The Young Leader

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Teen Uses Travel Experience to Earn Prestigious Scholarship

When Caroline Campbell, a teenager from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, first traveled with Global Leadership Adventures to Ghana in 2012, little did she know that she would later use her experiences there to compete for a prestigious college scholarship.

Campbell, who is planning to attend Tulane University next fall, had to create a project that demonstrated an issue that she is passionate about. After volunteering at Father’s House International in Ghana, she decided to highlight the inspirational “Great Eight” boys that she met there. The opportunity was “of huge importance to me,” says Caroline. “The Great Eight still inspire me to this day, even though I first met them two years ago.”

Father’s House International rescues and houses children who have been enslaved to work in the fishing villages along Lake Volta- giving them a fresh start and a chance to live full lives. Learn more about their incredible work and the amazing transformations experienced by these boys by viewing Caroline’s project here.

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Teenagers Working Toward a Healthier Ghana

Humanitarian Adventure in Ghana

While you update your Facebook profile, catch up on favorite TV shows, and text your friends before you go to bed tonight, try imagining what it would be like to survive on less than $1 a day? You’d have no electronics, kitchen appliances, or even bathrooms with running water. This would be an enormous challenge for most of us, but for 4/5 people living in Africa, that is an everyday reality.

Fortunately, a group of motivated, adventurous and inspirational teenagers are currently in Ghana, referred to as “The Heart and Soul of West Africa,” traveling with GLA’s “Building Healthy Villages” Service Learning Program and discovering the challenges that the people of Ghana face. Over the 14 days they are spending abroad, they’ll provide important humanitarian efforts at the intersection of public health and poverty, and their hard work is essential in creating a more sustainable, healthy future for this colorful nation.

Although these students are putting in 4+ hours of hard work each day, helping to build sustainable composting systems and private restrooms that will help keep the people of a small fishing village outside of Accra safe, you’d never know that they had lifted a finger if you saw their smiles! While they are working to improve health conditions for the Ewe tribe who live in the village, they are also having the adventure of a lifetime!

“Guys, We’re in Africa!”

Read excerpts from the journals of Peter and Karisma, two GLA student volunteer who are currently in Ghana and see how they’re doing:

Peter: Today, after laboring over the foundations and floors of our compost toilets, we were fortunate enough to have a more relaxed schedule! After a spectacular breakfast prepared by the staff, we departed for the football (soccer) pitch for a game with the local children. During the 20-minute walk to the pitch, we passed through local villages and were showered with myriad smiles and cries of “Yevu yevu!” (white people!) from the children. After walking through a dense swamp, we arrived at the barren pitch only to find dozens of children performing unbelievable stunts with the soccer balls.

 Although our GLA team didn’t win the tournament, we had a great time using our meager knowledge of Ewe (the native language) to meet and converse with the Ghanaian children. After a very late lunch, we spotted a six-year-old boy atop a massive coconut tree near our Home Base. The boy was cutting the fruit from the tree, and each one would fall fifty feet before landing with a resounding thud! The boy was kind enough to spare a coconut for each of us, so we enjoyed the sweet fruit together on a tree-shaded beach overlooking the Atlantic. Our group mate Jordan candidly pointed out, “Guys, we’re in Africa,” and we all laughed. It’s easy to forget just how incredible this experience is. Afterward, our group promptly jumped into the lagoon to cool down after all the day’s festivities!

 Karisma: Everything in Ghana is extremely laid-back compared to life back in the US. Tonight, we contentedly sat around the table while enjoying the breeze and the sound of the Atlantic’s waves breaking on the beach. follow-the-adventures-buttonJust when we all thought it was time for bed, we spotted some of the staff dancing to Ghanaian music behind the bar table. Slowly, we all trickled into the room until it became a full-on Saturday night dance party! We even found out the names of the songs so we can find them on iTunes when we get home! Next, we took a walk along the Atlantic under a stunning full moon. Nobody wanted to leave after we finished our nightly leadership discussion, so we all decided to meditate for a bit at the foot of the waves. Overcome with a sense of inner peace, we headed back to the lodge for a good night’s sleep. The day’s events, however, were not over yet. As soon as I opened the door to our room, I saw a lizard sitting on the wall directly across from my roommate and I! After a chaotic 20-minute ordeal, the lizard was caught, thanks to the efforts of Peter and Steven. The adrenaline from the experience was such a drastic contrast from our meditation- our sincerest apologies to those who were disturbed in the process!

