Global Works

It’s safe to say that this trip was certainly a once-in-a-lifetime experience! I had no clue what to expect when I first arrived. I could tell each and every one of us was excited and nervous, which made it so easy to meet each other and form friendships. Our trip leaders were incredible; helping us adjust, leading us through the day, and always being there if we had questions or needed help. I was lucky to go on a trip with such an amazing group of kids. I met people from all around who shared my interests and were open-minded to getting to know everyone and creating long-lasting relationships. The service was an eye-opening experience. I was touched by the sense of community and love the people who I met valued so much. It was clear how hard they worked, not only to rebuild their own houses but others as well. We enjoyed working as one big group. There was always something to do and help out with, and it felt good to know that the people we worked with truly appreciated our help. The service was an integral and unforgettable part of the trip, but so were the other countless activities and late nights we spent together. Kayaking in the bioluminescent bay was so fun, and an amazing way to end our trip. Our trips to the beaches every day led to a lot of laughs and memories. The nights we spent in the Big Yellow House are something that I will always remember! We had a bake-off, played countless games, volleyball, and lounged around listening to music. You could always find someone to talk to and something to do. We took a dance class, had a karaoke night, and spent one night learning about the culture of Puerto Rico. My trip was so enriching and fun, and I am so grateful I got to experience it with incredible people. I would definitely recommend this trip, or any trip Global Works offers, to anyone who wants to meet new people, learn about cultures, and spend an amazing time somewhere new!

Before discovering Global Works and this trip, I was searching for a summer activity that I could attend that satisfied my love for traveling while also serving as a way to help a community in need. Fortunately, I decided to go to Puerto Rico. The trip was amazing! It allowed me to make so many friends, experience a new culture, serve a community, gain travel experience, and to overall learn more about myself. Before going on the trip, I knew almost nothing about Puerto Rico or the devastating effects of Hurricane Maria, but after attending the trip, I returned home with incredible eye-opening stories and experiences to share. The trip leaders were all amazing and truly wanted to get to know each and every traveler and make sure everyone was healthy and actively engaged in service and the experiences. All information before the trip was clearly provided and made my parents feel more comfortable with letting me travel alone to the Caribbean, and I was able to call my parents daily, which they appreciated. If you are wondering whether or not you should go, I would 100% recommend this trip!

When I signed up for this trip, I wanted a chance to get up close to nature, hike and see amazing views, and get to kayak by animals. I was fortunate to get to do all of this and more on the trip! The itinerary was the right amount of urban and outdoors. We stayed in the city to do all the touristy stuff and service work, but still got to see the pacific ocean and pretty rainforests. The leaders, Adam and Sarah, were absolutely fantastic. They gave everyone a sense of support on the trip and made me feel safe and comfortable. Both were just very likable people. During the trip I noticed a lot of the kids here went because they had enough money to blow 6 grand to get community service hours. They were all from upper class and private school backgrounds, and said some very questionable things (Including many slurs, derogatory terms, and LOTS of homophobic, misogynistic, and antisemitic jokes). The group made me feel downright unsafe at some points. The leaders did everything in their power to help, and I appreciate that a lot. Being that almost everyone was like that, I sense it might be a pattern throughout various trips by Global Works. Just proceed with caution, and be prepared to stick to yourself for two weeks!

My Global Works trip was truly inspiring, the leaders were great, and I had an amazing time. When I think of my Global Works trip, it’s my home stay that comes to mind. It was really fun to go through your day with another family from another culture, eat food with them, play with their kids, even go to work with them...it was awesome to be part of a Costa Rican household. I never thought I would learn to catch 20-pound tilapia or harvest star fruit, avocados and mangos on my host family's farm (and, I didn't know that limes could be green on the outside and orange on the inside!). I thought the kids in my group were all really authentic, creative, and open-minded about trying new things and activities. I felt like we really built a community together. I would do this trip again...a thousand times over!

This trip brought me close with not only the other kids, but the communities in Costa Rica. I am still in contact with all of my trip-mates and with my host family. The people I met and experiences I had are things that I will never forget. I learned so much about how lucky I am to be who I am and have access to healthcare when so many people struggle to even see a doctor. They were always so grateful for our presence and the joy everyone felt the whole trip is unforgettable.

