<p>to drockitout- I actually went on the Peru trip last summer, and I absolutely loved it! However, one of the girls on my program did the South American Expedition, and she had a great time because of her interests in marine biology (which the galapagos is perfect for). You can get a bunch of information off of our website [Teen</a> Volunteer,High School Study Abroad | Global Leadership Adventures](<a href=“http://www.experiencegla.com%5DTeen”>http://www.experiencegla.com), or post on our Facebook page! It’s just GLA Peru, or Global Leadership Adventures. </p>
<p>to kissmyheart- I raised money for my trip by babysitting, teaching violin, tutoring, and hosting bake sales! THere is so much that you can do to raise money, and you would be surprised how quickly these things add up good luck!!</p>
<p>drockitout: If it’s possible for you, I’d say go for the double trip! I went on the single Galapagos Islands trip with GLA in August so I can’t speak for the Peru program but every moment of my trip was something I will never forget! It’s really focused on environmental and wildlife issues so that’s mainly what the community service is about but on top of that each day you go out on an expedition–things like horseback riding, snorkeling, zip-lining, kayaking or visiting a local craft market. Needless to say…I wouldn’t hesitate for a second in choosing the Galapagos trip again. It really was incredible!</p>
<p>I would say to do both if you can! If not, I can only speak for the amazing time I had in Galapagos. It was a truly eye opening experience and helped me learn so much about the world around me. The Islands are so famous that really visiting them shows you how beautiful nature is. I also got to meet great new people from the U.S and from other countries. Here is the facebook page where you can ask alumni questions and learn more about whats going on. [Log</a> In | Facebook](<a href=“GLA Galapagos | Facebook”>GLA Galapagos | Facebook)</p>
<p>I went on the 2012 GLA Galapagos trip last summer and literally had the time of my life. I had two years of spanish before I went and was able to communicate pretty well with the locals and I ended up learning a TON of spanish by the time I came home. It’s a lot of informal speaking which is easier than what you do in school. All in all it was a great experience and I am actually doing another GLA program this summer in Tanzania because my last trip was so fun!</p>
<p>My daughter is going to Tanzania in 17 days. I have researched the crap out of Global Leadership Adventures and believe me, if I had seen one negative thing - there is no way she would be going.</p>
<p>This sound like a fantastic opportunity to do something extraordinary. You want to stand out on a college application - tell them about your trip to Africa to teach children English and Math and to visit the Masai tribe and learn Swahili.</p>
<p>I will let you know what her experience was once she gets back, but I can say as a mom that while I’m nervous about my little girl going on such a big adventure, I’m glad I gave her the courage to spread her wings.</p>
<p>I see that you posted that your daughter was going Tanzania with Global Leadership Adventures. Can you share any info on her experience? I am looking for more info regarding this program Thanks</p>
<p>I am Max Bone. I’m a high school sophomore from Detroit, Michigan. Last summer I had the amazing, life changing experience to travel to and live in Cuzco, Peru for three weeks with Global Leadership Adventures. Those three weeks changed my life and my views forever. For parents who are reading this, trying to decide whether to send your child on a program to a foreign country, all I can say is you won’t regret it! I understand it is a scary thought, sending them off to a foreign country for an extended amount of time. I can assure you, you will be glad you did when your child returns a few weeks later tired, but smiling, excited to talk about the amazing experience they just had.
GLA provides these experiences through three main ways: Community Service, Leadership Activities, and Cultural Exchange Activities. The community service changes from country to country, but I have talked to who kids who have been on 10 different Global Leadership Adventures programs in 8 different countries. They have all loved the work that they were doing, felt a strong connection to the work they were doing, and felt like they were making a HUGE difference in their host community.
I am going to use my program to illustrate this. My group was building a green house out of adobe bricks in a small mountain community to help combat the increasing malnutrition rate among the youth of the Cusco region of Peru. It was amazing knowing that the work that I was doing would make a huge impact on this community for years to come. Seeing all of the hard work that we were putting in pay off and finishing 70% more than we were expected to felt so good! It helped me realize how important hard work is and how much it pays off. The gratitude that the community expressed for our hard work cannot be explained in words.<br>
The second way that Global Leadership Adventures does this is through leadership sessions and mentor groups. This is something unique to Global Leadership Adventures that no other organization I have seen does. These sessions focus on taking all that you are learning and experiencing and applying it to your life, and asking what you will do with it when you return home. These sessions also include talking about important qualities of leaders and aspects of life such as empathy, humility, service, communication and decision making. These sessions take place in both large group settings and small group settings. I truly miss these sessions, and they are one of the things I look forward to most when I return to Global Leadership Adventures next summer.
