Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures Custom Group program!

Here are a few things you can expect:

1. 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.
2. Blog updates sent on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
3. 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

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Click here to jump down to the most recent post!

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 2

Today was filled with twists and turns! We started with a delicious breakfast at Hotel Robeldal, before taking a bus ride to go ziplining! We flew our way from canopy to canopy on the ziplines, enjoying beautiful views of San Jose along the way.

Our zipline was unfortunately cut a little short after the rain turned to downpour. We enjoyed lunch at a local spot before embarking on another lengthy bus ride through many of Costa Rica’s landscapes, after which we took a short boat ride and arrived at the Greengold Eco lodge in Parismina.

– Abhay and Micah

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 3

Today was a day of exploration around the camp! We started the day with a delicious meal of eggs and toast, then we went around camp in the farm tour led by Jason. We saw beautiful flowers, ate snacks of coconut, and even saw Howler monkeys and a sloth!

After the tour, we ate lunch at the lodge and then after a bit of downtime we went to the beach! The beach was very nice and after riding the waves and participating in the sandcastle building competition, we went back to learn about ASTOP (Associacion Salvemos las Tortugas de Parismina) from Marc, a local from Parismina.

Next, we enjoyed dinner at the lodge before we went on our first night patrol. It was very soothing to hear the waves crashing on the coast and walking on the sand.

– Beau and Eleanor

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 4

Leaders of the day: Anvi and Jax

Today we started the day with a flavorful breakfast of rice and beans. We then embarked on a Jungle Boat Tour, where we explored the swampy rivers around the Eco Lodge. We saw a couple types of monkeys, many types of birds, such as egrets and herons, and we saw multiple reptiles, like caimans, crocodiles, iguanas, and basilisks! After that, we ate lunch and had a siesta, or a bit of down time after the meal.

We then took a tour of our host’s vanilla farm, where we learned how the vanilla vines are planted, pollinated, and harvested. We helped on the farm by cutting pieces of the vines and planting them by host trees so that they could grow into big plants. We refreshed our minds with a yoga session and then headed to the beach to pick up trash and enjoy the waves.

After freshening up we had dinner, and we did a leadership debate to understand the complex relationship between nesting sea turtles and coastal communities in Costa Rica.

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 5

Leaders of the day: Quinn and Lily

Yesterday we started the day with a breakfast, then after that we took a truck ride on an airstrip, and went to town. Then we met up with Jerry (Jason’s brother) and he talked to us about ASTOP’s mission and showed us the tools used for measuring and tagging turtles.

We then did a walking tour around the village, along the way we stopped into some shops and bought ice cream and other goodies. We then went to cooking class in our mentor groups and cooked empanadas, but one of the groups ran out of gas, so we had to wait for them.

After that we went to a craft fair and bought hand made souvenirs made out of coconut, cow bone, and cow horn. Then we had lunch, smoothies, and played some card games. After that we met with a dance instructor to get dance lessons if salsa, bachata and Soca, a Caribbean traditional dance.

After the dance lessons, we went to a soccer field and played soccer with the kids of Parismina. After, we had dinner and got ready for our night patrol and then went to the night patrol. We didn’t see any turtles, but that’s okay, we got to see the stars after many cloudy days. Then we went to bed. Tomorrow we are heading to San Jose for our final day in Costa Rica! We have learned so much about the turtles, the wildlife and how our actions can impact the world we live in.

We’ll see you very soon!

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 7

Leaders of day: Carson and Urvi

This morning, after waking up and eating a large breakfast, we went to the beach and enjoyed the waves for around 20 minutes. We all enjoyed our final experience there. After showering up and packing up all our luggage, we started designing signs. On the signs were written messages around the theme of conserving the ecosystem. We ate a final lunch which contained rice, beans, plantains, and fresh fish.

We soon walked to the dock and we rode away from the place where we had spent the last few days of the week. We said our goodbyes to Jason and the wonderful Green-Gold Ecolodge staff before boarding the bus back to San Jose. We checked back into Hotel Robledal, and some played in the hotel pool. The dinner was a nice salad, with mashed potatoes and chicken.

We concluded the day with our final leadership activities. One of them was an appreciation circle where we showed our gratitude and appreciation towards everyone who had helped and inspired us during the duration of the travel. We took a survey that recapped our wonderful trip, as we now prepare to depart back to Colorado!

Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures Custom Group program!

Here are a few things you can expect:

1. 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.
2. Blog updates sent on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
3. 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

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Click here to jump down to the most recent post!

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 16

Written by Grisha and Martin

We made it to Bilbao! Everything went smoothly, aside from all of us being a little tired, and it was really fun. We started the day with an orientation with our GLA directors, and learned a lot from our local guide on our walking tour in the afternoon. The day’s highlight, however, was definitely the food – we had some pintxos, which is typical cuisine from Bilbao.

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 17

Written by Yunwoo and Adrian

Overall, today was even more fun than yesterday since we weren’t as tired after the plane ride. We woke up and had a delicious breakfast. After that we went to a surf hostel, then took a walk to the beach and started surfing. Surfing was easier for some people than others, but it was the ocean so everyone had fun! We walked back to the hostel and had some lunch there. Later we came back to the hotel and had some rest before we went to a museum. The museum was very large and had a lot of different exhibitions. There was a room with an interesting video! At the end of the day we ate pizza nearby the hotel.

