AccentsA MESSAGE FROM JEFF

Dear Friend, Exciting is the word at Global Travel Alliance. First, I hope you enjoy the larger format of our newsletter, Global Travel Alliance Accents. Now we can offer more information and higher quality photos of the work we are doing. As always, we are providing trips for students to Washington, D.C. and related sites under the banner of our American Heritage program. Our

dedicated guides provide outstanding information about American History as it happened. We emphasize honor, sacrifice and dedication that have made our country great. Read Brian’s article about his group meeting up with Mike, a survivor of the Battle of Iwo Jima. Events like these truly expand the understanding of the students.

Two major educational trends have evolved over the past twenty years or so: the first is the rise of technol-

ogy in the classroom. The second is student travel.

You will also read about our travels to Costa Rica and Dominican Republic under the auspices of our non-profit division, Global Doing Good. This year groups have built seven homes for indigent families there. You will also read about our Source to Sea science trip to Costa Rica led by Paul Belanger, our science specialist. This is an amazing educational experience. Closer to home you will read about Ocean Memories by Larry Cun-ningham. For you teachers and administrators in the land-locked western U.S. this is a wonderful trip and the cost is well within reach of most groups. Give Paul a call about taking students to the most spectacular coastline in the country. I also want to draw your attention to the adult Italy trip that we sponsored last spring. We are receiving requests for adult trav-el opportunities. We’ve done a number of these trips already, but now our plans are to expand in this area. This division will be called Peterson - Litts Adult Travel. Watch for the coming website. Otherwise, we continue to offer scholarships to our student travel-ers in ever increasing numbers as a result of your generosity. Some of these scholarships are merit-based, but the greatest number are needs-based. We also made a $3000 grant to the kids from Pretty Eagle and St. Charles schools who could not raise all the funds they needed for the bus. Kids like these who have not traveled extensively (indeed most of whom had never been to an ocean) are ones we want to help. And here’s why. Two major educational trends have evolved over the past twenty years or so: the first is the rise of technology in the classroom. The second is student travel. Classrooms without walls we call it. The 21st Century World has shrunk. Our economy is global. The job market is increasingly global. Students who have had travel opportunities will definitely have an advantage when it comes time for them to apply for college and for jobs.

Finally, thanks to all of you who have traveled with us this past year— teachers, students, adults. And thank you to those of you who could not travel but supported our efforts by providing scholarship funds. To all of you, travelers and donors, I say we truly are building bridges and changing lives because you care. May God bless you.

Gratefully,

Jeff Peterson, President

Marie, with two of the guides on her trip later sought out Jeff and thanked him for the scholarship she received. “Without it,” she said,

“I could not have come on this trip.”

We currently have eight groups ready to go and build homes. Trust me, these aren’t homes like you and I live in. They are about 600 square feet with two bedrooms and a common area that includes the kitchen, with the bathroom outside the home. They are, however, weather tight and safe. Our groups pay for their trip and for the building materials, which amount to about $6,000 to $8,000. Global Doing Good has successfully built ten homes for families over the past two years, projects of which I and my staff are very proud.

Our home building coordinator in Costa Rica, Daniel Granados, has found a land parcel where our groups could build two to four homes. The cost is $9,000. I am determined to buy this land, but I need your assistance. Some of you have been on homebuilding trips to Costa Rica and have worked with Daniel. You have experienced the incredible gratitude from the recipients of new homes. One family who recently completed a homebuilding project noted, “Yes, we impacted this family, but we were impacted, too. We realize that we take so much for granted living here in America.”

Will you help me purchase this land so we can put the Altariano and Guadarmuz families and others in similar circumstances into homes that will protect them and give them hope? Can you help with $500 or more or maybe $100? Even $50 or $20 would help me reach my goal of buying this land. Be assured that I am committed to buying it. I plan to match whatever money is raised. Thank you so much for partnering with me in this Global Doing Good project.

Gratefully,

Jeff PetersonJeff Peterson, President

October 2015

IN THIS ISSUE:Travels that Endure - page 2Zest, Joy, Italy - page 3Ocean Memories - page 4Reflections on Iwo Jima - page 5Global Travel Makes a Difference - page 5Source to Sea - page 6Being Super Cool - page 6Service Scholars - page 7Employee Profile - page 7Wild - page 8

Global Travel Alliance/Global Doing Good tries to distinguish itself by being different. When your friends tell you that they took a trip, various thoughts come to mind; maybe it was a vacation or a business trip or a road trip. However, when you take a guided trip or send your kids on one such as our popular American Heritage trips, your expectations rise—you want everything to be right; you want your money’s worth. And you may have that yearning that somehow this experience will be more than just a trip; maybe it will somehow change your perspective or even your life.