From the way that this group tells it, life in a country where 80% of people live on less than it would cost to buy a soda seems pretty amazing.

To learn more about Ghana, and how you can experience the serenity of culture worlds away from your own, schedule an appointment with one of our enrollment advisors today.

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Get Ahead by Getting Away: How Volunteering Abroad in High School Can Kick Start a Future Career

For many teenagers, high school is mostly about getting great at video games, attending dances and football games, hanging out with friends and managing acne — oh, and making sure that darned GPA doesn’t jeopardize all the fun plans for college. Yet for high school students who expect more of themselves and look for more substantial rewards from these pivotal years, volunteering for an international community service trip during a break offers a remarkable opportunity to gain unforgettable firsthand experience living and working in a non-Western culture.

In fact, high school may be the very best time to volunteer abroad and experience world travel. It’s a singular time of life, when people aren’t hampered by the need to take leave from a job, stay current on monthly bills or ensure they don’t fall behind in other areas of life.

High school summer programs that allow students to travel and volunteer internationally can provide insights and experience that may not be available through any other type of experience, and this exposure may be especially beneficial for ambitious high-school teens interested in exploring careers that center on public service and global relations for work in politics or business. Employers will no doubt take note of a candidate whose resume includes living in an authentic, non-tourist community in the developing world. Such an accomplishment can distinguish someone as having the following marketable traits:

  • Demonstrated commitment: People who are truly passionate about global issues, human rights and service find a way to get involved. In other words, tackling major world issues requires far more than lip service. If you’ve been there and have the stories to prove it, you’re a stronger candidate than your peers who haven’t, particularly for employers who seek self-motivated and enthusiastic people with strong leadership potential.
  • Firsthand experience: Knowledge collected from personal involvement is credible and convincing. Instead of relying on someone else’s perspective and bias, direct experience gives you the facts and familiarity to draw upon when you interpret world events and global issues. Firsthand experience also fosters conviction, which improves your ability to persuade and motivate others.
  • Desirable character traits: Living far away from family, friends and your comfort zone to seek an understanding of another culture requires a certain level of confidence and open-mindedness. It also sharpens your self-awareness. Employers look for these elusive traits in new employees; they’re the attributes that no one can train for. That’s why, in many cases, proof of a person’s motivation to make a difference and an inclination to embrace learning opportunities are even more important than basic job skills for employers.
  • Valuable perspective: Gaining exposure to the day-to-day lives of people living in a community and culture significantly different from your own is remarkable and rare. For students seeking a career that centers on language skills, global relations, international policy and diversity, volunteer service work abroad may be the resume item that provides the no-contest edge over other candidates. It may help a person land the job to get a foot in the door and then stay on an upward path of professional growth.
  • Other perks of cultural immersion: Aside from helping students learn the colloquial language of another culture, high school volunteer abroad programs can facilitate a strong network of global contacts and like-minded peers. The experience also provides great training in leadership and resourcefulness, arguably among the most powerful tools in the modern business world. Encourage your teen to embrace everything about volunteering abroad in high school — from the chore of packing and airplane security to the foods he eats and the people she meets.

All in all, exposure to the challenges and advantages of life in other cultures can prepare people for successful careers — in every industry and line of work, including business, education, public service and environmentalism. But, of course, success means different things to different people; it’s defined by a person’s values and interests. Some people seek big money and prestige; others care more about professional freedom and flexibility. No matter what life goal teens have begun constructing, travelling internationally as part of a high school volunteer abroad program can help move them closer to achieving those goals by expanding their perspective and making them more aware of their own passions and priorities.