Also, did we mention that now we’re famous in Bilbao??

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 18

Written by Jazmin and Vivienne

Today was really tiring, but we had a lot of fun. In the morning we had breakfast and took the subway to see a river that ran into the ocean. We paddled there, and also met some really nice staff that showed us how to paddle and even stand up on the board! We paddled and saw two beautiful bridges – one was white and the other one was red, and ended at an island where we had fun sliding around in the mud.

Afterwards, we walked and ate in a really nice restaurant, all of us were full! Then we walked to the subway station and took the train to our hotel, where we got to chill a little bit. For dinner we are at a restaurant with Japanese food called Buga Ramen. It was absolutely delicious and everyone loved it.

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 19

Written by Cecilia

Today we went to Madrid on the high speed train. The ride was four hours long and a little boring, but at least we arrived! Madrid is a big city. We went back to the hotel and rested a bit, and in the afternoon we tried the flamenco dance of Spain and watched a flamenco show. It was fun and interesting! The day was tiring but good.

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 20

Written by Sophie

Last day of the trip! After breakfast at the hostel, we headed out one last time to explore Madrid. We went first to a park nearby which has a beautiful Egyptian temple, Templo de Debod. We took pictures at the lookout and then did a closing activity where we shared what we’d liked most about the trip, what challenged us, and what we’d learned. We then took a little time for souvenir shopping, and had our last lunch together before heading to the airport. Thank you Spain for having us and we hope to be back someday!

Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures Custom Group program!

Here are a few things you can expect:

1. 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.
2. Blog updates sent on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
3. 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

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Click here to jump down to the most recent post!

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 9

After a long morning of travel, Prospect Hill arrived in the Dominican Republic! We started our day with eating a yummy meal at Pizzarelli. We had some cheese pizza, pepperoni pizza, and veggie pizza! After eating, we began our route to the Zona Colonial in Santo Domingo. After dropping off our bags at our hotel for the night, we began our tour of the Zona Colonial. After our tour, we returned to the hotel to decompress from the day and eat dinner. We then ended our night with orientation and excitement around our itinerary for the week!

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 10

For day 2 we woke up and had breakfast at the hotel, after breakfast we headed down and waited for our bus and then we departed for San Pedro and our home base. We dropped our luggage at the home base and then went on a tour in San Pedro where we learned about San Pedro’s history and notable figures from the town. Then, we departed and went to Monte Coca and had lunch and played with the children. To end our day, we did service and we spilt into two groups and shoveled cement into wheel barrels and dropped it. Lastly, after service we came back to home base and have been relaxing and had dinner before finishing our night with learning about different Dominican music genres and dancing bachata, merengue, and dembow.

Leaders of the Day: Anise and Zaki

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 11

Day 3 started off with us enjoying breakfast and started our departure to the work site. For the next two hours, we worked on mixing concrete and helped assist in making floors for the community. We then had lunch shared laughs and dances with the kids and headed back to more hard work at the site. We ended the day with lunch and a nice dip at the pool. Zack and Mr. Lee raced in the pool. We had fun and the food was great today!

— Leaders of the Day: Rekab and Sam

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 12

Today, students completed their final morning of service. They completed the floors for two houses and an outdoor area patio. After service, we headed back to home base to get ready for the beach. Students enjoyed the beach for a few hours before heading back to home base and getting ready for their sunset dinner. After dinner, students had a close out party in one of our spaces, dancing, playing music, and singing karaoke. It was a great time!

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 13

Today, students woke up and got their suitcases ready to head back to Boston. After a great night celebrating completing service, students were able to sleep in before breakfast. After breakfast, we closed out our program by participating in an Appreciation Circle. Then, we headed to the airport to close out our program. Thank you Prospect Hill for a great time!

Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!

Here are a few things to know and expect:

1. Blog posts are written by onsite program staff and/or students and sent to our Headquarters team who will post the blog on this page.
2. We typically receive 2-3 blog updates per week from each program, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post every day – that’s totally normal.
3. Blog updates received late in the evening or overnight will be posted the following day.
4. Blog updates received on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
5. Due to many factors such as internet accessibility, program staff aren’t always able to send photos, so some blog posts may contain text only.

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

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Click here to jump down to the most recent post!

BLOG POST FOR JUNE 23

Day one of a big adventure in the tropical paradise of Bali!

As students arrived from there long flights throughout the day, we began to learn about each other, Bali and the program to come.

We’re looking forward to exploring Bali and understanding the realities of responsible business at home and abroad. We’ll immerse ourselves in the rich culture of Bali, exploring hidden shrines, wandering through rice paddies, we will will try exotic foods and discover a different way of life.

We’re all so excited for tomorrow and the next three weeks together.

From Ben, and everybody here on the ground in Bali!

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 24

First day in the GLA business internship program!

We started the day by getting introduced to the Bali Institute (local partner of GLA Bali) or the Headquarters we will be staying at to work (for our internship). At the Bali Institute we did the inauguration, did some ice breakers, and shared laughs. After this we all ate at the Bali Institute. The meal was home cooked and included foods like mixed rice, sweet and sour chicken, tempe (fermented soybean dish), and some vegetables.

