Global Works

Community Service, Adventure Travel (rafting, hiking, biking, zip lines, scuba diving, snorkeling, surfing and more), Language Immersion, Cultural Activities, Homestay Opportunities

Costa Rica: Global Works offers several programs ranging in duration, dates, language learning, adventures and service opportunities. Travel adventures include hiking 12,000 + foot peaks, lush cloud forests, rafting the Pacuare, volcano tours, environmental projects, rain forest excursions and surfing at pristine beach locations. Valuable community service alongside villagers improves language skills and cultural exchanges. In cooperation with local community member, participants assist in reforestation and conservation projects, building health and community centers, school playgrounds and bridges. Our homestay are carefully arranged, allowing participants to explore customs, traditions and typical foods while improving their language skills.

Fiji Islands: From the welcoming ceremonies of each village to the environmental and community service projects, participants are treated to sun-filled days reminiscent of another time. Traditional Fijian hospitality is unsurpassed. Projects may include constructing bures (thatched huts), building a tree nursery, developing reforestation zones, and restoring community buildings. Participants truly feel as if they are part of each community. Adventure activities include scuba diving, snorkeling through beautiful reefs, hiking, swimming, and dancing. Participants experience island time and a beautifully different culture.

Puerto Rico: This summer travel program highlights service, adventure and language. Hiking in the El Yunque rain forest, sea kayaking in the Bio Luminescent Bay and snorkeling in the Caribbean, and visiting old San Juan and it's fortresses in combination restoration and conservation projects highlight this travel opportunity.

France: With two SSA offerings, students visit three different regions that focus on service, language and adventure. Incorporating a homestay, experience, castle and archeological restoration and reforestation projects, hiking on glaciers in the Alps, rock climbing, biking and museums and exploring Paris are all par for this cultural program. Other service projects include reforestation, interpretive trail blazing which are cooperatively worked on with the local community.

Ecuador: Few countries compare to Ecuador in geographic and cultural diversity. The Andean highlands, mountain villages, dormant volcanoes, thermal baths, rafting adventures and cloud forest biospheres provide cultural exchange, community service and language immersion opportunities. Students travel to the Galapagos Islands to see incredible wildlife and visit Parque Nacional and the Darwin Stations, which are isolated biological preserves with numerous unique and threatened species. Homestays with village friends last ten to twelve days and provide unique relationships and learning.

Nicaragua: Working alongside villagers on community initiated endeavors, renovation work, teaching English and water projects and more provide 80 - 100 hours of meaningful service work on this cultural adventure. Arts, architecture, historical introductions to this land of revolution, volcanoes, mountains and lakes create outdoor adventures and cultural experiences for students throughout the program.

New Zealand / Fiji: Combining community service projects with the ecological center and local schools, participants enjoy exciting adventure excursions scuba diving on the Great Barrier reefs and hiking. Skiing on the mountains and homestays along with service with youth allow both countries to lend themselves to exploring the jewels and cultures of the South Pacific.

China: Rich cultural history of accomplishment and conflict, matched by grandeur and contrasts of landscape provides opportunities to explore ancient villages, the Great Wall, stunning architecture and lush mountains via hiking and biking. Volunteer in orphanages and work alongside the endangered giant Panda; and gain hands-on cultural insights while learning the Chinese language.

Australia / New Zealand: Skiing in the Southern Alps, experiencing massive dunes, sharing adventures scuba diving at the Great Barrier Reef, completing service projects alongside many cultures and working amongst kangaroos and koala bears make this the travel of a lifetime!

Spain: Come on a journey through Spain that combines old-world charm; visits to renowned sites; homestays with warm, friendly families; and cultural and language immersion. Projects include working with a self-sustaining community on construction and greenhouse needs as well as helping in senior centers or group homes for individuals with physical challenges. Activities blend water sports, day excursions to the mountains, soccer, sightseeing in Madrid, and day hikes. A four-week college-credit Spanish language course is also offered in Spain, combining classroom language study, homestays, adventure activities, and service opportunities.

Argentina: Participants experience an adventure that takes them through the buzz of Buenos Aires to the gaucho plains of the pamapas and up to the mountains of the Andes. Students work on projects with local agencies in the historic neighborhood of La Boca, followed by a ten-day homestay in Posadas, where everyone practices their Spanish while staying with local families. An overnight trip to Igazu Falls will amaze, and then it's off to Mendoza and the Central Andes for skiing, snowboarding, sled rides, and more before relaxing and reminiscing in Buenos Aires and returning home.

