Staff Photos & Bios
Program Staff
International Director - Andrew Ireland
Andrew was born in Arizona but raised in Texas. He received his undergrad from Texas State University and attended grad school in Munich, Germany. After traveling the world teaching English, he returned to the US to teach high school all around Texas. He is currently an assistant principal at a public high school and loves every minute of it. Andrew is full of passion and would love to share his experiences with the next group of young, ambitious, adventurous teens.
Local Director - Olman Rodriguez Fonseca
Olman is a Costa Rican nature lover with a double major in Ecotourism and Civil Engineering. He was born and raised in a rural town in Cartago, Costa Rica and has worked in the tourism industry for about 6 years.
Olman found his passion by combining his experience in tourism and knowledge in construction by working in community service projects and being able to create a positive and meaningful impact on society.
In his free time, Olman loves to play soccer and be surrounded by nature. He's looking forward to learning by playing and sharing amazing experiences with GLA students.
Pura Vida!
Mentor - Elon Stein
Elon was raised in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, and attended Howard and Columbia University for his B.A. in sociology and M.S. in nonprofit management. He has spent the last three years working as a teacher and tutor for k-12. He is an Alumni of GLA's 2015 Ghana program and has spent much time traveling through the Middle East and Latin America volunteering and living abroad. His hobbies are anything outdoors or active including hiking, basketball, soccer, rock climbing, and training MMA.
Mentor - Elise Langevin
Elise grew up in South Burlington, Vermont and moved to Washington, D.C. to attend George Washington University. She studied abroad in Portugal and Chile and graduated in 2018 with a B.A. in International Affairs. Elise served two years as an AmeriCorps member with ReSource YouthBuild then moved back to Chile to teach English as a Second Language. She currently works as a behavior interventionist and coach for the middle school girls soccer and high school track teams in Winooski, Vermont. Elise is really excited to explore Costa Rica with GLA students this summer.
GLA Staffing - Roles
GLA staff are native to the host country and international, usually from the US, Canada or Europe. All staff are highly qualified adults with college degrees. Most of our staff are educators and/or working professionals with higher degrees of education. All of our staff have extensive experience working with teenage students, international programs and/or a specific knowledge of the program country.
GLA staff consists of a local program director, someone from the host country with extensive experience working with international students and also an international program director, someone from the west with extensive global experience working with this age group, who together bridge any cultural differences. Mentors work with the students on a day to day basis. Staff ages usually range between 25 – 35 years old. In addition, we maintain a student to staff ratio of 6:1.
Local Director
Local Program Directors are responsible for co-managing the overall experience alongside International Program Directors. First and foremost, they protect the health and safety of students at all times, reinforcing standards of safety and community culture. The Local Program Director is also responsible for planning excursions, speakers, and community service projects
International Director
International Program Directors are responsible for co-managing the overall experience alongside Local Program Directors. Along with the Local Director, the International Program Director protects the health and safety of students at all times, reinforcing standards of safety and community culture. The International Program Director is also responsible for structuring a dynamic learning environment by developing curriculum, facilitating the implementation of GLA’s service-learning workshops through group-wide discussions
Mentor
Mentors are also responsible for structuring a dynamic learning environment by working as part of a team to implement GLA’s service-learning leadership curriculum; leading daily discussion, reflection or journaling sessions with small student groups; and helping Directors plan additional workshops and activities to engage students in their “free” time.
Program Administrator
Country Administrators are responsible for managing the overall experience of multiple programs in a certain country. Along with the Local Director, and International Program Directors, the Administrator protects the health and safety of students at all times, reinforcing standards of safety and community culture. The Country Administrator is also responsible for structuring a dynamic learning environment by developing curriculum, facilitating the implementation of GLA’s service-learning workshops through group-wide discussions.
In-Country Coordinator
Our In-Country Program Coordinators are people with close ties to the local community. Their connections are what allow our groups to be welcomed as friends into a community, and their knowledge of the challenges facing local people allow our work to be a meaningful and valued contribution.
Program Manager
Our Program Managers support the International and Local teams over the course of summer programming. The Program Managers have extensive training in risk management, cross cultural communication, student and group dynamics, mental health protocols, staff management and GLA policies and procedures. Program Managers posses and in-depth knowledge of each program site, partner, service activities, and excursion. The Program Managers communicate weekly with each team in the field and provide ongoing support during the summer to ensure safe and successful programs.