We continued our adventure going to the city and participating in a scavenger hunt. The scavenger hunt was a journey through the city interacting with locals about historic landmarks, traditions, and dances. We learned so many new things from this including learning how locals in a community unite in a banjar, what the typical household in these communities would look like, and a variety of different foods eaten daily by the locals. Not only did we do the scavenger hunt but we learned four new skills that we would have never learned if it wasn’t for this trip, which is wood-carving, offering making, gamelan and Balinese dancing.

The guys and girls both first learned how to dance legong (a native dance of Bali) then we proceeded to learn to play the gamelan (a musical instrument similar to the xylophone) and then a local artist in Bali taught us to carve our names in wood. Finally we all learned to make offerings that we will offer in the temple that we will head to tomorrow. All in all after a day of so much activity we ended the day going to dinner and reflecting on the day. We all had an amazing time and are so excited for tomorrow’s activities like the peaceful herbal walk (a walk in the rice paddy to learn about Bali’s herbal plants), the spiritual temple visit, and the very anticipated GLA internship brief. Goodnight and see you tomorrow!

– Sebastian Lugo

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 25

We started the day by waking up extra early at around 6 o’clock and heading on a bus towards the Herbal walk showcasing various medicinal plants, herbs, and medicines. We were dropped off promptly and waited for our tour guide, Made Westi. Unexpectedly, the rain started dripping slowly onto the group, and we all put on our ponchos and rain jackets. The rain would unfortunately continue for the rest of the day (even though the weather said it would stop around 10). The journey continued through the natural bushy foliage of Bali.

Along the way, the group was mesmerized by the colourful flowers and bustling trees. The group learned about new Indonesian plants and their “magical” properties. As we traversed our way through the narrow pathways, we interacted with Bali locals and greeted them as we gazed upon their land. Made Westi would stop occasionally to show off and give the group different types of flowers and herbs to smell and look upon (and even taste!).

As we walked on, we saw different examples of suitability throughout today such as animals such as Ducks helping with natural farming and cleaning, and acting as a pesticide.

After our herbal walk, we made a pitstop at Made Westi’s all-natural tea shop, and the group purchased gifts for themselves and their families! After our refreshing tea stop, we stopped by the Mengening Temple after an hour or so drive. We put on our Sarongs and Sashes, and headed into the temple to explore. As we were walking, we were hit by an almost torrential downpour, requiring us to put on our rain jackets and coats.

As a group, we explored the springs fed by the natural mountain water and eventually made our way to perform a Balinese prayer in the temple. The prayer required the offerings that the group had made the previous day during the Banjar workshop, and incense. After rubbing in the holy water that was splashed on us and praying using different sacred flowers, we all connected back together and made our way back.

As we joined back together, we hurried along to the anticipated Kintamani Restaurant and enjoyed an all-you-can-eat buffet, where we all enjoyed the delicious food. The expected view of the below was interrupted by a barrage of fog that blocked our vision.

After enjoying the lunch, we made our way to the hotel to talk more about the busy day we have tomorrow. We’re really excited to experience our first day as official interns and excited to meet the local students! The group took a quick swim test to prepare for the awaited water experiences later and we sat down for a calm and well-needed dinner to wrap up the day. The group has not been able to stop talking about meeting the new students and we’re so ready for what tomorrow holds.

-Cavan Guest

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 26

Today we started day 3 with our first official internship session starting module at the Bali Institute office and Makadaya Impact store. We started the day with learning about the Makadaya Impact Center story and the journey with how it came to be what it is, followed by a tour of the store with the products. These products are sustainable items that are solving real pressing issues here in Bali in different ways by creating a new vision of known products. Example of this was seen to be the Nadis Herbal which is an entirely natural approach to tea, body care items, and so much more. This store is full of products of all kinds that help to reuse, recycle, and upcycle!

Our day continued with meeting and working together with local Balinese high-school students, hearing from guest speakers, and getting professional headshots taken all at the office. Through the day we explored ideas about Social Enterprise, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship roles and how they differ from traditional commercial businesses along with non-profit organizations. As a group we went in depth making visual representations of these real economic issues happening in Indonesia especially Bali and coming up with “possible” solutions. In our personal solutions we used processes we learned during the day like the importance of social change in business strategies and having all the research of global challenges like the who, what, when, and why?

While learning new ideas, ways of thinking, and examples of sustainable businesses we still had plenty of fun getting to know the local students. Getting to play games, work in small groups, and create our own sustainable product using eco-printing. We were able to do a form of eco-printing by using cloth then simply collecting leaves and flowers then using a mallet to pound the color into the cloth from the plants. After completing this process we were left with a colorful cloth with a handmade pattern using no chemicals or harmful processes. We had a great day learning lots of new information, like the Indonesian businesses that succeed in the right way and also getting to connect with the students on a personal level. We are all eager to learn more and hear from more insightful speakers! Until then goodnight!!

-Ava Discepolo

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 27

Are you a fan of maggots? It is not just any maggots, it’s maggots from Black Soldier Fly!

Today we spent most of our time learning about and working with them. But before that, the day started with another breakfast at the hotel consisting of a mix between classic Balinese food and American classics.

We then met up with our friends from the Highscope school who joined us on our journey today. We slowly made our way to the Magi Farm and began our lesson, we learned from Ima and Soma, the cofounders of the Magi Farm. We spent many hours learning the cycle of Black Soldier Fly (BSF), how they contribute to fighting the growing problem of food waste, and how Ima and Soma were able to turn it into a thriving business. Although it seemed like many of the students were grossed out by the maggots, as we continued to learn about their importance to the environment and in the battle to fight climate change, we kept open minds and eventually got to work with them ourselves. Getting our hands dirty sorting the maggots from the compost they were hiding in. Some students even went into the hectic yet safe Black Soldier Fly cage, which was packed with them, flying everywhere and scaring the students (most of the students were screaming as they left).

