High School Summer Programs

United Kingdom

Sustainability & Outdoor Adventure in Great Britain
Adventure, Culture, Leadership Skills, Sustainability

3 Weeks

From London to the countryside: Explore history, culture, and community through the lens of sustainable solutions while building leadership skills. Hop on a train to Totnes, a community known for their regenerative initiatives. Stay on a nature preserve, camp along the river, and rappel down the coast before exploring London town!

Dates

2025: June 26 – July 17

Ages

15 – 18

Availability

Spaces available

Group size

18 or less

tuition

$9,995
International airfare is not included in tuition. In general, roundtrip airfare (from New York, for example) can run from $1,200 – $1,500.

Program overview

Explore England’s expansive countryside and multicultural cities by train! Along the way, camp on the coast, learn about Great Britain’s sustainability initiatives, and connect with meaningful organizations.
Hop on a train to explore the picturesque English countryside as you travel to historic towns, along the misty coast, and back into London. Canoe on the River Dart, camp along the shore, and trek through Dartmoor.

Begin your leadership journey through this little-known outdoor adventure paradise. Spend evenings camping in the forest, conquer high ropes courses, and rappel the cliffs of the Jurassic coast. Conclude the trip with a week in London, exploring colorful neighborhoods, connecting with meaningful service organizations, and tasting international cuisine.
united kingdom
Devon coast house in England little cottage in the hills

highlights

Take the train to the off-the-beaten-path town of Totnes, where you’ll delve into their community regeneration and sustainability initiatives.
Master your leadership and outdoor skills through intentional team challenges on a nature reserve – canoe, trek, and rappel cliffs.
Discover London on a week-long journey, curated with purposeful visits to learn about refugees, sustainability, history, culture, and food.

what you'll explore

Please note that itineraries are subject to (and likely to) change. We run unique programs, so our team refines programs each year to create the best possible student experiences.

vast landscape of english countryside

Week 1

Land in London and hop on a train to Totnes, your first stop on this unique adventure through England. From beautiful rolling hills and old stone buildings of the countryside to dramatic cliffs, you watch the scenery go by until you arrive at the Devon countryside farmhouse. Here, your group takes part in Global Routes orientation, led by your Overseas Educators. You learn more about the journey ahead, the culture and background of your host community, and your peers. During your days, explore Totnes, famed for it’s Transition Movement. They’ve established a model for how communities can move away from fossil fuels to regenerative alternatives. Spend days on the River Dart and the final evenings of this week camping along the riverbed, canoeing through the channels and learning from your hosts about the history and relevance of this area.

Week 2

Take a trip out to Dartmoor National park, where you start putting your lessons from Totnes into action. Traverse the Devon coast and visit the “English Riviera,” Torquay. Then, it’s time to put your leadership skills to the test.
Head to New Forest, a nature reserve between Totnes and London, where you and the group engage in a Rewilding Workshop to develop your leadership and survival skills. Spend evenings sleeping on the reserve in the forest and days conquering team challenges! Raft in a boat of your own design, send arrows flying across the meadows during archery lessons, and tackle a high ropes course. Rappel cliffs on the Jurassic Coast and finetune your individual leadership skills.
london bridge

Week 3

London calling! Spend the final week in this fast-paced, multicultural city. Travel to charming neighborhoods and off-the-tourist track communities in London. Learn from international changemakers who are tackling issues such as human rights, sustainability, and refugee support. Work alongside leaders addressing challenges with creative solutions and begin to consider how you can bring this back to your own community. Spend a day with a group working to find creative solutions for the unhoused “rough sleeper” communities through creating business ventures to give formerly unhoused people new opportunities. Support a growing sustainable marketplace where creating affordable local food sources is a key principle. Each night, chow down on international cuisine with your group or spend an evening cooking a delicious meal with a refugee family sharing their culture and traditions through food.

From here, you engage with a variety of lessons with London-based experts, dependent on the unique partners Global Routes supports each summer. Find yourself taking a photojournalism course to learn about social change narratives, Shakespeare workshops, Peace and Reconciliation Trainings, or learning about London’s multiculturalism from professors, as examples. As with all Global Routes programs, we also spend time reflecting on what we’ve learned, how we can bring our newfound knowledge back into our home communities, and who we’ve become over the course of three impactful weeks.

are you ready for the adventure?

How to enroll

Take the first step here

Learn more about enrolling in a summer program below.

The Application Process

1. Submit your Application 

Fill out our application to get started. This costs $20 to make sure you’re serious, and helps us set you up for your best experience.  For questions at any step of the way, schedule a call, stop by our office in Portland, OR., or contact us.

