Abby Falik grew up with parents committed to traveling the world–and never the usual tourist traps. After high school, she wanted to get close to the issues she cared about but couldn’t get into the Peace Corps without a college degree. There just wasn’t a good option for a high school graduate to learn and serve abroad. Abby knew she’d have to fix that.

Ten years ago Abby started Global Citizen Year to expand access to life-changing global immersion experiences between high school and college. She knew these experiences were uniquely well suited to unlock courage, shape identity, and develop leadership and unlock courage.

Each year Global Citizen Year places about 150 learners in a 10-month international internship. They live with a local family and are part of a 10 student regional cohort.

The value of global experiences is more important than ever. Global Citizen Year is one option for young people. But parents, schools, and colleges can all do more to create valuable international learning experiences.

Read the full article about global service at Getting Smart.