The Young Leader

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Seven Reasons to Get Your Friends to Follow @GLATEENS this Summer

You probably already know that Global Leadership Adventures has an Instagram account (I know, we’re hipsters), especially if you’ve already traveled through GLA. And if you do know that, then you probably already know how awesome the GLA feed is! So why not tell your friends about it? I’ll help you out. Here are seven fantastic reasons to get your friends to follow @glateens on Instagram this summer!

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  1. Learn about upcoming trip openings. You and your friends can stay informed about GLA trips that still have openings, and you can see what some of the latest travel and volunteer opportunities are, all while you scroll through your Instagram feed!
  2. Learn about important events. Not that long ago, we announced a sweet webinar with information about applying to travel with GLA. Plus, there was an awesome scholarship linked with the webinar! While this opportunity has passed, you and your friends can catch future events that you won’t want to miss by (you guessed it) following @glateens. Don’t miss out!
  3. Catch the wanderlust bug, if you don’t already have it. It’s sort of an understatement to say that @glateens has some beautiful pictures of people and places all over the world. Plus, most of the snapshots were captured by teens who have volunteered through GLA. Seeing the vivid colors of India, the pointed peaks of Peru, and the beautiful smiles of loving friends make it hard to want to stay at home.
  4. Get inspired by other teens’ adventures. Teens who journeyed the world with GLA use the hashtag #myGLA on Instagram to describe their unforgettable experience. Through their stories, your friends will be inspired to travel and come back with not only some awesome stories about snorkeling and bathing elephants, but also a changed worldview.
  5. Be a part of the fun and enter our contest! If your friends have traveled with GLA before, get them in on the action. Share their amazing memories through the GLA photo and video contests on Instagram using the #myGLA hashtag, and you and your friends could win an Amazon gift card for posting!
  6. Find some answers. Do you or your friends have questions about a GLA program? On our Instagram page, you can post your question in the comment section of a picture, and @glateens will post back an answer with helpful advice and web links. Talk about convenient!
  7. Be inspired to make a difference. Teens really can make a difference in the world, and @glateens will inspire your friends to better themselves and the lives of others through creating much-needed change.

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So, have you told your friends to follow @glateens yet? If not, share these seven reasons for why they should follow us on Instagram, and before long, they’ll be posting and sharing under the #myGLA hashtag, too! And share below what your favorite post is from our Instagram feed. We want to hear from you!

Contributed by Addie Davis

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7 Games You Can Use to Engage with Children on a Volunteer Abroad Program

 

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Do you love to work with kids and volunteer, but are not exactly sure what to do to keep them entertained? Well, problem solved! Here are seven ways to engage with kids while you are on a volunteer program abroad (or even while you’re watching all your little cousins over the holidays):

1) Relay Races

Split the kids up into different lines and have them do various activities back and forth across a space, such as running, hopping, skipping, crab walk, etc. This teaches them to work as a team and encourage one another. Make sure they clap and cheer; the louder, the better!

2) Simon Says

One person is “Simon” and gives an instruction while the other kids do that action; if the person does not say “Simon says…”, the action does not count. This game teaches kids to listen more effectively and to pay attention to details. Plus, if you let the kids take turns being “Simon,” they will learn to think creatively and lead.

3) Sharks and Minnows

One person is the shark and the rest of the kids are the minnows. The shark stands in the middle of a space and tries to catch all the minnows as they run across the room; if a minnow is tagged, it too becomes a shark until the game is over. This game can help build teamwork because, as more kids become “sharks,” they will learn that they will have to cooperate with and help each other in order to catch all the minnows.

4) Capture the Flag

Divide the kids into two teams and give each team an object to use as their “flag.” After they hide their flag, the teams then have to work together to find the other team’s flag and capture it without getting tagged. This game really emphasizes teamwork, and it also can teach kids about strategy as they think about how to work together to “capture the flag.”

