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
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BLOG POST FOR JUNE 27
Dear Parents,
We are thrilled to inform you that Ocean Wildlife Conservation Adventure has officially kicked off here in beautiful Costa Rica. We wanted to provide you with an update on the arrival day activities and how your teens are settling in.
Yesterday, our students arrived throughout the day, and we ensured a smooth and welcoming process for everyone. The early birds had the opportunity to rest and, if they wished, take their swim tests in the refreshing pool. This was a great way to beat the travel fatigue and chill in the pool with their peers.
All students met our dedicated staff members and underwent their health checks to ensure everyone’s well-being. Everyone who was at the hotel had a traditional Costa Rican casado for lunch, which included a choice of chicken or pork, or a falafel patty for our vegetarian students. This delicious meal was accompanied by rice, beans, sweet plantain, and refreshing guanábana juice.
As more students arrived in the afternoon, they enjoyed a late lunch and had time to socialize and get to know each other. Dinner consisted of a hearty meal with rice and vegetables, salad, bread, and a protein option. After dinner, mentor Meg led a fun and engaging “get to know you” game, helping everyone to bond and make new friends. Our Los Angeles and Houston arrivals joined us a bit after dinner time, and our Atlanta team came in last, completing our group.
This morning we woke up bright and early and are currently in route to Uvita, where we’ll have an orientation day to get to know the rules, itinerary, and our peers. We stopped at a bridge this morning in hopes of seeing some crocodiles but because of the rain the water was much too high. We did see four beautiful scarlet macaws!
We are excited for the days ahead and look forward to sharing more updates with you. Rest assured, your teens are in good hands and are already making wonderful memories.
Warm regards,
Abby, Nabil, Meg, & Jules
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 28
Buenos Dias!
The Ocean & Wildlife Conservation Adventure program has completed its second full day in beautiful Costa Rica. Students started their day bright and early with a typical Costa Rican breakfast of eggs, rice, beans, and hash browns with fresh cantaloupe and pineapple. Excitement was in the air as students loaded onto busses and started their four hour journey to our home base in Uvita. Although the day started early, the students were full of energy and ready to socialize. Chatter and laughter (and singing) could be heard amongst the group the entirety of our trip.
Before arriving to the home base, we made a pit stop at a river where students were able to cross over a bridge and see a flock of beautiful Scarlett Macaws down below. A big lizard also stopped by to say hello to the students. The group was abuzz with excitement over getting their first taste of Costa Rican wildlife and are looking forward to seeing more.
Finally, our busses pulled into our beautiful and lush home base in Uvita. Students were very eager to move into their rooms alongside their new roommates. After taking some time to unpack and settle in, we began our program orientation. Here, program leaders Nabil, Abigail, Meg, and Julius shared what students should expect in the coming weeks. Topics such as service schedules, local culture, code of conduct, and general housekeeping were all covered.
Following orientation, the group finished their swim tests in our beautiful home base pool then spent some time splashing around with their new friends. Students were grateful to have the chance to cool off after their first full day in the Costa Rican humidity.
In addition, the group created their “Community Agreement”, in which they split into small groups to discuss how they would like their trip to go and what actions they can take as a team to accomplish this. The exercise was met with lots of enthusiasm as they had the chance to write their common ideas and values onto a large piece of paper which has been signed by all the students and will remain hung on the home base walls throughout their stay.
The day ended with a round of “Speed Friending” lead by Meg. In this activity, students were paired up and asked fun get-to-know-you questions with two minutes to discuss their answers. Each round the pairs were switched up until every student had a conversation with each other. This really gave the group an opportunity to truly meet and chat with all their peers. Lots of laughter could be heard throughout the room as students answered questions such as, “If you could choose to be a vampire, a wizard, a werewolf, or a troll, which would you choose?”.
Our first dinner at home base was arroz con pollo (chicken and rice) alongside beans, salad, and homemade Yucca chips. To drink, students had fresh Passion Fruit juice. Yum!
