Global Glimpse

As we wrap up an incredible summer travel season, our hearts are filled with gratitude for the amazing community of staff, funders, partners, and educators who make our work possible. Your dedication to making travel accessible to young people from all backgrounds supported hundreds of students to step out of their comfort zones this summer and experience powerful moments that will shape their perspectives and their futures.

To our board members, advisors, donors, and partners - thank you! Your generosity fuels dreams, nurtures global citizens, and opens a world of opportunity for our students. This summer’s trips may be over, but the impact of your investment will continue to multiply!

We’re so excited to dive into fall programming with a growing number of partner schools and youth-serving organizations across the country and we look forward to seeing our impact grow this year! ✨

United
Away
Expedia
Marriott International
Travelzoo

If you've been following along this summer, you've probably noticed that the final days of a Global Glimpse trip are some of the most powerful. During their final reflection activities and heartfelt goodbyes, students realize how much they have grown personally and as a group.

Through an activity called "Stop, Start, and Continue" students make commitments to how they will bring lessons from their trip home with them such as staying open-minded, reducing screen time, and giving back to their communities.

Through sharing “Big Loves” and recognizing the impact of their peers, they celebrated the strong bonds they formed with students who were strangers at the beginning of their trip. Leader of the Day, Sapa A., captured the sentiment beautifully, sharing, “This isn’t the end of the race; we’re just waiting for each other on the other side of the finish line.”

It's been inspiring to see students leave with a profound appreciation for the cultures and communities they've been immersed in, the memories they’ve created, and the personal growth they’ve experienced. The C1C-NYC delegation encapsulated this sentiment with their final unity clap and the heartfelt words, “Hasta luego,” reminding us that although these journeys may end, the connections and lessons will last a lifetime - this is not goodbye; it’s merely a promise to meet again.

Check out some of the beautiful "last day" moments from this summer in the photos!

We are so excited to celebrate Cassidy on her 3rd workaversary at Global Glimpse! 🎊

As Donor Relations Coordinator, Cassidy manages key operations and communication to support Global Glimpse in building and strengthening a thriving donor community. Over the past 3 years, Cassidy has not only stewarded students and community members in her formal role as Chicago Programs Manager but has also tightened the operations in our development work, which has allowed us to maximize our impact. In addition, Cassidy brings light and humor to our team spaces and always has a stellar book recommendation.

Outside of work, Cassidy is grateful for the depth and closeness she has established with her extended family since returning closer to home. She talks with her mom/siblings/cousins/aunt/uncle/grandparents almost daily, and she is so happy about that. Life is short, and she wants to be with the people she loves. 🙌

Cassidy's drive for excellence and impeccable organization helps strengthen Global Glimpse every day! To read more about Cassidy, visit the link in our bio!

Learn more about Cassidy:
https://globalglimpse.org/who-we-are/global-glimpse-team

Calling all 2024 Glimpsers! 📢

Are you ready to relive the incredible memories and experiences from your Global Glimpse trip this summer? Participate in our Summer Social Media Photo Challenge to be entered to win a round-trip United Airlines flight certificate (provided by Global Glimpse) to fuel your next adventure! Your content will also be featured on our official social media channels, reaching thousands of young people and inspiring them to embark on their own Global Glimpse journeys!

📸 How to enter:
1. Post 1-2 photos of your most powerful moments from your trip to Costa Rica, Panamá, or the Dominican Republic this summer.
2. Write a short caption describing your most powerful moment - what did travel teach you?
3. Tag us and use the hashtag

No social media? No problem! Email your photos and captions to us at [email protected]
Submission Deadline: 9/6/24

Winner will be announced on our stories on September 20th!

Share your entry on your social media platforms and encourage your fellow Glimpsers to participate! We can't wait to see the beautiful moments you captured and the incredible experiences and memories you made on your trips!! ✨

For full entry requirements and Terms & Conditions, click the link below:
https://globalglimpse.org/announcing-the-global-glimpse-summer-social-media-photo-challenge/104326

While today marks International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, we celebrate the impact of Native and Indigenous communities year-round.