Peru / Ecuador: Adventure and cultural travel to Peru's Inca Trail at Machu Picchu, explore in Lima and Cusco and Ecuador's Galapagos Islands. Earn 50 - 70 hours of community service working on reforestation projects, teaching English and restoration work. Your summer travel will encompass cultural exchange, rafting adventures and language immersion opportunities in two Latin American countries!

Panama: Cultural exchange travel where participants earn 50 - 70 hours of Community Service and participate in snorkeling, surfing and rafting adventures throughout the San Blas Islands, Boquete, Panama City and in Chiriqui province on the Pacific Coast.

Martinique: Surrounded by the exquisite waters of the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Caribbean Sea to the west, this island is a portrait of paradise. The program includes a ten-day homestay, during which students practice their French with warm families while working alongside local youth and taking in the culture and adventure activities available, such as snorkeling, scuba, hiking to waterfalls, cooking lessons, soccer, and much more.

Brazil: Brazil is South America's giant, a dazzling country of powdery white-sand beaches, pristine rain forests, bustling urban mosaics, and the world's most renowned football (soccer) tradition. Travel to the northeast province of Pernambuco, from the 2014 World Cup host city of Recife to the UNESCO World Heritage-site of Olinda, to the sleepy fishing villages of Alagoas province and it's laid-back capital of Maceio. Where ever you go you'll be greeted by warm friendly people proud to share their cultural traditions as well as passion and skills for "the beautiful game."

Nepal: Nepal is a complex and compelling country bursting with diverse cultural traditions, friendly people, and stunning scenery that will sweep you away. From the medieval streets of Bhaktapur to the colorful red bricked pagodas of Bandipur to the lakeside town of Pokhara set against the backdrop of the Himlayas, you will feel incredibly alive while you live, laugh, learn, work, and play alongside charming Nepalese students and villagers. Nepal gives you the precious opportunity to discover a world beyond your own which will in turn reveal so much more about your own.

Zambia, Botswana & South Africa: As some of the most politically stable, countries on the continent, Zambia, Botswana, and South Africa provide incredible service and cultural enrichment opportunities.
While the office language is English, there are over 70 harmonious ethnic groups, each with its own wealth of customs, ceremonies, and rituals to share. Join us on an exotic adventure through Botswana's's best safari reserves, Zambia's fascinating and warm rural villages, the magnificent Victoria Falls, and ending in the thriving and proud townships of

Since 1990 Global Works has offered service-based global adventure travel for teens. Our programs provide opportunities that foster personal growth and promote social and cultural awareness for students and the communities they serve. Our travel programs encompass service projects, outdoor adventures, cultural exchanges and language immersion. In addition to our Summer Service Adventures (SSA) that are offered to high school students in June - August, Global Works offers Custom Group Travel (CGT) adventures all year long which is geared towards school groups and organizations. CGT participants range in age from 13 years of age to adults! Global Works travel programs are based in Central and South America, the Caribbean Islands, Europe, the South Pacific and East Asia.

Setting:
Beaches, Rainforests, Cities, Schools, Homestays, Mountains, Small Communities, Farms

Program:
All of our Global Works Programs offer valuable community service, adventures of a lifetime, language immersion and cultural exchange opportunities. Our programs travel to 17 countries, offering a myriad of offerings for participants of all ages. Please see program highlights below, or call our home office form more information.

Referrals:
Offered Upon Request - Please call or email our home office

"Australia / New Zealand was the perfect balance of sightseeing, service, and group time. I got a really good sense of both countries" - Juliet Kleber, 2009
"My Global Works trip challenged me and allowed me to take risks while having fun and building relationships" - Costa Rica, 2009
(regarding leader Dan, a GW leader) "Dan was maybe one of the most amazing people I have ever met. I would honestly trust him with my life anywhere! I feel he would always know what to do, partially because of what he does each summer and partially because of his life experiences. He makes himself really easy to relate and connect to." - GW participant, 2009
"I was taught many lessons of appreciation and gained a new understanding of the world around me" - Ecuador '09
"I will never forget this summer! This has honestly been the most amazing time of my life! I've learned so much about myself and about the other group members as well as the world around me. I am so proud of myself that I was able to step outside of my comfort zone during this trip and make memories that will forever stay in my heart!" - Nicole Blum Costa Rica '09