After dinner the group headed out for an evening trip to the local store to have the chance to get snacks or any items they may have forgotten at home.
Overall, it was a long and eventful day with the Ocean & Wildlife Conservation Adventure team and students are feeling very excited and passionate about having the chance to visit Manuel Antonio National Park to take part in their service with Kids Saving The Rainforest.
Adios and Buenos Noches!
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 29
Today was our groups first service day, we started our morning off at 7:15 with breakfast and started on our Kids Saving The Rainforest tour at an animal rehabilitation center, we met all animals and were surrounded by lots of puppies, we all learned each animals diet and how they lived in there enclosures. We had 4 different species of monkeys including the marmoset which can fit in the size of your hand, lots of birds including scarlet macaws. Sloths, peccaries (pig-like creatures), chickens, and the cutest baby goat (that I got to pet). As much as we were all very hot on this tour on the way back to home base we stopped at the Dominical market which resembles a flea market where we shopped around and picked up souvenirs for you parents. My personal highlight was our community walk where we got fresh coconuts and sipped on them while walking back in the pouring rain (very refreshing). Tonight we had spaghetti with marinara sauce and side salads. Afterwords we had a guest speaker educate us on the negative effects of tourism and what we can do to educate others on how they can stop feeding into tourism by shopping local and doing your research. Goodnight from your daily leader! Lyla and Brooke.
Buenas noches!!!!
BLOG POST FOR JUNE 30
We had an early start this morning, waking up to a traditional breakfast of bananas con queso and an impressive spread of tropical fruits such as papayas and pineapples, ripened brighter than the feathers of a Scarlet Macaw. After a long drive we found ourselves once more at the Kid’s Saving the Rainforest Institute where we split into groups and began our aid to Costa Rican wildlife and the local conservation efforts. After our work and a well earned snack break, we returned to our base where we lunched on pork cutlets, cannelloni, arroz con frijoles, and local greens. We then enjoyed a relaxing yoga session to stretch and prep our muscles for the exciting beach adventure that was to follow. In awe of Costa Rican nature, we found ourselves frolicking in the sand and consequently thrown off our feet (literally) by the waves.
An outstanding student leader, also coincidentally writing this blog, stumbled upon a large coconut tree. Without hesitation, she climbed and then collected a scrumptious artifact to take while running through the rain that showered us while returning to base camp. Upon arrival students split two ways: some to the pool and others to a local fruteria. The latter group, after enjoying enriching interactions with the locals, brought back countless delicious delights for their mates to enjoy. Tonight’s dinner, widely considered the best yet, consisted of arroz, pollo, salsa de naranja, and more🔥. For tonight’s activities we bonded within smaller breakout groups, our first Mentor Groups, led by Jules and Meg. As we tucked in for the night, the moon, reflecting our new bonds and spirits, rose high in the night sky. We broke coconuts and waves to build friendship and joy. Another successful day had passed in Bahia Ballena.
Leaders of the day – Manny & Mariam
BLOG POST FOR JULY 1
The group started the first day of July with a traditional breakfast of pancakes, eggs, pork bacon, yogurt, and fresh fruit. After breakfast, we departed for Manuel Antonio National Park to spend the day enjoying Costa Rican nature. After arriving, we split into two mentor groups and began our tour of the park accompanied by wonderful local guides. Right from the start of the tour, both groups were met with many howler monkeys hooting in the trees above them.
The tour guides set up their binoculars every couple minutes to show the groups plenty of wildlife including bats, iguanas, sloths, crabs, howler and white-faced capuchin monkeys, and many different types of hummingbirds. The group saw many white-faced capuchin monkeys climbing the trees with their babies on their backs. One of the mentor groups found plants that close up when touched and the other got to see a capuchin family cross the road. The tour brought us to a beach where all of us got a chance to relax and enjoy the calm waters. All around the beach, capuchins watched for open backpacks and lounged on the branches. We got to see the monkey theft in action when they stole a sunscreen stick and a protein bar.
