By Salvador Esquibel, Kaitlyn Espinoza, Alexa Fernandez, Courier Staff Writers
Global Glimpse is a nonprofit organization that serves high school students and educators all around the Bay Area, New York, Chicago and Western Massachusetts. Their goal is to give students the opportunity to work with people from different backgrounds in order to make meaningful connections and to improve their society and understand larger social contexts.
Students can apply by recommendation from a teacher based on their strong leadership skills, community involvement, and potential for collegiate and career success. 10 to 30 students are accepted into the program every school year.
Fees for the program range somewhere between $500 to $4200, including airfare, accommodation, transportation, meals. The also include the cost of preparatory after school workshops, and their alumni ambassador program. There are also scholarships available to students that qualify based on factors such as family income and number of people dependent in a household.
Over the years, Global Glimpse has seen itself grow in numbers and percentages. Since 2007, they have served over 4,600 students. Just last year, they served 830 students and 90 educators from 65 public high schools and provided over $2 million to make sure the program was available to students of all socioeconomic backgrounds.
Mollie Wright, a teacher at James Logan, was described her experience with Global Glimpse. “I have been involved with Global Glimpse for the past year. During the school year, I got to work with fifteen Logan students in leadership, cross-cultural awareness, and travel preparation. Then, during the summer, I got to travel to Estelí, Nicaragua with 22 students from the Bay Area and Boston. I think this program provides a uniquely valuable opportunity for high school students from all socioeconomic backgrounds to experience life outside of their city, state, and country. All of the students who participated found themselves challenged to learn and to adapt, and I did, too. I would highly recommend Global Glimpse.”
The trip itself is a valuable experience since you get the opportunity to go to countries such as Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, and Ecuador to experience their beauty and charm. Nicaragua is vibrant with colorful streets, white sand beaches. The Dominican Republic is home to dynamic dances and a destination spot to four million tourists every year. Ecuador is home to beautiful scenic landscapes and many historical sites throughout the country that educate its tourists and citizens on the history of Nicaragua.