You may have heard of Global Leadership Adventures service-learning adventures...but how about our internships abroad?
These short-term internships are designed for high school students ages 14-18 who want to take their learning experience to the next level. Work in partnership with GLA and a global nonprofit partner or social enterprise. Spend three weeks in one of seven countries, in the field learning about a subject area of interest--while earning college credit!
Get hands-on with professionals in the field! We'll use the United Nations' SDGs as our framework, as we learn firsthand through shadowing and assisting on real projects that contribute to local communities. Alongside your Internship Supervisor, your cohort will get an intensive experience while still enjoying all that your host country has to offer: hike Machu Picchu in Peru, zipline in Costa Rica or go on Safari in South Africa.
Options for 2025 include:
- Bali: Community Development / Business & Sustainability
- Brazil: STEM / Design Thinking & Sustainable Development
- Costa Rica: Environmental Stewarship / Biology Research & Climate Action
- Ghana: STEM / Education & Robotics
- Peru: STEM / Engineering & Sustainable Development
- South Africa: Wildlife Conservation / Veterinary Sciences & Earth Studies
- Thailand: Medicine & Health / Hospitals & Dentistry
Last summer, from July 19 to August 1, 2024, I did Peru: Foundations of Global Health with Global Leadership Adventures. It was an unforgettable experience. I wasn't sure what I was getting into, but it ended up being one of those experiences that sticks with you. I got 35 hours of community service volunteering with MedLife, a non-profit that sets up pop-up clinics in these rural Quechua villages way up in the Andes. My friends and I, all of which I'd met on the trip, worked together to bring healthcare and some basic know-how to people who don't get much of either. It was such a real and candid experience.
Every day was different. Throughout the two weeks, I was involved in different sectors of healthcare such as triage, hygiene talks, education sessions, general medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy, shadowing doctors, and jumping in where I could. The first time I took someone's blood pressure in triage, I was a nervous wreck, but the nurse I was with just gave me this look like, "You got this," and it clicked. Everyone on the trip wants to see every student succeed. By the end, I was handing out meds in the pharmacy like it was no big deal after a few days of experience. We also taught children how to brush their teeth which might be a small thing, but you could tell it meant a lot to them since many didn't know how. The smiles, especially from the little ones, were core in deciding what I wanted to do in my future.
The people I met were one of the most unforgettable parts. I walked in not knowing anyone, and somehow I came out with friends I still talk and hang out with today. We'd laugh, mess up Spanish together, share similar passions, and just vibe after long days. It was this group that made me feel like I could handle anything. GLA set it up so I could push myself without freaking out, and I came back way more confident like... I know what I'm capable of now.
If you're thinking about GLA's Peru program, just go for it. It's not only about helping out (which is awesome) but about figuring yourself out and connecting with people and places you'd never expect. I'd do it again in a second, no question.