Life-changing Past Review

By (High School) - abroad from 07/17/2017 to 08/08/2017 with

GLA: Global Leadership Adventures: Volunteer Abroad Experience

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Incredible opportunity!

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

This past summer, I traveled to Anloga, Ghana for three weeks on the Children of Africa program with Global Leadership Adventures (GLA). In simple terms, this trip was a life-changing experience. Between the perfect balance of service, culture, and the incredible people I met, I will forever remember my time in the amazing country of Ghana. Our days began at 7 am with a delicious breakfast, then we broke into our three mentor groups to go to our schools. At Zico Primary, my mentor group’s school, we started by making bricks; these bricks would go toward building school facilities because there is an issue of overcrowding. After brick making, we taught for an hour. My two partners and I taught first graders english, science, and math. I had never taught before in a classroom setting so it was quite challenging but very fun and rewarding by the end of the three weeks. I made an incredible relationship with my students and learned a bit of Ewe, the local language, along the way. After returning from school and eating lunch, we did a variation of activities each day. For example, one day we shopped in the Anloga and Keta markets. There, we bought traditional fabric which we then brought to seamstresses who sewed clothing for us. When we returned from our afternoon activities, we ate dinner and began our evening activity. Days were packed full with lots to do and each activity had the purpose of meeting new people and learning about Ghanaian culture. Aside from the schedule, I want to acknowledge the amazing staff on site. Each mentor group has a mentor and a local staff member; there is also an international director and a local staff director. Everyone is extremely nice and approachable. They accompany you on every adventure and they are great people to get to know and talk to; they each come from such interesting and different backgrounds so make sure you get to know them! GLA does an amazing job at finding incredible staff, providing a fun, activity-packed trip, and ensuring our safety. I cannot recommend this company enough! I will never forget my experience in Ghana and will remember all of the wonderful memories I made there.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Finances

* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $300

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? None
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Beginner
How many hours per day did you use the language? 10+

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Hotel
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Other
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • People
  • New Culture
  • Vibrant Colors
* What could be improved?
  • Nothing
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Pack light!