Frequently Asked Questions

Our high school Summer Service Adventure programs are open to students entering 9th grade through graduating 12 grade seniors.  Global Works middle school Summer Service Adventures are open to students entering 7th grade through those entering 9th grade.  Our Custom Group Travel Programs can be designed for middle school students, high school students, college/university students, or adult groups.

The Global Works community includes participants from across the United States and around the world. Our programs typically have more female identifying students than male (average of 60:40 ratio). Most summer participants sign up for our programs without knowing anyone else. Students who join us must be ready to ‘step out of their comfort zone,’ work hard, and be willing to reach out, all while making new friends and being part of a close community.

Trip tuition includes all accommodations, food, activities, and transportation once the trip begins. You should be able to fully participate without any significant additional expenses. Our tuition prices do not include airfare, travel insurance, passport expenses, or personal spending money for gifts or extra treats.

Since our inception in 1990, health and safety have been our first and foremost criteria in choosing our travel locations. We take a preventative approach to minimize the inherent risks of travel, avoiding areas that do not meet our standards. Global Works chooses the program destination and locations within each country that we travel to based on a number of criteria including, but not limited to: state department warnings, health risks, safe drinking water, and healthy food. First aid kits are on all programs and leaders are minimally certified in Wilderness First Aid, First Aid, and CPR. We have Emergency Action Plans detailing medical care and emergency plans for each location. We would be happy to talk with you further about our Emergency Action Plans and safety measures for each program.

Cell phones and internet capable electronics (such as laptops, iPads, iPhones, iTouches, Kindles, etc) are not permitted during Summer Service Adventure programs*. Participants may have cell phones for the opening and closing travel days, however they are typically collected at the beginning of the trip and returned prior to departure. We do this for the purpose of maintaining group cohesion and focusing on the goals of our program. Global Works is not responsible for lost/damaged cell phones or electronics. Thank you for understanding and respecting this policy!  

*On our Custom Group Travel programs, please check with your group chaperones regarding your group’s technology policy.

Participants will have the opportunity to call home during the trip approximately one time per week. If there is an urgent matter that requires communication with a program participant, our 24 hour hotline can be contacted to arrange a call. Please note that, while we provide the opportunity to call home, students are not required to do so unless otherwise deemed necessary. We recommend discussing your expectations with your student before the trip.

All Global Works summer programs have a dedicated blog, written by students, that highlights daily activities and includes photos. We update the blog every 1-2 days. This is a great way for parents, families, and friends back home to stay up to speed on group happenings!

Our Trip Leaders are inspirational! With so many returning staff (averaging 80% each year), we feel our staff leadership is one of our greatest strengths. Global Works hires skilled, knowledgeable, fun-loving professional who organize and lead trips according to high standards of quality, safety and, of course, fun. They are leaders chosen for: experience working with students, flexibility, organization, language skills, a sense of humor, and responsibility. Many of our staff also works as professional educators and the average age of our staff is 28. With at least two adult staff on each summer program, we are able to achieve a sensitive awareness to the needs of our participants and communities. Most of our programs have an additional on-site Country Director to serve as logistical backup for our groups while working closely with the Global Works home base in Colorado. All of our staff are background checked and certified in Wilderness First Aid, First Aid and CPR. Meet our Team!

You do not need specific language experience, just a willingness to try and a desire to learn! We recommend 2 years of language study for our Spanish and French Language Immersion programs, but it is not required. Your leaders will be able to translate and help work with you at your level. For homestay programs, we will aim to place you with another student who can complement your skills and comfort level.

Lodging varies by location and program type, however you can expect to be sharing a room with typically at least 2-3 other participants.  We look for comfortable, sanitary and secure locations, that reflect the local culture and ideally have a good space for our group to have activities.  There will be potable water and showers at the lodging locations.  NOTE: Some programs have homestays where students will stay, 2 per home, with local host families for a portion of the program.

Students stay in rooms congruent with their gender identity, as communicated to Global Works. For a student that identifies as non-binary, we ask that they communicate what rooming they want to stay in. Students are not permitted to enter rooms that are not assigned to them unless given permission by the program staff. 

Absolutely not! Even though it is perfectly natural to feel nervous about the unknown, those feelings will disappear quickly after the first few days as you become familiar with your group and new surroundings. Our fun and caring staff spends the first couple of days facilitating group orientation and team building activities. Our staff keeps a watchful eye on the emotional well-being of each individual, as well as the dynamics of the whole group.

Yes, however, we do need to keep limits on how many people know each other on any given trip. If friends do decide to travel together, it is vital that each individual reaches out to make new friends. Global Works offers small group experiences, and it is necessary for everyone to feel welcome and included. The vast majority of participants will be attending without a friend.