The staff that Global Leadership Adventures has put together is also fantastic. They are all amazing, talented, smart, and inspiring individuals. I was able to get to know all of the staff really well; from the cooks at home base, to my personal mentor. There is also a large aspect placed on local cultural activities and fun. These included everything from getting my fortune told by a traditional practicing, Inca shawman, to hiking and camping the Inca trail, to visiting Machu Picchu to learning about traditional Inca medicine, to getting to dress up in Andean attire and performing a traditional dance ! These activities really gave me a better understanding and made me feel connected to the Inca culture, instead of just having knowledge of it.
Global Leadership Adventures also does an amazing job with safety. There was not a single time during my program when I did not feel safe. GLA has a five point safety system that is followed. This system includes safe and secure lodging ( the home base is ONLY used by GLA students and staff ) , caring supervision, healthy meals and pure water, expert local knowledge, and safe and comfortable transportation.<br>
My trip to Peru last summer was a fantastic, life changing experience. All I can say to you is GO,GO,GO,GO! You will come home changed. If you have any questions about Global Leadership Adventures or the Peru program, please let me know via email at maxbone55@********** . If you would like to see photos from my trip, please email me and I can share with you my Facebook page where you can view them. Parents, if you would like to hear from a parent whose child has gone on a GLA trip, and who is trusting them again with the safety of their kid (this time in Africa) please email and I will be more than happy to put you in contact with my parents.
Thank You for your interest in Global Leadership Adventures. I am so excited for you to embark on a life changing journey !</p>
<p>I went to Peru: Spanish Service Adventure with GLA during Summer 2013. To be honest, I did not find it that amazing of an experience. There was trouble with people drinking, smoking, and sneaking into the opposite sex’s rooms in the middle of the night. Some people were bullied. Although interacting with the local kids, building a greenhouse, and visiting archeological sights was interesting, it was certainly not the ‘authentic’ experience I would have liked to have. I’m not exactly disappointed, because those are the kinds of things you would expect at a program that costs more than $6000 to attend (tuition+transportation). You are coddled beyond belief, yet the staff never really has full control of the students. We went ‘hiking’ and ‘camping’, yet we hardly did any work. The porters that followed set up camp, a dining tent, and even bathrooms. Maybe that is something some people may enjoy, but it’s not what I went in expecting, as I wanted to really ‘rough it’, if you get what I’m saying. I mean, you’re going there to HELP people. NOT fool around and spend your parent’s money and have all these extravagances you don’t need.
Overall, not your money’s worth. My Spanish didn’t improve in the slightest, even though it was a SPANISH program. Not all that bad but nothing special, either.</p>
<p>Global Leadership is extremely safe and an absolutely amazing person. I went on their Galapagos trip and their Thailand trip in the past two summers. The staff is extremely professional and knowledgeable and it is in fact the experience of a lifetime. The GLA staff makes sure you are safe at all times always checking and making sure everything is in order. I have learned more on these trips than I have ever. The service work is extremely rewarding and fun. In the Galapagos we helped cut down invasive species that were overwhelming the plants native to that area. In Thailand, our group worked in orphanages and homes for women and children. The work and the things I learned in those countries I take with me everywhere I go. GLA is an amazing program that I would recommend to anyone considering volunteering abroad.</p>
<p>I thought about going really hard, for months, so I read many things, reviews from parents, students, even staff and all I’ve learned pointed out it’s a wonderful place!!</p>
<p>Chloechloe1017- I work at the Global Leadership Adventures Headquarters, and I’m sorry to hear that your GLA experience was not what you expected! I am especially surprised to hear that there were issues with inappropriate behavior on your program. We take safety incredibly seriously at GLA, and it is our #1 priority. We also collect surveys from all students and their families following programs to ensure that there are no issues, and this is the first we’re hearing of the problems you speak of. I assure you, we will be looking into it and contacting all staff to follow up on these statements.</p>
<p>Overall, 98% of all GLA students and families are thrilled with their experience. We take great pride in our ability to facilitate life-changing programs, and the partnerships we keep with the local communities we work in are nothing but authentic. Because of these relationships, we are able to return year-after-year with new groups of students who are excited to make a difference abroad.</p>