We’re honored to collaborate with Indigenous partners such as Vielka Méndez (Bely Oreribu) in Panamá, who plays a pivotal role in preserving Ngäbe culture. As the Cultural Manager and Co-founder of Jóvenes y Cambio Climático, Vielka leads workshops that empower Indigenous women and youth, teaching traditional dances and sharing cultural stories. Global Glimpse students in Panamá learn directly from Vielka, gaining a stronger understanding of the importance of preserving and celebrating Indigenous cultures and deepening their appreciation for honoring and respecting diverse traditions.

Today and every day, let’s recognize and support the resilience and cultural heritage of Indigenous Peoples around the world.

We are so excited to celebrate Ilda on her 2nd workaversary at Global Glimpse! 🎊

As Finance and Operations Coordinator, Ilda manages key operations (like accounting, compliance, and fundraising operations) that keep Global Glimpse running. Over the past 2 years, Ilda has helped Global Glimpse keep impeccable financial records that have resulted in exemplary and clean audits! In addition, Ilda has shared her love of the arts with our team, including making each staff member a personalized resin keychain during our last team retreat.

Outside of work, Ilda has become more involved with her community -- serving as a board member of the Matagalpa Baptist School -- while also following artistic pursuits. This year, she made her daughters' traditional Nicaraguan costumes for the first national holiday parade! 🙌

Ilda's passion for the work and commitment to continuous improvement shine at Global Glimpse and make us stronger!

Learn more about Ilda:
https://globalglimpse.org/who-we-are/global-glimpse-team

In Chitré, Panamá, our students explore the heart of local culture through the rich traditions of pottery in the La Arena area. Known as the "Portal of Chitré" for its diverse craft designs, La Arena is home to a family of clay pottery artists who keep centuries-old traditions alive.

During their visit, Glimpsers meet local craftsman Don Lucrecio Batista, a third-generation pottery master, and witness the entire pottery-making process. From sourcing clay in Mexico each spring to the meticulous drying and firing process, students see firsthand the dedication and skill required as they explore questions like: What is culture and where does it come from? How does culture stand the test of time? Who is responsible for passing culture from one generation to the next?

Don Lucrecio's demonstrations bring the craft to life, showing how a piece can be spun in minutes but requires weeks of preparation. Glimpsers then get to take turns at the pottery wheel themselves, creating and painting their own clay pots to take home. This hands-on experience gives them both a deeper understanding and appreciation for the cultural tradition and its deep significance in Panamá. They also learn how government programs support these arts, ensuring that traditions are passed down to future generations.

We love seeing students connect so deeply with the cultures they visit, cultivating a greater understanding of cultural preservation. ✨

On this International Day of Friendship, we’re celebrating the incredible connections forged by our Glimpsers during their Global Glimpse trips. Watching them evolve from strangers to a tight-knit community in just two weeks is truly inspiring!

It's amazing to see students from diverse backgrounds come together, breaking down barriers of culture, ethnicity, and experience. Through collaborating on Community Action Projects, discovering new ways of life, sharing meals, enjoying fun activities, dancing, and reflecting as co-Leaders of the Day, they find common ground, embrace differences, and build empathy while shaping new perspectives.

✴️ 97% report building valuable relationships with peers from different backgrounds

Glimpser Jessica V. from the Bay Area captures it perfectly: “During my Global Glimpse journey, I built relationships with students I probably wouldn’t have interacted with back home. Despite coming from different schools and being strangers at first, I developed deep friendships with Glimpsers from various cultural, ethnic, racial, and economic backgrounds by finding common interests and sharing personal experiences. That was powerful for me.”

Can you believe we are already over halfway through the summer? We've supported over 600 high school students and teachers to travel to Costa Rica, Panamá, and the Dominican Republic with hundreds more set to take off soon! ✈️

Our students have put down their phones and opened themselves to the world. They have formed meaningful connections, experienced new ways of living, tried new foods, planted, built, laughed, cried, and danced, and have done it all together. As hundreds of testimonials come flooding in from students returning from their trips, we are overwhelmed with gratitude for the global community that makes it all possible!

