Travel with Global Leadership Adventures and Make a Difference in Africa, Asia, Europe or Latin America
GLA combines meaningful community service projects with cultural immersion and adventure to give high school students the chance to build real-world leadership skills and have an unforgettable, life-changing experience.
- Programs run 8-21 days in length during spring and summer
- Travel to a new country and build your confidence as an experienced traveler
- Make a lasting impact in a developing community through meaningful volunteer work
- Embrace the traditions of another culture with the guidance of experienced mentors
- Experience true adventure, from a safari in Tanzania to a Machu Picchu expedition in Peru
- Make friends with like-minded teens who share your passions for travel and volunteering
- Choose the best program type for you, including Building From Start to Finish programs, where you will complete a meaningful building project from beginning to end, leaving behind your legacy for local families to use
- Other program types include: Medicine & Public Health, Children & Education, Animal & Wildlife Conservation, and many others!
If you fill out the form on this page, we'll mail you a full-color catalog with photos and details on all of our programs. It's that easy!
Global Leadership Adventures was co-founded by Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Andrew Motiwalla, and many Peace Corps alumni have developed and staffed our international programs. Since the the Peace Corps is not open to high school students, GLA was inspired by the same qualities to give high school students like you the opportunity to make a difference abroad and experience the world in a new way in the years before starting college.
As a student volunteer with GLA, you get to shape the kind of experience you want to have. If you're interested in becoming a doctor or nurse someday, you might consider one of our Medicine & Public Health programs in South Africa, Bali or the Dominican Republic. If you have a passion for working with kids or animals, we have programs in Costa Rica, Peru and beyond that will cultivate a unique perspective among you and your fellow students on these topics.
Based on a survey of alumni 3 years post program, 97% of GLA alumni agree: "When I look back on my GLA experience, I consider it to have been life-changing." From the many GLA students who have gone on to study at top universities such as Harvard and Stanford, start their own nonprofits or return to visit the same countries they experienced while on-program back in high school, we know you're only a flight away from the start of a new journey that will change your life for many years to come.
A GLA adventure to fuel your passions, or find a new one.
Children & Education • Language Immersion • Ocean & Environment Conservation • Animal & Wildlife Conservation • Sports Leadership • Medicine & Public Health • Social Entrepreneurship • Photography & Journalism • Children & Community Development • Building from Start to Finish
Tuition is all-inclusive
Tuition varies by program length, destination country and activities included on-program
*Tuition includes all in-country expenses including: Educational materials, lodging, 3 meals per day, all in-country transportation, airport pick-up, professional full-time staff and experts from the US/Europe, travel medical insurance, cultural activities, lectures, weekend excursions, and pre-departure materials and support.
Where Will You Travel As A GLA Volunteer?
Africa • Ghana • South Africa • Tanzania • Asia & The Pacific • Bali • China • Fiji • India • Thailand • Central America & The Caribbean • Costa Rica • Belize • Cuba • Dominican Republic • Guatemala • Guadeloupe • Haiti • Europe • Spain • South America • Brazil • Galapagos • Peru
Our 21-day Flagship programs provide the ideal amount of time to satisfy every dimension of the GLA Experience.