Embark on an unforgettable adventure to destinations across Africa, Asia & the Pacific, Central America, Europe, North America, South America and the Caribbean.
Spring Break and Summer program dates are open for enrollment.
ANNOUNCEMENT: DON’T END UP WAITLISTED!
You still have time to sign up for your first choice GLA experience, but our most popular sessions are filling quickly. So take just a few minutes to save your spot on your favorite GLA program or internship. You can always come back a bit later to finish the rest of your application, but can rest assured you’ll have already secured your space.
Schedule a Call with Admissions
Your Journey Starts Here
Explore GLA's Travel Programs and Internships for Teens
21 Days
GLA’s travel internships pair meaningful travel with real-world career path discovery. Work alongside a host organization abroad, build practical skills and contribute to projects that make an impact. Complete at least 60 hours of fieldwork, service learning, professional development and independent study.
7-21 Days
GLA’s high school travel programs give teens the chance to discover a global destination of their choice while exploring a specific academic program theme. Take part in community service, cultural immersion activities and adventure excursions on your journey, all while discovering your unique leadership style.
10 Days
GLA’s middle school travel programs are ideal for the younger aspiring student traveler in your family. These experiences give middle schoolers a unique opportunity to forge their own path with new friends, in a safe environment under the guidance of experienced mentors.
Add a Fellowship to your Travel Experience
The GLA Experience
At Global Leadership Adventures, we believe meaningful teen travel can be life-changing.
Serve the community through meaningful, community-led volunteer efforts.
Students take part in community service projects that benefit the local community or habitats in-need. Service provides a meaningful way to give back in the short-term and contribute to long-term, sustainable goals. Past participants frequently tell us in surveys that they value the time they spent at service sites the most.
Our service projects are developed in collaboration with local partners to ensure that student efforts address real community priorities and create lasting impact. By working side-by-side with local leaders and residents, students deepen their understanding of global challenges and learn how thoughtful service can inspire continued action long after the program ends.
Learn about your host destination’s culture, language and history.
Getting out of the classroom and into the wider world is an important step in any young leader’s development. Learning in a hands-on way allows students to truly understand distinct cultures and practices. Through immersion, you get to live like a local in your host community!
Our hands-on learning experiences are designed to connect daily activities with deeper cultural understanding and personal growth. Students engage directly with their surroundings through interactive workshops, guided exploration and meaningful conversations with community members. Whether practicing new skills, exploring local traditions or reflecting on shared experiences, participants build confidence and perspective.
Enjoy adventure excursions that take you to some of the most spectacular places on the planet.
Adventure challenges us to seek out new paths and step outside our comfort zone, critical for any leader. There’s also fun in discovery and finding the fun can be essential to building rapport and facilitating collaboration among peers. From ziplining through jungle canopies to snorkeling among pristine coral reefs to trekking to world-famous Machu Picchu, these are experiences we rate as not to be missed.
Our adventure excursions are intentionally designed to support growth as well as excitement. Challenging activities encourage students to build resilience, try new things and celebrate accomplishments together, strengthening both confidence and group connection along the way.
Step out of your comfort zone! Guiding young leaders is at the heart of what we do.
At GLA, we believe leaders are made, not born, and that leadership is a life skill than can and should be developed. From role play to style exploration, GLA’s intentional program design weaves this approach into the daily experience for our students. Directors and Mentors assign Leaders of the Day on-program to get our students out of their comfort zone and into leadership roles within the group.
On program, students discover their true leadership potential. We know that anyone can be a leader in their own way, regardless of being an introvert or extrovert, and there’s not only one way to be a leader. This holistic approach to leadership creates a lifelong impact for our young leaders.
Check Out This Featured Story
Awards & Recognition
A journey rooted in extraordinary impact...
Our mission is to inspire the next generation to realize their potential to transform the world and their unique role in it.
We are honored to be recognized for operating award-worthy summer programs for teens over the past 21 years, including a win in the category of Extraordinary Experience at the Global Youth Travel Awards. Global Leadership Adventures is also a certified B Corporation, accredited for our social, environmental and governance impact. GLA has been featured in the New York Times, and our founder, Fred Swaniker, was honored as a pioneer by Time in its annual list of 100 Most Influential People of 2019.
This was our son's first year with GLA. 15 is a tricky age where we live. The kids are too old for sleepaway camp but too young to work legally, and we really wanted our son to have a summer experience where he could expand his horizons and build friendships beyond his local high school.
GLA came recommended to us by mom's on a local Facebook group and I am so happy we decided to go for it!
Our son chose Costa Rica, specifically the 21 day Marine Conservation and Sea Turtle Expedition.
