Program Description

Global Leadership Adventures

Community Service Summer Program
South Africa, Costa Rica, Brazil, Ghana, India, Vietnam, China, Tanzania


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For More Information, Contact:
Global Leadership Adventures
2127 Adams Avenue, Suite C
San Diego, California 92116
888-358-4321 (toll-free)
Fax: 866-612-3697 (toll-free)
http://www.experiencegla.com
E-mail: info@globalleadershipadventures.com

Type of Program: International community service and leadership development
Participants: Coed, ages 15–19
Enrollment: Rolling admission
Program Dates: One- to three-week sessions, June–August
Head of Program: Andrew H. Motiwalla, Executive Director

Location

Global Leadership Adventures (GLA) offers service-learning programs throughout Africa, Asia, and Latin America. In 2009, destinations include Brazil, South Africa, Costa Rica, China, India, Ghana, Tanzania, and Vietnam.

Background and Philosophy

In November 2004, Fred Swaniker founded the Summer Academy at Cape Town as part of the larger institution of the African Leadership Academy, a high school designed to train future political, social, and economic leaders of Africa. Believing that the lack of ethical leadership in Africa is at the root of the continent’s greatest challenges that have prevented countries from realizing their full potential, he wanted to develop an effective training ground for future leaders and establish a strong network between these students, who—much like Nelson Mandela in South Africa or Mahatma Gandhi in India—could transform entire nations.
    Because the focus of the African Leadership Academy is with African students, the Summer Academy at Cape Town was established to provide student leaders worldwide a space to learn together, challenge one another, and develop lifelong bonds. The academy immediately became an effective model for bringing high school students worldwide together to study abroad in a meaningful way and affect lives through community service projects. To share this powerful experience and expand its global reach, the organization was renamed Global Leadership Adventures.
    GLA is more than a high school summer camp or a community service program. Its main objective is to provide an avenue for future leaders of the world to obtain a more global view and a deeper understanding of the issues facing the planet. While the focus of the program is community service, it also combines travel, adventure, intellectual stimulation, discussion about world events and problems, and volunteer community service in a way that is safe and secure for teenagers who are in high school or just graduating. Its vision is to empower youth to be agents of positive change across borders. It provides students worldwide with exceptional programming in a caring environment that instills values of leadership through safe and integrated cultural experiences, including meaningful community service, an international student body, discussions about leadership and global issues, access to local leaders, and exciting excursions.
    GLA believes that leaders are made and not born and that leadership is a critical life skill that can be developed. The program nurtures and develops teenagers, with these influential experiences preparing them for a lifetime of principled, ethical leadership.

Program Offerings

GLA offers high school students around the world a challenging opportunity to develop and mature into global citizens and young leaders through experiential learning, volunteer work, and in-depth cultural interactions. All GLA programs are thoughtfully designed for students to experience the richness of each location’s distinct culture. At the core of every program is a safe GLA experience that combines hands-on service opportunities, thought-provoking seminars, meetings with dynamic local leaders, cultural excursions, and connections with students from around the world. Ultimately, GLA offers students an exciting avenue for global learning and personal growth in a safe environment under the guidance of caring mentors.
All GLA volunteer projects are part of a greater plan to improve community life as a whole. Past projects include caring at a day-care center for infants and toddlers affected or infected by HIV/AIDS, planting community food gardens to provide fresh vegetables to local families, uplifting battered women’s spirits by painting beautiful murals at their shelter and mentoring their children, running sports camps and activities for local youth, and preparing food for a soup kitchen that helps impoverished youth.

Enrollment

GLA seeks curious and energetic students ages 15–19 from around the world who are eager to do community service, interact with people from different backgrounds, and learn about other cultures, histories, and languages. Participants in GLA come from all over the world, many from the United States and the United Kingdom. Over the last three years, thirty-five countries and more than 150 of the world’s top schools have been represented in the program.

Daily Schedule

The daily schedule includes Language & Culture activities and community service work every day. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are reserved for excursions to places of natural, cultural, and historical significance and include meeting leaders at NGOs.

Extra Opportunities and Activities

The programs include excursions to each destination’s most beautiful and culturally historic sites. Excursions include hiking up Table Mountain in Cape Town, white-water rafting in Costa Rica, capoiera workshops on the beach in Brazil, visiting ancient Hindu temples in India, meeting a traditional healer in Ghana, viewing wildlife up close on an African safari in the Serengeti, and living with villagers in a hill tribe in Vietnam. In addition, students have the extraordinary opportunity to see leadership in action and visit project sites where individuals are making a difference in their communities. Every excursion is carefully selected, so students return home with memories to last a lifetime and a more holistic country experience.

Facilities

Students live together on a campus of a local private high school or in a local hostel. In all programs there are many amenities, including hot and cold water, Internet access, and sports facilities. GLA aims to provide a great campus environment with comfortable housing, discussion rooms, and eating and recreational facilities in a self-contained area. Men’s and women’s residential areas are always separate.

Staff

Each GLA program has a dedicated on-site leadership team comprising a director, an assistant director, and 1 mentor for every 10 students. Mentors are educators from some of the best high schools around the world. These passionate teachers facilitate rich discussions and reflection sessions that transform the students’ experiences into lessons about leadership. Through their guidance in all non-classroom-related activities, mentors challenge students to think critically about world issues and to build strong friendships. As a role model, friend, and guide, each mentor helps students achieve their best.

Medical Care

Safety always comes first at GLA. Prior to the start of any program, all safety precautions, such as developing extensive emergency procedures, researching the best area hospitals, and hiring round-the-clock security personnel, are attended to and reevaluated. Once the program begins, on-site staff members prioritize the welfare and best interests of the students. All staff members are trained in first aid.

Religious Life

The program is unable to provide avenues for worship but can accommodate some personal time on campus for spiritual reflection.

Costs

GLA programs are all inclusive except for international airfare—the tuition covers housing, in-country transportation, three full meals a day, health insurance, and entrance fees to all scheduled program activities. Program fees range from $1595 to $4395, depending on the duration and location of the program. Limited financial aid is available. Scholarship recipients are selected based on financial need.

Transportation

Because a large number of participants travel from the United States and the United Kingdom, there are designated GLA flights from these countries to program destinations. Once students are accepted, they can choose to purchase tickets on these flights, which are accompanied by a GLA chaperone, or make their own arrangements to meet GLA staff members at destination airports. In country, GLA works with reputable, insured local transport companies for all official off-campus activities.

Application Timetable

Students must complete the online application, submit one teacher recommendation, and pay a $395 application fee. Admissions decisions are made on a rolling basis, usually within 48 hours, and spaces fill quickly. The deposit is refundable only if the student is not admitted.