Global Glimpse

How do Glimpsers stay connected when they're unplugged from their phones? 📵 Our students may be off their devices during their Global Glimpse trips, but their daily blogs are bursting with incredible reflections, growth, and fun moments that connect them back with home in a powerful way. ✍️ Seeing the outpouring of love and support from families and friends as they await updates from their Glimpsers each day has been truly amazing to see! Families and friends, your encouraging words mean the world to our Glimpsers. 🫶 Glimpsers, know that you have an incredible support system behind you, cheering you on as you go through each day discovering, being brave, curious, and sharing your reflections throughout your 14-day journeys in another country! Swipe through to read a few of the comments that are lighting up our Glimpsers' blog posts, and make sure you're following along with the student trip blogs (link in bio)! #GlobalGlimpse #GG2024 #SpecialSauce #MoreThanTravel #CostaRica #Panama #DominicanRepublic

Curious about how tourists impact the environment? ✈️🌱 Victoria and Alana, our birthday twins and Leaders of the Day, led their group through a day focused on conservation and environmental justice. Guided by their Quote of the Day, "When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.", they warmed up by reflecting on the impacts of tourism and exploring the formula for sustainability: Feasibility + Need + Personal Passion + Community Engagement. The highlight was a session with guest speaker, Turrialba native, Andrés "Fofo" Zúñiga, who holds a Masters Degree in Environmental Management and Ecotourism from the University of Costa Rica. Fofo shed light on the impact of gentrification in Costa Rica and opened the Glimpsers' eyes to the legal frameworks protecting the environment and the real-world consequences of unchecked development. Inspired by their session, the students split into "community" vs. "government" teams to debate the construction of a luxury hotel in their community. This sparked passionate discussions on the delicate balance between economic growth and environmental preservation, exposing the complexities our Glimpsers face as future leaders in sustainability. Victoria and Alana reflected on how their session with Fofo impacted their perspective on traveling, emphasizing the domino effect of our actions and how gentrification impacts both people and nature. It's inspiring to see how just one day of learning and role-playing reinforced our Glimpsers' understanding of the importance of being mindful travelers and our role in protecting our planet! 🌎 Swipe to see our T3B-LA Glimpsers in action, learning about conservation and environmental justice from Fofo, and a powerful lesson from one of our Leaders of the Day! #GlobalGlimpse #GG2024 #CostaRica #Conservation #BetterWorld #NextGenLeaders

"Good leadership presents itself in different ways." Wise words from a couple of our Chicago Glimpsers in Las Tablas, Panama, reflecting on their experiences as "Leaders of the Day"—a role every student gets to play on our trips! Ella and Chloe from our TA2A delegation opened up in their nightly blog, sharing more about their experiences as co-leaders. Ella discovered the power of adapting her leadership style, reflecting, “Being the Leader of the Day was rewarding, it was surprising how open-minded the group was to change. My takeaway from today was that if you as a leader are open-minded those who you are leading will follow suit.” Chloe embraced the challenge of uniting the group, finding joy in bonding through using an improvisational game she had recently learned that brought everyone together. She shares, “I learned today that time is not an indicator of how close people are, but being open-minded and expressing yourself, and embracing the discomfort is.” Their experiences remind us that leadership is about embracing different styles and building connection through creativity and openness. To read more reflections like Ella’s and Chloe’s, make sure you follow along with students' trip blogs throughout the summer! (link in bio). 🙌💬 #GlobalGlimpse #GG2024 #Leadership #NextGenLeaders

Have you heard about TrevorSpace? Created by The Trevor Project, the world's largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ young people, TrevorSpace is a global home where young people aged 13-24 can feel like they belong and be their authentic selves. 🏳️🌈 With 98% of LGBTQ young people expressing the need for a safe social networking site, TrevorSpace connects over 400,000 youth across 100+ countries and 6 continents. It provides a secure online space to connect, explore identities, and find support. 🌍 Pride is every day, and at Global Glimpse, we celebrate all identities and believe that embracing diversity nurtures understanding, empathy, and a brighter future for everyone. 🫶 #GlobalGlimpse #Pride #PrideMonth #TrevorSpace #LGBTQYouth #BetterWorld