For lunch, the group walked back to the beach outside the park and had rice, pasta salad, and plantain chips and had some time to enjoy the beach or check out the local shops and treats afterward. After a very rainy bus ride home we got some free time before dinner to enjoy the pool in the rain. At the pool, We saw a toucan in the trees and made a whirlpool. To end the day off we had dinner consisting of rice, meatballs, pasta salad, salad, and chips. Finally, we played a social game and had some very sophisticated conversations about social media. A day of fun in the sun ending with relaxation.
Yours truly,
Renata and Amanda
BLOG POST FOR JULY 2
The day started off with a delicious breakfast which was rice, beans, sausage, and fruit. Afterwards we made a departure to the community service project which took place in the national park named Marino Ballena. Here, people were split up into groups where we either painted signs, nailed signs onto posts, or used a machete to create the posts. A few people also went to collect rocks. This took about three hours, and afterwards we made a departure back to the home base. After we arrived home, we ate lunch which consisted of rice, beans, salad, and pork.
After that, all of the GLA kids watched a lecture about bugs in the rainforest, and their importance to the Costa Rican environment. Then, a small group of kids went to play soccer on a communal soccer field with locals. While the kids were playing soccer, the other half of kids went into the pool. When all was said and done, we ended the day with dinner which consisted of rice, beans, salad, and fried chicken. Afterwards everyone gathered together to watch Knives out, while 6 of the kids got a supervisor and went to the pool. By then it was 9:15 and everyone headed back to their rooms.
With much love,
Keala and Marcus! 😀
BLOG POST FOR JULY 3
After such an eventful day, one would expect the following to be restful, but this would not be the case for the GLA Ocean and Wildlife Conservation’s superlative schedule. Our morning started much like any other, with a carb-loaded breakfast consisting of pancakes, empanadas, and succulent tropical fruits. Departing for our morning activity, GLA students were restless towards the exhilarating prospect of beach board recreation. For many, it would be the first time ever experiencing the pleasure of such an activity.
Despite their inexperience, the youths were able to efficiently apprehend the instructors’ lessons ,and as such performed majestically atop the waves. To reward the kids, some beach time was incorporated into our schedule to allow them to further engage amongst themselves (activities included some sort of beach volleyball, soccer, and cracking coconuts). After their joyous beach prancing, students attended a local market to engage with vendors in both English and Spanish.
After such calorie-consuming activities, a nutritious and filling lunch is a must. For the meat-eating folk, delicious breaded fish was offered as a main dish, and stuffed eggplant for those opposed to consuming such things. In addition, the Costa Rican staple of rice and beans was offered.
To compensate for physical strain, GLA students were taken to the Costa Rica Coral Restoration laboratory in order to nourish their minds on important world issues. They learned of the importance of coral in marine ecosystems, and how the little creatures are quite necessary for us. Speaker James told the children of the foundation’s purpose, and how they could make changes in their lives to assist.
Post lesson, GLA students were taken yet again to the MaxiPalí in order to restock the most important necessity: snacks and drinks. Upon returning, free time was given to the kids, which some used to take a trip around the community in order to view cows and the river nearby Home Base. Dinner was served promptly after the return of this small group, being spaghetti with rich white sauce and salad. Mentor groups were held, where students reflected on their trip so far, writing letters to their future selves (to be read upon departure from Costa Rica). After all was said and done, Knives Out was put back on, where students either watched or mingled until lights out.
– Dylan and Delaney
BLOG POST FOR JULY 4
Hello! Today we had an amazing breakfast that included scrambled eggs, fruit, ham, and just like any other day, rice and beans. After getting fueled up we headed out to do community service at Marino Ballena and help our local community in Uvita.
During the service, we split into groups that consisted of beach cleanup, posting signs on the beach, and raking leaves off the trails. We walked across a canal that led into the ocean and headed off in our assigned groups. The people who were in charge of posting signs finished faster than the other groups so they joined beach cleanup. For the beach cleanup, it was very hot but everyone was able to push through and help keep Uvita’s beaches clean!