We then got into our buses and headed to the landfill to see first hand why it is so important for us to continue fighting problems in climate change and improper disposal of waste. When we got there we spent our time handing out food to the locals who live inside and around the landfill, many of them using it as their source of income, scrapping day and night to resell the plastic left there. It was an eye opening experience to all of us and really put us into perspective.

We left there and went through yet another lesson on how to maintain and grow a sustainable business, starting our group projects on how to help expand the Magi Farm. We got a nice dinner on our way home as our last moment with the students from the Highscope school for the day. We said our goodbyes and went to a market to pick up souvenirs and snacks for the night. As a whole, today was full of unique experiences, from playing with maggots to exploring a maze of trash and waste, reminding the students to keep an open mind.

– Paxton Hunt

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 28

Today, we first woke up and arrived at breakfast at around 7:30. We left for the office at 8:03 after some delays in order to work on a presentation in order to help the company we visited yesterday, Magi Farms, through providing them with ideas in order to help increase the number of customers they have. Magi Farms is an up and coming company that uses maggots of the black soldier fly in order to reduce food waste in households and businesses. We were split into three groups each aiding Magi Farms on one of the situations of, Social Media promotion, acquisition of more customers, and a loyalty program.

My group consisting of me, Lugo, Mea, Nindia, and Dharma were in charge of creating a loyalty program. We were able to come up with a name called Magi Rewards with a slogan of “Join the Magi family to start eating points!” which operates on a point system. We all contributed to discussions thoroughly and all provided great ideas in order to make this program seem more attractive to both Magi farms and customers. Our program is mostly focussed on retaining current household customers to use Magi farms’ services for an extended period of time as well as gaining new customers. We had an idea of a points system where customers could redeem points for rewards. We decided that 900 points would be able to provide a customer with 1 free month of subscription, 500 points for a 50% off voucher for all merchandise, and 300 points for a free tour of the Magi farm establishment every two weeks on weekends. Customers would be able to gain points through referring a friend, which would earn them 300 points, as well as continuously using the subscription program for a prolonged period of time. For the first month, customers would not get any points, but every month onwards, they would receive 50 points per month. There would also be certain milestones customers would be able to reach which would be additional points on top of the 50 points per year. Mea and I was in charge of creating the slides and inputting the information and displaying it in a visually appealing method, Nindia and Dharma were in charge of designing a mock up of what the website which displays your points would look like, while Lugo made a demonstration website with all of its features to show the co-founder. Additionally, I also created multiple graphs with extensive calculations to show how much Magi farm would profit from this program

After the preparation of the presentation, we had lunch at the office where we chatted with the local students and played games. We then had a quick cross cultural program where we would discuss with the local students the differences between our lifestyles such as our school experiences. Then we were given 10 minutes to rehearse our presentation before finally presenting it to the co-founder of Magi Farms. Group 3 went first, where they talked about implementing more social media programs to boost the number of customers Magi Farms have. They suggested making the hook and content be more attractive towards younger audiences as well as broadening their reach into other social media platforms other than Linkedin and Instagram. They also talked about collaborating with other environmental social media influencers to increase the amount of people who are able to see their business. Then, our group presented, showing the co-founder our mock ups and website as well as our statistics and data. Finally, Group 1 presented, they wanted to implement Magi kits into schools by giving live demonstrations to schools in order to not only increase awareness to help the environment, as well as allowing Magi Farms to potentially gain more customers through the school, and student’s parents.

Next, we arrived at Ubad Ubud for a cooking class and dinner. We first had some snacks with orange juice and balinese pancakes. Then we started cooking, with each of us being introduced to all of the dishes we would be making, including Balinese yellow sauce, mushroom soup, grilled minced chicken on bamboo skewers, steamed tuna, deep fried tofu and Tempe, and mixed vegetables. We first were all separately preparing the other dishes, through chopping spices and garnishes, as well as pounding with a Pestle and Mortar to make sauces. We then fried some spices in order to make the yellow sauce. We then prepared the tuna by using our hands to mix the tuna with spices and then steaming it. We then prepared the chicken by once again mixing it with our hands and then layering it on top of a bamboo skewer. We also fried the tofu and tempe in sweet soy sauce on a wok which I quite enjoyed, as well as frying some mushrooms for the mushroom soup. I definitely enjoyed cooking, especially when I was able to fry the vegetables on a wok. For dinner, we combined all of the dishes we made and ate them together.

Finally, we arrived back at the hotel for mentor groups and to rest and prepare for the next day. Overall, the day was full of excitement and fun as I enjoyed preparing, researching and calculating for the presentation as I felt like I had truly made an impact. I also enjoyed the cooking lesson and increased my confidence in my cooking abilities as well as allowing me to be more interested in cooking in general.

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 29

We started the day off with a great start, and we took a scenic route to the Bali Institute. The forest was beautiful and lush. We got to the Bali Institute and started the day off with the local students talking about their morning routine during the school year. Their morning starts with reflection and then a game to get everyone excited for the day. This game involved throwing a ball while there was a student in the middle. The person who is in the middle has to share a way to get comfortable around others.