— “Apply Now” is the button below —

2. PARTICIPANT INTERVIEW – CALL OR ZOOM

Once you’ve submitted your application, you’ll be asked to schedule a short call or Zoom with one of our staff: This is fun and fast (15-30 minutes).  We get to hang out a bit and make sure you understand what you’re getting into, cover any medical concerns or questions, and establish any specific next steps for unique circumstances.  Parents are welcome, but we’ll be primarily talking to the participant!

3. FINALIZE ENROLLMENT

Ready to sign up and save your spot? Finalize enrollment by submitting your deposit and beginning the pre-departure journey!

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FAQ

Once we receive your application and reserve a space for you in the program, we provide you access to a password-protected webpage designed specifically for your program. There, we post information about passports and visas, detailed packing lists, all necessary travel information, information about your leaders, and much more! We’re also always on hand to answer any questions you might have.

Global Routes accepts students 15-18 from all over the world!  Right-fit participants are those looking for something more community-driven than a teen-tour and more culturally engaging than strictly outdoor education programs. Global Routes participants return as more confident, directed, self-aware, and adventurous global citizens with a better understanding of the unique contributions they offer their communities and the world. 

We expect you to have a positive attitude, demonstrate patience and flexibility in the face of the inherent challenges of group living (especially in a foreign country), be sensitive to the cultures and customs of your host community, contribute to a positive group experience, and abide by the  student contract you sign on the application. No previous construction, teaching, or foreign language experience is necessary.

Overview: Level One policies will result in immediate dismissal. Level Two policies have potential for immediate dismissal or will result in a verbal or written B-Plan which identifies behavior or concerns, outlines steps to correct or make amends, and states clear consequences if steps are not met. Of course, continued violation of policies will result in dismissal from the program in every case.

Level One 

  1. No alcohol, tobacco, or illegal drugs: This includes the consumption, purchase, possession, or proximity to alcohol or drugs that are illegal in the U.S.A. and/or in countries where Global Routes travels. This also includes abuse or misuse of prescription and/or over-the-counter drugs. 
  2. No sexual misconduct: All students are expected to contribute to a safe and positive learning environment. 

Level Two 

  1. No “dangerous” or harmful behaviors: This includes riding motorcycles, participating in unsanctioned adventure activities, breaking laws, not informing your Overseas Educator about your location, and not adhering to curfews set by the Overseas Educators. This also includes physical abuse, bullying, and harassment of others. 
  2. Try culturally, personally, and emotionally: This means being present: no exclusive relationships, full participation in all aspects of the program, and adherence to the technology policy. 
  3. I will abide by all group agreements: Group agreements are created by students and Overseas Educators during in-country orientation. 
  4. Treat spaces, myself, and others with respect: This includes treating all members of my group, local contacts, property, and others with respect while traveling, regardless of race, culture, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, or religion. This also includes culturally appropriate clothing/language, and individual space/belongings. 

* Global Routes reserves the right to dismiss at the expense of the participant, without refund or issuance of community service hours.

Living conditions will vary throughout your program, but they will always be safe and comfortable. During orientation and final travel you stay with your group in family-run guesthouses or small hostels or hotels.

If your program includes a homestay, during the homestay portion of your program, your entire group will stay in one village where you and a partner live in a simple and rustic home, constructed of wood or cement block. When hosted, not all homes will have electricity or indoor plumbing. 

In each destination we have in-country staff who identify potential communities and  interview and select each host family. Prior to the start of your program, one of your leaders makes an additional pre-trip visit to your community to meet with village leaders, members of the project committee, and all host families. 

At other points in the program, we will find ourselves in hotels, hostels, or even camping as the final itinerary indicates.

We present all students with a certificate noting the number of completed service hours. You will complete anywhere between 40 and 100 community service hours, depending on your program. Each school determines whether or not Global Routes service hours meet their requirements. We’re happy to communicate with your school service advisor ahead of time to answer any questions they may have about your service work.

It’s really “Limited Tech.” We intentionally schedule calls home to family every other week. Students are otherwise asked to put away their phones, and engage with each other, life, surroundings, and the incredible opportunities they have immediately next to them. 

We’ve all seen the studies, and growing number of schools and school districts establishing cell-phone free expectations, and reporting excellent results – which feels especially relevant in a post-COVID world.  

  • We appreciate that cell phones can be helpful when meeting your leader or parent on travel days and therefore we welcome the use of cell phones for communication on the first and last days. Cell phone use is otherwise not allowed during the course of the program except for those scheduled calls.
  • Note, we regularly make exceptions that are aimed at growth and education, with the support of mental health professionals and family. 

Although this can be daunting at first, most students cite the lack of phones as one of their FAVORITE parts of the Global Routes summer program!

Global Routes stays in close contact with each program and receives updates every day. We are accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to our group leaders for the entire summer, and provide regular updates via email and blog posts to parents, guardians, and mentors back home. 

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