I recall such a trip in 1992. Al-though we didn’t plan the trip to be iconic in our lives, it turned out that way. Three days before our daughter’s wedding, my wife was diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. The wedding went on and was a very emotional ordeal. The following week we received the good news that she had been mis-diagnosed. With our 25th wedding anniver-sary coming up, we determined that celebration was in order and booked a trip to Hawaii. After the wedding we were on a tight bud-get, which meant a sub-compact car rental and a garden view hotel room. At the airport, I headed to the car rental agency while my wife

collected the luggage. The attendant gave me the keys and pointed to the car—a red Mustang convertible. I explained she had made a mistake. “No compacts left,” she quipped. “You get the convertible at no extra charge.” At the hotel, we got our key and went to the fifth floor. The drapes were closed so I immediately crossed the room to open them—to a full and glorious ocean view. I called the front desk. “We’re out of garden view rooms. You get this one at no extra charge.”

No, we never will forget that trip. And Global Travel Alliance doesn’t want you to forget your travels with us. We endeavor to provide a qual-ity experience that you will remember for the rest of your life. We endeavor to inject those serendipitous little favors and courtesies into your trip that truly will make it magical. That doesn’t mean everyone gets a red Mustang and a full ocean view room, but it does mean that your experiences will be ones you will always cherish.

There are trips and then there are trips. Now is the time for you to embark upon

your life-changing experience with Global Travel Alliance.

After all, our motto is

Building Bridges and Changing Lives through Educational Travel.

“Hey Jeff, Another awesome trip! . . . Ryan and J.J. were outstanding as always. James, the bus driver, was fabulous. This year, I think, was even better than last year! So we are booking you guys April 27-May 1, 2016. Thank you so much—I could NOT be hap-pier that we made this switch.” (Amy switched from a box-store, impersonal company that focuses on numbers rather than quality).-Amy Simms, a teacher in the Midwest

“I would like for you to meet Emily, one of my freshman biology students and a Costa Rica alum. I asked her to share her experiences in chapel tomorrow. Here is what she wrote:

To come home from a mission trip and say that your eyes and heart were opened and that your life was changed may be a cliché, but coming home from everything that I experienced in Costa Rica, from building a house with people I had just met who spoke a different lan-guage than me, to eating termites found on a tree in the middle of a Costa Rican rainforest, I can honestly say that my eyes and my heart were opened. I was shown what it really means to love, how to truly be grateful for every single one of God’s great blessings, and it became clear to me that by serving others in His name, lives can be changed through big and small acts. I will carry all the lessons, all the memories made, and all the people I met on this mission trip with me forever, and I can’t wait to go back next spring break.

- Paul Cheney, a teacher in a Christian school in Texas with a message from Emily.

Here are a couple of

testimonials from recent travelers

f

Global Travel Alliance has launched an adult travel service called Peterson/Litts. While focused on student educational travel, GTA has planned and guided doz-ens of adult trips ranging from the Holy Land to Vietnam to New York and cu-linary tours of Italy to name just a few. Peterson/Litts will focus on what is known as “affinity travel” and member travel. Affinity travel is working with pre-exist-ing groups such as churches, clubs, alum-ni associations and interest groups, not simply generic trips offered to whomever.

Destinations are as varied as the groups that wish to travel. One common link will be the Global Travel Alliance philosophy of over the top service and education. Using top notch hotels, guides and plan-ning, our trips are clearly superior to the “canned” tours that are offered by trav-el giants. Each travel program is custom tailored to each group.

GLOBAL TRAVEL ALLIANCELaunches Adult Group Travel

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TRAVELS THAT ENDUREBY LARRY CUNNINGHAM

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ZEST, JOY AND GUSTO DEFINE ITALY EXCURSION

What could be better than traveling to beautiful Italy, visiting old established wineries where we learned the art of wine making, wine tastings, eating marvelous food at restaurants where the dining experience is long and enjoyable, learn-ing to cook from Italian chefs and seeing the incredible sights of the lush countryside? The only thing better would be bringing together a wonderful group of travelers and being treated to an outstanding expe-rience.

