The Young Leader

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GLA & The President’s Volunteer Service Award

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Global Leadership Adventures has partnered with the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation for years to deliver the President’s Volunteer Service Award to dedicated student volunteers.

The award is issued by the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation. This council was originally convened by President George W. Bush, and has continued under the administration of President Barack Obama. It is designed to help foster and encourage a culture of volunteer service and civic participation among Americans.

As a Certifying Organization for the award, Global Leadership Adventures takes on the responsibility for verifying service hours, nominating potential recipients and delivering the award.

Each of our programs offers a set number of service hours that you can apply towards the PVSA. Check out each of our destinations to see how many service hours you’ll obtain.

As the organization explains, “Presidential recognition sets you apart from your peers. It is a tremendous honor. Even though you may not seek recognition, your example can deliver a powerful message that encourages others to take action.”

The PVSA recognizes U.S. citizens and lawfully admitted, permanent residents of the United States who have achieved the mandatory number of hours of service over a one-year period, or as the result of lifetime cumulative hours.

There are bronze, silver, and gold levels of the award, based on the number of hours earned. For those student volunteers who contribute more than 4,000 hours of service in their lifetime, the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award may be given. This is the highest honor provided by the PVSA.

If you’re interested in learning more, check out the award criteria here. You can also visit Global Leadership Adventures for more information on our Certifying Organization status.

 

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Why Preserve Our Forests, Oceans and Islands

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All of our amazing new technology and machinery has become so distracting that we forget to think about our environmental impact. Most of us don’t stop to think about how our habits and actions effect the environment on a daily basis. But, why should we? We have professionals whose jobs are to monitor the earth and tell us what we’re messing up and how to fix it. So, in case you too need more motivation, here are three habitats that are diminishing due to a lack of environmental caution and why it is crucial to preserve them.

1. Forests

Forests and wildlife make up for just under half of the oxygen produced across the planet. What most of you didn’t know however is that forests provide the key to sustaining rivers and ecosystems that allow water to travel freely from place to place. With out forests, land begins to dry up as there are no roots to lock moisture into the ground. This causes land to dry up and die which leaves the land to barren of nutrients for plant life to grow. By planting new forests and allowing for life to flourish, you can strengthen climates to a state of intense growth allowing for higher oxygen production and Carbon filtering. Forests allow for massive amounts of naturally and unnaturally produced carbons to be filtered at massive levels.

2. Ocean

You may be thinking that the ocean obviously needs to be protected, but what you probably aren’t thinking is that the Ocean is the biggest factor in keeping surrounding climates from changing. The ocean acts as the worlds largest carbon dioxide filter which means that the ocean is constantly preventing global warming while at the same time producing over half of the oxygen that we breath. As new technologies develop allowing research to be conducted at greater depths, scientists are finding that the ocean may hold the most promising source of new medicines to fight cancer, pain and bacterial disease. This being that we know the sea to contain a number of undiscovered plants and animals with completely different chemical make ups than those on land.

3. Islands

We all know that islands offer some of the most beautiful landscapes and habitats for us to spend our time, but there are more important reasons to preserving these natural undersea mountains. First, some islands known as Barrier Islands actually act as a natural current diffuser that can help lessen the blow or completely crush the power behind a tsunami or other large scale waves. Isolated islands also allow for unique species to grow and evolve due to a lack of predatory life. Islands also serve as popular hot spots for fishing and fish habitats as they are usually surrounded by large reef systems allowing for massive communities of fish to form. These large gatherings of fish also attract whales who use the large floating masses as landmarks while traveling.

Contributed by Josh Schwartz

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High School Travel Abroad: 5 Tips for Traveling Overseas Before You Graduate

Have you ever wanted to travel abroad but you’re not sure how?

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Welcome fellow adventurer! Here are 5 tips to help you travel overseas before you graduate:

1. Get excited and have fun while planning!

What interests you and makes you happy? Where have you always wanted to go? These are questions you can consider when thinking about going overseas. For inspiration, you can take a look at the many pictures and videos of others traveling (check out @glateens, for example). You can also ask friends, relatives, teachers, and parents about their travels. People LOVE talking about and sharing their time abroad—you’ll soon enjoy this yourself!  🙂

2. Convincing your parents is more than half the battle

Even if it doesn’t seem like it at times, our parents love us and ultimately want us to be happy. But, as we all know, love can make us do crazy things and make people unnecessarily worried. What is truly best for you might not make sense for your parents, at least for the moment. If you’re certain about traveling, then you might need to negotiate your trip and answer any objections your parents have. The most common ones are related to safety, money, and scheduling. One idea is that you can join a global travel program specifically for teens and high school students—most of them have flexible times and some of them even offer scholarships!

