Overview
India is at once an ancient civilization with deep historical and cultural roots and also an economic and political juggernaut dominating the world stage. High tech parks sit next to ancient Hindu temples; majestic architecture lines streets that have cows meandering down them. At the end of our journey, you will develop a much deeper appreciation of the one of humanity’s most complex and beautiful cultures. It’s the perfect program for students with ancestral roots in India or those fascinated by culture, diversity, and picturesque landscapes.
This Flagship GLA Program takes you to the majestic places in India, from remote Himalayan peaks, to bustling mountain towns; from Delhi, the nation’s capital to the Taj Mahal. Along the way, we will engage in meaningful community service and meet pioneers engaged in service to society. GLA India experience is a journey of the body and soul, and is truly life-changing.
Community Service
During the first week of the program, you will volunteer with Himalayan farmers working in the fields and experiencing life in the mountains. The second week, we will volunteer with an environmental non-profit organization in the Tibetan town of Dharamsala, raising awareness of environmental issues in the Himalayas. During the third week we will join innovative non-profits in New Delhi working with impoverished children; we will teach English, arts & crafts and share our culture with them.
Learning
In all GLA programs, we supplement our volunteer work with experiential learning opportunities ranging from how to tackle abject poverty to Indian folk dance workshops and the exiled Tibetan government in India. You will have the opportunity to converse with grassroots leaders, environmental activists, and political figures. India offers the intellectually curious student so much to soak in. The focus is on learning about the diversity of India, including the different religious groups such as Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs and more. You’ll also taste the flavors of Indian and Tibetan cuisine and even learn to cook some meals. All of these opportunities allow students to a gain a full spectrum overview of the country and really understand the issues and develop ideas to affect positive change.
Excursions
The program begins and ends in Delhi. From there, we’ll travel by train into the Indian Himalayas, one of the most visually stunning regions on earth. We’ll then hike out to a remote Himalayan village where we will work with farmers for four days. We then descend to Dharamsala where we will learn about the struggle of the Tibetan refugee community, meet their leaders and engage in cultural exchange with the children. Then we head to Delhi for a few days of volunteering with some ground-breaking non-profit social service agencies. We will end our journey by seeing “the jewel of India,” the Taj Mahal. By exploring the rural and urban sides of India, it will present quite the contrast and make for a rich understanding of these diverse majesties.
Lodging
In the Himalayan village, we will camp for four nights as a group, along with our chef, medic, and guides. In Dharamsala, the GLA Home Base is a large house where our staff and students will live together in shared rooms and enjoy home-cooked meals made from local organic produce. The nights in Delhi and in Agra (where the Taj Mahal is located) will be spent in hotels.
