Program Reviews

Program Staff: some of the best people I have ever met, the staff are inspiring because they live their lives doing what makes them happy and traveling the world, they have experienced so many different cultures and have so much knowledge to share, they love to do the activities with the students but are also supportive as guides

Facilities: Ecoplaya is a private resort with a large pool connected to a smaller one and two hot tubs, leads right to the beach where it has its own ocean front, view of an island, palm trees and flowers everywhere, a large canopy covers the open dining area, there is a separate meeting house with foosball and ping pong, volleyball net, soccer field with goals, paths for morning runs

Fun: meeting local children and their families, painting, playing soccer and volleyball on the resort, swimming in the pool and ocean on the resort, seeing sunsets, shopping at local stores and markets, visiting a cultural festival in town, dancing lessons, white water tubing, horseback riding, zip-lining, cooking local meals, boat ride to an island, hike up the island to look back down on the resort

Safety: 5-Point Safety System, clean tap water, additional water provided at all times in lobby, 3 meals a day with snacks, mentors have phones that allow students to call home during trip if necessary, all students call upon arriving, each plane has a GLA mentor on it, students meet other mentors upon arrival, same GLA cars stay with program throughout the trip, mentors are present whenever someone is swimming or leaving resort, mentors keep passports during stay, safes in room, locked doors at night, helmets/protective gear for horseback riding/tubing/zip-lining

Last summer I traveled with GLA to Costa Rica and it was the most incredible experience of my life. I met so many inspiring people and I I strongly believe I can change the world. I felt so safe traveling with them, I was always around staff from the minuet I stepped on the plane until I got off. I would recommend this program to be the best for anyone interested in service travel.

GLA is a perfect organization for high school students who want to volunteer abroad. Everything is set up in a way that parents can be assured their child is safe while logistics and scheduling run smoothly in the program country. I heard only positive feedback from almost everybody in my group, and I know I will be referring people to GLA in the future. Global Leadership Adventures delivers an experience that matches all three aspects of GLA's name: participants are exposed to beautiful cultures and introduced to the concept of a global citizen, they are given plenty of opportunities to refine their leadership skills, and their taste for adventure is satisfied through a meaningful service project and powerful day trips. I have never seen so many earnest people together in one setting; returning home from such an amazing experience was difficult for all of us!

During my transformational service trip in the Dominican Republic, I experienced aspects of poverty that I have never seen before. Members of my volunteer group and I were told that we were going to be completing various tasks involving manual labor as part of several service projects that would help alleviate some of the symptoms of poverty seen in two villages and a Haitian Refugee camp in the Dominican Republic. I was introduced to many Dominican and Haitian children and was completely immersed into their culture. I made many new friends and felt that the impoverished communities that I had been working with provided me with the greatest gifts that I could ever ask for: awareness, empathy, and a drive to make a difference.

I didn't really know what to expect when going on my GLA trip to the Dominican Republic but I came back much more motivated and excited than when I had left. That's what is special about the GLA program in the DR. You experience social, environmental, and economic problems firsthand and return enlightened with a sense of empowerment of how to address sustainability issues at home.

The lodging is quite authentic, being housed in structures built with traditional materials open to the outside. The pool and the beach are nearby, perfect for a much-needed cool down after a hard day's work. The food, which consists almost entirely of chicken, rice, and beans, along with the island's fresh fruit, is simple yet delicious. There is plenty of fun to be had snorkeling, hiking up Brison, zip-lining into a giant pit of water, and just spending time at the beach. Of course there is still lots of work which I found the most rewarding. We worked on building bottle schools, creating a trail for an eco-tourism venue, digging a huge trench to reroute a river in order to prevent flooding, constructing an aquaponics system, participating in a reforestation project, clearing invasive species, and simply cleaning up the beach. We also visited Dajabon, a town on the Haitian border; we stayed in Jarabocoa, a town in the mountains; we also ventured to the 500-year-old capital, Santo Domingo. All of these excursions were fascinating new experiences.

My favorite part of the trip was time spent in Ascensión, a Haitian refugee village where we worked on building a bottle school. We saw actual poverty firsthand, where the villagers were cut off from outside recourses, live without the basic necessities that citizenship provides, and often eat only once every other day. This is what inspired me to go home and continue to try to make a difference, and helped determine what I want to do with my life. I would recommend going to the DR with GLA to anyone.

The other kids on my trip were all really nice and we grew really close over the 2 weeks. My favorite aspect of the GLA Tanzania experience was the stress the put on culture. We had many speakers or groups come in to tell us about the local culture and it was really interesting. I felt like it made it a learning experience rather then just a summer vacation.

Last summer, I spent 3 weeks in Bali with GLA, and it was absolutely amazing! We got to travel around the entire island, experiencing everyday Balinese life while seeing some of the most amazing attractions the island has to offer! In addition, our time in the classrooms with the children was amazing and I have learned so much from it.

One of the best things about the program is the independence that it gives you. You are able to make your own decisions and experience everything for yourself, and it helped me become more independent and confident in myself.

Not many high schoolers have the chance to have a life changing experience like this. GLA isn't the cliche abroad trip. In its perfect blend of challenge and comfort and beauty, the essence of Ghana through the guidance of GLA was perfect.

GLA Ghana most definitely had to be one of the greatest gifts that I have ever received in my life. I was blessed to have the opportunity to travel to a beautiful country, and be accepted by a beautiful community. It was the best gift to be given the privilege to help, and being trusted enough to teach classes, and make bricks for the school. It was a gift to be surrounded around a group of people that cared about each other, and cared about the world. But most of all, I really think the greatest gift was the connections I have been able to make. I really believe that in Ghana, I learned how to be aware, and how to LIVE WITH PURPOSE. Having the skills to do that in itself is essentially, a gift, because many people do not have the opportunity to do so. I met the most wonderful people: the staff, other GLA students, and the Ghanaian people, and adorable life-changing little kids The whole GLA experience was a gift because I learned, through helping others, how to become an effective leader with vision, how to cultivate my voice, and how to use that voice to inflict change, and empower others to inflict change! I can’t think of a better gift. After my trip, I have been inspired to continue doing work at home and have motivated a lot of people to look beyond the comfort of their homes and even country, and strive to understand the world on a global level!

And on top of that: you're safe the whole time, the food is AWESOME, and you get to go on awe-inspiring trips as you venture through the vibrance of ghana in the good hands of GLA! Would recommend this to anyone!

It's easy to rate a program with all 10s if you enjoyed it but GLA Tanzania deserves it. This program was unlike anything I have ever experienced before in my life. From teaching English to the most incredible, driven 4th graders at the Himo/ Korona school to spending a weekend with the powerful and beautiful Maasai people, there was never a dull moment on my trip. Everyday was a learning experience and has changed my outlook on my life and the international community.

Travellig to the DR with GLA really changed my life and i would not be the same person i am today if i had not attended. It brought perspective to me on how lucky and fortunate our country is. But most of all i learned the really meaning of happiness and how be not having certain advantages and technology, the community was more close knit. I will be returning on my own time and hopefully with GLA. I highly recommened this trip to anyone, but ecspecially to first time travellers. it was not too far, but just enough to feel independent.