Global Works reserves the right to dismiss the participant from a course if it believes, in its sole discretion, the participant presents a safety concern or medical risk, is disruptive, violates Global Works’ rules or policies, or otherwise conducts him/herself in a manner detrimental to Global Works or other participants. Possession or use of any weapons, sexual activity, unauthorized absence from the group, violating curfew, use of tobacco products, unsafe and destructive behavior, body alteration – including tattoos and piercings – and use of illicit drugs or alcohol are all grounds for immediate dismissal from the program. If the participant is dismissed or departs for any reason, no refund of the program tuition will be given. Learn more about the Global Works code of conduct HERE.

The total number of service hours may vary from 10-50 hours, depending on the length of your program, your program location, and variables beyond our control, such as weather. After your program ends you will receive a “Community Service Certificate.” This document notes the number of hours you completed and a detailed description of the tasks and projects accomplished. We are also happy to complete any further documentation needed to earn community service hours for a school or civic organization.

Please take a look at our COVID-19 specific FAQ page.

Complete our online application by clicking the “Enroll Now” button. You will be asked to create an online account with your email address and a password. The application includes an $700 deposit for our Summer Service Adventure programs and a $400 deposit for our Custom Group Travel programs.

Programs fill on a first-come, first-served basis. We suggest you sign up early to ensure a spot on your top choice program!

Congratulations! You will receive an email confirming your program and outlining the next steps. Login to your personalized Login Page to access your financial statements and forms and documents, including medical information and paperwork, airfare information, and your financial statements. You will also find the Global Works Parent & Student Handbook, your go-to guide for information about preparation, policies and practices during a Global Works trip.

Yes, for any international destinations. Puerto Rico and other domestic locations do not require a passport. Please do not delay in applying for or renewing your passport. As a general rule, most countries expect that your passport will be valid at least 6 months from your trip start date. Go to http://www.visacentral.com/globalworks to find our more information, apply for, or renew your passport.

We follow the guidelines and recommendations of the U.S. Center for Disease Control. The governments of the countries that we travel to do not require specific immunizations or vaccinations. However, we recommend several immunizations, based on the idea that we will traveling to “off the beaten path” locations. Upon enrollment, we provide you with information about health and immunizations for your particular destination (please see the Vaccination and Travel Health Info document on your Login Page). We strongly suggest that you consult your physician and/or travel medicine clinic to make the final decision about immunizations.

Yes, so long as the information is from within the past year, is still accurate, and includes a physician’s signature. You may upload your form in place of the form provided on your Login Page.

Upon enrollment, we will provide you with a Pack and Prep Guide that is specific to your trip via your Login Page. We take into consideration you destination, specific activities, and duration of trip. We will provide information about clothing, gear, and personal items.

Yes. Please see the following pages for more information:

Discounts
Financial Aid

You can find group flight itineraries on our Group Flight Portal or contact our office at info@globalworkstravel.com or 303-545-2202.

– Global Works Staff chaperone the Summer Service Adventure flights (not available for Puerto Rico programs).
– Global Works Staff meet students at departure airport on opening day and will not leave the airport on closing day until all students have boarded their connecting flights or have been picked up by a parent/guardian.
– Global Works Staff care for students who miss the international group flight until they are re-booked on another flight.
– We have access to all flight records.
– We assist in re-booking in the case of delays and/or cancellations.
– We investigate lost luggage.
– We facilitate changing seat assignments and/or meal preferences.

Upon enrollment on your Summer Service Adventures Global Works program, you have the option to reserve a seat on the group flight. Simply complete the Travel Reservation Form on your login page. The cost will then be applied to your statement. To guarantee a seat on the group flight, reservations must be received by March 1st. After March 1st, seats are not guaranteed and subject to availability. Participants receive an e-ticket confirmation via email approximately 2-3 weeks prior to travel.

If you are traveling with your school group, you will fly with your group and trip chaperones and meet your Global Works trip leaders at your destination! Group flight schedules are available on your dedicated program webpage. Or, contact us at info@globalworkstravel.com or at 303-545-2202.

It depends on the program! Baggage fees are included for group flights for Fiji, France, and Spain programs. There are additional baggage fees on the group flights to/ from Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, and Ecuador. Baggage fees are the responsibility of the traveler. Pack light and carry-on to avoid the fees! Baggage fee policies are subject to change.

Connecting flights must be booked on your own. Global Works will provide the group flight confirmation code in order to link your reservations (to link reservations, the connecting flight must be reserved on the same airline as the group flight).

