What Do Students Say?

Casey Oak Park, IL, Age 16

While every child dreams of traveling to distant places around the world, adolescents are seldom give the opportunity to fulfill this experience. When I was informed about the Global Explorers program and the trip that would be taking high school students to Tanzania, Africa, I immediately knew that this was something I would love to participate in. Thirteen students ranging from the ages of fifteen to seventeen were chosen to go to Tanzania. The participants then had to complete a certain number of classroom hours before they were eligible for the experience. When all requirements were completed, all of the thirteen individuals were prepared for an experience of a lifetime.

The Tanzanian experience, made possible through Global Explorers, was one that I will never forget. We were welcomed into the culture with open arms by the citizens of Tanzania. The people had the utmost respect for one another, and incredible pride in everything they had worked for. We were forced to see the major problems of the country first hand, and that I will never forget. The poverty level of the country was astounding, but invisible in the character of the Tanzanian people. I will never again take things I have for granted or over look the good deeds of others. The three Tanzanian guides that were with the group for the entire trip were thoroughly intelligent and educational. On several safaris taken through many of Africa’s most prominent national parks, the constant flow of information from the guides and into the minds of the students was fantastically overwhelming.

The Global Explorers Workshop opened up my mind and allowed me to grow as an individual. I discovered several of my strengths and weaknesses, and it pushed me out of my comfort zone in a completely positive way. I found that preconceived notions are often times extremely inaccurate, and that the concepts of trust and respect carry a long way. It has forced me to truly value my possessions and those closest to me, and to always remember that my integrity and effort will always be necessary in life.

I would recommend the Global Explorers program to any individual who wishes to have an experience of a lifetime. There was never a moment where I did not feel safe in my surroundings, and completely welcome from those who inhabited this amazing country. If you are ever given the opportunity to allow your child or yourself go on a Global Explorers workshop, I strongly urge you to take that opportunity and cherish it for the rest of you life.