Program Reviews

I had the time of my life in Ghana this summer building an eco-compost toilet for one of the local villages! I came home wanting to go back and I truly miss it every day. The lively spirit and the welcoming nature brought a smile to my face every single day that I was there and I made the most incredible friends of whom I still talk to all the time! If I could have spent my entire summer in Ghana I definetely would have and I hope to return next summer, as do some of the students from my trip! Everywere you go when you leave the home base you recieve warm welcomes and I have never felt so happy to be somewhere. I found wholesome comfort in a situation where I least expected it and I truly wake up every morning wanting to be back. We learned the local language there, "Ewe" and picked it up pretty fast so that we could communicate with all of the kids and people outside the village, which I thought was so important. Coming back to America and knowing the basics of Ewe after two weeks felt incredible and I was so excted to teach some of it to my family. The part of this trip that meant the most to me though was how much I was contributing to a community. You get to meet the people and play with the kids of which will be benefitted by his toilet for decades. I think before going on this trip I knew that public health was a huge issue, but seeing it firsthand absolutely changed my life and I plan to actually study public health and work on projects similar to this in my future. This was the most incedible experience of my life and everyone around me can see the change it made in my life. I hope everyone who is considering going on this trip next year goes for it- you'll be so happy you did!

This past summer, I went on the Thailand Cultural Kaleidoscope Program with Global Leadership Adventures and had an absolutely amazing two weeks. We were able to experience so many different cultural experiences in such a short amount of time, hence, I felt like we got a lot out of our time there. We went ziplining, tried and cooked local foods and dishes, bamboo rafted, explored Buddhist temples, hiked through hill tribe villages, rode elephants through the jungle, and bathed elephants in a local river. Along with this, one of the main focuses of our time in Thailand was going to a school and teaching English to the Thai children. It was an absolutely amazing experience unlike anything I had ever done before.
The GLA staff really made the trip what it was. They were knowledgeable about the country and made us feel safe at all times. Along with those important things, they were also very fun, funny, and easy to relate to.

GLA Costa Rica sports adventure trip was one of the best trips I have ever taken. The program provided top of the line housing and staff. I met so many people that I know will be life long friends. Experiencing the culture and meeting the locals was life changing. It changed my whole perspective of the world.

My adventure in Costa Rica was, without a doubt, one of the best experiences in my life. The three weeks were a perfectly constructed concoction of work, education, and fun(don't worry, they were mainly fun). Almost every weekday involved work early in the morning with the community. Sometimes the work was hard, but it was extremely fulfilling and it was never boring. We planted coffee plants, fertilized the land they were grown in, made bokashi(manure), mixed cement to make sidewalks and stairways, and stuffed eco-bricks. Every day, after lunch, the moms from the communities would make us delicious, authentic Costa Rican food. Usually we would return to home base for Spanish lessons- and several times these were held in the city, so we could unleash our newly learned Spanish skills on the natives. There were group activities every night that made sure we were introduced quickly and were all close friends within days. Every weekend, we were given a break from Spanish lessons and the community work and were instead taken on awesome excursions. The trip definitely changed my view on the world and was a great way to spend part of my summer, I wish there had been a way to extend my stay.

My only regret about the trip was having to leave all of the people I had grown so fond of during my stay and knowing I wouldn't see many of them again.

In June of 2015 I was part of Sports Service Adventure in Costa Rica with the organization GLA. From the minute we got into the village we were greeted with warm hellos from everyone. Pura vida.. it's a lifestyle. It's the way were welcomed and made to belong.
We had locals cook us amazing meals to get us all set for our hard day at work. Even though we worked really hard everyday we always had a fun activity to end the day off. The best part of this trip was feeling like you're a part of something great and knowing that you are changing the world. It was amazing to see the children so happy all the time. We were honoured to go play some soccer with the local kids and they were amazing, they're love for the game unreal and their playing was impeccable. I met some amazing people that I will never forget for the rest of my life. This experience has changed me in so many good ways. I am now so grateful for what I have and wanting to make a difference in the world. . Definitely the most amazing thing I've ever done.

I can honestly say that these two weeks I spent in Costa Rica were the best fourteen days of my life. I have always loved to travel and to do service, and this program was a perfect combination of both. While we got to visit many beaches and go on many adventures such as hiking a volcano and zip lining, we also had multiple days designated to working in local schools where we got to interact with locals and use our Spanish skills and also to working on reforestation projects.
During my two weeks, my group had the opportunity to see both the dry forest and the rain forest, a unique feature to the program I chose. This was definitely one of my favorite parts of the program because it felt like two different trips in one. I also became friends with people from all over the country, whether that be Ticos, students that travelled with me, or my mentors. My group bonded and got along since day one, and we still talk almost every day. At the end of the two weeks, there were many tears shed as we said our goodbyes and had our final late night conversations.
I have learned so much about myself and about our planet from this trip because of GLA and my amazing mentors. It is truly a life changing experience, and I could not reccommend it enough.

