different activities everyday. Sometimes we visited local chiefs, or went shopping in street markets. We bought traditional fabric and had extremely talented seamstresses sew clothing for us. Other times, we had leadership workshops lead by the mentors that helped us reflect on our activities. When we had free time, there was no shortage of fun to be had with the local children who came running from school to hang out with us. The GLA staff was incredible and they were always there when we needed them. There was no time where I felt unsafe in Ghana. It was very cool to have Ghanaian staff working on the program because it gave us more of an inside view. Overall, this experience inspired me to learn more about global issues and different cultures around the world. Everyone we met was extremely welcoming and glad we were there to experience Ghana.

Thailand was the best experience of my life. I had the best time with the best people and i learnt a lot about the country and myself. We visited many beautiful places including temples, we learnt about the Thai culture and beliefs. The staff were amazing and really supportive. We learnt about how elephants are treated in Thailand. The group also did alot of community service, half of the group went to a women's refuge and the other half went to an orphanage to help out. Global Leadership Adventures were the best company to volunteer abroad with because they are helpful and dedicated and i would recommend the company to anyone.

Service in the sacred valley had to be the best possible way to spend a part of my summer and it may have been my best summer yet. I had my doubts initially as to whether the program was the right one for me; I'm pretty introverted, so I didn't know if it would be to much social interaction. However, I've discovered that GLA offers the perfect amount. In traveling to architectural sights and hiking through the mountains, you could choose to appreciate and reflect on your surroundings internally or you could choose to express them externally, where a group of people could relay how they felt back to you and you could share in that with them. Being apart of this program has made me realize how much I like working with children, and how I want to incorporate that into my future. The same goes with traveling: once you're bit by the travel bug, there's no going back. Gla offers you an opportunity to discover what you're passionate about or, if you have that passion already, to further discover the best way to incorporate what you love into your future. I would definitely do this again.