
Global Leadership Adventures
Why choose Global Leadership Adventures?
Global Leadership Adventures (GLA) offers life-changing international volunteer and internship programs for high school students in countries worldwide. Programs focus on service learning, cultural exploration, and honing leadership skills. Program themes include protecting wildlife and the environment, healthcare, supporting education initiatives, and political-economic issues. On the weekends, p...
Global Leadership Adventures (GLA) offers life-changing international volunteer and internship programs for high school students in countries worldwide. Programs focus on service learning, cultural exploration, and honing leadership skills. Program themes include protecting wildlife and the environment, healthcare, supporting education initiatives, and political-economic issues. On the weekends, participating students engage in exciting excursions to places of cultural or historical significance to expand their experience and understanding of their host country. GLA is a leader in international high school travel programs. We have sent tens of thousands of students abroad in our 20 years of operation, and have been featured in the New York Times, Boston Globe, and other major media outl...
Global Leadership Adventures Reviews
Hear what past participants have to say about the programs
Overall Rating
Total Reviews
Learned so much and met lots of amazing people
December 13, 2025by: Daniella Knapp - United StatesProgram: GLA Costa Rica - Volunteer Programs for TeensLiving for ten days in the Guanacaste region of Costa Rica was truly eye opening. Experiencing the culture and helping out with the sea turtles nests along with talking with local community members and organizations created a whole new appreciation for different cultures and travel.
Everyone Should Go
December 13, 2025by: Daniella Knapp - United StatesProgram: GLA Costa Rica: Beachside Service AdventureThis summer I went to Costa Rica with GLA teens, and I had an amazing time that will always be cherished. I learned so much getting to work in a turtle hatchery learning all about the dangers to turtles and helping to build turtle nests. I also got to learn about the community and culture of the area, partaking in special activities very unique to the program. Overall, I could not recommend this program enough.
Most meaningful program ever
November 11, 2025by: Emily Yoshida - United KingdomProgram: GLA Ghana: Children of AfricaThe Children of Africa program has been the best GLA program I have done yet! Staying in a small village in the Krobo region of Ghana, we really connected with the local community and we made such good friends with the local children and our students in school. We saw the struggles it had with educating children with special needs, and when we came back we all were so inspired with how the local community pushed through that we started a fundraiser and raised almost $10,000, which we sent to the schools that we taught at. I came back to my life with so much more appreciation for the luxuries that we have, and a new mindset about taking all the opportunities that i am given.
Global Leadership Adventures Programs
Browse programs you might like

Travel to Costa Rica and make a difference in a subject area you are passionate about! Choose from program themes ranging from Public Health and ...

Home to the incredible Andes Mountains, Peru features a diverse landscape, plus traditions and culture that have survived for centuries. GLA offe...

It's amazing what one can accomplish in 10 days! GLA's Beachside Service Adventure offers service, learning, and outdoor adventures packed in...

Embark on a meaningful journey to Bali and contribute to youth engagement or public health initiatives within local communities. While there, imm...

Global Leadership Adventures offers the opportunity to rescue and rehabilitate domestic animals in Costa Rica. Formerly Animal Rescue Project, th...

Costa Rica's Pacific coast is a treasure trove of water-based activities: the surfing, tubing, kayaking, hot spring-soaking and snorkeling here i...
Media Gallery
Interviews
Read interviews from alumni or staff

Kate Galvin
Participated in 2016
Kate is currently a sophomore in high school who is always eager to travel. She is a year-round competitive swimmer and enjoys all types of watersport...

Kate Galvin
Participated in 2016
I was inspired to go abroad after I realized how much I enjoyed traveling the world with my family. We had been to Asia and Europe together, so I had the travel experience and confidence in my abilities to be independent. Geography and travel itself have always been areas of study that I particularly enjoy, and I wanted to expand my knowledge of the world.

Lindsay Goddard
Participated in 2016
Lindsay is a junior at Homestead High School in Sunnyvale, California and she works in childcare at Sunnyvale Presbyterian Church on the weekends. In ...

Lindsay Goddard
Participated in 2016
Travel has been a big part of my life since I was young, and volunteering is a passion of mine, so when my best friend showed me her GLA catalog, I knew I had to try it out.

Cameron Wehr
Participated in 2016
Cameron is a high school student from California. He has been on many trips to Europe with youth symphonies. He recently went to India on a service tr...

Cameron Wehr
Participated in 2016
I have always had a bit of wanderlust. I love to travel, and I have always wanted to go to somewhere in Asia, so when the opportunity to go to India presented itself, I jumped on it.
Ready to Learn More?
Global Leadership Adventures (GLA) offers life-changing international volunteer and internship programs for high school students in countries worldwide. Programs focus on service learning, cultural exploration, and honing leadership skills. Program themes include protecting wildlife and the environment, healthcare, supporting education initiatives, and political-economic issues. On the weekends, participating students engage in exciting excursions to places of cultural or historical significance to expand their experience and understanding of their host country. GLA is a leader in international high school travel programs. We have sent tens of thousands of students abroad in our 20 years of operation, and have been featured in the New York Times, Boston Globe, and other major media outl...

Global Leadership Adventures

Global Leadership Adventures
Ready to Learn More?
Global Leadership Adventures (GLA) offers life-changing international volunteer and internship programs for high school students in countries worldwide. Programs focus on service learning, cultural exploration, and honing leadership skills. Program themes include protecting wildlife and the environment, healthcare, supporting education initiatives, and political-economic issues. On the weekends, participating students engage in exciting excursions to places of cultural or historical significance to expand their experience and understanding of their host country. GLA is a leader in international high school travel programs. We have sent tens of thousands of students abroad in our 20 years of operation, and have been featured in the New York Times, Boston Globe, and other major media outl...
Awards
Check out awards and recognitions Global Leadership Adventures has received