Mitra, Global Travel Alliance’s guide in Italy, was outstanding. Her approach to each structure, statue and cultural tradition was informative and engaging. Her tour was one long story of the history and traditions of Italy. She was joined by her husband, Fabio, a chef and great guy. The added benefit to Mitra and Fabio was Maia, an 18 month old, who stole the hearts of each of us. Our hotel in Rome, Hotel D’Aze-glio, was centrally located with-in easy walking distance to each

tour site and restaurant. Rooms were comfortable and breakfast each morning included European and American fare – thinly sliced meats, tomatoes, waffles, fruit, toast and juices. A waitress, who learned our preferences, brought us coffee or lattes while we were making our se-lections from the buffet. There are no words to describe the Colosseum, Spanish Steps, Pan-theon, Trevi Fountain or the ancient Roman Forum. Add to those St. Peter’s Basilica and the magnificent Sistine Chapel. The paintings and sculptures are breathtaking. Mitra pointed out highlights along the way, teaching about artist styles and their time periods. After two days in the bustling city of Rome, we boarded a bus and drove into the countryside of Tuscany, the finest wine producing re-gion in all of Italy. We have always dreamed of staying in a Villa. Our dream came true as we checked into the quaint and beautiful Hotel Bor-go Casabianca in Asciano. Each of us had a separate country house, with stunning views from our windows. The dining room of the Casabi-anca became our evening gathering place where we ate delicious food and drank wine and toasted each other and our new group of traveling friends.

Visits to Orvieto, San Gimi-gnano, Montepulciano, Siena and Florence gave us opportu-nities for wine tastings, shop-ping, touring a leather shop, a terracotta pottery factory and vineyard tours. The Duomo, mosaics of cathedral floors and Michelangelo’s David were in-spiring and magnificent. Each stop was well organized, infor-mative and enjoyable. We also had time to eat at small restau-rants and have a glass of wine. The group dinners at restau-rants outside of the tourist ar-eas, gave us the opportunity to enjoy the culinary delights of Italy and build on the friend-ships made on this trip. Our last meal together in Rome, before

flying home, was in a favorite establishment of Mitra and Fabio’s. We were welcomed and served by their friends. Fare included pizzas, wine, meats and cheeses and a fine dessert. Such a wonderful evening to top off our amazing Big Sky Tuscany Wine and Food Tour!

We have all traveled, but having a group of people with whom to share the experience, makes a trip memorable and fun. Our group bonded beautifully. It didn’t take long for the commonalities to surface with talk of quilting, careers, love of wine, mutual friends and past travel ex-periences. Each meal or excursion was made special by different ones sitting or walking together. We ended the trip with hugs, promises to get together again, and thoughts of our next journey together.

“Thanks to Global Travel Alliance and Mitra for the wonderful trip

planning and the personalized tour. It is a trip we will always remember.”

Where in the world do you and your group want to travel? Global Travel Alliance has experienced guides that can take you from Europe to Asia, any-where in North, Central or South America or even to Africa. Give us a call to discuss your dream trip toll-free at 1-866-313-2577.

BY JAYNEE GROSETH

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“How many of you have been to an ocean?” I was addressing thirteen eighth graders at St. Charles Mission School in Pryor, Mon-tana, on the Crow Indian Reservation. As in many western Indian reservation schools, the students are impacted by poverty and lack of opportunities that middle-class students take for granted. Lack of travel opportunities is just one of several deficien-cies in many of their lives. Not one hand went up. None of these students had been near an ocean. Forty-six miles to the east at Pretty Eagle Catholic Academy, a sister school to St. Charles, the response was a bit better among the seventeen eighth graders but only four had actually been to the ocean.

Both schools were quite familiar to me. I had served as a teacher and administrator for both for twenty years back in the 1980s and 1990s. Several of these students were children of students that I had accompanied to the Oregon Coast at that time.

Ocean Memories By Larry Cunningham

but disappeared from Alaska to Mexico. In fact, the kids only found two starfish in the tidal pools along Otter Rock Beach, just below where we were staying.

