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WHAT IS GLASS?
Girls Leadership Academy for
Service & Sport
A leadership development adventure designed to help high school female athletes unleash their full potential.
Each 10-Day Session Includes:
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Sports-performance training
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Service-learning projects
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Leadership development workshops
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Mentorship from former collegiate student-athletes
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Culturally-immersive adventure!
GLASS Details
Costa Rica | San Jose, La Fortuna, & Tamarindo
Per Person Cost
$3,295
Scholarship and fundraising resources are available. Please contact our team for more details.
Included
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Nine nights lodging accommodations
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Three meals, daily
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All transportation while in Costa Rica
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Six GLASS Leadership Workshops
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Five sports-performance workouts
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Four to six service-learning hours
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All excursions outlined in the trip itinerary (below)
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GLASS t-shirt and journal
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International health insurance
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24/7 Staff supervision (6:1 student-to-staff ratio)
Not Included
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Round-trip airfare
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Personal expenses (i.e. souvenirs and snacks)
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Passport and baggage fees, if applicable
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Trip cancellation/interruption insurance (optional)
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Card fees for program payments, if applicable
Session Dates
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Session #1: July 15 - 24, 2025
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Session #2: July 29 - Aug 7, 2025
Eligibility
This is an invitation-only program. We enroll standout and emerging leaders in high school girls athletes. If you have not yet received an invitation, please complete our Tour Application to be considered.
For GLASS, we enroll athletes from the graduating classes of 2025 through 2028.
Capacity
GLASS is capped at 32 student-athletes per session. Spots are filled on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Accommodations
All overnights are in 3 or 4-star accommodations. Participants will share a room with another traveler, however, every participant will have their own bed.
Payment
A $250 deposit is required to reserve your spot. Additional payments will be paid in a series of installments:
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Due at Registration - $250
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April 1st - 50% of Remaining Balance
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May 1st - Final Balance
Haven't received an invitation? Please complete our Tour Application to be considered for an invite.
GLASS Itinerary
Day 1 - San Jose
Arrive at San Jose International Airport (SJO) where your mentors will be waiting for you! Settle into Costa Rica with a welcome dinner and get to know your fellow GLASSmates.
Day 2 - San Jose
Our first full day will start with typical Costa Rican breakfast––gallo pinto, fresh fruit, and eggs––then meet for Welcome & Orientation. In the afternoon, we'll volunteer at the Special Olympics of Costa Rica for our first service-learning activity. After our first leadership workshop, we’ll wrap up the day with dinner and a breathtaking view of the city.
Day 3 - San Jose
We'll start the day with our first sports-performance training and then host our first sports clinic for local youth. Later, we'll depart for a guided city tour of San Jose and time to explore the artisan market. Following our final dinner in the capital city, we'll round out the day with another leadership workshop.
Day 4 - La Fortuna
After an early morning workout and the next leadership workshop, we leave for La Fortuna––location of the famous Arenal Volcano! Upon arrival, our Mentors will lead a yoga session before we visit Baldi Hot Springs for dinner and a night of relaxation!
Day 5 - La Fortuna
In the morning, we'll zip-line and hike through the rainforest––viewing the La Fortuna waterfall from above and ground-level! Following our adventurous morning, we'll head to a local farm to learn about Costa Rica’s most famed exports. We’ll conclude the day with a leadership workshop and the chance to learn about college athletics from your mentors in Q&A session.
Day 6 - Tamarindo
After a workout with a volcano view, we'll hit the road again, en route for Playa Tamarindo––a local Costa Rican beach town. Once we arrive in Tamarindo, our mentors will host a goal-setting workshop before we visit town for dinner. We’ll end the day with leadership.
Day 7 - Tamarindo
In the morning, we’ll partake in an environmental clean up. During our leadership for the day, our Mentors will facilitate a service-learning reflection to capture key learnings from the service component of the program. In the afternoon, we'll spend the day at sea on a sunset catamaran tour, snorkeling, paddle boarding, and swimming.
Day 8 - Tamarindo
We'll start the day with an early morning workout. Then, we'll volunteer at Halfway Home's Dog Shelter. After some time to explore the town, souvenir shop, or enjoy the beach, our Mentors will lead an early evening leadership workshop before dinner.
Day 9 - Tamarindo
On our final full day, we'll begin with our last workout and time to soak up the sun on the Tamarindo beaches. In the afternoon, we'll have our final leadership workshop and Salsa lessons! Our program will conclude with a GLASS Wrap-Up, hosted by our staff.
Day 10 - Travel Day
Say our goodbyes as we head to Liberia (LIR) Airport. Travel home with memories to last a lifetime!
Please understand that the final itinerary may change slightly based on the confirmed schedule of service-learning activities. We will do our best to follow this exact itinerary.
