Global Leadership Adventures (GLA) is an organisation that offers immersive volunteer programs and internships for high school and middle school students, combining community service with leadership development in global contexts. Through a variety of hands-on projects in countries around the world, GLA aims to empower young people to become active global citizens by addressing social issues such as education, healthcare, and environmental sustainability. Participants engage with local communities, collaborate with peers, and work alongside community members, gaining valuable skills while making a tangible impact. The experience is designed to foster personal growth, cross-cultural understanding, and a deep sense of responsibility toward creating positive change in the world.

What sets GLA apart from other volunteer programs and youth leadership initiatives?

GLA presents a fresh, new approach to service-learning and discovery abroad for intellectually curious and socially-orientated teenagers. Each component (community service, cultural and global context, adventure activities) works together to form an experience that has an emotional and intellectual impact. While our leadership curriculum is an important part of the puzzle, the learning through doing, while in an unfamiliar environment, is an invaluable opportunity for real growth. Seeing examples of community leaders of all types broadens the scope.

What are some of the most popular or impactful programs offered by GLA, and what makes them stand out?

Ghana: Children of Africa has been one of our most impactful programs for over a decade. We’ve maintained close partnerships with our local director and team, as well as the community there. While much has changed over the course of GLA’s program here, our projects continue to have a big impact on the schools as well as on our students; every year, a handful of alumni continue to fundraise and support local organisations in Ghana through the GLA International Foundation as well as their own initiatives. For students with East African heritage, the cultural immersion can feel like homecoming.

How does your alumni community influence the marketing and recruitment of new participants?

This year, GLA has launched a newly imagined Ambassador College Scholarship Program. We’ve selected 10 alumni to participate in an internship-style initiative over the course of the year.

Each ambassador works through four rotations in which they are invited to expand their knowledge of a certain aspect of marketing as they complete outreach tasks: social media, photo and video production, content writing, and event planning.

Each student also completes a service project in their own community, linking in GLA’s core of service and community building. We are excited for the opportunity to work closely with our alumni and share ideas for the future!

What are some examples of tangible impacts that GLA participants have made in the communities they’ve worked with?

In 2024, GLA Peru: Foundations of Global Health collaborated with MedLife and the Municipality of Pisac on two water conservation projects.
In the Chayuatire community (800 families), we built a 1,200 m² reservoir and a basic water filter to remove sediment for agricultural use. These projects were completed in record time, boosting community morale and improving water access in this drought-prone area. Remarkably, native birds that left years ago have returned!

Is there any news or updates that you would like to share?

We are very excited to expand our travel internships this year! We piloted three locations in 2024 and were blown away by the depth of learning that was possible and travellers’ positive responses. We have added Ghana, South Africa, Brazil, and Bali, with focus areas including STEM, environmental sustainability, and business for Summer 2025.

In fact, one of our alumni students has come full circle, and a decade later is running our Ghana internship, where students will give instruction in robotics in a local primary school.