Scientists do not have a firm explanation, but they speculate that the rapid polar ice melt may be releasing bacteria into the Pacific, which are hostile to the starfish. The kids also visited Sea Lion Caves two light-houses, and some of the geological features along the coast such as the Devil’s punchbowl and Dev-il’s Churn. They discovered that the ubiquitous lava formations that create such a dynamic shore-line are the result of a volcanic explosion of the Yellowstone National Park volcano 600,000 years ago, not the coastal volcanoes, Mount Hood or Mount St. Helen’s which last erupted in 1980. Highlights for me occurred when folks would ask where the kids were from and then tell me what a great group they were, respectful, engaged and friendly. One man from Florida noted, “I’ve never seen a better behaved group of kids. They repre-sent their people and their schools very well.” But looking to the future and remembering the past, I fear that this will be the last trip to the ocean for some of these students. Most have been born and raised in poverty where substance abuse is rampant, and early pregnancies often occur among high school-aged girls. My hope is that trips like this one will encourage the students to continue their educations after high school, to avoid the pitfalls of substance abuse and to post-pone parenthood that arrives too early. Reuben was another student who was capti-vated by the sea. He relished the beaches and tidal pools but then became somewhat pensive and speculated, “I’ve already been considering a career in architecture, and now I’m wondering if maybe I could find a school that offers marine ar-chitecture so I could build a career near the sea.” Comments like that make the trip well worth the effort for me. For our landlocked teachers and students , par-ticularly in the western United States, this is a trip with generally low costs, particularly if your group is open to bus travel. Give our science specialist, Paul Belanger, a call at 406-206-0533 to discuss possiblilites.

After I left the schools to serve in a different capacity for St. Labre Indian School, the annual eighth grade

trip to this location went by the way. The last one was in 1999. Here I was once again, 16 years later, con-templating the 1200 mile overnight bus ride to Newport, Oregon, with 30 eighth graders. This was the way it had to happen, though. The kids had raised as much money as they could with

bake sales, raffles and concessions. Just the bus rental alone was $10,250. We carried most of our own food, too. Only three restaurant meals were scheduled for the six days—two at McDonald’s and one at a mall food court in Portland on the way home. Otherwise, we had plenty of packets of cold cereal, pop tarts, apples, oranges, juice boxes, and lunch meat—fare the kids were very accustomed to at home. Our first picnic was at a truck stop in Missoula, Montana, about 400 miles west of the Crow Indi-

an Reservation. The temperature hovered at 50 degrees as a stiff wind blew down the Clark’s Fork Valley. Sandwiches, chips, water and fruit were the fare. The kids pulled out their blankets and pillows as darkness descended and unlike the restless chap-erones, got a decent night’s sleep. We pulled into foggy Newport, Oregon, the next morning to a hot McDonald’s breakfast. Back on the bus the kids were still sleepy; that is, until we emerged from the trees along the road to an unopposed view of the Pacific Ocean, now gleaming in the emerging sunlight. The exclama-tions were simultaneous and then the questions: “Can we go in? Is it cold? Are there sharks?”

For the next three days, the kids spent every min-ute they could on the beach or in the rocks observ-ing the seals with their newborn pups, searching for sea urchins, starfish and crabs. Science teacher, Jack Joyce brought along a marine video camera, which the kids enjoyed immensely as they filmed the creatures in their tidal pools.

...now I’m wondering if maybe I could find a school that offers marine architecture... Reuben When asked about their favorite parts of the trip, the answer was always the same: searching for sea life among the rocks and tidal pools at low tide. In fact, Andrew of Pretty Eagle exclaimed, “I could go to the beach and tidal pools every day. Coming out here makes me want to live somewhere near the ocean.” In addition to the ocean experience, the kids visit-ed the Oregon Coast Aquarium where they learned that the starfish along the West Coast, which for-merly numbered in the millions, had recently all

Page 5By Brian Mathis, Special Projects Coordinator

“I won’t tell you what combat is like,” said the ancient-faced gentleman as he spoke to our students from Will James Middle School in Billings, Mon-tana, “because if you haven’t been there, you will never understand.” I was giving a talk at the Memorial honor-ing the signers of the Declaration of Indepen-dence on the Mall in Washington, D.C. last April. About the time I was finishing up, this man, who had been walking nearby, joined our group, ostensibly to hear what I had to say. No-ticing his veteran’s cap, I asked him if he would mind telling the students his story. And so we learned that Mike, a retired architect, and 94 years old, had been in the infamous Iwo Jima Battle in World War ll.