After the game, we started the lesson on social business models. There are ten things that we learned that had to go with it, which we later used in the day on our posters. After lunch, we went back to the lesson. Once the lesson was over, we started our poster on Mycotech Collabs.

After the poster, we went to the local art market where everyone was able to buy souvenirs and gifts for their people back home (there was a lot of bargaining involved). The local students were able to help us with what to buy and what not to buy. Many people were able to get close to the local students and make better connections.

Going on to dinner, which was at a local night market called Gianyar Market. Everyone had a blast. Trying local food and learning more about each other. We had bakso noodles, which have chicken, meatballs, and other vegetables. For dessert, we had crepes and terang bulan (a type of pancake with chocolate inside).

After today, we are so excited for what Bali holds next, we are so excited to talk to the local students even more, and get to know them! The group can’t wait to become more like family and make memories together!

-Sreenathan Shakhamoori

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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 30

Our first week has been officially completed and we had a very well-needed sleep in before embarking on our second enterprise immersion adventure. Today we started off by driving to Made Tea to continue learning about sustainability and diving deeper into the company and its goals. We began the exploration by getting a lovely tour of the organic garden, by learning about locally grown herbal plants and trying fruits such as the Mulberry, we expanded not only our knowledge but also our taste palate.

Next we were taught about chemical-free liquid composting, and other eco-friendly practices like solar drying. However, the adventure is not complete without hearing the founder’s story from working in hospitality, visiting India for personal growth, to coming back to her home and starting her sustainable farming business. Made Tea is not just a tea business, it is the collaboration of the farmers and housewives in eight villages and the sense of community it brings.

It is also the combination of indigenous knowledge and creative innovation blended into a harmonious tea cup. However, the company is not yet 100% sustainable, which has been a lifelong goal of the founder. So, our groups will be working on this problem and creating fully eco-friendly and biodegradable packaging (options like seaweed, cornstarch, or similar materials).

Tomorrow we will be presenting what we have researched to help her reach her company’s mission of being fully sustainable. After our work and with all the new knowledge that’s been applied, we took a little celebration by having PIZZA, playing cards, and then later swimming at the pool in the hotel. We are all excited to meet the princess tomorrow at the royal palace!

Sampai bertemu lagi! (See you soon!)

-Madeline Richards

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 1

From giving another impact project presentation to meeting the princess of Bali, we GLA students had a long day filled with excitement. We started off at the office, where we wrapped up our action projects for Made Tea, a social enterprise that is working to sustainably sell tea by collaborating with farmers and housewives. The day before, Made Roni, the founder of Made Tea, shared with us the problem that the inside of her tea packaging was not made out of sustainable materials, but aluminum. We were tasked with finding a better solution for this inner packaging.

Group one shared insights into the general topic of sustainable packaging alternatives. Group two focused on these alternatives and selected the one they thought would be best for Made Tea products. Group three presented new designs for not only the outside of the box but also the new inner packaging. After enjoying our lunch break, we started on a GLA session where we analyzed our strengths from the Clifton Strengths assessment and used them to find out more about ourself and our style of leadership. We also learned about cultural humility which taught us to have an open mind while we are learning about and experiencing new Balinese culture.

As the afternoon went on, we came back from the office and the girls headed out to a traditional Kebaya [traditional top for Balinese women] store to purchase tops that we could wear on our visit to the Royal Palace of Blahbatuh. For this excursion we all dressed up in our sarongs and sashes to visit the princess Gung Ayu. After a tour around the grounds where we saw the family temple and learned about the family compound, we sat down for dinner with the princess herself. On our plates we had rice, satay, chicken soup, perkedel kentang [potato croquet], and more. We engaged in lively conversation about the princess’s duties, where she is going to university, music, cars, and American slang. We got photos with not only her, but also her brother and the king which made for a special treat at the end of dinner. Finally to end the night, we came back to the hotel and went for a night swim which felt refreshing after a long day of being out and about. We look forward to continuing to learn about Balinese culture and business. See you tomorrow!

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 2

Today we had the privilege of waking up later and got breakfast. Then we headed out to the office where we had our 3rd and 4th GLA sessions. We talked about how to make a CV resume and created a linkedin profile while also discussing burnouts and overworking. We found out how to prevent burnouts and minimalize bad habits that contribute to burnouts. It includes going to sleep early and finding good habits such as working out.

After we finished the GLA sessions we had chicken and rice for lunch. Post lunch we had special guest Adhitya Nugraha presenting “Finding Your Market” which included how to identify issues within society. Some examples are climate change, ocean acidification, and food security. We then were split into several groups with the HighScope students to work on assignments. The first assignment had the groups choose customers and business founders and do an interview scenario. The interview consisted of asking questions about issues such as sanitation, access to water, and proper nutrition. The second task was making personas and presenting them. My group’s task was to make a character named Gung Gus who liked to go to the beach but was unable to due to trash. The third assignment we came up with a proposal for a solution to the waste. For the final task each group made their own original movie poster about the issues.

We then left the office and headed to the Tempeman for a lesson on the Indonesian fermented soybeans “tempe”. We mixed the soybeans with the fermenting agent and pumpkin seeds, after we wrapped it up in banana leaves to let them ferment. Then Tempeman made us several dishes out of tempe that were amazing. Indomart was our next stop before the hotel. At the Indomart we got snacks and various ramen to try at the hotel. During the mentor groups we ate Indomie, a famous indonesian ramen brand. To close off the night we went in the pool and had chicken fights.

