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Global Leadership Adventures

9.79 (254)Verified14 Programs

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...

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Global Leadership Adventures Reviews

Hear what past participants have to say about the programs

Overall Rating

9.79

Total Reviews

254
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Learned so much and met lots of amazing people

December 13, 2025by: Daniella Knapp - United StatesProgram: GLA Costa Rica - Volunteer Programs for Teens
10

Living 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 Adventure
10

This 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 Africa
10

The 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.

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Interviews

Read interviews from alumni or staff

Kate Galvin

Participated in 2016

Alumni

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. 

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Lindsay Goddard

Participated in 2016

Alumni

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.

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Cameron Wehr

Participated in 2016

Alumni

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.

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Global Leadership Adventures

Global Leadership Adventures

9.79Verified

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

Top Rated Program High School Abroad in Costa Rica 2025
2025 Finalist - Innovation in Alumni Engagement2025 Finalist - Innovative Intern Abroad Program2025 Winner - Innovative Intern Abroad ProgramGoAbroad Top Rated Provider 2024 - High School AbroadGoAbroad Innovation Awards 2024 Finalist -	Volunteer Abroad ProgramInnovative Volunteer Abroad Program 2023 FinalistInnovative New Program – Intern Abroad Finalist 2022