This ancient Marine spoke in a clear well-modulated voice as he recalled in detail his part in the Battle of Guadalcanal , a land, air and sea battle in 1942, that resulted in casualties of 1600 Americans dead and 4200 wounded. In addition, several thousand died of malaria and other tropical illnesses. 22,000 Japanese soldiers also lost their lives. Mike spoke of the horrendous conditions en-countered fighting in thick jun-gles where hand to hand com-bat occurred frequently. From Guadalcanal, he went to Iwo Jima, where perhaps one of the bloodiest battles of World War ll took place. Mike described this barren island as a lava rock wasteland, with the ancient volcano, Mount Suriba-chi at one end and the Marine encampment at the other end, four miles distant. The island was only 700 yards wide. For days before the invasion, which commenced in March of 1945, American warships and bombers pounded Japanese positions to soften them up for the Marine ground forces. Unfortunately, the 18,000 Jap-anese soldiers were entrenched in caves and tunnels beneath the mountain and were more than prepared to meet the Marines numbering some 77,000. The battles were bru-tal and resulted in 6800 American deaths and some 18,000 wounded. The Japanese lost all but 3000 of their soldiers, with two hiding until they emerged from a cave in 1949. Today, some historians speculate that there was no good reason for American troops to engage in this battle. The war in the Pacific was essentially won and just over four months later in August, Japan would surrender. Mike did not speculate much about whether the Americans should have been there or not. His message to the kids was more personal. “I will tell you that we did our jobs over there, and I came back because I was lucky. That was it; I prayed, and I did my job.” And then gazing over the heads of the kids toward the Washington Monument as though looking back in time, he concluded with these words: “It is my hope that none of you young people ever have to experience what I had to experience, but it is a good thing that you are here learning about our country and what it takes to be free.” The 40 students who heard this first-hand account of these battles were entranced as they listened to one who had been there. And then, one- by- one they shook Mike’s hand and thanked him for his sacrifice and had their pictures taken with him. Opportunities such as these will soon be gone. As it turns out, Mike is only one of four survivors of the Battle of Iwo Jima who reside in Maryland and Northern Virginia. I am thankful he came our way that day because these students will now number those who will never forget.

Global Travel Alliance American Heritage Tours represent the flag-ship trips for student groups who travel with us from most regions of the United States. Call Global Travel Alliance today toll-free at 1-866-313-2577 to talk to a rep-resentative about your students traveling Washington, D.C. and surrounding sites that reflect the history of our country.

Ocean Memories By Larry Cunningham Reflections on Iwo Jima

GLOBAL TRAVEL ALLIANCE MAKING A DIFFERENCE BY BEING DIFFERENT

Educational travel is a huge industry in the United States. It is generally dom-inated by a few large companies, all of which have voracious appetites for more and more travelers. Without mentioning names of these companies, you have probably observed what happens when a big box store hits town with unlimited financial resources and rock-bottom prices. Consumers flock to the store chasing the bargains. However, often times a paradoxical reaction eventually takes place: people realize that the shopping experience at the local store was more rewarding in other ways. Personalized service, knowledgeable sales personnel, and superior products often bring people back to the local merchant. Some very large and successful corporations only provide their products to independent, locally-based merchants because they want their high- quality reputation to also include excel-lent customer service. Similarly, we want the logistics of our trips to reflect excellent client care. For example, our trips are organized under the one group, one system model. What this means is that your children are not forced into a huge pool of kids from all

over the country. A staff mem-ber here remembers talking to a parent whose 6th grade child went on a trip with one of the box-store companies. When his group arrived in Washing-ton, D.C., the kids were com-bined with groups that also included high school students from who knows where. As it turned out, the 6th grader end-ed up roomed with three older students, one of whom was a sophomore in high school. The child felt displaced and uneasy about the arrangement, not to mention the parents.

A father of five in Montana, explained that when his oldest son traveled with a large company, he was a chaperone. When they arrived in Washington, D.C., they were forced into a group of more than 100 students from various parts of the country. The next time he chaperoned, the school had decided to give Global Travel Alliance a try. What impressed this man was the one group, one system model. The kids enjoyed the camaraderie of their own classmates and their own teachers. Remember the Global Travel Alliance guide is not trying to balance the com-peting needs of several different groups at the same time. As a teacher, your group is the sole focus from the moment of arrival at the destination airport until departure, which results in a seamless educational travel experience that allows you to focus on teaching and cementing personal relationships with students. Finally, we do have one thing in common with box-stores: lower pricing. While they generally offer lower prices for the short term, Global Travel Alliance always offers our trips for a lower price than the large travel companies. Give us a toll-free call at 1-866-313-2577 to discuss our American Heritage options.

