PROGRAM PHOTO ALBUM
Thanks for the checking out the blog for this Global Leadership Adventures program!
Here are a few things to know and expect:
- Blog posts are written by onsite program staff and/or students and sent to our Headquarters team who will post the blog on this page.
- We typically receive 2-3 blog updates per week from each program, so please don’t be alarmed if you don’t see a blog post every day – that’s totally normal.
- Blog updates received late in the evening or overnight will be posted the following day.
- Blog updates received on weekends may not be posted until Monday.
- Due to many factors such as internet accessibility, program staff aren’t always able to send photos, so some blog posts may contain text only.
Thank you for your patience and understanding, and we hope you enjoy following along on these unforgettable adventures.
For frequently asked questions about the blogs, please visit our Program Blog FAQ page.
-The Global Leadership Adventures HQ Team
Click here to jump down to the most recent post!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 7
Dear Families!
We have a full group of students safely arrived and settled into our beautiful home base at United World College campus in Santa Ana! We had a wonderful arrival day landing into our experience together: students had some time to rest, have a campus tour, play some games outside and start connecting as a group. We are thrilled to dive into this journey together with this unique and beautiful group of students!
After some games at the residences, we had an early first sleep in to get ready for our orientation day tomorrow 🙂 May our Career Exploration Internship begin!
Kindly and with best spirits!
GLA Team.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 9
Greetings Parents,
We are having an amazing time with introductory workshops including sustainability, leadership and intercultural communication; we have a great group energy showing group cohesion and enthusiasm for the program! Students are highly engaged getting to know each other diving into activities of both self connection and connection between each other.
We had a full day of orientation with dynamic activities that helped set expectations and common understanding on the code of conduct. Students also co-created their community agreements which set a foundation for their own standards of the collective values they want to live up to throughout the internship experience. The first full day together ended with a fire and s’mores opening of the program night! During our second day we had our first guest speaker from United World College, learning about intercultural communication and taking perspective on how to engage more inclusively and intentionally between diverse cultures and communication styles.
We officially started our group mentors, writing a letter to ourselves for when we end the program. Tomorrow we have our first leader of the day taking the lead 🙂
With a grateful heart,
Internship Supervisor Alejandra and team.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 10
Hey everyone,
Today was a super full day here in Costa Rica. We spent most of it learning all about sustainability and climate action, and how those things are actually happening here. It was really cool to see how Costa Rica works toward the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and how they connect with things like protecting the environment, equality, and education. We had some awesome activities and group discussions that helped us understand how climate change affects different parts of the world and how we can make a difference, both here and back home. It definitely made a lot of us think deeper about our own habits and choices.
After a long day of learning, we got to chill out with a movie night. We watched The Truman Show, which was a fun way to relax and hang out with everyone after dinner. The group energy is still going strong, everyone is getting closer and it already feels like we’ve known each other for way more than a couple of days. We can’t wait for what tomorrow brings!
Best,
Hunter (Leader of the Day)
BLOG POST FOR JULY 14
Hey everyone!
Today was our first full day in Puerto JimĂ©nez in the Osa Peninsula! We ate a delicious breakfast of fruit and eggs, rice, and beans and then drove to meet the founders of BioSur who we’re going to be working with for the next 2 weeks. After the introduction to the internship we explored the BioSur giftshop. A lot of us had fun swimming after lunch and/or playing some card games. We then had an incredible tour of the town of Puerto JimĂ©nez and stopped for ice cream, souvenirs and eventually made our way to the beach. In an effort to live true to the pura vida lifestyle we all went into the sea in our clothes. Not only was it super fun for all of us but it was a few people’s first time swimming in the ocean!
After a very wet walk back home we showered off, relaxed, played a bit of uno and then all ate dinner. We all enthusiastically played a fun storytelling game. The majority of us spent the rest of the night playing card games or chatting, and were all super excited for our first day of field work tomorrow.
Bridget, Leader of the day
BLOG POST FOR JULY 15
Hello all!
Today we ventured into the Rio Nuevo Nature Reserve with the staff of Biosur to help take down previous camera traps and to help set up new ones for animal research as well as animal conservation. We saw a variety of animals and insects, most notably toucans, a tarantula, and monkeys! To finish off our service, we all changed into our swimsuits to cool off in the stream! A great way to finish off our first official day of service in the Osa!
