Costa Rica Summer Travel and Volunteer Programs for Teens

My daughter returned from Costa Rica saying it was the best experience ever. She had to travel out of the country on her own and handled flight delays coming back. She built strong friendships with all the other attendees and they are already planning reunions. They helped out with children in the community but also learned many new activities including surfing, zip lining, white water rafting. They did cooking lessons, dancing lessons. The facilities were also reported to me as being very nice and there was a special cook who offered a wide range of food. We ran into no problems except the reto4 hour flight delay but that worked out fine in the end. I would highly recommend this program and we already told our younger son that he can go somewhere through GLA when he is the same age.

I had the best 10 days of my life on this trip! It was not nearly long enough and I'm going back with GLA for 21 days this year. Costa Rica is a beautiful country that GLA does an amazing job of showing to it's students. We learned so much about the culture and how to respect the way of life while there. One of my favorite lessons learned was responsible voluntourism. My service project was to help a local elementary school with a garden and murals. We cleaned out a patch in their back yard area then built garden beds. We also talked to the students about what they wanted on their walls then painted sustainability themed murals. My personal favorite activity was playing soccer with the most beautiful backdrop with local kids. Back at home base after long service days we learned lessons about leadership and service. Meals were eaten outside under the stars or on the balcony overlooking the beach. The nightly "taste of Costa Rica" dish allowed us to sample the local cuisine. Though I was there for just 10 days I made amazing friends and memories to last a lifetime.

This past summer I was fortunate enough to embark on a life changing journey to Costa Rica where I spent 2 weeks living in the rainforest doing service work. This trip taught me so much about myself and about what I want to do with my life. Global Leadership Adventures plays a big role in the impact my service trip had on me. From the moment I stepped off the plane in Costa Rica, GLA’s staff was there to greet me and they continued being incredible throughout the two weeks! After returning home from my Costa Rica trip, I have become more outgoing and stepped outside of my comfort zone so much! One tip I have for future GLA changemakers is to just let go and live in the moment. I would definitely recommend GLA to anyone who is passionate about giving back and being the change!

Our 17 year old son went to GLA's Sea Turtle Initiative for spring break 2018 to help finish off his volunteer hours required for graduation and he was blown away. He'd already traveled to many countries (10+, many on his own) so we were surprised by the impact. This experience was unlike any he'd previously had in that it was very remote and he was directly involved with the local community while free from the influence of western culture.

The staff was kind, and their genuine concern for the locals and the environment was an eye-opener for our son. He has a new understanding of our impact of humans on Earth and I believe many of the lessons he learned will stay with him for life. He now reminds us to correct our daily habits with regard to conservation and recycling, talks about nature / indigenous populations / wildlife with an educated, informed opinion and sees news headlines under a new light. He is PAYING ATTENTION.

We genuinely believe this program has changed our teen's life. Don't hesitate to send yours.

I had one of the most amazing experiences of my life when I went on the Costa Rica Initiative for Children program through Global Leadership Adventures. Since my sister, who is only a year younger than me, came on the trip with me, my experience was different from most of the students, who came completely alone. Still, traveling to another country with a bunch of strangers seemed scary at first, but our group got in touch before even arriving in Costa Rica (I highly recommend getting in touch before the trip- this helps with packing too) and my nerves eased after meeting our guides and other students. As soon as I sat down with my group at the airport, I was given some local cookies and added into the game of Uno. Our host, Alfredo, provided us with nice housing and fed us very well with traditional Costa Rican food and a variety of local foods, including coffee from Alfredo's own plantations to cheese from a family we met who lived down the street. We also had a lake and dock on the property, which we had plenty of time to swim at. The staff was very flexible and accommodating, such as letting my sister and I get up early and work out (we are intense athletes) before breakfast, and they even offered to take us kayaking on the lake before everyone was up. Our staff I never felt bored on the program and was happily surprised by all the activities we did, since the majority were not in the program booklet. We went zip lining, went horseback riding, rafted down a river, visited a "zoo" with tons of interesting animals I had never seen before anywhere in the States, went to a dog rescue center, went hiking, and much more. However, the friendships I made with both the other kids on the program and the local kids we hosted a summer camp for almost every day are the most valuable part of my trip. We helped clean out and repaint a local abandoned school building and we also held a summer camp for the kids where we taught them English through games and activities. I highly recommend the Initiative for Children program for anyone serious about learning Spanish or anyone who wants to become a teacher or any profession where interaction with kids is involved. I have taken Spanish in school for 13 years and this 14 day trip was the most valuable Spanish lesson ever, since I had to speak Spanish all the time to the local kids. We played soccer, did karate, did arts and crafts, danced, and did leadership activities with the local kids, and spending time with those kids and really immersing myself into another culture in a way I had never done before with my family really opened my eyes to all I can learn from different cultures and helped me realize all the different lifestyles the world has to offer. I also still keep in touch with a majority of the 20+ kids through a group chat, and I know a few members of the group flew from the east coast to California to visit other members. I cried all day in the airport when we left, where we all held hands in a circle and gave each other compliments, our nightly routine back at Alfredo's. I had not anticipated how close our group would become in just 14 days. I highly recommend Global Leadership Adventures for any teen enthusiastic about service (there are so may different programs and there will be at least one for you) and willing to step out of their comfort zone, because the experience is totally worth it.

The summer of 2017, I sent my twins to Costa Rica on the Beachside Service Adventure with Global Leadership Adventures and I could not be more happy that I did. Not only did they have the opportunity to grow as individuals, they grew as part of a group and established lasting connections with their peers. They had a great time and I am so glad I was able to enable their growth! Moreover, the staff was very helpful and understanding. They are very knowledgeable and settled any of my concerns over the phone and made it easy to be a parent sending their child on a life-changing excursion.

I had an amazing time on the Empowering Rainforest Communities trip to Costa Rica with Global Leadership Adventures. Everything from the wildlife to the food to the culture made a memory for a lifetime. My group did struggle with internal relationships, but we worked through hard times together, as our task was mentally and physically challenging. The climate was a rainforest, so it rained a lot... and then some. I wasn’t quite prepared for the humidity and rain, as I am from a dryer climate. But I learned to live with wet clothes. Make sure to keep money or important documents from molding.

This past summer, I traveled to Costa Rica with Global Leadership Adventures. I had an amazing time! I met so many new people, experienced a new culture, and went on many amazing adventures. I would recommend this program to all high school students! I truly immersed myself in the community and grew in my Spanish skills too! I met so many amazing friends who I still keep in touch with and visit! I got to go hiking, swimming, zip lining, snorkeling, horseback riding, rafting, and more.