Classrooms without WallsBy Carol Heath

As an educator it was my responsibility to provide the best possible educational opportunities for my students, which included assisting each student in developing his/her specific talents and gifts. I strove to educate the “whole person” not only providing book knowledge, but

also providing students with experiences. My finest educational experiences with students were in classrooms with-out walls. I was fortunate to teach where this was encouraged. I taught Middle School at St. Charles Mission in Pryor, Montana. For ten consecutive years students, faculty and staff raised funds for a 5-day trip to the Oregon Coast to learn, first hand, about marine life, oceans and living together 24/7. Before retirement, I counseled Upward Bound high school students during the academic year. My goal was to provide opportunities that would expand our students’ sense of self. We visited many colleges and universities in and out of state. We served our community by helping at the Food Bank, Toys for Tots, Zoo Montana and the Nature Center. In the summer, students helped choose a theme for a six-week residential summer study on the MSU-Billings campus. Mornings consisted of basic classroom learning. Afternoons were devoted to experiential learning. One day a week, we explored outside the classroom. For one of the six weeks each summer, we traveled to other locales (Spokane, Seattle, Denver, Salt Lake City, Yellowstone Park). We immersed ourselves in these communities where individuals were eager to share their careers and experiences with our students. These educational trips beyond classroom walls truly changed our stu-dents and me.

(Carol Heath and Global Travel Alliance President, Jeff Peterson were col-leagues in the St. Charles Middle School for ten years. Jeff funded a scholar-ship for student travel or service entitled, The Carol Heath Scholarship for Integrity.)

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A wide shadow emerges from the depths of the Pacific Ocean. As it moves closer, its giant wings come into focus as it soars onward to reveal itself to the dark shapes floating on the surface above. A group of snorkelers – a group of middle and high school students from Longmont, CO – look on as the spotted eagle ray comes forward to dance alongside the group. For these students, this is just one of the many extraordinary moments on their 10 day Gtrek experiential learning adven-ture from source to sea in Costa Rica. This past June, 17 students and three educators from middle and high schools across the St. Vrain school district embarked on a journey of science and cultural discovery to explore two of our planet’s most dynamic and important ecosystems - Costa Rica’s cloud forest and the Pacific ma-rine environment. Through this program, students were able to experience the world of scientific inquiry and fieldwork first hand.

“The Source to Sea learning expedition was some of the most authentic, in-the-field learning I have witnessed in my life- time as an educator,” said Jeremy Lacrosse, principal at Altona Middle School. “I was blown away by how engaged and excited the students were when they were talking with other scientists conducting their re-search at University of Georgia-Costa Rica and on the Pacific Coast.” Like many of our programs, Global Travel Alliance relied heavily on the interest and enthusiasm of educators in the St. Vrain school district. Michael O’Toole, Science

Coordinator for St. Vrain Valley Schools and Jeremy LaCrosse were instrumental in making this program a reality for the 17 students. Students studied alongside scientists from the University of Georgia to explore ecology and biodiversity, research topics in the cloud forest ecosystem. Then, students journeyed to the Pacific coast to interact with environmental non-profits and marine scientists to study the special dynamics of coastal and marine environments. “Our goal was to set the stage and encourage young people to dream big by pairing them with researchers in the field,” said O’Toole. “Costa Rica provides great opportunity to do that because it is such a small country – we can explore the whole package from source to sea.” “Research shows that programs like this, ones that get students into the field, applying lessons learned in the classroom, cements the ecological con-cepts and provides a context for how science is applied in a real-life situa-tion”, says Paul Belanger, Director of Gtrek. “It is really quite exciting and Global Travel Alliance is uniquely positioned to bring its extensive resources to support more teachers and school districts in achieving these lofty goals.” “The learning experience really worked for me because of it being hands-on and visual,” said Ashley Degen, a student at Westview Middle School. “I learned about how we influence nature and the effects it has. The anthropogenic effect on the reefs was massive and very interesting to see.”

For the 14 female students on the trip, this was a special opportunity to engage with female researchers like Dr. Mikki McComb-Kobza from the Ocean First Institute, and understand the leading role that women can play in conservation and ecosystem sci-ence.“It was particularly impactful to watch the girls dialogue with professors and graduate students about the various paths that had led them to this place in life,” said Jessica Campbell, a science teacher at Altona Middle School. “The girls walked away from these experi-

ences saying, ‘this is what I want to do and now I know how to do it!’ You could see their eyes light up with excitement!” Reprinted with permission from St. Vrain School District, original article http://www.svvsd.org/updates/st-vrain-students-journey-source-sea-costa-rica

If you are a teacher, administrator or parent who would like to explore the possibility of your students embarking upon a Source to Sea science trip to Costa Rica, Call Global Travel Alliance Science specialist Paul Belanger at 406-206-0533 for detailed information about arranging a trip.