3. Reach out to high school students who have already traveled

High school travel abroad is certainly not common, but you’ll find that many teens like you made it happen. If you’re lucky, your school might have an office or adviser that you can reach out to. They might be able to refer you to other students who have done a program you’re looking into or visited a similar area. For those of you with social media accounts, you can visit a teen travel program’s page (one great example with almost 67,000 followers is GLA’s Facebook page) and then private message other teens there. Most people are really friendly and will want to help you out. Since many high school students who travel abroad have done more than one program, they’ll give you the inside scoop. It really helps to get a well-balanced perspective of whatever program or area you’re considering.

4. Check out GLA and other quality programs

As mentioned earlier, there are many options you can check out for traveling overseas. What matters is finding the right program for YOU that fits with YOUR aspirations, interests, and schedule. It also doesn’t hurt if they know how to work with thoughtful parents and alleviate their (completely understandable) concerns or reservations. A fantastic resource you can check out for traveling is Global Leadership Adventures (GLA). But don’t let that stop you from considering other quality programs! Ultimately, what really matters is you having the best experience possible and no community—no matter how experienced or diverse—can do it all.

5. Take action now!

You betcha! Right now. This could be one of those moments where we all get really motivated and excited, but then nothing ends up happening. Or…it could be the first step towards something exciting….something new (maybe even a bit scary)…an Adventure.

Contributed by Nick Fochtman

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3 Alternative Programs to Habitat for Humanity® for Teens and Young Adults

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Peace Corps, Big Brothers & Sisters, Habitat for Humanity®: when one thinks of giving back to others and participating in service, one’s mind easily turns to these recognizable organizations. While these three organizations might be some of the most famous ways to serve others, they might not be the right fit for you. If you have ever thought about dedicating your time to others—either domestically or abroad— here are 3 alternative programs like Habitat for Humanity® that might pique your interest.

Americorps: Over the past 21 years, this government sponsored has had over 900,000 members contribute 1.2 billion service hours across the United States. With a variety of different programs including the FEMA Corp, NCCC, and Vista, if have the itch to serve, Americorps can find a niche for you. From building homes to helping with disaster relief to even assisting local schools and non-profits with more administrative duties, the variety of experiences you might have in Americorps are just as varied as the participants themselves. Programs for Americorps range anywhere from a few weeks to a whole year and provide an education stipend or cash payment at the end of your service to help you adjust back to the “real world”. Though you have to be at least 18 to serve, an Americorps program is perfect for someone looking to help find themselves, pay for college, or just wants to give back to their country.

Global Leadership Adventures: Building greenhouses and other construction projects are the basis of service on GLA’s Peru: Service in the Sacred Valley program, and is certainly an opportunity to use your hands to build something that benefits the local community in a meaningful way, just like a teen in Habitat for Humanity® would. Programs span the world and range in length from 10 to 21 days, including a 21-day flagship program in the Dominican Republic that allows you to explore sustainable development issues in a hands-on fashion. GLA gives participants the unique opportunity to explore complex social issues, make a positive impact in the lives of others, and get the chance to participate in hands on activities that often unlock newfound passions—all while in high school. With over 97% of alumni agreeing that GLA was a life changing experience, you are sure to have a fulfilling adventure no matter where you decide to serve.

Alternative Break: If topics such as addressing homelessness and structural racism in Baltimore and social development in Rwanda are up your alley, then an alternative break program might be your best ticket to service success. With an endless amount of trips sponsored through universities around the country that run during college winter, spring, and summer breaks, these trips are meant to promote greater understanding of social issues both domestically and abroad, provide a platform for advocacy upon your return, and turn what might be stereotypically categorized as a time to party with friends as a means to give back. Though the costs, length, and options vary from university to university, a quick e-mail to your school’s community service center or study abroad office might yield fruitful returns for an upcoming break.

Just remember, in the end it doesn’t matter where you serve or what you do during your service, or whether you’re a Habitat for Humanity® teen or a GLA student; it’s the motivation to participate in selfless service that is the most important factor to giving back.

Contributed by Matt Zonis

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