Features - Part 46

July 14, 2015 by The Young Leader

The 6 Best National Parks for Teens with Wanderlust

Currently, there are 58 National Parks in the U.S. From national monuments and historical sites to places of conservation, there’s no shortage of National Parks. But how can you pick the best one to visit? Here are six suggestions:

Haleakalā National Park

A special place in Hawaii, this park explores the history of Hawaiian culture. The landscape is uniquely Hawaiian, with sub-tropical rainforests and volcanic terrain, which makes hiking here an unforgettable experience. Haleakalā National Park is also home to a variety of endangered species which exist nowhere else.

Denali National Park

Six million acres make up Alaska’s Denali National Park. Taiga forests blend into the alpine tundra and snowcapped mountains as you travel higher in elevation. This park is also home to North America’s tallest peak, Mt. McKinley, at 20,320-feet. If you’re ready to climb one of the seven summits, this is a good place to start.

Biscayne National Park

Located just outside of Miami, Florida, this park holds 10,000 years of human history. From shipwrecks to pineapple farmers, you’ll have the chance to learn about it all. Additionally, Biscayne National Park protects the sensitive coral reefs in the area. You can explore the park by boat or canoe, or choose to snorkel through the aquamarine waters.

Zion National Park

From sandstone cliffs to slot canyons, Zion National Park is one of the Southwest’s gems. One of the most popular hikes in the park is The Narrows. This hike takes you through the Virgin River along the narrowest section of Zion Canyon. The Subway, another popular hike, requires bouldering, rappelling and wading through waters. If you’ve got a sense of adventure, go for it!

Yellowstone National Park & Grand Teton National Park

These parks are so close together, you can’t visit just one. Yellowstone was the first National Park, established 1872. Today, the 3,500-square-mile, which spreads from Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, is visited by more than three million people each year. The volcanic hotspot is home to more than 100 animal species, canyons, alpine forests, rivers, hot springs and geysers.

Less than 100 miles away, is Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park. The Tetons are some of the most magnificent mountains found in the United States. Both of these parks are beautiful and easily explorable, making these two National Parks must-sees for teens with wanderlust.

For more on National Parks, visit FindYourPark.com.

Contributed by Lauren Topor

July 14, 2015 by The Young Leader

5 Reasons to Follow Your Favorite Brands on Instagram

It may seem odd to follow your favorite brands on Instagram (unless it’s @glateens, of course). I already follow them on Facebook and Twitter, you say. What do they have to offer me on Instagram? Good question. And here are some answers:

Obviously, following your favorite stores will give you an up-to-date look at the new styles being offered and big sales.

Following your favorite restaurant not only gets you pictures of new food dishes, but sometimes creative ways of presenting the food (or the condiments). See @tacobell, for example.

Instagram can also be a useful way to get an inside look at the companies you most enjoy and care about. From pictures of employees in the midst of their daily grind to pictures of company parties, get an inside look at your favorite companies’ work style.

Don’t forget you can always follow your favorite sports team on Instagram as well.

Interact! The @starbucks account mainly posts pictures of their products taken by followers. I wonder if a free coffee comes with that. It’s a great opportunity to interact with the company.

There are many reasons to follow your favorite brands and companies on Instagram. Ultimately, getting an inside look at the organization can be far more illuminating than reading their posts on Facebook and Twitter.

Contributed by William Pate

July 13, 2015 by The Young Leader

Top Five Noteworthy Instagram Campaigns

Global Leadership Adventures strives to send you to some of the most amazing places to do some of the most amazing things, and what better way to prove that than our Instagram account. In light of our #MyGLA campaign at @GLATEENS on Instagram, here’s a list of five noteworthy Instagram accounts and campaigns to toss a follow and spice up your feed with positivity, progressive thoughts and beautiful summer landscapes.

@NatGeoTravel

– National Geographic’s account focused strictly on the beautiful places all of you travel to is definitely one to check out. If you love beautiful landscapes and interesting travel pictures, this is definitely the account to follow. Tag a picture of your worldly travels with #NatGeoTravel to see if you can get your picture featured on National Geographic’s account

@AirBNB

– Airbnb has done wonders for the world of travel and temporary housing, but what’s even cooler is the way they use their Instagram account to highlight those who take part in sharing their home and those who stay in those homes. If you’ve been lucky enough to stay at one of Airbnb’s houses, take a picture with #AirBnb and you could have your picture shared on their account.

#LikeAGirl

– This is one seriously inspiring Instagram campaign to look into. The #LikeAGirl Campaign premiered in May 2014 and restarted it’s second bout in May of 2015. The campaign was started by Always feminine products and has a message deeper than any material object. #LikeAGirl is Always’ overtly successful attempt to bring awareness to the fact that doing things “Like A Girl” should no longer be seen as an insult. Tag a picture of yourself redefining this gender stereotype with #LikeAGirl to support their cause and women everywhere.

@TheGoodQuote

– This account may not have anything to do with travel and beautiful scenery, but it is full of positive vibes and good thoughts. Traveling can get difficult sometimes and what better pick-me-up than some comical, yet inspirational quotes from an IG account that only promotes positivity. Follow @TheGoodQuote and use #TheGoodVibeTribe on any of your pictures hosting positive vibes to be featured on one of their GoodVibe accounts

@JimmyFallon

– If you’re looking to follow a hilarious, progressive and genuinely interesting Instagram account, Fallon has you covered. Jimmy’s account is run by an extremely intelligent and fun team who strive to show his followers the best of Jimmy and the world he influences. Look to Jimmy’s account to see what new Instagram campaign he is supporting or possibly starting, you’re bound to find something great.

Contributed by Joshua Schwartz

July 12, 2015 by The Young Leader

Why Teens Should Use Instagram When They Travel Abroad

When traveling abroad there are many places to visit and lots of excitement, so why not share those experiences with others. Post those abroad pictures to Instagram to connect with fellow adventurers or to just share the selfies in front of the Eiffel tower. Check out the Instagram account @glateens for some incredible photos.

1. Posting photos of traveling abroad can inspire others to dream of one day going there too. It also lets your story be heard.

2. When posting photos, give tips on where to go, what places are a must see and of course the best food to eat.

3. A photo can even teach others about the new culture; what people do for fun or how to they get to and from work or school.

4. When posting a photo, tagging other people in it and the place will help connect to others. Find the people in the photo to tag and gain a few new followers and friends along the way.

5. Then there are food pictures; there can never be too many. The only thing that’s better than a sunset is the chocolate beignet for breakfast. Besides, if you didn’t Insta it, did you really eat it?

6. There’s also the saying that, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” It’s true. A picture can capture beauty in that instant, emotions felt, and friendships that will last a lifetime. When in doubt, post it.

7. Of course, travel abroad photos are sure to get ten times more likes, but they’ll also help recall the time spent in all the different places.

Contributed by Samantha Watkins

July 11, 2015 by The Young Leader

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!

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!
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!
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.
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.
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!
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!
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.

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