Teen Volunteer Programs in Bali

My GLA experience in Bali was amazing and one I know I will not forget!

By being on this trip, I have developed leadership skills and better yet, friendships that will last a lifetime. Being a leader is not easy and can be a difficult task. However, on GLA's Bali program, each student was required to lead the entire group for one whole day. During the program, I realized that a leader must have deep convictions of his goals, be clear about what needs to be achieved, find the strength of each individual, and work with those strengths.

Being a leader was also very important in the classroom. On the first day of volunteering, we began with thirty students. And by the end, we concluded with almost ninety students. We taught English in meaningful subjects such as health, hygiene, body parts, animals, colors, numbers, and much more. Being a leader was important in the classroom to achieve the task at hand. We had to work with each other to create meaningful lesson plans. Meaningful lesson plans would then result in a transformative experience for the students we taught as it was just for me.

If you are thinking about joining GLA's Bali: Land of Discovery program, it is perfect for any person of any character. Bali is truly a land of discovery where you will always have a place in your heart for and a home to go to!

Bali is full of many fun activities to take part in and the staff will be sure that every student gets the most of their experience their! From getting off my flight in Denpasar, to going on an ultimate scavenger hunt in Ubud, to relaxing at a resort in Lovina, to taking a spider boat ride in the sunset, to going Scuba Diving for my first time in Amed, and most importantly volunteering at local schools in Singaraja, it was a fun and life changing experince I will never forget!

Last summer, I spent 3 weeks in Bali with GLA, and it was absolutely amazing! We got to travel around the entire island, experiencing everyday Balinese life while seeing some of the most amazing attractions the island has to offer! In addition, our time in the classrooms with the children was amazing and I have learned so much from it.

One of the best things about the program is the independence that it gives you. You are able to make your own decisions and experience everything for yourself, and it helped me become more independent and confident in myself.

As a Summer Search student I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Bali, Indonesia this past summerWhile in Bali, I worked with disabled children, attended religious ceremonies, and interacted with the community. Working with the handicapped children was one of the most rewarding things I have done.
I went to the school with the intention of teaching them some English, but as it turned out, the students taught the teacher. They taught me look at life in a new perspective, and that as long as one is happy, everything else will harmonically fall into place. The native people helped me truly experience the life of a Balinese woman, whether it was through riding motor bikes, eating their exquisite dishes, learning how to tie a sarong, learning their traditional dance, or making offerings for the spirits. Ever since, I feel more confident with the decisions I take, and more confident with myself all around

Basically, this Bali trip was the most amazing experience of my life thus far. I'm a traveler at heart, so I dealt with the changes easily, but there was nothing that a little change in perspective couldn't fix for anybody.
On a regular day, we would plan to be leaving the homestay by 9:30am, but with the easy going mentality of the Balinese, most days it was more like 10am. This no worries mind-set really teaches you to relax and enjoy. Every morning we had breakfast at the homestay and ate most of our other meals out. The food was delicious (a lot of rice, yum!), and sometimes I wasn't even sure what I was eating, but I was never disappointed!
For a lot of the mornings, we went to a school to help out the teachers, and hang out with the kids for the day playing games and teaching them some English. We really were able to form amazing relationships with these kids even with the language barrier.
While the trip to Bali was only 2 weeks (for me, some had 3), it completely changed the way I look at life. Witnessing and partaking in the Balinese culture is a true learning experience that really expands your construct of reality. Now at home, almost a year later, everyday something reminds me of the time I spent in Bali, or the friends I made there. This trip is an experience that you will truly never forget.