Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures Custom Group program!
Here are a few things you can expect:
- We typically receive 2-3 blog posts per week here at GLA Headquarters from our program staff and students, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post daily – that’s totally normal.
- Blog updates sent on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
- Due to many factors, including but not limited to internet accessibility, photos may not always be available to post onto the blog. Sometimes onsite program staff are only able to send text back to Headquarters, where our team updates the blog.
Thank you for your patience and understanding, and we hope you enjoy following along on these unforgettable adventures.
For frequently asked questions about the blogs, please visit our Program Blog FAQ page.
-The Global Leadership Adventures HQ Team
Click here to jump down to the most recent post!
BLOG POST FOR FEBRUARY 14
Dear Families,
We just wanted to check in and let you know that we’ve safely arrived in Belize!
Today was quite the journey as we embarked on three separate flights to get here, but the excitement kept us going.
Stepping off the plane onto the tarmac, we were welcomed by our GLA leaders, Brooke, Jemayel and Lauren.
We were excited to try our first taste of Belizean cuisine as we gathered around for a meal of rice and beans with chicken, washed down with fresh juice.
After fueling up, we loaded onto the bus and began our journey north to Orange Walk. Along the way, we stopped at a local supermarket to stock up on Belizean snacks.
In the scenic route to our new home community of Sarteneja we passed several Mennonite communities, an introduction to the diversity found within Belize.
Arriving at our Home Base, we were greeted with a traditional black soup, a fitting end to a day filled with new experiences.
Now, we’re off to bed to rest up for tomorrow’s adventures – we can’t wait to share more with you soon!
Warm regards,
Greene School Students
BLOG POST FOR FBERUARY 16
Day 3 started with a morning swim. Where we watched the beautiful sun rise.
We came back in time for breakfast and had morning meeting meeting where we talked about the plan of the day.
We played this really fun game where you lock eyes with a person and the first to yell “manatees” wins.
We listened to a conservation biologist from SACD talked about the importance of trees, how vital they are to the local ecosystem, ane how we would spend the day working around mangroves.
We took a bus ride to Warrie Bright where SACD runs a mangrove nursery.
We waded into Corozal Bay where we looked for Red Mangroves seedlings; we prepared small soil planters with a mix of soil, sand, and seawater, then planted the mangrove seedlings. By the time we finished, we ended up with 50 planted mangroves.
We celebrated our day of work by swimming and played games in the bay and laughed a lot.
We are closing our day after dinner with a structured debate about conservation and ecotourism.
Until tomorrow!
Lis and Rylee
BLOG POST FOR FEBRUARY 17
Today we learned about and explored local fishing traditions and simulated it during our
PESCA tour!
In the afternoon, we visited local artisans such as Señor Chuy and learned abont his work and bought some lovely art.
Then, we did a lionfish jewelry workshop and learned about how they are an invasive species harming the coastal ecosystem.
We spent our night eating out at a local restaurant Raquel’s and learned from our local tour guide and the restaurant owner about local folklore and myths!
We’re excited to continue our adventures here in Belize and can’t wait to share all of our memories with you.
By Rowan and Emil
BLOG POST FOR FEBRUARY 19
Today, Duncan and me were the leaders of the day. We led a stretching activity before sharing information about the day. We had an earlier wake up than usual.
We went to an island called Bacalar Chico. This area , and the people that work there, are conserving the natural resources.
We had a quick presentation there before we headed out on boats to go snorkel. Belize has one of the largest barrier reefs in the world. The water was wavy because the coral was so high that the waves would crash on it.
We split into groups and in Duncan and my group, we saw a nurse shark, a lobster and fish of many different colors. The other groups saw lionfish.
We then headed back while enjoying Mayan potatoes (jicama) to do a journal activity and eat lunch.
We sat and watched stingrays at Bacalar Chico until it was time to return on boat. We sang music all the way back to Sarteneja.
Until tomorrow!
Emery & Duncan
BLOG POST FOR FEBRUARY 20
Today was a very good day.
We woke up at 7:00 am and left for the school at 9:00.
We were there until 3:30 playing games, teaching them about important topics, and planting trees. A lot of students made strong bonds with the sahool’s students in that short period of time and leaving was difficult for a lot of us.
After the school we went to the beach to spend a little more time in the water before our night started.
We finished the day with an amazing karaoke party. People we had met throughout our time in Sarteneja came to visit and participate and we had a lot of fun.
Overall, it was a very good day for everyone.
Lucy and Veto
BLOG POST FOR FEBRUARY 21
At the beginning of the day, we had our last breakfast in Sarteneja. We said farewell and went on our way to Altun Ha.
The Mayan ruins site was amazing and everything I hoped it would be. Then we bought some gifts from the local shop.
After that we made our way to our new Home Base which are cabins in the woods. We sat down for a lesson taught by our fellow classmate Lucy about local birds.
We then had our first dinner in our new Home Base and some of us went on an optional night jungle tour.
Can’t wait until tomorrow!
Luke and Adriel
BLOG POST FOR FEBRUARY 22
We started off our last (and most exciting) day in Belize with a lovely breakfast at the Tropical Education Center and made our way down to a local ziplining course. After a short fitting process, we hiked through the jungle, spotting a troop of howler monkeys while waiting in line.
After a fast-paced morning of zooming through the canopy, we journeyed to a vast cave system where we tubed for a couple of hours in a sacred Mayan site for sacrifices, thought to be the entrance to Xibalba (the Mayan underworld).
We ended off the day with a heartfelt appreciation circle at Home Base and reflected on the memories we’ve made, along with ones we will create together.
Nico and Alex
