Safety & Risk Management
As a leading non-profit organization in our industry, Global Glimpse takes the health and well-being of our students and staff very seriously.
Global Glimpse students visit developing countries and experience personal growth through new experiences. We understand that risk is an inherent part of our program. We also understand that each traveler is an individual with distinct perspective and abilities. Whether trying new foods, hiking a canyon, or exploring rural areas, at Global Glimpse risk management is fundamental to positive transformation. Our passion and commitment to safeguarding our students and staff is driven by strong leadership and executed with unwavering commitment from our US and international staff, board members, and partners.
Our Approach to Safety and Risk Management
We invest to manage risks and ensure our students are safe and supported at all times. Our comprehensive prevention planning, experienced staff, rigorous training programs, expert partners, detailed emergency response protocols, and ongoing commitment to evaluating risks place us at the forefront of the youth travel industry.
Planning & Prevention
Planning & PreventionWe believe that minimizing risk abroad starts well before the trip. In an effort to minimize the risk of incidents occurring on our international programs, we take important preventative actions before our students travel.
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Pre-trip Health Reports: We require all participants to fill out detailed health history reports when they apply. Our staff reviews every health report to understand the best ways to support our students while in-country.
Service Provider Risk Assessments: Each of our in-country service providers undergo a strict risk assessment conducted by our staff prior to the arrival of our program participants to ensure that they adhere to Global Glimpse’s strict safety standards.
Program Site Selection: We use rigorous site selection criteria to evaluate the locations where our students travel. Each program site is evaluated for safety, security, and infrastructure, and itineraries are planned so students spend very little time in capital cities.
Pre-trip Safety Orientations: We work diligently to provide our students and their families with detailed information leading up to the Global Glimpse experience. Every student is required to bring a parent or legal guardian to a mandatory Pre-trip Orientation where a Global Glimpse staff member reviews all of the trip logistics, health and safety protocol, communication best practices, and program rules with the students and parents.
Experienced Staff & Training
Experienced Staff & TrainingA trained, committed and caring team in the US and in-country supports our international immersion programs. With backgrounds in risk management, teaching, experiential education, international development, psychology and group facilitation, our staff is made up of professionals in the industry with years of experience supporting students, parents and staff in experiential education programs abroad.
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Global Glimpse’s Risk Management Team: This team of full-time staff, who live and work in the US, provides world class resources and support to participants and in-country staff to have safe and meaningful programs, and to ensure students, families and teachers are supported leading up to, during, and after their international trips. The members of this team are Marcela Berrios, Miguel Cubas García, Ben Polansky, Brent Nichols, Joshua Dubansky, Gary Robinson, and Dave Dennis. Read more about them on our staff page.
Our Global Team: For each of our international immersion programs, our trip leaders are composed of two US educator chaperones and two full-time Global Glimpse in-country Program Coordinators. Together they are a dynamic team that blends an understanding of student needs with a depth of local knowledge to provide students with a safe and authentic experience abroad. In addition, we have a full-time International Leadership Team that live in our host countries year-round to maintain strong relationships with our community partners and support our international staff and programs.
First Aid & CPR Training: In-Country Program Coordinators complete a comprehensive First Aid & CPR course led by certified instructors who facilitate annual trainings in the spring. Trainings cover a range of topics including patient assessments, wound management, and natural disasters.
Mental Health Training: Members of our Risk Management Team as well as In-Country Program Coordinators are trained to respond to a variety of mental health and wellness issues. The training provides our staff with techniques, expert advice and the opportunity to practice supporting students that may experience mental health and wellness issues while abroad.
Expert Partners
Expert PartnersGlobal Glimpse works with some of the most reputable and experienced providers in the fields of international medical support, security, mental health, wilderness medicine, and crisis communication. Our rigorous safety standards and emergency response plans are regularly reviewed to ensure we are at the forefront of our industry.
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International SOS (ISOS): ISOS is a premier medical and emergency service provider that provides our Global Glimpse staff and participants access to emergency evacuation services and expert on-call nurses and doctors in the United States. ISOS is a 24-hour provider with facilities in more than 70 countries worldwide. Their professional staff includes multilingual doctors, mental health specialists, infectious disease experts and nurses.
American Heart Association (AHA): Prior to our students beginning their international programs, all of our international staff are trained and become certified in first aid and CPR by the AHA. The AHA is a national leader in healthcare education, and the training programs developed by the AHA are supported by over 90 years of research. Since 1948, the AHA has funded the research of 13 Nobel Prize winning doctors and scientists. The first aid and CPR training prepares our staff to confidently and effectively respond to the health needs of our students while abroad.
P3 Mental Health Advisor – Gary Robinson, LMHC: Gary is the founder of P3 Mental Health Advisors and has dedicated his 30-year career to helping students to maximize their potential and overcome barriers to learning. Gary has served in a variety of professional counseling roles and has been Director of Counseling at Hartwick College in Oneonta, New York for 20 years where he supports students during study abroad experiences to navigate the challenges they face in cultural environments different than their own. Licensed in two states and board certified nationally, Gary was recently appointed as a member of the International Committee of the American Counseling Association (ACA).
Emergency Response Plans
Emergency Response PlansOur comprehensive emergency response plans identify known or foreseen risks and detail the protocols by which we prevent and/or respond to critical incidents or natural disasters. Each emergency response plan details the medical response, communication plan, and resource coordination to effectively and efficiently manage all manners of incidents that may occur on our programs abroad.
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Global Glimpse has worked with experienced international youth travel consultants to design comprehensive Emergency Response Plans that detail every aspect of our organization response to a health or safety emergency on one of our international trips. Global Glimpse also directly manages all aspects of student and family communication during the Global Glimpse program. Parents have access to a 24/7 Global Glimpse emergency phone line while their student is abroad.
Example of an Emergency Response Plan Flowchart:
“This is my fourth year volunteering as a GG Leader with Global Glimpse. As a high school teacher I feel responsible for the students on my trip and Global Glimpse does an incredible job in training their staff and planning for health and safety situations. The on-call nurses and doctors with ISOS were great and the in-country program coordinators were always there to guide and support us.”