-Austin Cragg

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 3

Today was a steady, productive day. We had breakfast at 8:00 AM and didn’t leave the hotel until around 9:00 AM, which gave us a slower start to the morning.

The main part of the day was spent on Module 4, which focused on Design Basics and Financial Literacy. In this session, we worked in small groups to create quick elevator pitches for fake businesses we came up with ourselves. The activity was centered on learning how to design a business idea and explain it clearly and efficiently in a short amount of time.

We had lunch at the Bali Institute and stayed there until about 2:00 PM. After lunch, we returned to the hotel and had about an hour of free time, which most of us used to pack and get ready for tomorrow’s trip to Amed.

Later in the afternoon, we visited the PKP Community Center. This is a nonprofit organization that empowers local women and families by providing support to help them achieve financial independence as well as community stability.While we ate dinner, we watched a performance by Indonesian school girls, which gave us a quiet moment to observe and appreciate local culture.

We left the center around 9:00 PM and returned to the hotel to rest.

Today was mostly about building practical skills, preparing for upcoming travel, and taking time to engage with the local community in simple but meaningful ways.

-Sophia Casey

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 4

Yesterday, we started July 4th bright and early to make our trip to the Sobek Telaga Waja River to go white water rafting. We made the 15 km trip down the river, taking in views of waterfalls, rice paddies, mountainsides, and local homes. The trip took 2 hours down the river with breaks to stop and take photos with the beautiful waterfalls, most of us made it down the river with no damages other than my raft, which had an excepted flip. At the end of the trip, we had a buffet-style lunch overlooking the river with rice paddies built into the sides of the mountains.

After that, we got back into the bus and continued our trip to our new hotel in Amed overlooking the ocean with volonic side beaches. We all made our way into the ocean right away, with the crystal clear water, where we played in the ocean till dinner. The group made its way to a dinner spot to have hamburgers, to get the independence mood! On the walk back, we stopped at local beach stores in the town to find any souvenirs. Following dinner and our walk back, we participated in some traditional American July 4th fun, such as sparklers and lighting off fireworks!

We had a great day in our new beach town for the next couple of days, and can’t wait to experience more of these beach activities as the week goes on. Excited to see what tomorrow brings and the adventures that come with it, until then goodnight!

Ava Dicepolo

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 5

Hello everyone!

Today was an eventful day, we started off the day well rested and excited for an early start to the morning with a sunrise swim! (Except for me and Austin). After cleaning and showering we enjoyed an extra long breakfast with some free time after. While Ava and I enjoyed a final ok from the Dr. on our rafting scrapes and bruises, the others enjoyed a tranquil experience in the ocean.

The group continued their ocean ventures by trying on their snorkeling gear and testing them out in the ocean. After about an hour of snorkeling everyone enjoyed themselves at a local Thai restaurant and waited for Ava and I to catch up.

At around 1:15 we drove down to the snorkeling area and enjoyed an aesthetic experience in the ocean. Everyone loved it and got little souvenirs and shells for friends and family! After cleaning up and going to the hotel to change. We enjoyed a nice walk to our next social enterprise: Garam Amed. Garam Amed produces local and clean tasting salt for many different hotels and restaurants. They use minerals to add a unique and deep woody flavor to the salt for an amazing tasting experience. The group decided on group ice cream as a tasty treat on our way to dinner (Don’t tell the parents!) and enjoyed various flavors. After enjoying a sweet treat, we made our way to the hotel to eat our last dinner in Amed. The boys and girls enjoyed the hotel ping pong and also enjoyed a few rounds of pool before meeting for mentor groups. The highlight of today’s session was burning something that we would like to stop or lose about ourselves on the trip or when we get home. We rounded the night off by washing off in the pool and ocean and playing music for the rest of the night! I hope you enjoyed this reading as much as I did writing it!

Good morning, afternoon, and evening!

– Cavan Guest

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 6

Today was a great and eventful day. It started off with a few of the students waking up for a view of the sunset over the water. After that all the students went for massages after breakfast most people got full body massages and others just got parts of their body. After massages everyone was in a good mood, talking, laughing and having fun. After we got back to the hotel we started our drive to the trekking spot to the local village. Once we got to the spot we had lunch overlooking the mountains. The trek was long and slippery. There was a lot of mud so everyone had to be careful. Lucky no one fell and hurt themselves. Once we got down to the village we were able to try the local sour honey. This type of honey is made from the local bees. It was a bit sour and then had a little bit of sweetness to it, similar to apple cider vinegar. We were also able to put it in the tea which changed the color of it from pink to yellow. After the tea we had a tour of the village and how the people there lived. We saw their cultural activities such as chicken fighting and perang pandan (a traditional fight between 2 people with spiky leaves. After the village tour we left for the hotel with dinner on the way. Once we got to the hotel we got different roommates and were excited to spend time with others. Everyone is looking forward to the last week of the trip and can not wait to see what it holds for them.

Sreenathan Shakhamoori

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 7

Today was a very packed and productive day. To start the day off we woke up around 7:30 AM and had breakfast. After breakfast we drove to our 3rd enterprise immersion, Handep (a social enterprise that focuses on traditional weaving products using Rattan). After visiting Handep we had lunch at a sick waterfall spot and were assigned groups for proposing ideas for the challenges the enterprise was facing. After lunch we went to another enterprise immersion at kopernik. Kopernik is a research lab that supports local innovations that bring a positive impact for the local community. They showed us their many inventions and even had us try a period cramp simulator. We then went to the office to finish our presentations on Handep challenges where we proposed our ideas to help expand their brand. My group mainly focused on improving their social media presence and appealing to the younger audience. After we played a surprise game for Dharma (our HighScope friend) where we blindfolded him and brought out a cake for his belated birthday celebration. To end the day we had pizza for dinner with the HighScope students.

– Austin Cragg

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 8

Today was one of those rare, packed days that you know you’ll look back on and smile. It all started early this morning as we made our way to our “office”—our home base for all things business and leadership. With the sun already shining through the windows, we dove straight into completing our final module for our GLA Business and Entrepreneurship curriculum. There was a buzz of excitement (and a bit of nervous energy) as we put the finishing touches on our pitch ideas.

Lunchtime came quickly, and it didn’t disappoint. The meal was full of delicious options—crispy fried chicken, vibrant vegetables, steaming rice, fluffy Indonesian omelettes, and so much more. We definitely didn’t hold back, knowing we had a big afternoon ahead.

After refueling, we returned to our workspace for what was probably one of the most exciting moments of the trip so far: presenting our business immersion consultation project to Handep, a local Indonesian fashion sustainability brand doing meaningful work in the world of ethical fashion. Each group brought their A-game, pitching thoughtful, innovative ideas with confidence and passion. The Handep team was seriously impressed, and we all felt proud of what we had accomplished. It was more than just a presentation—it was a real collaboration with purpose.

But the day didn’t end there.

After wrapping up our business hats (literally and metaphorically), we changed into our activewear and shifted gears into futsal mode. We ran, kicked, laughed, and probably worked off every bit of that fried chicken. The friendly competition brought even more energy to a day already full of it.

To cool down, we grabbed bowls of hot ramen—comfort food that hit just right—and settled into our evening mentor groups. It was the perfect way to wind down: talking, laughing, and reflecting together on all that we’d done and learned.

As I sit here thinking back on today, I can’t help but feel a mix of excitement and nostalgia. This trip has given me so much—new knowledge, new friends, and memories that I know I’ll carry with me for a long time. I’m already feeling a little sad knowing this adventure will come to an end, but for now, I’m just grateful to be here.

See you tomorrow for more! – Sebastian Lugo

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 9

Today was our first day working with local Balinese high schoolers on our final presentations, we got a chance to work as groups developing a passion project for a sustainable enterprise here in Bali. We worked all morning brainstorming and beginning outlines for our pitch-decks at the hotel with our final groups of the trip. All of the groups made significant progress on our projects and are set up to end our internship on a high note. After the slightly boring morning at the hotel, we drove to learn padel from Komang and tried our hardest to get proper games going. We spent an hour there, and to end it off, some of the students went in a refreshing ice bath before making our way to the Icon Mall on the beach. We arrived around 3 and spent the rest of the day exploring, shopping, and, most importantly, eating. It ended with an unexpected beautiful light show on the beach. It was another entertaining day as we are close to wrapping up our time here. As we are doing so, we have spent time reflecting on some major takeaways we all have and how this trip has reshaped who we are and how we view challenges that we may face in the coming years.

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 10

Today, we woke up and had breakfast from 7:00 – 8:00. We were supposed to leave for the Bali institute office at 8:30. However, due to some delays and some people being late, we were slightly late and left at 8:40. Still, we were able to arrive at the office on time at 9:00. We then split into our groups and worked on our final presentations. We focused on improving and finishing a draft of our final presentation slides. My group decided to collect plastic trash from Bali’s gutters and make them into pens. I was helping my group calculate the total cost of our plan as well as how much we needed to charge the customers for in order to get our money back in a reasonable amount of time

Next, we had lunch at the office from 12:00 to 1:00, eating rice with shredded chicken, bean sprouts, peanuts, and a hard boiled egg. We then said goodbye to our Highscope friends as we left to see a waterfall. To get to the waterfall, we were required to walk across a large current through holding onto a rope which was an interesting experience. Due to many of us not bringing swimwear, we had to cross with our normal clothes, resulting in some of us wetting all of our clothes. The waterfall was really beautiful and cool, with many of us showering under it for photos. We also took a dip in a small pool area created by the waterfall and had a nice swim.

After that, we quickly got out of the water and drove back to the hotel for a quick shower, with some of us going swimming as well. We then went downstairs to write letters to all our friends and classmates from this trip as well as write out a resume. Finally, we went out for dinner and then came back to the hotel. Overall, today was incredibly fun and productive, with us able to finish our parts of the presentation and enjoying our time at the waterfall.

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 11

Day 19 was full of highs and lows, featuring a bittersweet goodbye to all of our Highscope friends. Our day started off with us driving to the Bali Institute office in order to finalize our final presentations. We were given 3 hours to prepare and revise our presentation. We were divided into three groups: Aqualoop, with William, Nindia, Sree, Ava, Dharma and Paxton, Ecosaji, consisting of Cavan, Lugo, Hayyu, Sophia, and Kevin, and finally Shared Stitch, consisting of Me, Dinda, Ravi, Mea, and Austin.