When we arrived back on base we were granted with some free time. Some of us swam while others went into town to go to the store. Following dinner we practiced our storytelling skills and transparency with some group bonding, which turned out to be a very eye opening and vulnerable exercise for many.
In all, it was a wonderful day with so much incredibly unique exposure to Costa Rica’s diverse animal population! Can’t wait for more days of service!
Leader of the day,
Stella
BLOG POST FOR JULY 16
Today was an amazing day of learning about bugs!! Through Bio Sur we learned so much about the butterflies and other bugs of the Osa Peninsula. At 8:30 we headed to the jungle (La selva) and hiked up to our lookout where we got our introduction to the amazing amount of insects. The head of Bio Sur Jim shared his amazing story about the origin of Bio Sur as well as his vast knowledge of all the animals.
Next, after an introductory on how to use bug nets we walked down to the butterfly garden and after many sweaty attempts to capture butterflies (shoutout Noah with 15 butterflies) caught and photographed so many beautiful and colorful specimens to identify and learn more about. At around 11:30 we returned to our lookout where Jim helped us identify more of the butterflies we caught and their behaviors. This was super interesting because you can learn so much about a place by the butterflies that live there. After lunch, we learned more about a different way to catch bugs called Japanese bug traps and set back out to catch more bugs. This was my favorite part, as we got to (gently) whack things with sticks, and it was so fun to see all the bugs everyone caught! Mia and Lia may have even found a new species of fly!! They definitely won the coolest bug.
We finished the day with a jump in the much needed cool river, and headed back to home base to have a chill evening.
Leader of the day,
Sabine Steudel
BLOG POST FOR JULY 18 & 19
Dear parents!
We had a couple of wonderful relaxing beach days last weekend where students enjoyed time at the pool, the ocean and just playing in the sand 🙂 It was a much needed time to refresh after 3 hardworking days at the jungle! We did some yoga, biodance and ate incredibly delicious and healthy food they had at the retreat center in Playa Preciosa.
Here I leave you some pictures of our moments together.
Grateful to have your amazing children with us!
Alejandra,
Internship Supervisor/International Director
BLOG POST FOR JULY 20
Today was day 14 of the Costa Rica GLA. We began our day with delicious pancakes and gallopinto before setting off on a kayak tour of a river in Golfo Dulce. This river is home to one of the last primary mangroves in the world. As we meandered down stream, crabs scuttled along the labyrinth of stilted roots and a troop of curious capuchin monkeys swooped on the low-hanging vines right over our heads. Our flotilla of kayaks traveled to a beach where we all eagerly jumped into the awaiting ocean. Subsequent to floating out on the warm water, our tour guides Alberto and Gustavo taught the group how to husk and crack open coconuts. After the tour and a break, the kitchen staff Roxy and Isabel taught us how to make mouth-watering empanadas that were filled with cheese and beans. We were all quickly humbled as their practiced hands helped us to knead the dough into a perfect circle after many failed attempts. As the sky opened and rain pattered avidly on the roof, we gathered together for a leadership activity. Ale and Parker taught the steps to finding one’s mission in life based on skills, interests, and earning a livelihood. What an amazing day!
Reed,
Leader of the Day
BLOG POST FOR JULY 21
Hi everyone!
Today began with omelettes and rice for breakfast, followed by prepping for a big day of hands-on field work! Bags packed, we headed off to the rainforest to meet up with Biosur and start the day!
We warmed up with a group stretch and then headed into the forest where we learned about a recent invasive species closely related to ginger plants. Typically native to Nepal, the plants have been endangering the native hummingbird populations as they kill the plants used for pollination.
Feeling accomplished, we were able to clear out a vast amount of the plants before lunch at 12:00. Unfortunately while eating it began to pour, and we were unable to continue our service for the day due to safety reasons. We had been planning to reforest the land we had weeded with local species, and were a bit let down when we weren’t able to complete our outing. However, we were able to finish our final expedition with Biosur with a fun walk through the rain back to the vans and the rewarding thoughts of a morning well-spent.