Working,Learning and Being Cool in Costa RicaA Journey from Source to Sea in Costa Rica Being Super Cool in Costa Rica

By J.J. Peterson, Marketing and Communications

This one day when I was in 4th grade I wore all Nike to school. Every item of clothing and my accessories branded the swoosh. I was trying hard to be cool. I’m still trying to be that way today, just like the stu-dents on our trips, I wear the latest fashions. Every job at Global Travel Alliance is all about people. We are a team that provides a service to groups of people so that they can travel and learn about other cultures, places and people. 8th graders go to Wash-ington, D.C. and follow our American forebears’ sagas. High school students travel to Europe and study famous Renaissance artists. My coworkers, the families we serve, and the interesting people we meet along the way are why we started Global Doing Good. These people are why we write these stories and post pictures on Instagram. In March I was reminded that Global Doing Good is very cool. Luis Chavez is a Costa Rican husband and father of six. He is a perfect example of someone who is so unbelievably cool, any words I type can’t do his character justice. Ask any of the cool high schoolers from Bill-

ings Christian School in Bill-ings, Montana, who spent their spring break with us on a GDG ser-vice trip to Cos-ta Rica. They built a home for the Chavez family and if you asked one of them to describe Luis they might tell you about the benches he

crafts and sells or the fact that he commutes to work on his bike with a weed whacker slung over his shoulder. However, you would have to shake his hand, give him the keys to his new house, see his beautiful smile, and look into his tear filled eyes to fully comprehend how cool he really is. That week he and those students taught me a lot about a real, non-superficial, humble and joyful way to be cool.

A hip and modern workspace filled with Apple computers and Keurig coffee doesn’t make a job cool. Bucket hats, neon tank tops, and knee-high Nike socks don’t make an 8th grader cool. Serving, loving and help-ing others at work, home and school is cool. Service trips and traveling with a purpose is cool. Studying in an outdoor classroom and actually touching the history, art and science is cool. Luis Chavez is cool and so is his new house with sturdy walls, concrete floors, plumbing, windows, electricity and an indoor kitchen sink. Students who travel the world and spend time outside, soaked in rain, tired from work, sweaty from heat, and serve a family in need are cool.

To be cool too and learn more about how you can get involved, start here: globaldoinggood.org/get-involved

If your son or daughter is in high school and they want to apply our company values (service, honor, courage and sacrifice), show them our Service Scholars

information: globaldoinggood.org/service-scholars

Pura Vida Luis!

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As I sit here on our first leg of this amazing trip, I think about all I had to go through to get here. I worked three jobs for a long time. I baked hundreds of cookies, even though it feels like millions. I convinced my parents that this was something I could do and would do. The most memorable thing up to this point is when I found out about the family we would be helping. I learned that one of the little girls has Downs’ Syndrome, and I cried. I knew at that moment I could help this family. I may not be a pro at building a house, but I do know how to help people, especially people with disabilities. With my pursuing a degree in special education, I knew

at that point every cookie, every hour and every ounce of hard work was all worth it. I know for sure that I am exactly where I am supposed to be.

Global Travel Alliance Employee Profile(Meet Allison Cassie, below right)

Allison grew up in Montana and lived adjacent to the Crow Indian Reservation. That experience has defined her desire to work as the Director of Special Programs for Global Travel Alliance. She will be working closely with our non-profit divi-sion, Global Doing Good, which is com-prised of the Service Scholars Program: high school students embarking on proj-ects like homebuilding in Costa Rica, pro-viding various services on the Crow and Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservations in Montana, working in inner-city min-istries and assisting with environmental

projects along the Washington Coast. She will also be involved with the Two Roads Project and other group homebuilding projects in Costa Rica. This three- year employee of GTA also serves as the airline coordinator for the organization. Allison’s education includes a degree in marketing from the University of Montana, which led her to a position with the Nike Corporation in Port-land, Oregon. Realizing, however, that her first love was working with chil-dren, she began volunteering with the Migrant Worker Program in Portland and embarked upon a Master’s Degree in Education from Lewis and Clark College located there. It was the strong educational proclivity of GTA and working with students that lured her back to Montana. As for the future, she envisions service trips with students as a bridge. Once they cross the bridge into service opportunities, she hopes they will return with a new perspective that will propel them into their adult lives with service as a constant in their work, communities and families. She also plans for more service opportunities for students who affiliate with Global Travel Alliance--possibly in orphanages, with the elderly and definitely with environmental issues.