Raking leaves was so exciting that everyone played an alphabet naming game to keep themselves busy. After an hour or two, everyone went on break and switched jobs. After another fulfilling hour of community service, one group, the raking one, decided to head back to the entrance of the national park and wait for the other group, the beach cleanup one, to leave and return to home base. Everyone changed into their swimsuits and either went for a little swim or chilled in their rooms until lunch time. For lunch we had rice, chicken and chickpeas, a vegetarian option, and salad. After lunch we had a little more free time and some people decided to go in the pool or stay in their rooms.
We then departed for the waterfall where everyone had so much fun! There were so many ledges to jump off from and into the waterfalls. There was even a platform that was nine feet tall and jumping made you feel like you were falling for so long. After getting a couple shots of adrenaline, we left the waterfalls with happy faces and headed back to home base. Some people swam while others chilled in their rooms again. Most times in the pool involve making a whirlpool which basically means running around in circles where the currents in the pool make you spin. After some free time we had dinner.
At dinner there were rice and beans, mashed potatoes, a hamburger patty, zucchini patties for vegetarians, and salad. After dinner we answered some questions into a piece of paper that was going to be used as feedback to our mentors. Then, we got surprised with a pool party!! Music started to play while everyone rushed to go change into their swimsuits. The party consisted of an amusing game of chicken, a belly flop contest, a fun game of limbo, and trying to catch a piece of chocolate into your mouth. Promptly we all headed to receive our phones and head to bed with a head filled with good memories of the day’s events.
Sincerely,
Inaya and Oliver
BLOG POST FOR JULY 5
Hola!
Our lovely GLA campers began the day with the sun! At 6:30 everyone sleepily emerged from their bunks to indulge in a divine breakfast of quesadillas, rice, and assorted tropical fruits. The day quickly unraveled from there, as our students hurried to the Uvita Waterfall for a morning full of exhilarating adventure. Within minutes your favorite GLA students were strapped into harnesses and bound for the trees. Much like the four species of monkeys that dart about the Costa Rican forests, our apprehensive campers spent the morning racing through the trees on a series of ziplines! The course included a multitude of frightening endeavors; including ziplining upside-down, repelling downward, and being dropped into the depths of the beckoning waterfalls below. As the ziplining adventure came to a close, our campers were able to spend more time swimming in the pools of the waterfall.
Upon returning from a morning of audacious fun, many of our campers chose to catch up on some much-needed rest. In contrast, others chose to embark on a more daring quest: a journey into the local community to acquire milkshakes. The group then converged once more to enjoy an exquisite lunch of rice with chicken, banana chips, beans, and green salad. After the ravenous beasts had been appeased, the afternoon was spent painting and assembling trail signs for the Marino Ballena National Park.
Following community service several campers ventured into the community once more to visit a local bakery and obtain some essential sweet treats. Others chose to spend their free time lounging by the pool. To conclude another day of delicious cuisine, dinner included rice, carne en salsa, lentils, corn, and salad. Shortly after dinner, students were fortunate enough to hear from .. who eloquently spoke about the dangers of fast fashion and its role in the perpetuation of pollution, microplastic distribution, grotesque labor practices, and excessive water usage. This serious, but important speech brought the evening to a close, and students began to unwind for bed while dreams of future adventures danced in their heads.
Much love,
Delaney and Sophie
BLOG POST FOR JULY 6
To start the day our campers had a filling breakfast of ham and cheese sandwiches, rice and beans, and an assortment of fruit. Then they ventured off to one of their many community service activities, this particular one being at Kids Saving The Rainforest, an animal rehabilitation center about an hour away from home base. The jobs at this site include cleaning and raking walkways, feeding medication and enriching the animals, and finding new branches to decorate the animals homes.
After we had arrived back to home base we ate lunch consisting of rice and beans, chicken tenders, and salad. After this the group headed out to a local market to stock up on some souvenirs for them and loved ones. Upon finishing the students split into groups for the afternoon, some went to Uvita National Park for a dip in the ocean, others spent the day walking around town doing more shopping, and the remaining bunch hung around home base for a restful afternoon.
