Global Leadership Adventures, originally called the Summer Academy at Cape Town, was founded by Fred Swaniker in 2004.

Past
Fred was developed the Summer Academy at Cape Town as part of a larger institution, the African Leadership Academy, a high school designed to train future political, social, and economic leaders of Africa. Fred believes the lack of ethical leadership in Africa is at the root of the continent’s greatest challenges. By developing an effective training ground for future leaders and establishing a strong network between them, these individuals – much like Nelson Mandela in South Africa – could positively transform nations. The Summer Academy at Cape Town was established to provide students their own space to learn together, challenge one another, and develop lifetime bonds.

From the onset, the Summer Academy at Cape Town was a huge success. It became an effective model for bringing high school students worldwide together to study abroad in a meaningful way and impact lives through community service. In an effort to share this powerful experience with more students and expand its global reach, the organization was renamed Global Leadership Adventures.

Present
Today, Global Leadership Adventures is led by a highly experienced team committed to offering life-changing programs for high school students.

Future
We are committed to expand our programs to new countries every year and grow our network of young leaders who are empowered to create positive change around the world.