Frequently Asked Questions about Global Glimpse

Have a specific question about the student application process? Click here to learn more.

What makes Global Glimpse programs unique?

  • Accessible to all students through needs-based scholarships.
  • Service-learning that empowers students to think critically.
  • In the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Panama, and Costa Rica credentialed teachers and experienced professionals build and lead our trips.
  • We have a diverse student body. We believe that students learn just as much if not more from collaborating and living, learning and traveling with people from very different perspectives as they learn from traveling abroad: the combination of the two is what truly sets us apart.

What kind of student are you looking for?


We are looking for high school juniors who exemplify the values of courage, commitment, and compassion. We are looking for caring and motivated students who want to learn more about their world. We are looking for students who have a social conscience and a desire to move outside their comfort zones and take the initiative to change their communities for the better. We want students who grow from challenge, adventure, and expanding their world perspective.

How much does the program cost?

We provide scholarships on a sliding fee scale that makes the program accessible to low, middle, and upper-income students and families. Depending on the scholarship level received, students may pay from $500 to $4500 and our fee includes airfare, accommodation, and all meals on their 14-day trip; as well as access to our global education and leadership pre-trip program. There are no hidden fees whatsoever! We are a nonprofit organization committed to access for ALL and diversity on all programs. 100% of accepted students from our Partner Schools receive a minimum scholarship of around $1,000 off of the industry average price and further scholarships are provided based on family income, dependents in the home, and the free and reduced lunch percentage at their school. Independent Students (not attending one of our partner schools) are not eligible for the Partner School scholarship or a need-based scholarship.

Our mission is to make life-changing global education accessible and this year Global Glimpse provided over $2 million in scholarships to our students.

Can I still apply if I am not from one of your partner high schools?


Yes! Every year we have amazing students participate in Global Glimpse who are not from our partner high schools. If you do not attend one of our Partner High Schools or are not in one of our Partner Organization Programs and are interested in participating in Global Glimpse, please contact us and our staff will follow up with you.

How long is the travel component of the trip and when do the students depart?


The Global Glimpse summer immersion program is 14 days long. Summer program departure dates range from early June through early August.

Who do students travel with? Do students travel with classmates from their school?


Students travel in groups of roughly 20 and are supported by two Global Glimpse Leaders (volunteer educators) and two of our in-country staff. Delegations are composed of high school student leaders from a mix of different schools. Some students will travel with students from their school and others do not.

What will my child do on your program?


The Global Glimpse program is a mix of academics, service learning, leadership training, fun and adventure.  Activities range from learning about the local life, businesses, and culture; exploring markets, forests, beaches, and volcanoes; conversations with local business and political leaders; personal reflection, and community action projects in partnership with local community organizations.

Where will my child be staying? What about meals and special dietary needs?


Students stay in dormitory-style living accommodations in their host city with the rest of their group.  Global Glimpse uses catered food and bottled water to ensure student safety. Global Glimpse can usually accommodate special diets if given advance notice.

Do you need to be fluent in Spanish to participate?


By no means. Our program is available to students of all language abilities. The Spanish language is very important in the US today and we encourage students to practice Spanish and continue their studies, but we provide translation for all activities and we do not limit participants based on language ability.

How is your community service different from other programs?


Global Glimpse goes beyond the traditional approach to service learning by teaching our participants to think critically about sustainability. We take great care in building a service program that truly reflects local needs, exposes our participants to a wide range of effective local organizations, and instills in them a life-long passion for community involvement.

How do you really make an impact in 2 weeks?


Anyone who has worked in international development and lived for an extended period of time in a developing country understands that it takes a great deal of time and strong community relationships to create lasting change and socioeconomic development. We do not claim to make a huge impact on the communities that we work with over two weeks, however, we do have a huge impact on our students and the knowledge and inspiration that they come away with have the power to impact their own communities, and the global community dramatically.

We maintain strong and lasting relationships with the communities that we work with and our delegations run consecutively throughout the summer to ensure that community service projects are completed to the highest standard. We do short service trips very well and we rely on our partner organizations in the communities that we work to sustain the projects our students contribute to.

Are the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Panama, and Costa Rica safe countries?

  • The Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Panama, and Costa Rica are some of the safest countries in all of Latin America and the Caribbean.  The towns and cities we operate in have low violent crime rates people welcome foreigners and travelers.
  • We have strong partnerships in the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Panama, and Costa Rica with a large network and access to the best hospitals, physicians, transportation providers, and accommodation providers.
  • Our local staff is trained to ensure the safety of our programs.

What is your safety policy?

  • We evaluate every aspect of our program through the lens of safety and risk management.
  • Our students are highly supervised by trained staff and chaperones
  • All of our in-country staff are First Aid/CPR certified and prepared to respond to any emergency that might arise both in rural and urban areas.
  • We partner with leading risk management partners including medical and security evacuation providers, medical doctors, mental health advisors, and risk management specialists to continually improve are industry-leading risk management practices and responses. We invest heavily in resources and continual training to minimize risks for our students and staff. See our Risk Management Overview.
  • In each of our cities, we have direct relationships with private clinics familiar with adolescent medicine and who know our organization and our students.
  • Every student who travels with us is enrolled in medical and emergency evacuation insurance.
  • All of our food providers are trained to prepare high-quality food for foreigners.
  • We monitor the political situation very closely through our global network of partners and our in-country staff members.
  • We do everything in our power to ensure that our students stay healthy and safe. The strength of our program and our connections in Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, and the DR enable us to be prepared for emergencies.

What happens when a student gets sick?

  • Our in-country teams are trained to respond to medical and mental health issues and in close contact with our Health & Safety Team will respond to any illness with all resources available.
  • We work with local clinics and hospitals that our in-country staff has vetted and evaluated.
  • All of our program coordinators are First Aid/CPR certified and are trained to respond to emergencies.
  • Every student has emergency evacuation insurance.
  • We have an adult chaperone health coach who monitors the health of all participants.
  • Student sickness does happen. They are exposed to new foods and new environments. We do everything in our power to ensure that student will not get sick, however, we are prepared when they do.

What type of accident insurance does Global Glimpse carry?


Accident, illness, and accident-related insurance coverage is provided for all participants. This coverage is included in the program fees. To learn more about our travel insurance policy contact us.

Will the US based Global Glimpse staff be on the trips?


Our US based management staff visit in-country programs to ensure that our in-country staff are building and executing safe, high-quality programs.

Do you ever have to send a student home?


We take the health and safety of all our students very seriously and will send a student home if the entire staff agrees that the safety of that student or any student in the group is at risk.

We have a zero tolerance policy for drinking, drugs and violence and students who do not follow these rules will be sent home immediately. We will never send a student home without speaking with their parent/guardians.

Do you have an application process?


Yes. You can learn more about our application process HERE.  Students from our partner schools must be nominated for the program and receive access to the application through an invitation email. The application is composed of 6 short answer questions, parent information, and health information.

Do all students who apply get in?


No. The program is highly competitive and we work to select students who clearly demonstrate courage, compassion, and commitment as well as leadership potential. We reserve the right to reject any student if we do not believe that he or she truly wants to be a part of the program or if we feel that his or her participation would not be advisable for health or safety reasons.