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March 4, 2014 by Sara McDaniel Leave a Comment

Are Colleges Ditching Admissions Essays?

Technology is changing our world- and not just the way we spend our free time. Educational institutions are adapting quickly to keep up with technological advances. Some high schoolers take “twizzes” (quizzes on Twitter), complete online discussion boards, and read from iPads instead of textbooks. And now, the college application process is evolving as well!

Just five years ago, you would have been hard pressed to find an application that called for anything other than the standard essay question or personal statement. Now, however, potential applicants are asked to create slideshows, blogs, and videos in order to showcase their talents to admissions committees. James Werner, the Vice President of Higher Education at DecisionDesk.com, finds this a welcome trend. “We live in a technology-driven, interactive world,” says Werner. “If students want to demonstrate their value and if universities want to admit better “fits,” they are both well served by using this readily available technology.”

Take, for example, the project that Caroline Campell (a GLA Ghana alum) was asked to complete for a prestigious scholarship at Tulane University. The assignment was to highlight an issue “of huge personal importance” with a multimedia presentation. Fortunately, Caroline was able to reflect on her life-changing experiences in Ghana, and she created an incredible video highlighting the time she spent at Father’s House. Her video fused creative writing, powerful imagery, and reflection on an issue that she has held close to her heart since her experience in Ghana – – and the scholarship committee loved it.

See Caroline’s inspirational video here.

Filed Under: #myGLA, Archive, Bright Futures Tagged With: featured

February 19, 2014 by Korissa Dyle Leave a Comment

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.

Filed Under: #myGLA, Archive, Bright Futures Tagged With: featured

January 29, 2014 by Andrew Motiwalla 3 Comments

Are Teens Who Travel More Likely To Be Successful?

It’s a well-known truth that the experiences we have in our youth are important in shaping the adult we become. New findings suggest that this is especially accurate for teenagers who have the opportunity to participate in educational travel.

A new study by the Wagner group, in cooperation with the U.S. Travel Association and TravelEffect.com, clearly demonstrates the positive impact that educational travel as a teenager has on future academic and financial success.

In the study, 400 consumers between the ages of 21-69 were surveyed regarding their travel experiences as youth, academic attitude and success, career path, and salary. The results compared the responses of those who had participated in educational travel (defined as any family or school trip at least 50 miles from home that focused on learning about the history or culture of the area) with those who had not.

Some important findings:

  • Regardless of gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic class, students who took educational trips between the ages of 12-18 were more likely to be academically and financially successful.
    -They were more likely to earn a college degree or do postgraduate work (57% vs. 31%)
    -Their personal income was 12% higher ($41,100 compared to $36,700 annually)

  • Travel improved academic success and influenced career choices.
    -89% reported that educational travel had a positive impact on their education and/or career
    -80% stated that educational travel made them more interested in what they were learning in school
    -52% claimed their career choice was influenced by educational travel

  • Children who took educational trips enjoyed school more and felt a greater connection to their world.
    -86% said that educational travel made them more intellectually curious both in and out of the classroom
    -77% reported that the local culture they experienced on their trip had a lasting impact
    -90% found their educational trips fun, engaging and/or inspiring

For more study findings, click here.

Or, explore educational travel programs offered by Global Leadership Adventures here.

Filed Under: Archive, Bright Futures Tagged With: featured

November 18, 2013 by Sara McDaniel 1 Comment

Are there Summer Programs for Teenagers that Focus on Leadership?

With the increasing number of opportunities and programs for teens that focus on developing leadership skills, it’s easy to see that leadership is one quality on the short-list for characteristics sought after by universities and companies.

Leadership Skills for High School Students

High school is the time in the lives of teenagers during which they develop the skills they’ll need to be successful adults. And leadership, which is a skill useful in nearly every potential career or arena, is one of the most important.

For many teens, leadership is a natural tendency.

But for others, however, leadership skills must be explicitly taught and worked toward. Many teenagers must build self-confidence, direction, and motivation to lead before they feel comfortable asserting themselves amongst their peers.

How to Develop Leadership Skills in Teenagers

A great way to develop leadership skills in teenagers, for both students who are natural leaders and those who are more reluctant, is to attend a summer camp or program that is specifically designed to add to their leadership toolbox.
These programs allow teenagers to learn about and recognize the qualities that great leaders possess, and practice those same skills (with guidance) in a group of their peers. The best programs have specific leadership-based curriculum and activities that are designed to give teens the opportunity to lead.

Summer Leadership Programs Help Build Confidence

Whether it’s through volunteer work or stepping out of their comfort zone, teenagers who participate in summer programs with a true leadership focus are sure to return home as more natural and confident leaders.

Filed Under: Archive, Bright Futures

September 23, 2013 by Bridget McFaul Leave a Comment

How Volunteering Can Help You Choose a College Major

As you get closer to high school graduation, you may already be imagining what life will be like in college. Aside from the parties and socializing, you’ll imagine your classes and workload — possibly even your life beyond school. The bridge that will lead you to your career is education, and the choice of the right major is an imperative step in realizing that goal.

Much like any important decision, you can’t make a wise choice based on a single factor. A variety of different components all shape a good decision, and when it comes to choosing a major, doing some volunteer work can help you learn which education path is correct.

Choosing your focus: The influence and experience of volunteering

Volunteering is a way of being able to help a community in need and make a difference in people’s lives. Not every student applying for college chooses to get involved, so being a volunteer distinguishes you as someone committed to having a positive impact on the lives of others. Here we’ll look at some specific examples of how volunteering can help narrow down your major and get you ready for college:

  • Skills development: You can easily gain some benefits from volunteer work, ranging from acquiring specific skills to developing a sense of accomplishment. Colleges are increasingly looking favorably on volunteer experience, because it shows that the applicant cares about more than just herself. It can also be an eye-opening endeavor that gives you greater awareness of other communities. A GLA volunteer abroad program for high school students is not only an exciting way to see some beautiful parts of the world, such as Africa, Southeast Asia or the Caribbean, but it can help you gain leadership skills and aptitudes you never considered.

  • Job shadowing: Through volunteering, you can get an idea of what a particular job is really like and what you should do to prepare for a career in that field. You can get a good feel for what it will entail and a clearer understanding of how well you’d fit. It’s essentially a form of job shadowing that can give you some great hands-on experience.

  • Rethinking that original idea: Volunteering can also serve as a great way of understanding what you don’t want to do. By getting up close to a job, you can get an idea of what you aren’t going to enjoy. If you volunteer as a teacher, you may learn which subjects you gravitate towards or the ages of the students you’d like to teach. If all along you planned to be a social worker or a doctor, volunteering can help you learn if that original idea is a good fit after all.

  • A lesson in problem solving: You won’t find a class in your course catalog on problem solving, but volunteering will help fill that gap. This skill will help you both as a student and as a person in general. Volunteering is an excellent way to develop some problem solving skills, because it forces you to think on your feet, interact with people in spontaneous ways, make priorities and communicate with people from other cultures.

Deciding on a college major is a huge choice that isn’t purely an academic decision. Personal values, interests, aptitudes and ambition all play a part in your decision on a practical course of study. Volunteering can play a part in this decision, taking you out of your comfort zone, increasing your awareness and helping you narrow down your choice of academic specialty.

Additionally, it’s important to think about a major as not just being a stepping stone to a career, but one that will inform your development as a person; volunteering can have the same impact. When you apply to college, you can be proud of the volunteering work that you’ve done and know that you’ve given yourself an effective means of choosing your field of study for your college career.

 

Filed Under: Archive, Bright Futures

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