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 30
Hello parents!!
We started our first day with a nutritious breakfast consisting of a variety of different foods, having the options of a regular American breakfast, yogurt and granola, or a traditional Thai breakfast. After that, we played a variety of games to get to know each other. Varying from dancing games and name memorisation and going over our leadership roles as GLA students. We then got ready to have lunch at a traditional restaurant in Chiang Mai. The food was absolutely amazing consisting of seafood cuisine, crispy chicken with a delicious mayo sauce to top it, steamed veggies with rice, and a flavourful soup. With lots of water of course!
After that we made our way to traditional temples in Chiang Mai. The architecture was stunning and we learned so much about Thai culture and history throughout our journey in the multiple temples we visited. We stopped to rest at a jungle themed cafe and got to feed the coy fishes swimming in the cafe. After that, we went to our last stop for the day which was a cooking class of traditional thai cuisine. We got to be chefs for the night and had 4 different dishes. We loved trying new foods and it was a very rewarding experience. We were all very tired after our eventful day and ended the night swimming in the pool to cool off and going right to bed to get some rest for another fun day of new things. Goodnight from Thailand!
– Blog for the day written by leader Anna Del Ponte
BLOG POST FOR JULY 1
Sawadeeka!
In the morning Todd, part of the local staff who has lived in Thailand for 22 years, came and explained to us how to teach thai students. We are very grateful that Todd came and taught us the proper way to teach and also respect Thai culture. After this, we went to a buffet for lunch with local cuisine, the food was very good and we tried many new things and they were so good.
After lunch we went to a local market where we were able to get new shirts that were appropriate for teaching. Then, we arrived at the school to meet 4th, 5th, and 6th graders that we will start teaching tomorrow. The students were very cute and very excited to see us. After looking around the school we worked on our lesson plans for tomorrow and went to 7-Eleven for snacks! We ended the day with mentor groups where we reflected on our day. Overall today was a great day and we are so excited to start teaching tomorrow!
Today’s blog is written by leader Shani Le Moigne
BLOG POST FOR JULY 2
Sawadee from Thailand!
We woke up to an early start at precisely 6:30 am. All of us gathered for our usual breakfast of our choosing, then ventured on to the van for our first day of teaching. We were greeted with many smiles and waves from the young Thai students, where we proceeded to watch their morning routine ceremony. We broke into our teaching groups and taught English on many topics such as animals, food, and occupations. They were very cute and super eager to learn, making our jobs very easy and fulfilling. After a couple hours we met up for lunch. At around noon, after saying our temporary goodbyes, we left for home base to have a couple hours of relaxation to recharge.
With a fully rejuvenated battery, we took a stroll to our near and dear seven eleven. The guy at the counter is starting to know our faces, where we purchase many vital items such as the newest Thai snacks. We then prepared more for tomorrow’s lessons and created a game plan. Afterwards, we came together for dinner, greeted by pineapple, chicken, rice, and an interesting invention: fried mushrooms. We then participated in a GLA game called The Social Sync on controversial societal topics regarding technology, allowing for reflection on our habits and reliance on devices. Next we did a big round of hide and seek where we learned about the camouflage skills of Charlotte and Emmett. We then began to get ready for bed so we can rest up for the big day ahead of us. Good night all!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 3
Today’s blog is written by leader Ron Le Moigne
Today we went back to the same school to teach the little Thai students of grades 4, 5 & 6. We all had a great time teaching these kids for the second time. After having lunch that the school provided us, we all went to the market but right before that we went to a traditional Thai tea place where we all had some tea with boba. The market had 3 floors, 1st one had some local food and Buddhist souvenirs whereas 2nd and 3rd had clothes. Some people bought elephants pant and others some funky slippers. We all had an amazing time and finished our day with some games like zip zap and volleyball.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 4
Today we woke up early and went to teach in the school for the final time. Each teaching group taught 2 different classes today. Then we ate lunch at the school in the break room. After that we all went to a mini Muay Thai camp in Chang Mai Muay Thai gym. Then, we all came back for some free time and finally ate dinner here at the home base and practiced our performance piece for tomorrow.
Today’s blog is written by leader Rio Dumont
BLOG POST FOR JULY 5
The first part of the day included getting up for breakfast at 7:45am. Then we headed out in the GLA minivans to the Thai school. The children there were exremely excited to see us. Everybody from GLA were happy to see this. Then we began playing games with the children and it was a lot of fun! For the last part of the day we went to private Thai high school. There the Thai students showed off their skills and special clubs. We then danced to cotton eyed Joe and cha cha slide. Finally we left the school to go to a coffee shop which had very aesthetic drinks. Today was loved by all!
Today’s blog is written by leader Charlotte Salman
BLOG POST FOR JULY 6
Hello! Today we got to sleep in and we ate breakfast at 9:15. We left home base at 10 to go to the elephant hospital, where we saw the patients and permanent residents. We learned about the making of prosthetic limbs for elephants and the stories behind how they ended up in the hospital.
After the hospital, we went to an elephant sanctuary where we had lunch and got to feed elephants! It was a really cool experience. We went to an exhibit about elephants after that, then to Elephant Parade, a non-profit that supports elephants through art. We got to paint elephant models which was a lot of fun. Finally, we went back to home base where we had dinner and played games. Looking forward to the night markets tomorrow!
BLOG POST FOR JULY 8
Today we got up early and packed our bags to move to the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary, where we will stay for three days. We moved in and quickly got to work, meeting the elephants, feeding them, and learning about them. While at the sanctuary, we learned about how to take care of elephants, and tell if they are healthy or not. Then we came back to the new home base and had some free time, dinner, and we played mentor group leadership games. We got ready for an early bed to rest for tomorrow.
BLOG POST FOR JULY 10
Hello! We had a very busy day today. We started off with breakfast at 8, then left for the elephant sanctuary around 9. There, we learned how to be around elephants safely. Then we fed them and pet them. After, we went on a walk through the rainforest with them and stopped to make food for them with various ingredients. After we returned from our walk we changed into bathing suits to bathe them. We walked to a small pond with the elephants and helped clean them with water, but it ended up turning into a huge water fight and we all got soaked. After that, we took the elephants to a mud pit. We put mud on them to act as sunscreen. We got really dirty in the mud so we quickly showered before beating lunch. Once we had eaten and rested, we took a short walk to a nice waterfall. We spent a lot of time swimming and taking pictures before we headed back to our camp. We had free time until dinner, and finished of the day with a leadership activity.