It was an exceptional balance of hard work, contribution, exploration, team building, fun and adventure.
I could see the difference in his maturity and understanding of himself in just those three short weeks. As this mom of a 15 year old boy, this is the highest compliment I could give! IYKYK 🙂
The trip attracted a global group of kids who seemed to grow extremely close during the trip and still keep in touch.
I am thrilled with our son's GLA experience and am encouraging him to go again next summer.
Thank you to the staff and organizers who make this experience possible!
Every day was different. Throughout the two weeks, I was involved in different sectors of healthcare such as triage, hygiene talks, education sessions, general medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy, shadowing doctors, and jumping in where I could. The first time I took someone’s blood pressure in triage, I was a nervous wreck, but the nurse I was with just gave me this look like, “You got this,” and it clicked. Everyone on the trip wants to see every student succeed. By the end, I was handing out meds in the pharmacy like it was no big deal after a few days of experience. We also taught children how to brush their teeth which might be a small thing, but you could tell it meant a lot to them since many didn't know how. The smiles, especially from the little ones, were core in deciding what I wanted to do in my future.
The people I met were one of the most unforgettable parts. I walked in not knowing anyone, and somehow I came out with friends I still talk and hang out with today. We’d laugh, mess up Spanish together, share similar passions, and just vibe after long days. It was this group that made me feel like I could handle anything. GLA set it up so I could push myself without freaking out, and I came back way more confident like... I know what I’m capable of now.
If you’re thinking about GLA’s Peru program, just go for it. It’s not only about helping out (which is awesome) but about figuring yourself out and connecting with people and places you’d never expect. I’d do it again in a second, no question.
A Journey Rooted in Extraordinary Impact
The GLA Difference
We have students and parents covered every step of the way!
Safety is our first priority.
While we believe in the transformative power of travel, and encourage students to step outside their comfort zones, we remain invested in managing the risks of doing so.
Our 5-Point Safety System™ supports their health and well-being at every stage of the journey. These rigorous standards are woven into all GLA programs, providing peace of mind for students and families alike.
We take care in providing superior support to every parent before, during and after the program.
Pre-Departure: Our team assists with flight bookings, passport and visa guidance, and full access to the GLA Travel Portal.
In-Country: Parents receive peace of mind with a 24-hour emergency hotline, direct communication in case of emergencies or major changes and regular blog updates with photos and stories from the field.
Post-Program: We follow up with every family for feedback and share opportunities for continued alumni engagement
Home Base is a safe and comfortable home away from home.
Lodging on a GLA program is held at a Home Base, which serves as a gathering place for reflection and team building after active days. Utmost care is taken to provide safe and secure lodging. Accommodations vary based on location, but all include exclusive spaces reserved for GLA students and staff.
Many programs include an overnight stay away from the main Home Base, or split time between two or more Home Base locations.
GLA’s program staff are passionate educators and teen experts.
We hire knowledgeable, responsible and FUN individuals; we know that having the right leaders makes all the difference. Students are guided by Program Directors and Mentors with years of professional experience working with youth.
More than 60% of our Directors and Mentors return year after year with some for as many as seven years helping to bring consistency, expertise and heart to each program. In addition, over 85% of our Local Directors return to help lead programs, ensuring every experience benefits from authentic cultural insight and a strong connection to the host community.
Working with local partners is a fundamental part of responsible travel.
Our partners provide critical context that only a resident can give, and grant our students insider access to authentic experiences. GLA’s local partners are a core part of our global family, and many have been working with us for years.
Students interact with and learn from partners, ranging from founders of NGOs to local educators, host families and area experts.
Tuition covers almost everything except airfare!
Program tuition includes lodging, airport pick-up/drop-off, meals, staff, excursions, educational materials, and secondary medical and evacuation insurance for international programs. Scholarships and payment plans are available (see more on this below).
Students on GLA programs are typically solo travelers who join the rest of the student group upon arrival. We also welcome friends or siblings who wish to travel together. Most GLA programs are designed exclusively for high school students, though we do have an option for middle school students, too.
FINANCIAL AID: APPLY FOR A NEED-BASED SCHOLARSHIP
At Global Leadership Adventures, we’re proud to offer financial aid to families. GLA has a limited pool of need-based scholarships available each season. Because resources are limited and we try to support as many students as possible, we encourage you to apply early!
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Program and Internship of the Month
Don't miss out on these staff and alumni-favorite experiences!
Summer Travel Programs for Teens
Choose Your Destination
Discover incredible destinations across the continents, and choose your favorite!
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Choose Your Program Theme
Select an academic program theme that may inspire a future college major or career path, or explore a new interest.
