FOR STUDENTS

The globe will face huge and exciting challenges during your lifetime. Global problems such as climate change, species extinction and poverty are problems that must and can be reversed over the next few decades. The responsibility for finding solutions for many of these problems will fall on your generation. The pace of change – both for the problems and the solutions – is rapid. World population is exploding and will peak by 2050. There are new technologies, such as the internet, which create powerful opportunities for education and collaboration. The global economy is an increasingly powerful force that overrides even the most powerful nations. The world has become a smaller place and is shrinking every day.

These are incredibly exciting times. We want to help you understand the world and its problems. Our goal is to give you the confidence and the tools to be a leader and create change in the world.

Our Commitment. We will help you understand a global issue like climate change or global poverty by breaking it into simple terms and taking you to global communities where you can see its effects firsthand.

In these communities you will meet inspiring leaders who are making progress against these issues. You will be able to work alongside them and help create positive change.

During the leadership training sessions, you will explore things about yourself that you may not have thought about before, such as your communication style and your level of self and group awareness. You will learn from local leaders and in the process grow as a leader yourself.

Adventure. Outdoor adventures and cultural explorations are an important component of every World Leadership School trip. Options include trekking in the Andean highlands of Peru, snorkeling in Belize’s Barrier Reef or sea kayaking off the coast of Guadeloupe. Through these experiences you will develop confidence, form a strong working relationship with other group members and travel off the beaten path.

You will also explore the culture and history around you. This includes time with community members to learn a new skill, such as how to make bread, weave a blanket or drum on the cajón. This also includes visiting mind-blowing places like colonial Granada, the lost city of Machu Picchu and the white sandy cayes of Belize.

Safety. The safety of our students is our number one priority. We build safety into every level of a World Leadership School trip.

We begin with seasoned in-country directors who have a long record of safely handling students in their country. These directors personally select the communities we work with and screen host families. They are responsible for coordinating all logistics such as ground transportation and activities.

The next level of safety is provided by the World Leadership School instructor, who travels with the group. The instructor has gone through our training program and has the requisite first aid training. He or she understands how to keep students safe and works closely with the school’s teachers, who are also on the trip.

The final, and most important level of protection, is the community itself. We select communities that are small and closely knit, where neighbors take care of each other. Our host families take the safety of their students very seriously.