Ever wondered what it would be like to volunteer in an international developing country? Take a look at “A Day in the Life” of Global Leadership Adventures high school volunteers!
Morning
Spend your morning doing meaningful service for a local community. Whether you’re teaching, building, or simply visiting those in need, it’s the most powerful way to start each morning!
Afternoon
Adventures, excursions, and plenty of time to soak up the ins-and-outs of a new country and culture.
Evening
Unwind after action-packed days with great food, new friends, and opportunities for learning and reflection.
Looks amazing, right? The way these GLA Alumni tell the story, it is.
And, you don’t have to take our word for it! Join a GLA Facebook Group and interact with thousands of students who have gone on GLA programs, see photos from their trips, and more.
Call (858) 771-0454 to learn how you can travel on a GLA program or start your application now.
My experience with Global Leadership Adventures was true my life changing. Each day was a new experience and filled with exciting new ways to expand my knowledge. They people were great to work with and the skills I learned in just those ten day in the Dominican will be used throughout my life time. Like I mentioned, each day is different making hard to put all the days under one certain description.
I took part in the Peru Service in the Sacred Valley trip, and it was the best experience of my life. Thanks to our afternoon excursions, I was able to experience Peruvian culture in a way I would have never been able to do on an ordinary vacation. I came to Peru looking to help those in need, and left with so much more. I was able to form lasting bonds with the other students, while making a profound difference in a rural community. What are you looking for when you travel abroad?
This article breaks down GLA into segments of the day. It is so much more than that. The general layout is completely accurate, yet it doesnt even cover the half of it. GLA keeps you busy all day. There is some free time but they see to it that you are always occupied and immersed in the culture. On my trip to Thailand, all of us students found ourselves going to bed before curfew because we were so tired! GLA does a great job providing a safe active environment so that students can get the best experience possible while they are traveling the world. We did so much and got to meet so many amazing people that this “a day in the life” doesnt even cover how many amazing things are done in a day. From meeting with members from the peace corps to cooking classes to swimming and biking through rice paddies there is not a single passive moment when on a trip with GLA.
I volunteered through GLA in Tanzania & it changed my life! One of the best parts of the trip for me was the bonding with other students from all around the world during afternoon excursions or night time discussions & meals at Home Base. I stepped outside of my box & opened up to new ideas. I am so grateful for this experience!
This blog post has astounding accuracy for being so brief. It’s like giving away the secret formula as to why GLA programs are so life-changing. Yes, the days are packed with service and adventures, especially if you take a 2-week trip instead of a 3-week like I did. But after exploring an entirely new country and experiencing the people and culture and helping them everyday you get to unwind, reflect, and build relationships with your fellow volunteers and mentors. Each of these three components in the GLA trips are so vital to having an unforgettable experience. I think everyone can agree that the days were exhausting, but did anyone wish that their program was structured differently? I know that I didn’t.
Volunteering with GLA in Costa Rica this summer didn’t feel anything like life — it felt like a dream. I stayed at a beautiful home base, an eco-tourism cooperative hotel (occupied solely by the GLA program), which matched the environmental goals of the program I participated in called ‘Protecting the Pacific’. At home base, when I wasn’t eating the Costa Rican dishes provided every day, three times a day, swimming or lounging by the pool, exploring the grounds, or hanging out with my friends, I was napping to recover from all the activities and community service packed into the program. In my two weeks in Costa Rica, my group painted signs and trash cans for the community, sanded fences, played soccer against the locals, picked up trash on the beach, and built a biogarden for the local school. Additionally, we went kayaking, surfing, snorkeling, ziplining, and hiked to two different waterfalls. I’m very glad I went to another country through a program like GLA because I became so close to so many new people who I spent the two weeks with as peers, and I was shown a good time and how to help instead of having to figure that out by myself. To volunteer abroad with GLA is a rich and rewarding experience.
Did the GLA experience impact your decisions about your future? If they did, how and why?
Working in Costa Rica this past summer was an eye opening experience. It showed me how our lives are very different from every one living done there that don’t have the luxury that we have but we are also a lot a like in the sense that we enjoy doing the same things. Working with GLA definitely impacted my future, because of GLA I want to get more involved in my community and also expanding and working in other countries when I am older. This experience changed my decision about my future because it showed me that no matter how young I am or even if I only help a small town it is still making a HUGE impact.
I went to the Dominican Republic last year with GLA and I could not agree with you more! It was a completely life changing experience, meeting so many wonderful people and learning so much about myself and the world surrounding me. GLA gives you the opportunity to make a difference in the world.
Global Leadership Adventures has changed my life. I used to be very selfish and alway thinking about me. Now I understand how bad some people have it and I realize there are way bigger problems then mine. GLA also connected me with some really awesome people! All the kids you go on these trips with are awesome and really have a passion for helping others its amazing!! The cultural activities such as the safari was really fun!
Great! Thanks for sharing!
My experience with Global Leadership Adventures has forever changed me. To put it into words is nearly impossible – its something you have to experience for your own. So far, what I can say is that it has opened my eyes to a world vastly different than my own, and taught me valuable life lessons about thinking on a bigger, global scale besides my own little bubble at home. When I traveled to Costa Rica, it was unlike anything I had ever even seen before: lush greenery, shacks alongside each road, and a smile upon everyones faces. I would recommend the program a thousand times to anyone semi-interested. It is beyond worth it.
Another pointer is that, although the program is expensive, GLA helps you out through scholarships and an entire community of Ambassadors who have fundraised. I raised over $3200 to pay for my trip, which covered the entire cost. Everything turned out amazing, the trip went smoothly, and now I’m proud to represent GLa by being an Ambassador (:
Last year I went on the GLA beachside and service adventure in Costa Rica and can say it was probably one of the best things I have ever done. GLA was such an amazing experience and it has completely changed me and my outlook on life. The mentors there are among the kindest and most interesting people I have ever met who are really good at bonding with us and helping us grow into better leaders. Thanks to GLA I have now realized my potential in making an impact in the world.
A day in the life of a GLA student is everything mentioned and more! I went on the 3 week Heart and Soul of Africa program in Tanzania last year and believe me when I say that there was never a dull moment! Something that I will share with you is that after you explore miles of the African Savanna, spend hours teaching English to the most amazing kids at the Himo/ Korona school, experience the most spectacular 24 hours of your life with the Maasai people, hike around the base of the tallest mountain in Africa, and create friendships with the other kids from the program and the phenomenal local staff that will last a lifetime, you will finally realize that coming to Tanzania with GLA was the best thing that you could have ever possible done. GLA changed my life and I guarantee it will change yours!