For dinner the students enjoyed seafood fried rice, french fries, salad, and some vegetables. Afterwards they all gathered together to have a comical debate about sea turtle poaching in Costa Rica.
Sincerely,
Isabelle and Sahana
BLOG POST FOR JULY 7
To begin the next eventful day in our trip here with GLA the students awoke to enjoy a breakfast of rich local fruits, pancakes, and bacon. We then headed out to continue our service work with Kids Saving the Rainforest, where the students divided into their groups and began cleaning cages, gathering young saplings to enrich the enclosures and preparing puzzles with fruit to provide enrichment and intrigue to their lives. After working the morning away we headed back and enjoyed a lovely meal of rice, beans, grilled chicken, carrot and potato puree and some salad to finish it off for lunch. After lunch we were lucky enough to get Costa Rican dance lessons, the highlight of most of the student’s day. Traditional dances such as the salsa, merengue, and many more were taught to local music. We also received a demonstration of traditional dance with Costa Rican skirts and some students were able to try them on and join in. Students then joined local chef Alan in preparing and eating empanadas from scratch in the afternoon. Afterwards students split into groups to choose how to enjoy their freetime, some headed to join locals in some carefree games of football, hanging out in the pool, taking a dip in the river while on a short stroll and whatever else they desired. We then joined back together to enjoy a dinner of hamburgers and salad. Afterwards we headed to have a bonfire on the moonlight beach but unfortunately some rain had rolled in so we turned back and turned in for the evening.
Celeste and Caden
BLOG POST FOR JULY 8
The last day in Uvita and Hotel da ballena was extremely eventful, we started the day off early with a hearty breakfast of including Hash Browns, eggs and a selection of delectable island fruits.he group geared up for the events of the day, departing to the bus taking us to the local national park Marino Ballena. The guides at Dolphin tours gave us a run down on the activities of the day ensuring safety for the grueling boat ride ahead. The group gathered on the speedboat buzzing with anticipation, the boat kicked off with tremendous speed heading for the island Cano island, a 45 minute boat ride from the beach. As the speed boat started to slow from the bumpy ride over choppy pacific waves a group of dolphins surrounded the boat leaving the group in awe. The snorkeling tour continued to amaze seeing lots of marine life throughout the true world such as Sea turtles, Parrot fish and much more.
After swimming around the crystal clear reef the group needed a well deserved break at the island beach. Following the quick break under the shade, we hurried back onto the speedboat and settled down for our second turbulent journey of the day. However the day was not nearly rinsed of its activities, after getting back to home base the group split off into their separate afternoon activities. One of the groups participated in the local culture by joining a huge game of football against the locals where our passion for the game transformed it into a heated ordeal. The group gathered for the final time including an exquisite farewell dinner. The dinner came to a close opening a chance for smores and a bonfire warming the atmosphere around the students and mentors.
Luke – Nandini
BLOG POST FOR JULY 9
The day came to an early start at a whopping six am. Once we had finished eating our delicious breakfast we left for community service. At Community service, we put signs all along a road at the front of the beach. Once we had completed our service we started to drive to the whale tale of uvita. The whale tail was exciting for everyone as we walked down the soft and comfortable sand. We played in the water for about 25 minutes. Then we walked back to the Vans as we had 45 minutes to pack up everything. Once everything was packed up we started to make our way to San Jose. Once we made it through 2 hours of heavy traffic, we had dinner. The dinner consisted of chicken, rice, salad, and garlic bread. Once we had finished our dinner we went upstairs for a lovely Talent show. Nabil played with hula hoops, others sang to Frozen, and Abby spun poi. Once we had completed that we had an Appreciation circle. We stood with our backs facing away and people in the Middle of the circle would tap us when a certain prompt Suited us. We had finished our appreciation Circle everybody filled out a survey that had questions about how our experience at Global Leadership Adventures had been for each individual was completed everybody started to leave the room and head to their Rooms.
-Jessie