<p>If you’d like to discuss these issues further, please don’t hesitate to contact our Director of Admissions at 858.771.0645. </p>
<p>Hi! I traveled with GLA to Costa Rica last summer and it was the most incredible experience of my life. I learned more about myself and the world around me than I ever knew. Plus, you meet so many inspiring people between locals, mentors, and other students. I definitely have a more global perspective since returning home and I and traveling to Peru with GLA to hopefully gain the same thing. I felt safe the whole trip, I was totally comfortable talking to the adults about anything. I would recommend this program to anyone interested in international service travel. </p>
<p>I went on a Global Leadership Adventures trip to Costa Rica in the summer of 2014. I didn’t go on a trip that speaking Spanish was required, and I didn’t know any Spanish. Even though my trip wasn’t a trip for learning Spanish, the Global Leadership Adventures mentors gave everyone opportunities to learn. If you don’t know Spanish and you are going to a Spanish speaking country you have nothing to worry about, but if you do want to learn, learning hands on is a great way. I met someone who went on a Spanish Learning trip through Global Leadership Adventures and he said that he learned a ton of Spanish. He said that they did actual sit down and learning type lessons and then they would take what they learned and use it when they went into the community and what not. Learning hands on is definitely a great way to learn! I am a Global Leadership Ambassador and if you have any questions you can reach me at <a href="mailto:brrandles7396@gmail.com">brrandles7396@gmail.com</a> :)</p>
Hi, my name is Lily. Last summer, I went to the Dominican Republic with Global Leadership Adventures. It was such an amazing opportunity, I learned a lot and had fun, and it changed my life. The unique thing about Global Leadership Adventures is that it combines meaningful service work with fun excursions, all while educating the students about poverty and the environment.
Going to the Dominican for ten days was definitely outside of my comfort zone, as I had never flown independently before, and had never been to sleepaway camp. Taking the leap and doing something so thrilling helped me to get more out of it. Looking back and seeing that I accomplished something so amazing continues to inspire me daily. Being in the Dominican taught me about a new way of life. I would not have gotten to know the Dominican people and their culture so well if not for Global Leadership Adventures. I also learned about the impact of climate change on third world countries as I helped to build a bottle house. This was the main form of service during my trip. A bottle house is basically a structure made from locally sourced plastic bottles that were once trash. We used them to make a six-room building to be used as a school, medical clinic, or whatever the village needs. We also planted cacao seeds as part of a reforestation project, which will help communities gain a source of food and income.
When we weren’t doing hands-on service in impoverished villages, we spent a lot of time at the beach. The Caribbean waters were so perfect for swimming. We also went to Dudu Lagoon, into which we could zip line and cliff jump. The first full day in the Dominican was spent hiking Mt. Brison. It was a really difficult climb, especially since I am not an athlete, but it was important that we did that first. Everything after that seemed easy in comparison. It felt incredible to have accomplished something I never thought I could do by hiking a mountain. Some days, we just hung out at base camp. There was a pool, and we could always walk to the beach right across the road. We spent a lot of time playing cards, which was a great bonding experience. Without Wi-Fi, we had to entertain ourselves during downtime, but it was crucial to get to know the other kids on the program.
I do not hesitate in saying that my trip to the Dominican with Global Leadership Adventures changed my life. It was a truly humbling experience. After seeing such poverty, it made me appreciate what I have even more. It also inspired me to continue to actively participate in the community and to constantly work toward making a difference. I think about my time in the Dominican literally every day since I returned home last August. I strongly recommend going on a service trip with Global Leadership Adventures. It may not be what you’re used to, but once you take the jump out of your comfort zone, you definitely won’t regret it.
Hi! 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.
Let me know if you have any questions!
To kruzinom: THANK YOU SO MUCH- it was great to hear from a parent. My daughter is planning to go to Costa Rica this summer and she is just 17. She wants to grow up so quickly, and is far too trusting, so though I want her to spread her wings I don’t want her to get clipped. I appreciate all the feedback on this site.
good luck!!</p>