When I embarked on my trip to the Dominican Republic through GLA, I had no idea what was in store for me. I thought it’d open my eyes to the world and the different conditions people live in, but I didn’t realize how incredibly my entire perspective on life would be affected.
Between the community members I interacted with, the mentors helping us process it all, and the other kids on the trip, I was inspired. I realized I have so much compared to some people, and that I have the ability to make an impact in the world. I realized there are other people like me, who need to make a difference to feel satisfied with their lives. I learned life lessons from people who have experienced life much differently than me. The mentors were truly some of the most inspiring people I have ever met, and in my other peers I could see the potential to do so much good in the world.
The trip was a good mix of service work and adventures through the beautiful island. We took a weekend trip to Santo Domingo, went in the mountains, hiked to a waterfall, and went to a Haitian market. Throughout all of the adventures, I was grateful to be surrounded by supportive people, who didn’t pressure me into anything, but encouraged me to do what they knew I was capable of. I was grateful to be able to appreciate the peacefulness of nature, the loud market, the bustling city, and the beautiful mountains. Being able to immerse in a culture so unlike my own in such a safe way is something I’m forever grateful of.
On this trip, I met little kids who live in the worst conditions imaginable, and yet have the most beautiful laughs that they show off often. I jumped off a cliff and I hiked my first mountain, and was overwhelmed by the support and encouragement I got when I didn’t think I’d be able to do it. I helped to create cement floors and build community centers. I felt humble, excited, inspired... and now I feel changed. After returning home, I realize this trip changed the way I look at others, the world, and most importantly, myself. I am stronger than I think I am, and this trip helped me to realize that. I have learned that we all have the ability to change the world...we all can "be the change." I am so grateful to have had the chance to do this, and I would do it all over again if I could.

My GLA experience in Bali was amazing and one I know I will not forget!

By being on this trip, I have developed leadership skills and better yet, friendships that will last a lifetime. Being a leader is not easy and can be a difficult task. However, on GLA's Bali program, each student was required to lead the entire group for one whole day. During the program, I realized that a leader must have deep convictions of his goals, be clear about what needs to be achieved, find the strength of each individual, and work with those strengths.

Being a leader was also very important in the classroom. On the first day of volunteering, we began with thirty students. And by the end, we concluded with almost ninety students. We taught English in meaningful subjects such as health, hygiene, body parts, animals, colors, numbers, and much more. Being a leader was important in the classroom to achieve the task at hand. We had to work with each other to create meaningful lesson plans. Meaningful lesson plans would then result in a transformative experience for the students we taught as it was just for me.

If you are thinking about joining GLA's Bali: Land of Discovery program, it is perfect for any person of any character. Bali is truly a land of discovery where you will always have a place in your heart for and a home to go to!

Bali is full of many fun activities to take part in and the staff will be sure that every student gets the most of their experience their! From getting off my flight in Denpasar, to going on an ultimate scavenger hunt in Ubud, to relaxing at a resort in Lovina, to taking a spider boat ride in the sunset, to going Scuba Diving for my first time in Amed, and most importantly volunteering at local schools in Singaraja, it was a fun and life changing experince I will never forget!

This was seriously the best experience I have ever had. Going into the program I was nervous since I was traveling alone, first time out of the country, and I didn't know anyone, but that's what made my experience even better. I made amazing friends who I miss dearly and the GLA mentors and Hotel Playa Garza staff were so amazing and supportive during my 3 weeks in Guanacaste. They don't lie about cultural immersion. Thoughout my whole stay we were talking with locals, participating in common acts, and comparing our lives with their during feedback every night. The adventure is no joke! Zip lining, surging, hiking, and whitewater rafting were extremely fun and something I had never done before. And not forgetting the main purpose, the children we met changed my point of view and I now hold a special place for them in my heart. The moment we finished the park for them, the smile on my face was from ear to ear just like the little ones faces were. That moment will be one of my favorites forever. I am so proud of myself for pushing my limits and it definitely paid off this summer and I would love to do it 20 more times if I could.

I went to Ghana this summer on the children of Africa program. I was there for three weeks. Those three weeks couldn't have been any better. The cost is completely worth it, the things you see and things you get to do are a priceless experience. I have traveled a lot but no trip has stuck to me like this one. It has opened my eyes so much to what I can do and has really helped me in deciding my future.