You can reach Allison at 406-206-0538 or email her at Allison@globaldoinggood.org

Working,Learning and Being Cool in Costa RicaAn Inner and Outer Experience in Costa Rica

By Allison Cassie, Director of Special Programs

“If you can dream it, you can do it,” said Walt Disney. And that’s how Global Doing Good, the non-profit division of Global Travel Alliance got started: President, Jeff Peterson, and the Global Doing Good Board of Directors determining that young people need and want to make a positive difference in the lives of others. I had the privilege this past June of leading nine high school students from Montana, into a poverty-stricken area of Costa Rica to build a home for Kattia Arrietta, her two children and her Downs Syndrome granddaughter. Peter Jacoby, a Bozeman middle school teacher, accompanied us , and believes that experiences like these help to develop the students into caring and involved adults. He calls the trip, “an inner and outer experience,” for the students. As for me, I expected the kids to make discoveries, but what I didn’t expect were my own perceptions. I have now seen, first-hand, how these types of outer journeys contribute toward the inner journey we’re all traveling on. One of the kid’s parents put it best: “the biggest impact I have seen on my son from this trip has been his self-confidence. It has really grown.”

When we do work that matters through shared experiences, common goals and dedication to the greater good of humanity, we learn that this type of growth is inevitable. Change is not something that we can make happen; it is a by-product of serving others. As a group, we struggled to define the word service; here’s what the students had to say:

• It is a part of the trip I will always take with me as

kind of my own souvenir that I can’t touch or feel. What it does is to remind me to stay humble and not get caught up with the American stereotype of always wanting bigger or better. Chris

• After my experiences here, I now realize there is much more to consider when dealing with the issue of poverty than just numbers and charts because poverty affects real people who are not just a group of variables in an equation. Sean

• I feel like we live a life where we always want the big picture, the end result. But here it’s the perfectly circular rock, it’s the spider on the wall, it’s the sweeping. Simplicity. Rachel

To be a part of this experience and to observe the goodness in these kids was more than I could have hoped for or imagined.

Cortnee Blogs from Costa Rica

I’ve seen it before on other trips but never felt it as profoundly as on this past service scholars trip to Costa Rica. People suddenly unplug from their fairly comfortable way of life and a culture where they are immersed in technology, and they begin to change; they get wild. I don’t mean behaviorally or emotionally -- well..sorta -- it’s actually hard to define. At first this disconnect seems to have little impact beyond some uncomfortable moments at the dinner table when people are searching for things to talk about without turning to social media. Eventually, the beautiful environment and friendly people of Costa Rica, along with the distance from modern comforts begins to do its work.

It happens at different points for each traveler, but usually two to three days into the trip, Pura Vida (the Pure Life) begins to take over. Even though they (including myself) start to look a bit unkempt, they look healthier and more whole. Mud, wrinkles, and sweat become part the traveler’s appearance and experience. The heat and rain while at first is frustrating when trying to build a home, becomes an opportunity, a special mo-ment, part of the fun. One example really stands out that happened near the end of the trip. The students and leaders were all enjoying some down time on the beach. While some played in the surf, others just sat caked in the sandy mud along the shoreline and allowed the water to cool them on what was a very still, sticky and hot day. One student, Jacey, sat off away from the group about 20 yards on a washed up log. She was deep in thought when a large wave hit the shore and surprised us all, eliciting laughs and screams of shock. The wave knocked Jacey off her perch into the shallow tide below. She came up laughing. On her body was the dark, muddy sand, and in her eyes I saw the wildness that we all felt, a hard to define deep connection with our world and the people around us. That sandy mud remained on Jacey’s face, and on the rest of us, for what was left of the day, even after it had dried and hardened. Somehow it represented how she and the rest of us felt. That feeling has stuck with me since I returned to my hyper- technologized, fast-paced and controlled way of life.

We are meant to unplug, get out, connect and be wild.

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Wild By Ryan Sparzak

Jacey in one of her calmer moments.