About Us

MISSION & VISION

We seek to instill a passion for service work, humanitarian efforts, and environmental preservation throughout the lifetime of a Global Works traveler, to deepen participants’ understanding of social-economic, political, and cultural inequalities of our world, and to open their eyes to their role in positive change.

Global Works envisions building a world where:

• Empathetic relationships between people and cultures leads to mutual respect and understanding.
• Confident, positive, and self-reliant students become leaders and bring a global perspective to their city, nation, and world.
• The wonder of travel continues to lead to self-discovery, perspective, and a passion for life.

OUR ROOTS

Global Works inspires personal transformation by fostering empathetic relationships with our global community. We provide intentional, authentic, service-learning teen travel programs which reflect a commitment to sustainability and collaboration with local communities.

Global Works was founded in 1989 by Pam and James “Biff” Houldin who realized that valuable community service and cultural exchange might be achieved by high school and middle school students through the reconstruction of homes in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Hugo.

From there, Global Works grew on a vision of creating international travel programs that combine community service and adventure travel as a way to not only learn about the world outside our borders, but to be inspired to improve ourselves. Thirty years later, Global Works has a well-deserved reputation as one of the most professional and well organized travel programs for young adults. Focusing on authentic student travel experiences, sustainable community service, language immersion and homestays, leadership, and adventure, travelers return home with increased confidence, knowledge, and a greater sense of global citizenship.

Global Works is now run out of our home office in Louisville, Colorado by a close-knit group of former educators and dedicated trip leaders. Now owned and operated by the Moriarty family, Global Works maintains community connections at its core. We partner with communities and non-profit organizations worldwide to co-develop sustainable projects that positively impact both travelers and their partners.