We require  3+ HOURS of connection time between your domestic flight and the group flight! If you reserve a connecting flight with less time, we will ask you to re-book it which may take more time and money! Travelers need sufficient time to collect and recheck bags on arrival and time to go through customs/ immigration and re-check bags on the return. Take the stress out of the travel days by allowing sufficient connection time of 3+ HOURS!

Upon making your connecting flight reservation, we ask that you notify Global Works by forwarding the flight reservation to info@globalworkstravel.com or completing the Travel To/ From Program Form on your login page.

We strongly recommend that all students travel on the group flight. If you make travel reservations independently, you must plan to arrive and depart within two (2) hours of the group flight schedule. Global Works Staff will facilitate meeting students upon arrival and will communicate the time and place to meet prior to the trip.

For those who choose to reserve flights on your own, once confirmed, forward your itinerary to info@globalworkstravel.com or upload all flight information to the Transportation To/From Program Form on your login page.

Participants who arrive or depart outside of the designated travel window are subject to an Alternative Travel Arrangements Fee of $250 each way. This is necessary to cover additional transportation and staffing costs.

Please contact us at info@globalworkstravel.com or 303-545-2202 and we will let you know if your specific request is possible. Participants who arrive or depart more than two (2) hours outside the group flight schedule are subject to an Alternative Travel Arrangements Fee of $250 each way. This is necessary in order to cover additional transportation and staffing costs. Global Works can assist with logistics and special arrangements, when and if necessary.

First, it’s normal to feel both excited and nervous for the travel day! The goal is for you to meet up with your group and GW Trip Staff either at the Group Flight Departure airport or your program destination. GW Trip Leaders have participant travel information and monitor flights. All staff and participants will wear the same Global Works t-shirts on travel days to make meeting up easy!

For participants on the Group Flight: GW Staff are stationed at the group flight airline check-in counter to assist with check-in. For participants who arrive on a connecting flight and are already checked in for the group flight, meet the GW Staff at the departure gate for the group flight.

For participants meeting in the program destination: Travelers will pass through customs and immigration and pick up their bags. GW Staff meet them immediately outside of security. Global Works Staff communicate where and how to meet prior to the trip.

Yes. GW Staff provide assistance in the case of a delay or flight cancellation. They will support in re-booking, as needed, and will supervise students in the case of an overnight stay.

Yes! We’ll help you to connect with your parents/ guardians on the last day of the trip. However, if you are only flying one-way on the Group Flight, we will not be able to make your flight reservation. In these cases, you will need to book the flight on your own.

Each airline has different Unaccompanied Minor policies. The major domestic airlines, including Delta, American, and United, require students 14 years old or younger to travel under the airline’s Unaccompanied Minor service. The service is an additional fee, estimate $150.

Global Works does not permit Unaccompanied Minors for students on connecting flights to meet the group flight. If your student is 14 years of age or younger and the airline requires an adult to fly with them, a parent/ guardian will need to accompany the student to/ from the group flight hub airport to meet the group.

Alternatively, you may 1) choose for your student to fly on an airline with a less strict policy (for example, Southwest Airlines requires 12 and under to fly as Unaccompanied Minor) or 2) fly from your hometown airport to the program destination on a direct flight as an Unaccompanied Minor.

Unfortunately, the airlines do not permit using air miles for our pre-reserved international group flights. Some families book the Global Works group flight on their own in order to take advantage of using air miles. You may accrue miles on our international group flights by adding your frequent flier account number to your reservation. After you have your e-ticket confirmation, contact Global Works and we will ensure that your frequent flier number is applied.

Yes, except for Puerto Rico and our domestic programs, all Global Works programs require U.S. citizens to enter with a valid passport. Please do not delay in applying for or renewing your passport. Many countries require that your passport is valid up to 6 months after your trip return date. Go to www.travel.state.gov for country-specific passport requirements for U.S. Citizens.

It is each participant’s responsibility to obtain, if necessary, a visa for entry. For U.S. passport holders, visas are not required for any of the the Global Works programs. If your child is not a U.S. Citizen, it is your responsibility to determine whether a visa is necessary for entry. Non-U.S. citizens must contact the appropriate embassies and consulates to inquire about any visa requirements for all countries to be visited. You may also opt to go through an agency that will provide advice and services. Global Works partners with CIBT Visas who offers student discounts for their services. Input your information into the box at www.cibtvisas.com/globalworks to determine your visa requirements and to obtain the necessary paperwork. Global Works participants receive a discounted price for their services. We suggest that this process be completed two months prior to departure.

GW does not offer a group flight to/ from Puerto Rico for our Summer Service Adventure programs. Participants book flights on their own. All Puerto Rico programs begin and end at San Juan (SJU) Airport in Puerto Rico. We require the following flight times:

Arrival Day: Flight scheduled to arrive  SJU between 12pm-7pm.

