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GLASS balances a dynamic curriculum of leadership development, sports-performance training, service-learning, global engagement, and adventure. Students return home to the U.S. feeling inspired to set ambitious goals and are equipped with the tools to achieve them!
Each day of the program will incorporate activities from the following components:
OUR PROGRAM
GLASS students return home with...
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An enlivened sense of independence, confidence, and leadership
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A greater awareness of other communities and cultures
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An enhanced understanding of indispensable skills and values acquired through sports
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A dynamic network formed with like-minded peers and mentors
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A stimulated sense of adventure
LEADERSHIP
Leadership development is the heart and soul of GLASS. We pride ourselves on our self-reflective, supportive, and empowering environment that allows young women to be vulnerable in a team setting and grow as a result.
Our unique curriculum is woven through sports, service, and global engagement and led by a team of female athletes. We incorporate it into everything that we do. Designed by female athletes for female athletes, we structure each day around a daily theme and take our students through six self-reflective workshops. Recognizing that high school is a critical time for development, it is our goal to equip our students with the necessary tools and confidence to conquer life.
"She still talks about how open, positive and uplifting the whole environment was with the other young ladies. I often present home life situations to her and ask what would your GLASS experience have you do now that you are home? She has amazing answers for me now."
- Parent of Morgan M.
SPORTS
Sports serve as our common denominator – creating an instant community on day one. Sports are also our foundation for skill and value development, from which we draw indispensable leadership tools and qualities.
We incorporate sports through sports-performance training. Led by our GLASS Mentors, each workout is designed to meet each athlete where she is at. We are partnered with NorthStar Sports to deliver elite, purpose-filled training. We do our best to make optional sport-specific training available to students while at GLASS too.
After each training, we reflect on the skills and lessons we've learned through sport. Taking this time to reflect removes us from the demand and rigor of athletics, allowing us to see how sports have shaped who we are.
"My main concern prior to GLASS was the workouts. I did not know what to expect or how I would compare to the other girls attending. There is absolutely no reason to worry! The workouts are excellent for everyones level, the sport-specific workouts are great for technique, and working out on a beach is incredible."
- Juliana C.
SERVICE
For our program, service is a three-fold opportunity. Service is an opportunity to give back to the global community; an opportunity to employ our athletics-based skills and values outside of a competitive environment; and an opportunity to engage with the local culture and open our minds to new perspectives.
In three to five service activities per session, we expose our students to a variety of needs in Costa Rica – hosting youth sports clinics, working at a nearby animal shelter, and leading beach cleanups. We partner with local non-profits to ensure that our service is sustainable and accommodating to the changing needs of the community.
Near the end of each session, our mentors lead a service-learning reflection designed to emphasize the mutually-beneficial aspect of service.
"I was so happy when I discovered that on the trip we would be doing community service that had a lasting impact, because its something I had wanted to be involved in for so long. It was so incredible to see that the GLASS girls were really making a difference there, each session at a time.
- Meredith S.
GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT
The global engagement aspect begins the moment each student boards the plane. Encouraging our students to step outside their comfort zones is a critical component of our curriculum. When we go beyond our comfort zones, we enter an environment of vulnerability where we are prime for growth and development.
Global engagement is incorporated through adventurous excursions and interactions with the local community. Some of these activities include zip lining, snorkeling, surfing, hosting local sports clinics, and eating authentic cuisine. The GLASS Mentors guide our students through these adventures to provide support, make life-long memories, and reflect on these transformative experiences.
"We went on so many excursions that it’s hard to choose what I loved most, but I really enjoyed zip lining! At first, it seems intimidating, but once you’re on, the view is breathtaking. The sunsets in Costa Rica are also very beautiful. Experiencing a new culture, in general, is an amazing opportunity, and trying new authentic food was really great."
- Leilani C.