My experience in Costa Rica can't really be accurately described in words. The trip was amazing, breathtaking, challenging, fun, emotional, unique, etc. The words I can use to describe my trip can go on forever, but how much they can really capture of the trip is limited. The leaders were absolutely wonderful, as were my group members and my experience overall. Each leader brought something different to the table that was critical to our trip. Flora was organized and always super positive, Chalo was understanding, caring, and knowledgeable, and Nohelia was hilarious, loving and all-knowing. Our group had a special and unique dynamic that was something I had never experienced before. We were all very close with each other fairly early on; a TSA officer even asked if a few of us were siblings when we were returning from the trip at the Houston airport! The parts of the trip that weren't super fun (like sitting on a plane for two hours that was grounded due to weather or a seven hour layover at the Houston airport) all pale in comparison to the countless moments that I will always remember. Seeing a sloth white water rafting, hiking through the cloud forests, swimming in hot springs, playing cards with my host family and little sisters, and surfing on Playa Uvita. These moments are just a few in an ocean of memories that I hold onto. I miss the community of Cedral and how kind everyone was. I miss trying to communicate with locals through my limited Spanish and lots of hand gestures. I miss the "Pura Vida" lifestyle of Costa Rica's citizens. Global Works provided me with an authentic experience of Costa Rica where I could immerse myself in both culture and language. The service work was challenging, but rewarding; I learned how to make concrete and pour foundation for a cabin we built with the locals of Cedral. I am truly lucky to have been able to go on such a unique trip, and I cannot recommend an experience like this enough. Thank you Global Works Travel!

I had such an amazing time travelling with Global Works to Costa Rica! In just the short 15 days that I spent there, my language skills grew like crazy, I developed a bunch of relationships that I will never forget, and I ate some of the best food I've ever had. Leading up to the trip, I was pretty nervous. I didn't know if I was bringing the right stuff, I didn't know how my language skills would fare in a community full of native speakers, I didn't know what the people would be like, and most of all I didn't know what it would be like to be away from home for two weeks. However, all my worries melted away once I met my group at the airport! My trip leaders, Camille and Randall, were super cool! They were the perfect mix of instructive yet laid back, and they made the experience flow so smoothly. From all of Randall's jokes and funny noises to Camille's fascinating tidbits about culture and just life in general, there was never a boring moment on the trip. The group that I traveled with became my little family while I was there. It's fun looking back on the trip and realizing how powerful trying new things can be. You make new friends and get to know yourself a lot better. Also, not having our phones really facilitated these friendships because it forced us to get comfortable with the uneasiness that comes with a new environment. I thought I wouldn't be able to last without my phone, but now I'm honestly so glad that we couldn't have them. We had so many cool experiences on the trip. We went ziplining, visited a cheese farm and made cheese, went surfing, taught an English class, helped build a day school, and so much more. My favorite part by far was the homestay. Two other girls and I stayed with a wonderful family at Futuro. We called our host mom Mama Carmen and she had four daughters, one of which who lived with her. Mama Carmen made the most delicious food ever. As a true foodie, I loved cooking with her and gathering recipes. By the end of the trip, we had so many inside jokes and shared memories together. The language barrier that I was so worried about leading up to the trip was not even a problem. We were completely able to communicate, even if I didn't always understand Mama Carmen and she didn't always understand me. I noticed that coming back from the trip, my Spanish-speaking skills had improved immensely. Before the trip, I was afraid to speak Spanish outside of class. Now, I speak it every chance I get - which is very helpful living in Arizona. Overall, I had a blast in Costa Rica. I gained new friendships, language skills, cultural knowledge, and respect for hard work. The connections that I made with the people from my trip still remain, even though we're separated by thousands of miles. This Global Works trip has opened me up to so many new things and given me lots of perspective on the lives of others. I would 100 percent recommend a Global Works trip to anyone who's looking to travel and experience new cultures, all while having loads of fun. It will definitely be a decision that you won't regret!

Traveling to Costa Rica with Global Works was a truly amazing experience. It's honestly difficult to put into words. It changed me mentally and emotionally, and it is an experience I will never forget. Even now I look back on memories, photos, souvenirs, notes and drawings that I have kept from the trip, and can't fully take in how much the trip meant to me. I built strong bonds with the people on the trip, tried new foods, took risks, and emerged myself into a beautiful culture. Plus, the Costa Rica environment was gorgeous. I felt like I was able to experience so much in just the one week I was there. Living at home in a place almost the polar opposite of Costa Rica, seeing wildlife like toucans, monkeys, snakes, giant spiders, and the turtles especially was breathtaking. During the trip, we also helped at ASTOP, a sea turtle conservation program. The work we did there was both gratifying and eye opening. After coming back from the trip, I was more open minded. My mindset on life was changed. I feel so lucky that I got to experience Costa Rica with Global Works. Their program is extremely well planned and it helped me learn about so many different things.

