Global Glimpse offers life-changing travel experiences to students
"I know it sounds corny," Adelynn says, recounting her travels last summer to Panama. "But it was life-changing."
Mission accomplished.
Since 2008, the non-profit organization Global Glimpse has sent 9,650 high school students on transformative international service- and leadership-based programs that are thoughtfully designed to build global perspective, meaningfully impact communities, spark lifelong memories, and oh yes, change some lives.
Anyone who has traveled can relate to the idea that Travel Changed Me — introducing one to new foods, new cultures, new sights and sounds. Now imagine being a high school student who's taking your first international trip, and doing that without your family or, perhaps more importantly, without your phone. That's exactly the approach that Global Glimpse takes, and it's working.
Over 90% of students report Global Glimpse as the most impactful experience of their high school career. Says Global Glimpse Vice President of Development Marcelo Berrios, "We're still beating prom!"
Program graduates have gone on to become lawyers, teachers and entrepreneurs, bringing a new perspective to what they can accomplish and the people they can impact through their work.
As Global Glimpse gears up to send its 10,000th student abroad in 2026, Travelzoo is proud to once again be a partner organization, providing scholarships that make these memorable experiences available to deserving students, regardless of financial circumstances.
"We feel strongly that traveling internationally broadens your world view. Experiencing new cultures makes you a better global citizen," said Jason Bushman, U.S. General Manager at Travelzoo. "We're proud to support Global Glimpse for a fifth consecutive year in 2026 to make this invaluable opportunity open to exceptional students."
Global Glimpse brings together students from all backgrounds representing schools in the San Francisco Bay Area, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and Massachusetts for these life-changing experiences. After being nominated by a teacher, the students undergo a rigorous application and review process to earn a spot on one of the 40+ trips that Global Glimpse runs each summer to Costa Rica, Panama and the Dominican Republic.
Students who are accepted into the program then take part in pre-trip workshops to develop leadership skills and global competency. Traveling after their junior year of high school, students are placed into groups of about 20 to complete an immersive in-country experience.
Itineraries are designed to build empathy, leadership skills and global awareness, combining service activities with cultural exchanges, like preparing and sharing a meal with a local family. Students hear from guest speakers about topics such as environmental conservation and sustainability, and take turns filling leadership roles within their group, under the watchful eye of trained staff and local community members. Travelers are encouraged to journal during the experience and provide peer feedback to the day's leaders.
For Adelynn, it was a chance to see a new destination and learn about herself in the process.
"During training, they tell you to be comfortable with being uncomfortable," says the Bay Area senior. "I liked that Global Glimpse had a leadership component. Having to step into the role of Leader of the Day, you’re responsible for making sure things get done, and even that people stayed hydrated. We’re in an uncomfortable environment, so navigating that turns you into a better leader.
"That was very helpful for me to understand how I approach leadership," she continues. "Without this trip, I wouldn’t have learned these things about myself. It was eye-opening and inspires me to learn so much more about myself."
Adelynn's group tackled a variety of projects during her time in Las Tablas, Panama. They planted 2,000 trees in the forest, painted and refurbished the meeting place for a kids' organization, made trash cans out of old tires and cleaned up a beach.
"I do service work near home with Key Club, but I wanted the chance to volunteer in a different country," she says. "I was excited to see new ways that service could be extended."
She even came out of the experience with new skills — like making soap out of goat milk.
"It just makes you realize what you take for granted in the States," she said.
She even found a benefit in the "no tech" policy that kept the students off of their phones.
"I’m not as attached to my phone as most people, but I was just worried about fitting in and making friends," says Adelynn, who was the only student from her school in her group. "But Global Glimpse puts you into these situations that you work so closely together, and without a phone to hide behind, you bond really quickly with the other students. It breaks down barriers and you connect with students on the bus and during the projects. "
As a Global Glimpse alumna, Adelynn is now working to make sure other students in her area get a chance at this life-changing experience as she prepares her college applications.
"This really prepares you for college," she says. "You have to be independent, make friends and stick with it."
For Heather, her Global Glimpse experience in 2014 was so impactful that it changed her career plans.
"During my trip, my group taught English classes twice a week, where we were responsible for creating lesson plans for the local community," she told Global Glimpse. "While the goal was to help the students practice English, it became just as much of a learning experience for me as it was for them."
Heather eventually became a teacher and now is a Global Glimpse leader, starting a partnership at her high school and taking students on trips each summer.
"I want to show them a world where they are more connected than they are different," she told Global Glimpse. "By seeing what exists beyond their bubble, incredible possibilities can unfold for them."