Travel can be an integral part of a young person’s developmental experience, and a pathway to personal exploration. In fact, studies have displayed a correlation between travel and creativity. Research by William Maddux and Adam Galinsky, published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology in 2009, presents evidence that individuals who live abroad at some point in their lives perform better on creative tasks than those who never do.
Global Works is a service organization based in Lafeyette that organizes service and language immersion trips in 10 countries across the globe throughout the summer. The trips are for students in grades 9 to 12.
The focus of the trips is community service, cultural exchange and cross-cultural education. High-schoolers are given the opportunity to explore the globe and experience new ways of life while expanding their cultural and intellectual horizons.
“The overall philosophy is authentic travel experiences with a cultural immersion, community service component,” says Fritz Moriarty, director and co-owner of Global Works. “Stuff you can’t do on a traditional vacation with your parents, bottom line.”
The service trips provide a chance for the young and motivated to make a real difference in a community in a new place in the world. At the same time, the experience offers a chance to fall in love with the people and culture of that community, making the service that much more rewarding.
All of Global Works trips have a focus in cultural immersion and community service, and their summer programs offer three different formats: language immersion, global action, and enrichment.
Moriarty says that in his experience, students return with an increased global perspective and a sense of global citizenship.
“I think a lot of students, through this experience, find out that we have much more in common with each other, versus all the differences that seem to be highlighted.”
While all of the excursions are immersive service experiences, some are focused on language immersion and the development of bilingual skills. And while academic knowledge of a second language is a valuable skill to have in an increasingly globalized world, there is no more effective way to learn a language than to live with its native speakers.
Global Works’ Language Immersion adventures are designed to develop and hone language skills while participating in service projects in foreign communities. Global Works offers language immersion trips to five countries across the globe this summer, with programs offered in both Spanish and French. These trips are between eight and 21 days long.
McKenna Payes, 19, journeyed to Panama for three weeks in summer 2013 with one of Global Works’ Language Immersion programs. In addition to helping in the community through service and teaching local Panamanian children some English, Payes says that she returned to the United States with a more complete knowledge of Spanish and the inspiration to use that knowledge elsewhere.
“Even if you don’t know that much Spanish and you go on one of those trips, you’ll gain a lot of knowledge just listening to people,” she says. “By the time you leave you’ll know a lot more than you thought.”
A 2001 study from the psychology department of the University of California shows that the ability to switch between languages elevates the brain’s ability to analyze, organize and handle information. The experience of travelling the world is enriching not only to the spirit, but to the mind as well.
Payes also remembers being inspired by the people that she met and the relationships that she made. “It’s an experience you’ll never forget,” she says.
McKenna’s younger sister, Greyson Payes, participated in one of Global Works’ Global Actions programs in the summer of 2015, when she travelled to New Zealand and the Fiji Islands.
Global Action trips are more of the “classic” Global Works experience without an immersive language component, if language is not as much of a motivator for your summer adventure experience. This summer there are five Global Action trips ranging between seven and 24 days long offered in four different countries, with adventure and service at the core of each.
Trips like the one that Greyson participated in can include activities which range anywhere from a rural homestay to conservation work with local species.
“It’s just a totally different experience, and something you’ll just feel really good about,” she says.
Global Works additionally offers enrichment programs, which involve the same community service focus with an additional emphasis on specific areas of study such as pre-med or marine conservation efforts. Global Works offers enrichment programs in three countries this summer between eight and 17 days long.
Moriarty has seen that when students step out of their comfort zone and succeed they tend to grow and mature a tremendous amount, and that some tend to come back inspired in areas that they didn’t know they had interest in.
“Just seeing the connectivity between all of us is big and often transformative in itself,” he says.