Leadership Curriculum
Our GLASS curriculum balances a dynamic blend of leadership development, sports, service-learning, and global engagement. Student-athletes return home with:
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Enhanced independence and confidence
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A greater awareness of other communities and cultures
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A strong understanding of the leadership skills acquired through sports
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A dynamic network of standout peers and mentors
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A stimulated sense of adventure
GLASS Mentors
At the heart of the Girls Leadership Academy for Service & Sport (GLASS) are our Mentors. Leveraging our vast network of college coaches from top universities across the country, we staff our program with accomplished leaders—All-Americans, Dean's List honorees, and team captains who embody excellence both on-and-off the field-of-play.
Our GLASS program is intentionally designed around a mentorship model because we believe in the transformative power of positive role models. GLASS Mentors don’t just coach—they inspire, empower, and guide the next generation of leaders, providing invaluable support and insight that fosters growth and confidence in every participant.
Our Mentors are announced each spring—take a look at the lineup of past GLASS Mentors below!
"The mentors truly poured into these girls and I'm so grateful that my daughter will forever benefit from the leadership and growth this program provides!"
Parent of Maddy M. | Frisco, TX
Testimonials
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Abi S.
Iowa | Basketball, Track, & VB
"I absolutely loved this trip and it was truly the best experience of my life! I loved everything about this trip. I always felt safe everywhere we went and I gained so much confidence in myself. I am now a more positive and courageous women and I am going to bring all of the skills and knowledge back to my teammates. I learned many valuable life lessons through GLASS."
Sahara S.
Trinidad & Tobago | Track
"It was unforgettable. Go for it. You meet amazing friends and make genuine connections. The mentors are also an amazing resource while your there and I appreciated having them."
Parent of Sage S.
Utah | Lacrosse & Swim
"My daughter keeps telling people that, 'It was the experience of a lifetime, the best thing I've ever done.' To hear these words every time that someone asks makes it worth the cost and nerves of sending her abroad. She read us her journal in the car front to back and told us all that she learned about being a leader and how much she learned about herself."
MIT Experience
Already participated in GLASS? Return to GLASS a Mentor-in-Training (MIT)!
GLASS alumni are invited to join us back in Costa Rica as a Mentor-in-Training (MIT)! Your first GLASS experience helped you uncover and find confidence in your authentic leadership style. In this second GLASS experience, we'll work with you on your skills of empowerment.
Our MIT experience is centered around the theme of "leading from within." You'll grow alongside first-year GLASS students––guiding and empowering them through the same leadership experience that you already navigated. Outside of our daily GLASS leadership workshops, our Mentors will lead MIT reflection sessions to help you channel the empowerment skills that already exist within you.
After participating as an MIT, you'll return home with a refined ability to mentor your peers along their leadership journeys.
Next Steps
Our staff is available to answer any questions you or your family may have regarding the tour. Feel free to contact us at any point in the process.
1.
Accept Your Invitation
If you received an invitation via email you can accept your invite to begin registration. If you did not receive an invite, but you are interested in joining the tour, please complete our Tour Application.
2.
Register & Deposit
When you are ready to commit to the tour, submit your $250 deposit to reserve your spot. The full cost of the tour is not due immediately. Payment deadlines are outlined in registration.
3.
Begin Travel Prep
Once deposited, your tour coordinator will connect with you to share pre-departure information. We encourage all students who do not have a valid passport to apply for a passport as soon as possible!
Haven't received an invitation? Please complete an Tour Application to be considered for an invite.
GLASS FAQ
How do I get invited to GLASS?
We reach out to high school coaches across the country, inviting them to nominate the top leaders in high school girls athletics. All nominees receive an invitation.
If you have not been nominated, we encourage you to apply! You can also be considered for an invitation by completing our application.
Who do you look for for GLASS?
This program is for team leaders and emerging team leaders. Specifically, we look for the following qualities in our GLASS participants:
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Invested in their own personal growth
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Invested in empowering their peers
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Demonstrates a readiness to go beyond their comfort zone
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Demonstrates an eagerness to learn
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Embodies teamwork and outstanding sportsmanship
Why is GLASS invitation-only?
GLASS is an invitation-only program to ensure that each participant is not only ready for this stage of their leadership journey but also genuinely wants to be part of the experience.
When everyone in the program is highly motivated, bought-in, and eager to contribute, it creates a powerful and meaningful dynamic that elevates the entire group.
Can a family member travel with me?
Family members are welcome to travel with you to Costa Rica! However, for our GLASS Program, we do not have any family travel packages. Any accompanying family members are responsible for arranging their own travel plans and in-country logistics.
How many students-athletes will travel with me?
Our GLASS sessions are capped at 24 student-athletes. We intentionally keep these program small so that participants can connect well with their peers and GLASS Mentors.
How will I travel to Costa Rica?
Participants are responsible for booking their own air travel to and from Costa Rica. We provide detailed flight booking instructions in the pre-departure process.
If you’re interested in coordinating your travel plans with other tour students, please contact our staff to be connected with your GLASSmates
Who will meet me at the airport in Costa Rica?
Our Beyond Sports staff will be waiting for you at the airport in Costa Rica. Once you connect with our team in Costa Rica, our staff and GLASS Mentors will stay with you through the duration of the program.
Contact Us
Our staff is readily available to answer your questions. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us at your convenience.