We ended the day by relaxing, reflecting and working on our final presentations. It’s been an amazing journey with Biosur, and we thank them so much for their amazing guidance and teachings.
Leader of the day,
Leah
BLOG POST FOR JULY 22
Day 16 was another wonderful and exciting day. We woke up bright and early at 4:30 to head to the beach and help baby sea turtles! We joined the tortugas preciocas project, strolling up and down the beach to find nests laid the night before. After locating turtle tracks in the sand, we collected eggs from multiple nests that were in danger of being swept away by the high tide. We brought hundreds of eggs back to the baby sea turtle hatchery, and returned to homebase by 8 for breakfast.
After we all got some much needed rest, we headed to the Biosur homebase for an afternoon of inspiring talks with NGO leaders. We heard about organizations, based in Osa, working on helping sea turtles, restoring corals, supporting sustainable farming and gender equality, and monitoring endangered jaguars. We then sadly said goodbye to Jim and Wendy from Biosur and thanked them for the wonderful experience, knowledge, and love they shared with us. We ended the day with a delicious dinner, a shoutout circle to show gratitude and and appreciation, and some packing to prepare for our departure from el Refugio tomorrow. Can’t wait for more adventures!
Marley,
Leader of the Day
BLOG POST FOR JULY 24
Hello Everyone!
Can you believe it’s already day 18? After a good night of rest, we
woke up for some typical breakfast at our little hotel in Uvita and
did an early session of leadership activities and final presentation
prep time. We then set out for the catarata (waterfall!) in Uvita.
After a quick bus ride and walk, we reached the beautiful waterfall
and swimming pools. The water was refreshing and we had a blast
exploring and jumping off of the rocks. Some of the group even climbed
up for a view from the top of the waterfall.
Once we got back from our adventure, we had time for a quick change
and packed up our suitcases once again to hit the road. We visited the
same delicious lunch spot as we did on our journey down to the Osa,
and enjoyed some casado or pasta and filled up on snacks at the market
for the ride ahead. We took another break from the long ride at a
souvenir shop with plenty of cute clothes, jewelry, and other
keepsakes. We finally made it back to our original home base later in
the evening and enjoyed a classic dinner at UWC. Tonight we are
working on our presentations and getting excited for ziplining
tomorrow!
Kate,
Leader of the day
BLOG POST FOR JULY 26
Hi everyone!!
Today was our first full day back at UWC home base, and we started it off with a nice breakfast at 7:30. Then we began our 2 hour journey on the bus to our rainforest zipline adventure! There, we had so much fun going on ziplines of various lengths and intensities, with the last one (the “adrenaline” line) lasting as much as half a mile! After that we had a delicious lunch, after which we went on an immersive and informative gondola ride. Throughout our whole tour the scenery was beautiful, having the opportunity to view hummingbirds, spiders, and even a tree frog and its eggs!
After we got back to home base, we had a yummy dinner of rice and beans, then met some new friends here on campus. At around 8 pm, we had our last leadership session of the trip where we worked on teamwork and resume building. Then everyone settled in to work on their final presentations for tomorrow.
Overall, today was a huge success!
~Co-leaders of the day,
Lia A. and Addison
BLOG POST FOR JULY 27
Dearest parents,
We had a very special last day listening to final presentations where students shared their personal mission statements, intentions on their future career pathways and biggest insights on the internship. Each one from their own diverse and unique leadership styles, left us feeling touched and inspired, sharing how they are taking a sense of hope, a feeling that they can, indeed, be the change. We feel so proud of hearing their stories and how the internship has fed into their aspirations to pursue their passions and make a positive contribution in the world.
After presentations we had a final leadership session to set tangible goals for the future, followed by free time to pack. After our last dinner together, we celebrated with a final ceremony of passage where we received students with a gift we prepared for each of them and got to appreciate one another one last time. We also enjoyed a last fun trust building group activity facilitated by our amazing leader of the day Makala. Finally we saw a video to reminisce our journey together and even sang happy birthday to Reed and Lia.
We are feeling blessed to close this experience with deep gratitude towards our students and you as families, knowing we are now a community of the world with a shared memory of a life-changing experience…!
Sincerely,
Alejandra González & Staff Team