The Galapagos easily one of the biggest and most important things I've ever done. It was beautiful and I loved everything we did and saw. We saw the most friendly and amazing wildlife in the world, and saw beautiful mountains, deserts and the ocean. The group was super friendly and helpful and taught us all about the islands. I wish I could go back because I've never been somewhere more amazing.

It's hard to put into words the fantastic experience I had during this trip. It was indeed one of the best weeks I ever had. I was a little bit nervous about going on this trip. I had been on missions trips before, but they were never outside the states. I was so glad to have had the people I was with during the week because it made the experience so much better. By the end, we became like one big family. Even though many live on the other side of the country, I still talk and text them every day. Not only were the people so much fun to hang out, but the work that we did for the community felt so rewarding. We filled a floor and a wall full of cement, and even though it was hard work, it was so worth it. I highly recommend this trip for anyone who loves to do hard work and love to meet people from all across the country.

During my time in Peru, I was able to fully immerse myself in the culture and take away from all the amazing opportunities the country had to offer. Every day was a new adventure where we met new people, tried new foods and created lasting memories. With the work we did, we got to see the first hand the effects we had on the communities and schools. From learning to make adobe bricks, to working alongside villagers in the mountains of Kajillarakay, we were able to see the true extent of our capabilities when working towards a goal. Throughout the trip we continued to bond and build relationships with each other. During our homestays, we got to practice our Spanish with our welcoming families and create lasting connections with them. They took us under their wing as their own, showing us how to cook Peruvian dishes and telling us about their lives. Every moment spent in Peru was one to remember, as we all have taken so much away from this once in a lifetime experience. The trip leaders were amazing, always there to talk to me when I needed help. It was nearly impossible to feel homesick as we were constantly chatting and having fun as a group. From the memorable bus rides of singing and playing the ukulele to hiking up to the famous ruins of Machu Picchu, our adventure in Peru could not have been better. The two weeks flew by way too fast, and by the end, our goodbyes felt impossible. The hardest part was accepting that for many of us, we would go from seeing each other everyday to not at all. I know we all can agree that our trip with Global Works was definitely one for the books, and a time none of us will every forget. We were so lucky to be able to have had this experience and hopefully encourage others to embark on adventures of their own with Global Works. I cannot thank Global Works enough for the impact this trip has had on me and all the memorable bonds and irreplaceable friends I have made!

Before the trip I was nervous and did not know what to expect. After arriving the counselors were very welcoming along with the rest of the kids. Together we all figured out what to expect for the next week. We had lots of time to get to know each other and do other fun activities. We did not work the whole trip but did work enough to see the impact that we made on the community. The people that we helped were very welcoming and glad that we were there to help. They told use how the hurricane affected them and were even able to show us pictures. By the end of the first day of work we were one big family. By the end of the trip we had bonded with the people who we were helping and were forever grateful that they gave us such an opportunity. The counselors were great people who were very knowledgeable about Puerto Rico itself and the day to day agenda. I truly believe that the counselors greatly and positively impacted the trip from their great playlists whilst we were mixing cement or just going out and buying us snacks and water to keep us hydrated. I have no regrets about this trip and hope to do another one soon.

After a month of searching I found Global Works on Go Abroad and this program was the best choice I could have made. I got to travel the country and experience so many different cultures and service opportunities. I feel so incredibly privileged to have had the leaders I did. Carlos and Perri were both very helpful in every possible way. I always felt safe both physically and emotionally. We visited the three biggest cities in the country (Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia). I got to work along side of a community of only 22 people in a village outside of Palencia called Amayuelas. I got to help their local farm and made adobe bricks out of mud and hay. Additionally, I got to see and explore buildings and other structures, some dating back to over 2,000 years. The aqueduct in Segovia was most impressive to me. My favorite part of the trip was the fact that we didn't have our phones. We got to get to know each other more and played group games we might not have thought to play. Overall an extremely rewarding experience.

As the parent of high school students who have traveled with Global Works as well as another group, I would highly recommend Global Works Study. From the first encounter, asking questions, getting information, navigating the process, etc. it was all simple and detailed. I was able to ask questions and get responses quickly and accurately. Once my son was on the trip, updates were frequent and were written by the students, with photos attached! Flights were easy to book and the group leaders were easy to find at the meeting airport location. Loved that the group leader called us before the trip to introduce herself and ask if we had any questions. My son's (16 years old, going into Junior year of high school) said his favorite part was the homestay...made friends for life!