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Research Before You Go: 5 Awesome Tanzania Resources

Your summer is about to be anything but ordinary. In your near future is a trip to the heart of Africa – mysterious, colorful, culture-rich Tanzania. No question, you’re ready for the adventure – your suitcase is loaded and the itinerary is set. But while it’s clear you’re stoked to get started, you may want to enrich your experience even more by doing a little pre-trip research. Use these resources to get informed on Tanzania culture, language tools and even fundraising tips.

1. BBC Tanzania Profile

Study up on everything you need to know about Tanzania with this helpful profile from the BBC. To start, you’ll find a quick overview with an at-a-glance section that includes fast facts on:

  • Political stability

  • Economic status

  • International activity

  • Environmental concerns

After you get the at-a-glance overview of your destination country, you can dig in deeper with a list of Tanzania links that include news headlines and profile tabs that include Tanzania facts, leaders, media and a country history timeline.

2. Fund My Travel

Want to do fundraising like a boss? Tap into your social network to attract interest for your trip and ask friends and family for contributions. Fund My Travel helps you set up a free account to connect your social network to your trip. You’ll set a financial goal, then walk step-by-step through a super easy crowd funding process. In the end, you’ll have a site to tell your volunteer abroad story, share it with your online community, start collecting donations and track results.

3. My Language Exchange

Swahili is the official language of Tanzania, and it’s the most widely spoken African language in the world. Go beyond using a translation pocket guide and practice real conversations in Swahili with the My Language Exchange tool. This resources lets you practice the language with someone else in a chat. What a great way to prepare for your African adventure!

4. Swahilionline

Speaking of Swahili, learn why it’s important to Tanzanian culture with this language history tool. Swahilionline gives you a breakdown of the language, its connection to African culture and the religions and other practices associated with Swahili. You can read about the Swahili people and see a timeline of the Swahili history.

5. Lonelyplanet.com

You can gather other “before-you-go” information at Lonely Planet’s Tanzania page. Wondering what kind of weather you’ll experience? Visit the “When to go & weather” page. You’ll also find information on getting around the country and things to do with links to:

  • Entertainment

  • Shopping

  • Tours

  • Activities

  • Restaurants

  • Sights

Before you embark on your high school student abroad program, prepare the right way with these resources. You’ll find essential information that will ensure that you interact with the Tanzania people in an enriching, culturally appropriate way.

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Bring it or Leave it? A Teen Travel Guide

Knowing what to bring with you on your summer program abroad isn’t just a matter of packing light or looking good. It’s about your overall comfort, safety and convenience. And packing for this particular journey is going to be vastly different from most vacations you’ve taken. As you choose a destination, you can establish an itemized pack list, but the quick guide below will give you an idea of the rules that universally apply.

Bring it or Leave it?

Bring it: Climate-appropriate clothing and gear. Remember that some places you think of as “hot” can actually drop down dramatically in temperature at night and experience periodic heavy rainfall. Hats, sweaters and waterproof outerwear are never a waste of suitcase space. Also, make sure your shoes are broken-in, as you won’t want to nurse blisters on Day 2 – or really any day – of your adventure.

Leave it: Expensive jewelry and clothing such as diamond or pearl studs, high-carat gold, that custom leather jacket your dad gave you as a gift. Thinking function over fashion should help guide these packing decisions.

Bring it: Healthy snacks. Your program should provide you with nutritious meals and clean water every day, but it’s not a bad idea to pack small snacks such as your favorite protein bars for hikes, volunteer projects and travel time. Keep your energy levels high to get the most out of each day.

Leave it: Family heirlooms, one-of-a-kind items, keys without copies. Essentially, avoid bringing anything you absolutely cannot replace when you return home.

Bring it: A flashlight. You may never need it, but in the event that you do, you’ll be glad for that little bit of light a compact flashlight can provide .Companies like Nu-Flare, Fenix and National Geographic sell compact, powerful LED flashlights for under $30.

Bring it: Everything in the right amount. You may need it, but how much of it will you need? Depending on the length of your program, you may have the chance to do laundry once or twice. So, you only need to pack 10 days worth of clothes, even if you’re going away for three weeks.

Sincerely,
Melissa, GLA Program Coordinator

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