After our revisions we had lunch together, followed by a rundown of the event. After that we had a quick icebreaker of fruit punch and then started our final presentations in which all of our mentors, peers, and the founders of the sustainable businesses we had learned about were in the audience. Aqualoop presented first, showing off their idea of collecting plastic waste from Bali’s gutters and turning the plastic into reusable pens, kudos to Willy for the finance. Then Ecosaji presented, with an idea of hiring local balinese artisans to provide them with bamboo in order to create a sustainable replacement of plastic cutlery and straws. Last, shared stitch presented the idea of creating an app where people were given several options to donate, sell, or upcycle their used clothes. Helping out Balinese families by promoting responsible consumption and protecting the environment from all the textile waste that gets duped in the landfill daily.

After our successful and well-prepared presentations we all gathered together to listen to our GLA speaker, Cavan, and the Highscope student representative give heartfelt speeches about their experiences and overall reflections from how our trip has been. After this we gathered for many pictures and got our certificates for completing the program. We then left for our scenic dinner spot where we celebrated our success with our Highscope friends. After dinner we left for our surprise event which turned out to be karaoke! Karaoke was a blast and we sang to our hearts content which included Indonesian songs from the Highscope students. We also got to witness a beautiful solo by the one and only Willy. Ending our adventure, we said goodbye to our HighScope friends for the last time as we left for our hotel on a bittersweet note.

-Madeline

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 12

Our last day in Bali was a long one but by far one of the best. We started off bright and early at 5:30 to get to surfing in time for the good tides. So, after a long car ride once we made it to the beach we split up into two groups for surfing. We were all eager to try out surfing, something we had been looking forward to the whole trip.

After a brief explanation we plunged into the water! It took a bit of warming up but we all got some good waves. Even through the wipeouts we had big smiles on our faces the entire time. After surfing some chose to play beach volleyball with other local Balinese children. Although it was very sandy it was so much fun to show off our skills and see how the Balinese play. Next we had some extra beach time to enjoy the waves, salt water, and the sand. A favorite game to play between the group was over or under where Ben would choose for us to dive under a wave or jump over it. By the beach many of us feasted on fresh mango, smoothies, and coconut water straight from the coconut.

Next we decided to go to a nearby mall to make any final purxhases of the trip. By the time we reached lunch we had already done so much. But the fun did not stop there. After our last Balinese lunch we headed back to the water for our last waves of the trip. Finally we drove home from the beach while everyone took a much needed nap.

After working on our last jornal prompts and letters for each other, we got dressed up for the final dinner. We had a variety of Balinese food at a local restaurant called Masa Masa. We not only feasted but also reflected upon our journey through the GLA trip. We participated in an appreciation circle anonymously giving thanks to each other. Additionally, we used offerings to pray for our luck and how fortunate we are to come on such an amazing trip. The night did end in some tears and I anticipate more to come but overall it was a great day.

I can confidently say I gained so many new friends from this experience. Everyone is so unique, kind, and funny and I am so grateful to GLA for making this trip happen. I learned so many lessons from this trip and I think we will all remeber this amazing summer! I can’t believe we finished the final project and made it through to the other side. Aye aye ayeeeeeee!

– Mea Poole

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-The Global Leadership Adventures HQ Team

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JULY 7

Dear Families!

We have a full group of students safely arrived and settled into our beautiful home base at United World College campus in Santa Ana! We had a wonderful arrival day landing into our experience together: students had some time to rest, have a campus tour, play some games outside and start connecting as a group. We are thrilled to dive into this journey together with this unique and beautiful group of students!

After some games at the residences, we had an early first sleep in to get ready for our orientation day tomorrow 🙂 May our Career Exploration Internship begin!

Kindly and with best spirits!
GLA Team.

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JULY 9

Greetings Parents,

We are having an amazing time with introductory workshops including sustainability, leadership and intercultural communication; we have a great group energy showing group cohesion and enthusiasm for the program! Students are highly engaged getting to know each other diving into activities of both self connection and connection between each other.

We had a full day of orientation with dynamic activities that helped set expectations and common understanding on the code of conduct. Students also co-created their community agreements which set a foundation for their own standards of the collective values they want to live up to throughout the internship experience. The first full day together ended with a fire and s’mores opening of the program night! During our second day we had our first guest speaker from United World College, learning about intercultural communication and taking perspective on how to engage more inclusively and intentionally between diverse cultures and communication styles.

We officially started our group mentors, writing a letter to ourselves for when we end the program. Tomorrow we have our first leader of the day taking the lead 🙂

With a grateful heart,
Internship Supervisor Alejandra and team.

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BLOG POST FOR JULY 10

Hey everyone,

Today was a super full day here in Costa Rica. We spent most of it learning all about sustainability and climate action, and how those things are actually happening here. It was really cool to see how Costa Rica works toward the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and how they connect with things like protecting the environment, equality, and education. We had some awesome activities and group discussions that helped us understand how climate change affects different parts of the world and how we can make a difference, both here and back home. It definitely made a lot of us think deeper about our own habits and choices.

After a long day of learning, we got to chill out with a movie night. We watched The Truman Show, which was a fun way to relax and hang out with everyone after dinner. The group energy is still going strong, everyone is getting closer and it already feels like we’ve known each other for way more than a couple of days. We can’t wait for what tomorrow brings!

Best,

Hunter (Leader of the Day)