The Global LEAD Difference

 

Global LEAD is an innovative, purpose-driven organization, focused on leading transformative experiences at home and abroad.  Through our innovative model and incredible staff, who are focused on the little things, we are able to deliver one of a

kind study abroad and cultural experiences. Money matters, academics and other important inclusions are central to the Global LEAD quality and value, as is the program’s focus on out-of-the-box adventures and activities. Finally, our experiences abroad are only the beginning as each participant is welcomed into the Global LEAD Family and encouraged to live the LEAD Lifestyle through ongoing opportunities which take the program beyond simply studying abroad.

 

Innovative Model

Holistic experience

Leadership, Education, Adventure & Diplomacy (L.E.A.D.)

No middle man

 

Important Inclusions

Housing

Comprehensive medical insurance

Group flight and pick-up (optional)

 

Money Matters

Scholarships and financial aid

No hidden costs

Many adventures and activities included in program fee

 

Incredible Staff

For young people, by young people

More than just a job

Emergency response

Full time, experienced staff at home and abroad

 

Academic Approach

Experiential learning philosophy

Unique curriculum

 

The Little Things

Personal communication

Personal touches

Customized to YOU

 

Cultural Experience

Local & cultural speakers

Activities

 

Adventures and Activities

Breaking out of your comfort zone

Adventure plus

Cultural experiences

 

Beyond Study Abroad

Global LEAD Family

Individual Impact

Leadership opportunities on the trip

Resume builder

LEAD Lifestyle

Sustainable development

 

 

Innovative Model

 

Holistic experience

International-minded students must decide between the carefree fun of backpacking adventures, course credit of conventional study abroad experiences or impact of international service trips.  Well, we don’t think you should have to choose.  Our value begins with our vision: to create an experience that combines the benefits of each opportunity into a holistic, meaningful experience.

 

Leadership, Education, Adventure & Diplomacy (L.E.A.D.)

Others just go abroad. We LEAD.  The entire format of our program is tailored to provide a cohesive, cultural experience that embraces our core ideals of Leadership, Education, Adventure and Diplomacy unique to each location.

 

No middle man

Study abroad comes in many forms.  With Global LEAD, it’s a personal connection that does not involve foreign universities or other middle men.  Our staff is here to answer your pre-departure questions and there for you when you skin your knee abroad.  Our team doesn’t just show you the way; we are with you each step and every day of the experience.
 

Important Inclusions

 

Housing

Where you stay abroad is one of the most overlooked aspects of the study abroad experience.  We take great care to select safe and secure accommodation that won’t remind you of your dorm room back at school.  Sometimes our housing is on a beach

(Cape Town, South Africa),  in a rainforest (Ahuano, Ecuador)  or overlooking a volcano (Santorini, Greece), but it is always interesting and different.  You are studying abroad – we think you should enjoy it and be comfortable wherever you stay.

 

Comprehensive medical insurance

Safety is our number one concern at all times, and we take it very seriously with a proactive approach.  However, accidents do happen and therefore we provide all students a comprehensive medical insurance policy which is included in your program fee.

 

Group flight and pick-up (optional)

Though the cost of the international flight is not included in the overall Global LEAD program fee, we do offer a group flight option to streamline and simplify your travels.  We have found that this service provides parents with piece of mind and students with a better travel experience.  Also, when you choose this option, we will meet you at the airport and provide complimentary transportation to the accommodation.
 

Money Matters

 

Scholarships and financial aid

We understand studying abroad can be expensive and we are here to help you navigate the financial process to make your dream a reality.  Our merit and need-based scholarships along with other scholarship programs are available to everyone.  Global LEAD scholarships range from $500 to over $6,000.

 

No hidden costs

Global LEAD believes trust and financial transparency are crucial components of our success.  All fees and charges are clearly communicated in our program fees and what’s included.

 

Many adventures and activities included in program fee

Our programs build community by including a wide array of adventures and activities into the program fee.  We believe the experience you paid for should include the necessities as well as the extras that make your trip one of a kind.

 

Incredible Staff

 

For young people, by young people

We understand:  we were you only a few years ago.  Our organization was created by young people with the goal of delivering the experience we would have wanted while studying abroad. To augment our team even further, we hire student interns each year

to lead smaller components of the trip and ensure we are staying relevant and understanding your needs. Additionally, we have a full staff of professors and teaching assistants to deliver curriculum, impart knowledge and invest in students.

 

More than just a job

Global LEAD was born from passion and purpose, not merely the promise of a paycheck.  We care deeply about delivering the most impactful experiences domestically and abroad.  It is often said that those who do what they love never work a day in their lives – we agree.

 

 

Emergency response

We understand that emergencies will happen abroad, and we are prepared to handle the situation whether it’s a health or personal issue.  Safety abroad is always our number one focus, and we go the extra mile to mitigate risk, respond to crisis and communicate with those that matter every step of the way.  Additionally, each Global LEAD staff member is trained in CPR and First Aid, which enables them to act swiftly and correctly in emergency situations.     

 

 

Full time, experienced staff at home and abroad

The Global LEAD team has extensive international experience and is always ready to help you whether you are home or abroad. 

 

Academic Approach

 

Experiential learning philosophy

Founded on the philosophy of experiential learning, Global LEAD employs direct experience to create meaning.  Rather than merely transporting the American-style classroom to a foreign country, we focus on moving students out of the classroom and into the communities, where they can gain hands-on, concrete insight into leadership and service learning. 

