FELLOWSHIPS
SERVICE FELLOWSHIP
Lead With Purpose As A GLA Service Fellow
Service Fellowship application deadline is May 1, 2026.
The Global Leadership Adventures Service Fellowship challenges you to turn inspiration into impact. Through this Fellowship, you’ll design, implement, and reflect on a meaningful service project that contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) — the global blueprint for a more equitable, sustainable world by 2030.
Your GLA experience is the catalyst.
The Service Fellowship is about what you lead when you return home.
Whether you’re addressing inequalities in your community, protecting the planet or supporting health and well-being, your project will reflect what it truly means to lead with purpose and responsibility in a global context.
Traveling to new places, engaging with diverse cultures and witnessing global challenges firsthand gives you perspective and the GLA Service Fellowship will help you transform that perspective into real-world action in your own community.
As a GLA Service Fellow, you’ll:
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Design and lead a service project inspired by your GLA experience
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Earn 24 certified service hours, officially recognized by Global Leadership Adventures
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Build tangible evidence of leadership, service, and global engagement for school records, college applications and scholarships
The Service Fellowship follows a five-step impact design process, supported by reflection prompts, tools and templates to help guide your work while still giving you ownership over the project you create.
FELLOWSHIPS
FELLOWSHIP APPLICATION
Apply to be a GLA Service Fellow by or before Friday, May 1, 2026.
WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW BEFORE I APPLY?
Applying to be a Service Fellow is FREE. If you are accepted into the Fellowship, you will need to pay the $500 Fellowship Fee to participate.
You need to be enrolled in a GLA travel program or travel internship to complete a Fellowship. Your Fellowship Fee will automatically be added to your account once you are enrolled.
Fellowship applications are due by May 1st, 2026. Once you are accepted into the Service Fellowship, you will receive an email notification from GLA’s Fellowship Committee Chair welcoming you to the Service Fellows Class of 2026.
At this time, you will receive your Fellowship Packet, which will outline everything you need to know to complete your Fellowship and submit your final project.
The only requirement to be a Fellow, besides being enrolled in a GLA program, is to submit a final project after your program is over.
AWARDS & MERITS
When you successfully complete your Service Fellowship final project you will receive:
A Certificate of Achievement
A Custom Metal Fellowship Pin
A Recommendation Letter from our Executive Director (upon request)
The title of Honors Fellow, Arts & Letters Fellow or Service Fellow for your College Applications
FAQ
Check out our Frequently Asked Questions for answers to everything you want to know!
Which United Nations SDG should I choose?
You have 17 Sustainable Development Goals to choose from as a GLA Service Fellow.
This fellowship bridges your leadership development with real-world impact. As a Fellow, you’ll explore your interests, connect them to a local or global need, and take intentional action to create change aligned with one or more UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are our world’s to-do list for people and the planet. Each goal represents a global challenge and an opportunity for young leaders like you to take action in your own community. Adopted by world leaders in 2015, the 17 Goals outline the most important challenges facing our world, from ending poverty and hunger to promoting equality, education, and climate action.
Depending on your personal interests and passions, you should select one or two SDGs that reflect what you’d like to learn more about and take action toward.
Your chosen goal should connect to something that genuinely inspires you – whether that’s protecting the environment, promoting education, improving health, or building equality. The more connected you feel to your goal, the more meaningful and impactful your service project will be. Remember, this Fellowship is as much about your growth as a global citizen as it is about making a difference for others.
GETTING STARTED
Not sure where to begin? We have you covered!