✅97% report building valuable relationships with peers from different backgrounds
✅92% say the tech-free environment improved their overall wellness
✅87% say it's the most powerful experience they've had in high school
✅98% would recommend Global Glimpse to a friend

"Overall, I felt this experience was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. There were so many parts of Global Glimpse that fit so well with creating the future leaders of this world, as well as fostering the change and character development of everyone on the trip. I’d do it all over again if I could!"
- Tyson T., SF Bay Area, traveled to the Dominican Republic

Check out a few photos and testimonials highlighting our summer impact and students' most powerful Global Glimpse moments so far!

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)!

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!

"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). 🙌

Have you heard about TrevorSpace? Created by The Trevor Project, the world's largest su***de 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. 🫶

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! ✨

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!

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)

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.

Swipe through to learn more about organizations in our Global Glimpse regions that provide support and resources for LGBTQ+ youth.

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!

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, 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 T&H 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.

Global Glimpse journeys have officially begun! This past week, 5 different trips representing over 100 students and 40 schools have arrived in the Dominican Republic, Panamá and Costa Rica, and we're excited to give you a sneak peek into our Glimpsers' first weeks, as more groups depart soon!

After settling into their accommodations and getting to know each other through welcome orientations and team-building, our Glimpsers jumped into city tours to get to know the people and places that make up their local communities. Student leaders of the day stepped out of their comfort zones to support their peers as they immersed themselves in culture and history, learned new dances, chowed down on delicious foods, and ended their evenings with nightly meetings to reflect on the day's experiences and gear up for what lies ahead. It's incredible how quickly our Glimpsers have connected in just a few days, making it hard to believe they were strangers before this trip!

Check out some photos of our first groups of Glimpsers in Costa Rica, Panamá, and the Dominican Republic!

Make sure to follow along with daily updates through their trip blogs all summer long (link in bio)!

We are excited to conclude our AAPI Voices series with a spotlight on Apoorva Gandhi, Senior Vice President of Multicultural Affairs, Social Impact, and Business Councils at Marriott International!

As an Indian American, Apoorva envisions a future where inclusive and diverse travel experiences are the norm. Reflecting on the transformative power of travel, he shares, "Travel has the ability to bring people together and build understanding. Having conversations to get to know people from different backgrounds can open minds and hearts. Global Glimpse’s work to empower students to connect with others and build cultural competence is doing exactly that!"

One travel experience that significantly impacted Apoorva’s perspective on being AAPI was his journey to India with his family to adopt their youngest child. Highlighting the profound impact it had on him, he recalls, "Though we had been to India many times, this was special and different, and completely changed my worldview."

Swipe through to read more about how Apoorva's travel experiences have shaped his perspective on travel!

As we wrap up our AAPI Voices series, we hope you enjoyed discovering some of the unique stories of a few of our AAPI community members like Apoorva, who continue to inspire our work at Global Glimpse!

We are excited to spotlight Su Min Nam, Executive Assistant to the CEO at Browning West, in our AAPI Voices series today!

Su Min immigrated to the U.S. from Korea with her parents when she was three years old. Growing up, she navigated the challenges of assimilation while holding onto her AAPI identity through her family's cultural practices. She shares, "I was able to hold onto my AAPI identity through my family, sharing culture within the household and making sure I didn’t lose my ability to speak Korean. However, breaking through assimilation and embracing AAPI identity was much harder especially as a teenager when all you want to do is fit in. I slowly outwardly embraced my cultural identity by introducing my friends from other cultural backgrounds to my heritage through experiences, media, and food. It helped me embrace more of my identity by sharing it with others and in turn it made me more interested in other cultures as well."

Swipe through to discover more about how Su Min's experiences have influenced her approach to cultural exchange and embracing her identity. ✈️🌎