I had an incredible time going on the Hurricane Maria Relief trip through Global Works. Before we even left for the trip, the advisors reached out just to get to know me a little more before the actual trip itself. This extra effort was great and made the introduction with everyone much easier. I loved working in the tight-knit Puerto Rican community of Villa del Rio. The staff at Global Works have built such great relationships with the community members that right away we were treated like family among the people of Villa del Rio. Fixing houses and listening to the many stories that the villagers had to share was so enriching and rewarding. While rebuilding and repairing houses was the focus of the trip, we were able to also participate in many other activities. Touring Old San Juan, going to the beach, and swimming in crystal clear water in the middle of the forest were a few of the many amazing activities we were able to participate in. Overall, I had an absolutely amazing time on this trip and HIGHLY RECOMMEND it to anyone looking to have an amazing travel experience!

This trip was a beautiful and life changing experience. I was blown away by the opportunities I was able to have and people I met. My Spanish improved and I have a better understanding of the clinics in Costa Rica. The people I met on this trip were absolutely amazing and I made lifelong friends. One of the best parts was staying in the home stays with a family that spoke only Spanish. Getting to take a look into the daily life of people in a totally different living situation was eye opening for all of us. I would reccommend this trip to anyone who wants to learn more about public health and Costa Rican culture!

The program was amazing, it was very cohesive and easy to navigate. The staff was very fun to talk to and hangout with. They were great people and very protective of us, but they also gave us the freedom we need as teenagers. We got to go to clinics and shadow them and throw ourselves into the language and the culture. The people in the village that we met at the homestays were so nice to us and they honestly felt like a second family to me. My best advice to people joining is that I know no matter how much we say don't worry about the homestays, you're still going to worry. I know because I was the same way. However, the homestays were one of the greatest parts about the trip because the families are just so happy to have you and they do their very best to welcome you into their home. Keep your mind open to new cultures and try to learn as much as you can for as long as you're there. After my trip, I've been obsessed with studying abroad and I want to go anywhere and everywhere and I want to learn what the whole world has to offer.

My Global Works trip was a life changing experience. I went on the Spain Language and Leadership trip. The three week trip was amazing. We formed friendships and learned how to better our global community. Our trip started in Madrid and ended in Barcelona. In between, we visited medieval castles in Segovia and kayaked in Sebucor. We worked on an organic farm in Almuyeas and learned the importance of growing produce with no pesticides, better for the environment and us! We also learned how to make bread, a fun process with a delicious end result. Next we went to the Valencia and learned about how rice patties had destroyed a natural biome of the wetlands. We saw first hand the pollution of the wetlands but did our share to clean up the trash in the water. It may not sound so, but we also had fun. We rewarded ourselves with a dip in the beautiful ocean, which was warm and the color of blue beach glass. The next day, we made traditional Valenciano paella and took a Flamenco dance class. Our trip ended in the beautiful city of Barcelona. We had the amazing opportunity to see a live Flamenco show, which was awesome, especially after having taken a class a few days earlier. The next day we visited the Sagrada Familia, Gaudi's masterpiece, which has been under construction for 128 years, and still not finished. It was stunning and the stained glass windows that reflected color into the Cathedral itself were my favorite part. Between discovering Spain and its incredible culture and food, practicing and improving my Spanish, and meeting new people and making incredible friends, this trip was an experience of a lifetime, one I will cherish and remember forever. I loved my counselors and thought they were great trip leaders, keeping us engaged, informed, immersed in Spanish language and always amused. My group was fantastic and there were lots of hugs and tears at the airport. I can’t wait for my next Global Works trip!

Going on this trip was easily one of the best decisions I have ever made. Global Works was super easy to work with and made me feel super prepared going into my trip. The leaders were great ( shoutout to Perri, Taylor, and Randall! ) and I felt very well taken care of, while also having fun, the entire time. My Spanish greatly improved this trip and I enjoyed all of the experiences we had! The zipline experience had such great views and it was so cool to able to do something so special with a great group of people. The homestay experience was something unlike anything I had ever done before and was one of my favorite parts of the trip! The homestay community was so welcoming and my family was so sweet and welcoming. I felt so proud at the end of the week when I looked at all of the work that we accomplished on the community center and all of the relationships we had formed, The friends that I made on this trip are some of the best friends I've ever had. I was with such an awesome group and I'm still talking to them nonstop! Our final days were spent surfing and hanging out on the beach, which was a perfect end to such an amazing trip! The beach was beautiful and made me want to stay in Costa Rica with this awesome group for my whole summer. Overall, this was such a wonderful experience and I can't wait for my next Global Works trip!

Starting out practicing digging our own holes and navigating to find our "turtle"(shoe) eggs we got to experience the life of a mama sea turtle. We then maped out diagramed and took measurements of our nest that we digged in the sand to practice locating nests. We then released baby sea turtles on the beach and watched them enter the ocean to begin there new life! Amazing journey not to mention the people team, and staff that made this trip possible(: