About Us

Our Vision

College Credit for Students

High school juniors/seniors and university students earn transferrable college credit for participating in our programs but anyone can participate.

Scholarships Available

Scholarships available for high school and college students with demonstrated financial need.

Earn President’s Volunteer Service Award

Participants are Eligible to Earn the President’s Volunteer Service Award

For Underserved Students from Rural Communities

For high school and university students in rural communities, bringing their voices to global issues.

Vision

Our vision is to create a global community in which the world’s challenges and opportunities are met by educated, compassionate leaders and thinkers.

Mission

The mission of Global Citizen Adventure Corps is to cultivate global citizen leaders through education, travel, and service opportunities, increasing mutual respect for people, places, and planet.

Statement of Purpose

Global Citizen Adventure Corps (GCAC) provides college credit and scholarships for service-learning and travel opportunities to high school and university students in rural communities, bringing their voices and personal experiences to global issues. GCAC participants become leaders, who also bring a global perspective back to their home communities, resulting in exponential change for all people, places, and planet.

Everyone has a role to play in creating a better world; GCAC programs are open to all students and community members worldwide.

However, we primarily serve rural students from economically challenged communities in the Mid-South and Ohio Valley regions.
In recent decades, as the “nightly news” became a 24-hour stream and social media allowed for unedited and, unfortunately, often uninformed voices to shout louder than calming influences, divisions of thought and practice have become more evident across the U.S, and GCAC founders and board members easily recognized its impact on the rural South. Relying primarily on what is seen and heard within smaller city limits and limited worldviews, systemic issues such as poverty, addiction, and racism continue to grow, and traditional responses to counteract the negativity do not appear to be working.

Rural youth collectively comprise twenty percent of public school students in the United States. Many are enrolled in Title I high schools and if they attend college, are often the first generation to do so. Rural school districts are small with constrained resources often based on population, and, therefore, underserved as compared to their urban counterparts. Furthermore, in recent decades, urban and suburban communities have experienced an increase in ethnically diverse populations which is not true in rural settings further limiting exposure to significant cultural influences.

These complex challenges beg the question: how might a young person develop cultural competency without access to do so? Global Citizen Adventure Corps strives to fill that void.

Map of GCAC Service Area
Areas We Serve
According to the SYTA Student Travel Digest, 74% of school teachers surveyed believe travel has a very positive impact on a student’s personal development and positively impacts students’ performance at school. Additionally, educators and career/technical school administrators underscore students are completing degrees still lacking critical soft skills like problem-solving and communicating effectively. GCAC believes the preparation for travel, the responsibilities inherent in each traveler’s journey, and the benefits on the field will transform hearts and minds. By offering college credit and scholarships, GCAC builds pathways between rural high schools, universities and our robust network of global nonprofit partners, in order to provide global service-learning and travel opportunities to underserved students. Our ultimate goal is to build a more equitable playing field for rural students. By providing access to international education, we provide the next generation of compassionate leaders and innovators the tools to solve the world’s most pressing challenges, at home and abroad.

Education Component

Our Global Service-Learning and Citizenship program includes a self-paced, online course designed to impart knowledge of local, national and/or global issues and illuminate the interconnectedness and interdependency of the global community. Participants are also introduced to the history and culture of the host community, concepts of global citizenship, and sustainable travel practices.

  • Course instruction is provided by university professors and National Geographic Certified Educators who are experts in their field
  • 4-5 week online Global Service Learning & Citizenship course
  • Participants experience real-time engagement with our international nonprofit partners in preparation for travel
  • High school juniors and seniors and university students earn 3 hours transferable college credit through our education partners at Bethel University
  • College tuition is discounted for GCAC participants
  • Option to audit available
  • Capstone project is a 1-2 week immersive Global Service-Learning and Citizenship travel experience

Travel Component

Our Global Service-Learning and Citizenship program includes an immersive, short-term (one-two week), international volunteer opportunity.

  • Volunteer projects are community-identified by our global nonprofit partners
  • All volunteer projects are designed to support United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
  • Immersive cultural activities are focused on art, music, dance, religion, history, nature, and cuisine
  • All programs are led by university professors and National Geographic Certified Educators who are experts in their Field.

Additional Information

College Credit for Students

High school juniors/seniors and university students earn transferrable college credit for participating in our programs but anyone can participate.

Scholarships Available

Scholarships available for high school and college students with demonstrated financial need.

Earn President’s Volunteer Service Award

Participants are Eligible to Earn the President’s Volunteer Service Award

For Underserved Students from Rural Communities

For high school and university students in rural communities, bringing their voices to global issues.

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