5) Blocker Ball or “Gaga Ball”

If you have a couple of dodge balls or playground balls on hand, divide the kids into two teams and give each team a ball. The game is then like dodge ball, except you can only hit a person from the waist or below to get them “out,” and the teams can go on either side; there is no dividing line. Again, this game teaches kids about cooperation because they will have to toss the balls to each other and work together to defeat the opposite team. It’s a fun, fast-paced game that kids love, and it’s less painful than dodge ball, which is a plus.

6) Ninja

If you have older kids, this is a fun game. Have the children stand in a circle. The goal is to tag the two people on either side of you by tagging their hand. However, you can only do it one move at a time. So each person goes around taking turns making their one “ninja” move and trying to slap the other person’s hand, and if their hand is tagged, they are out. This game can help develop motor skills and teach kids to think and react quickly.

7) What Time is It, Mr. Wolf?

Have one child be the wolf and stand behind a line facing away from the other kids. Have the other kids stand at a starting point and ask “What time is it, Mr. Wolf?” Depending on the wolf’s answer, the kids will take that number of steps forward (i.e. if the wolf says it is 5:00, the kids will take five steps). If however, the wolf says it is “lunch time,” the wolf will turn around and try to tag all the kids until they either make it across the wolf’s line or make it back to the starting point. This game teaches kids to listen to directions, and if you let each of the kids be the “wolf” throughout the game, it also can teach kids to take turns and be patient.

Trust me, both you and the kids will have a blast playing these simple and fun games. Make sure you check out all the cool volunteer programs that Global Leadership Adventures has to offer, and if you have any other fun game ideas to play with kids while you are abroad or at home, tell us below! We’d love to hear your suggestions.

Contributed by Addie Davis

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Hang Out with GLA – Webinars & More in 2015

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Have you ever thought about living in another country, even if it was only for a few weeks? If you thought it was too difficult to plan or you were too  young to go, we have something that will help change your mind!

The wonderful staff over at Global Leadership Adventures is excited to launch a new series of webinars and Twitter hangouts designed to inform, educate, and entertain teens considering volunteering in another country this coming summer. These short sessions are made to work with your already-busy schedule: webinar dates are spread out over various months and are hosted at different times of day. Better yet, they’re not long or redundant! Don’t expect a boring business lecture… they’re ready to give you the tools you need to think about traveling to Africa, Asia, or Latin America in summer 2015.

There are four types of webinars that will be featured throughout the winter and spring:

  1. Thinking about joining GLA this year? Come prepared with questions. | This webinar series is custom-made for teens, by teens. You and other teens will bring questions you may have about GLA programs, and the staff will answer you in real-time. Even if you don’t have any questions off the top of your head, this is a great chance to find out what others are curious about (and who knows… someone else may have a question you didn’t even think to ask).
  2. Everything you need to know about preparing for your program. | One of the most information webinar series, this one is designed for students who have signed up for a program already, or would like more details about logistics before making a final decision. This is a great one to join – especially if your parents have some questions about getting all of your documents ready in time! Plus, GLA Student Coordinators – resident experts in each country and program GLA operates in – will be available during these sessions to provide additional information on any topic you’re interested in finding out more about.
  3. Fundraising | I know some of you are thinking – hey, I’d love to volunteer abroad, but I don’t think I can afford it – but there’s a wonderful solution to this: fundraising. GLA provides a variety of insightful resources that can help you plan on raising part or all of your tuition through fundraising projects. Between a dollar and the dream, the dream can always win.
  4. Twitter Hangouts | If social media is your tool of choice, Twitter hangouts for GLA programs are your new best friends. These hangouts can be accessed via Twitter, and you can drop in for as much or as little of each hangout as you’d like. Plus, it’s a great way to connect with other potential and enrolled GLA teens, since they’ll likely be asking many of the same questions you’re curious to find out about.

The first GLA webinar begins on Thursday, January 8th, so don’t forget to check out the GLA webinar/hangout schedule (see link below).

Are you ready to get your questions answers? Sign up quickly and easily for one of the GLA webinars or hangouts and get ready to make this summer one you’ll never forget.

 

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