Ever wondered what it feels like to see a waterfall for the first time? Our Glimpsers in Turrialba, Costa Rica, found out at Las Trillizas Waterfall! This hike pushed some out of their comfort zones, but the beautiful views, a refreshing swim, and lunch by the falls made it all worth it. Pura Vida! After the waterfall hike, their nightly meeting sparked conversations about the importance of sustainable tourism and the impact of traveling with intention as a "traveler" vs. a "tourist." Glimpsers delved deeper into understanding how ecotourism impacts Costa Rica, gaining insights through a team competition focused on environmental justice during a dedicated day of environmentalism. 🌱 As Leader of the Day Melany shared, "Today was a very fun yet informative day creating amazing memories that will last us a lifetime." Check out these stunning shots from our T3A Chicago delegation! ✨ #GlobalGlimpse #GG2024 #SustainableTravel #BetterWorld #CostaRica

We are so excited to introduce and welcome Adanna Okiwelu, our 2024 Alumni Intern to the the Global Glimpse team! Adanna first began her relationship with Global Glimpse in 2022 when she traveled to Riobamba, Ecuador as a Glimpser. After her impactful trip, Adanna became an Alumni Ambassador to support more students at her school with the opportunity to travel with Global Glimpse. Since her days as a Glimpser, Adanna began studying Economics at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo and is a part of both the Women in Business Club and the Black Student Union on campus. This summer, Adanna will be supporting the Global Glimpse team with many projects, including managing student blog posts, reviewing ticket information, researching school calendars, and much more. With a strong orientation to people, fantastic writing skills, and a keen attention to detail, Adanna is poised to amplify Global Glimpse's impact this summer! Join us in welcoming Adanna to the GG team! #GlobalGlimpse #GGGreatPlaceToWork #MoreThanTravel

On each of our trips, students explore the complexities of sustainable aid and development by learning from and working with local community organizations like schools and NGOs. Glimpsers in Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic, visited Escuela de Sordos Mudos, a school for the deaf with students of different ages. Leaders of the Day, Paulina and Jason, shared in their nightly blog about learning ASL to communicate their names, ages, and interests while connecting through basketball, volleyball, and dancing bachata and merengue. The day also included learning more about their Community Action Project: building aqueducts to supply water to the surrounding homes in the community. Through discussions with Francis, the construction company leader, our Glimpsers discovered how their efforts would kickstart a project that future delegations will continue to build on - true collective impact! Check out these photos from the JA1A delegation and follow along with students' trip blogs to dive deeper into their experiences throughout the summer! (link in bio) #GlobalGlimpse #BetterWorld #DominicanRepublic #Community

All LGBTQ young people deserve to feel safe, supported, and seen. They also deserve a community of affirming peers and access to professionals who can help them navigate daily struggles and joys. We are proud to highlight organizations that are advancing justice and well-being for LGBTQ+ youth in the communities our students live in Los Angeles, SF Bay Area, Massachusetts, New York City, and Chicago. These programs offer a range of support and compassionate services, from peer-to-peer support groups, professional services, and legal support, all of which can help LGBTQ youth live more openly, and confidently. Learn more about organizations in our Global Glimpse regions that provide support and resources for LGBTQ+ youth. #GlobalGlimpse #PrideMonth #Pride #BetterWorld

On Community Day, local families invite Glimpsers into their homes to spend the day sharing about their lives, preparing a meal together, playing games, meeting family pets, and taking tours of their homes, gardens, and neighborhoods. It's an opportunity for cultural exchange, storytelling, and developing an understanding of what community means to both our Glimpsers and their host families. In Costa Rica, Glimpsers, Diego, Kevin, Jaismeen, and Zoe shared in their nightly blog what they observed, learned, and were most proud of as Leaders of the Day. From playing cards and cooking empanadas to hiking and diving into a community soccer game, they wrote about forging meaningful connections with families in Turrialba… all while breaking language barriers! Jaismeen wrote, “What I learned today was by being open to differences and embracing them, we can empathize with people even more.” Check out some photos of our T1A Glimpsers to catch a glimpse of their time with families as well as a fun game of volleyball at the community park and movie night bonding! #GlobalGlimpse #GG2024 #LeadersoftheDay #MoreThanTravel #CostaRica

While our students set off on their summer travels with Global Glimpse, we’re excited to highlight a powerful behind-the-scenes moment this week! Our founding Executive Director, Eliza Pesuit, was honored as one of the Top Women in Travel & Hospitality this year and attended the Women Leading Travel & Hospitality Summit in Charlotte, North Carolina. She shared space with an incredible community of top female leaders and some of our partners at United Airlines, Marriott International , Expedia Group , and Travelzoo. Eliza was humbled to be the first nonprofit leader honored at the summit! Thank you to the Women Leading Travel & Hospitality team for creating this powerful community. Thank you for honoring Eliza as a top woman in travel this year. Thank you for giving Global Glimpse a seat at the table. #GlobalGlimpse #WomeninTravel #Leadership #IndustryPartners #MoreThanTravel #SpecialSauce