Core elements of this model include goal setting, experimenting, reviewing, reflecting and finally action planning.  Global LEAD students leverage the local culture, participative activities and their fellow classmates to learn about themselves and their world.  As stated by the ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius, “tell me and I will forget, show me and I may remember, involve me and I will understand.” 

 

 

Unique curriculum

Building on our experiential learning philosophy, Global LEAD staff as well as University of Georgia professors and expert speakers lead a unique curriculum focused on leadership and service learning.  We believe courses such as Economics, Psychology and Biology are important; however, we think you should take them at your home university.  When you go abroad with Global LEAD, you learn about yourself, how to impact communities and the culture you are living in.
 

The Little Things

 

Personal communication

Our organization understands the power of personal communication during the entire study abroad process.  From the beginning we are here to walk you through the steps, meet with you for coffee or speak on the phone to assuage your concerns.  Formal information sessions and thorough pre-departure packets are also available to provide more detailed information as we prepare for takeoff.  Additionally, we love to keep parents involved through weekly updates from the Program Director, daily student blogs and constant, real-time Tweets, even if their sons or daughters are too busy exploring their new surroundings to do the same.

 

Personal touches

It’s always the little things that make an experience memorable.  Global LEAD knows all too well how anxious and excited you feel when you first land in a foreign country and

that’s why we provide each student with a welcome bag full of goodies to make them feel at home.  Whether a simple gesture as this or matching roommates based on preferences and attributes; it’s always the little, personal touches that make the Global LEAD experience stand out from the rest.

 

Customized to YOU

Our goal is to provide you with an incredible experience.  However, it is YOUR experience, and we believe you should have some input.  Each year Global LEAD programs evolve based on the previous year’s feedback and more importantly, the input we collect from you throughout the process.  Preferences ranging from cuisine, activities and adventure tours drive the overall program because your opinion matters to us.

 

Cultural Experience

 

Local & cultural speakers

Global LEADers don’t fly 10,000 miles to a foreign country only to learn from people they could have accessed at their home university.  While studying abroad, we make use of local experts who know the culture, history and

communities we are living in.  Who better to explain the consequences of the Greek financial crisis than an expert who consults with the IMF and Greek government?  Would you rather read chapters from a book or hear the granddaughter of a former Nobel Prize winner recount the history of apartheid in Cape Town?  We leverage the local knowledge and their insights to augment our curriculum and understanding.

 

 

Activities

Studying abroad is an excellent opportunity to experience a culture through local activities; therefore, we include many of these activities into the program fee.  Art and history museums, wineries and city tours are just part of the study abroad experience, and we want you to see and experience it all
 

Adventures and Activities

 

Breaking out of your comfort zone

We believe in the power of possibility, in challenging ourselves to step out of our perceived comfort zones.  Global LEAD provides integral experiences, which allow students to face their fears and overcome self-doubt.  One student from Cape Town 2011 described her transformation: “I jumped – the power was not in the fall but in the decision to make the leap.  Today, I left self-doubt and fear on that platform.  Tomorrow, I will do things that I never thought were possible before.” 

 

 

Adventure plus

All of our programs offer students the opportunity to engage in once-in-a lifetime adventures that enhance the international experience.  Whether embarking on Big 5 safaris in South Africa, hiking an ancient volcanic crater in Greece or exploring the awe-inspiring rainforests of Ecuador, Global LEAD offers adventures that will push your limits and ignite your imagination.      

 

 

Cultural experiences

We strive to incorporate authentic cultural experiences into our study abroad philosophy as we get you out of the classrooms and into the local communities.  Learning to operate a blow gun in the indigenous communities of Ecuador, diving into the culinary history of Greek cuisine and making strong connections with families in the townships of Cape Town, South Africa are opportunities we don’t want you to miss while studying abroad with Global LEAD.

 

Beyond Study Abroad

 

Global LEAD Family

When you complete a study abroad trip with one of our competitors, you go home as an alumni.  However, after you participate in a life-changing Global LEAD experience, you are part of our Family - and the opportunities to get involved are only beginning. 

Individual Impact

Studying abroad will likely be a wonderful experience no matter where you go or what you study; however, Global LEAD believes that studying abroad is more than a memory in a photo album.  We focus on more than courses and destination vacations – we focus on you and your potential to change the world.   

 

 

Leadership opportunities on the trip
We believe leadership is about action as well as accumulating knowledge garnered from real world, experienced leaders.  Therefore, we give select students the opportunity to lead their peers through a position called Community Group Leaders.  Students who are awarded this position facilitate small group discussions, lead activities and are mentored by Global LEAD staff during the experience.

Resume builder

Today’s graduates are entering the most competitive working environment we have ever experienced.  What will make you memorable and help you stand out from the many others interviewing for the same position?  Our leadership and service course will stand out on your resume, but in an interview it comes down to one word – experience.  Tell your future employers about the life lessons you learned from a soup mother in the townships of Cape Town, South Africa, or explain your thought process as you conquered your fears and bungee jumped over the Corinth Canal in Greece.  Let us know if that doesn’t grab their attention.   

 

LEAD Lifestyle
Global LEAD is not only an incredible 5 week experience, but more of a gateway to a 50 year mission.  By joining us abroad you are welcomed into the Global LEAD Family and the LEAD Lifestyle.  Our LEAD Local events such as service projects, leadership

activities, socials and reunions are only a few of the many ways you can continue to lead after you return home.

Sustainable development

We are very proud that our efforts in communities at home and abroad are sustainable and ongoing, which means you’ll never have to ask yourself, “What happens when we leave?”