Upon arrival, your Global Works Trip Leaders meet you at baggage claim. We will arrange shuttle times to the group lodging once we have all participants’ travel information. We estimate that shuttles will depart from the San Juan (SJU) Airport every 2-3 hours. Please be advised that waiting is expected on a group travel day! GW Trip Leaders supervise and snacks will be available. 

Return Day: Flight scheduled to depart SJU between 5am-12pm

We will arrange shuttles to the airport once we have all participants’ travel information. Early morning flights are statistically less likely to be canceled or delayed. Therefore, we encourage and accommodate morning departures. Shuttle times allow at least 2 hours in the airport prior to flight departure. Please note that waiting times may be longer than 2 hours – it is all a part of a group travel day! GW Staff assist students with checking in for return flights and remain close by until your flight takes off.

We strongly recommend booking flights with flexible fares. Global Works is not responsible for airfare related expenses.

Global Works has partnered with battleface as our recommended travel insurance provider. With battleface, you have the flexibility to fully customize a travel protection plan that best suits your needs. You can get a quote and purchase insurance directly through battleface here. When requesting coverage, please remember to include any flight related expenses along with the cost of your tuition.

Global Works is committed to providing secure and meaningful homestay experiences. Homestay families are carefully chosen through a standardized process of interviews, home visits by our Country Directors, contractual agreements, and careful consideration for our students’ privacy and safety. Families sign a contract with Global Works stating they have a clear understanding of our rules, guidelines, and expectations. We carefully consider and match students based on age, gender, and preferences to the extent it is possible. We search for families who have the desire to partner with our groups in service work and cultural exchange. Additionally, we do not place Global Works girls in homes with teenage boys and homes must have a private room for the student(s). Our communities are typically rural and feature a strong community spirit.

We match participants based on a number of criteria including (but not limited to): allergies, diet, age, language proficiency, and personal preference. We do consider students wishes as far as having kids in the home, other teenagers, etc., but cannot always guarantee this will be available. Our first priority is to place each participant with a reputable, responsible, and warm family with an authentic interest in cultural exchange.

Most students stay in paired homestays. However, we do offer students the option for an individual homestay, if requested. We will do our best to honor these requests, based on availability.

Our Global Works leaders will determine which participant(s) will stay with which family once they have met and spent a day or two with the group. We find that this greatly increases the possibility of excellent matches, both between Global Works students and with the families themselves. For this reason, participants will find out about their family while on their trip, not prior to departure.

You will be with your group during most days to work on projects and participate in other activities. Local community members and children will often be working and playing alongside you. In the morning, you will have breakfast with your host family, then meet the group for an activity or to begin working on a community service project. Certain communities return home for lunch with the families. In the afternoon, we may work for an hour or two and then join in a soccer game or other activities in the community. Some evenings, we will get together with the group and our families for dances, game nights, festivals and/or potluck dinners.

Because you will not know the members of your family until a few days into the trip, a good idea is to bring one gift for your host mom, one for your host dad, and a collective gift for the children. We provide more specific ideas on your Packing List!

Definitely! We encourage participants to write letters and emails and send photos to their homestay families after the trip. This is a wonderful way to stay connected to the host community. Our homestay families especially love to receive mail from their “American son/daughter” during holiday times and birthdays!

Like any community in the United States, all of our communities are different from one another. The same goes for the families we choose. Typically, our communities and families are in rustic settings where participants and chaperones should expect conditions significantly different than their own back home. The presence of a variety of animals and some insects IS NOT out of the ordinary. All participants should consider, and must disclose, sensitivities to allergies, foods, and less sanitary conditions that are commonly present on our programs.

No. Some of the children may have basic English at school, but the majority do not speak English. Remember, we have told each family that you are there to practice Spanish or French. Before arriving to the homestay, we will practice some key phrases in the target language as well as some other useful communication skills. Charades, anyone?!

We encourage students to have at least two years of Spanish or French before participating in a homestay program, but it is not required. The most important thing you can bring to your homestay experience is a willingness to try and a desire to learn.

Most students stay in paired homestays. However, we do offer students the option for an individual homestay, if requested. We will do our best to honor these requests, based on availability.

Participants will know where their Global Works leader(s) and/or group chaperone(s) are at all times and vice versa. Participants will carry an Emergency Contact Card that has their leader’s cell phone number. If there is a problem in any home that warrants switching host families, we will organize a move. In addition, Global Works always has evacuation plans for each location that we visit. Your Global Works leader will know where to find the closest medical facility and the fastest way to reach it.