Media
Follow GCAC
If you’ve been waiting for a sign to go…
This is four of them. 👀👇
Spots are still open! Jump in while you can 🫶🌎
GCACtravel.org/programs
#SayYesToAdventure #StudyAbroadGoals #GlobalEducation
Jan 16
#RememberThatTime we formed a conga line on La Chiva? 🚌🕺
Yeah… we do. 😎
Come with us next time! Link in bio 🔗
#Colombia #ChivaBus #TeachEnglish
Jan 15
The deadline is January 15! If you’re thinking about Oaxaca, now’s the time. 🇲🇽 ✨
🔗 Link in bio
#LastChance #OaxacaMexico #StudyAbroadMexico
Jan 14
Meet Dr. Tonda Potts: educator, advocate, community-builder, and board member extraordinaire. ✨✏️
She’s worked at every level of education—from pre-K to post-grad—and still finds time to champion first-gen students, lead nonprofits, and show up for the arts.
Whether she’s in Boulder or St. Pete, her impact stretches far and wide—and we’re lucky to have her as part of the #GCACfam ❤️ 🌎
#TheBoard #LifelongEducator #BoardMember
Jan 9
You don’t get adaptability from reading a page—you get it while rerouting a plan mid‑trip, navigating a surprise closure, or finding beauty in a detour. Travel teaches flexibility in a way that sticks. 💪🌍
Whether it’s a closed museum or a metro strike, learning to pivot gracefully is a life skill that pays off long after the trip ends.
#TransformativeTravel #Adaptability #TravelSkills
Jan 7
We’re stepping into a new year carrying a lot of gratitude with us.
Thank you for showing up, believing in the work, and walking with us. We’re glad you’re here. 🌎❤️
#NewYear #Gratitude #ThankYou
Jan 5
If you’ve ever thought, “I wish more students could do this,” you’re already thinking like a Pathfinder 🌍 ✨
Monthly giving helps turn that wish into real access, real learning, and real opportunity—keeping scholarships funded and doors open all year long.
Give today at: gcactravel.org/give 🤑
#BeTheirCompass #GCACpathfinder #yearendgiving
Dec 30
This is what end-of-year giving supports 🔨✨
Hands-on work. Local partnership. Learning that doesn’t stay in a classroom. Sometimes the biggest thing we bring home is perspective.
Support the work: gcactravel.org/give 🌍
#SupportTheCause #YearEndGiving #GivingSeason #GroupTravel #SocialGood
Dec 29
Videos
Media Mentions
GCAC Blogs
Why Learning a Foreign Language Matters
by Jon Shepherd, Spanish Teacher, Gleason & Greenfield High Schools This fall, students from Gleason and Greenfield High Schools earned college credit through Bethel University’s Dual Enrollment Program while studying Maya history, culture, and the Spanish language. Their coursework came to life when they traveled to Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula with…
When Rural Students See the World: How a Passport, a Journal, and a Visionary Community Changed Everything by Stacie Freeman, M.S.S.W.
What happens when you give high school students from rural West Tennessee more than just a seat in a classroom? What happens when you give them a passport, a journal, a college course, and a world-class itinerary? They don’t just see the world, they begin to understand it. From June…
What Happens When Nine Women Say Yes to Themselves in Brazil?
What Happens When Nine Women Say Yes to Themselves in Brazil? A Journey of Rhythm, Sisterhood, and Rediscovery with Women Celebrating Women Across the Globe by Dr. Julie Hill. Co-Founder/President/CEO of Global Citizen Adventure Corps If you’ve ever felt the quiet tug of adventure—not just to go somewhere, but to…
What Monkeys, Kids, and Trash Taught Us in One Week
By Jenna Patton, GCAC Co-Leader They say no two GCAC trips are ever the same—and Costa Rica just proved it again. This spring, our group of travelers stepped into a week of unforgettable connection, conservation, and community service on the Nicoya Peninsula. From wildlife sanctuaries to sandy shorelines, we showed…
Bethel University Continues Annual Visit to Sister School in South America
COLOMBIA, South America — For ten years, groups of Bethel University students have regularly traveled abroad to Cali, Colombia, and volunteered at the local school named Colegio Americano. The teams are continuing a relationship that began in 1928 when Reverend L. Swartz arrived as the first Cumberland Presbyterian Church Missionary…
A Decade of Partnership Continues a 100 Year Tradition
BY GARRETT BURNS, CHAPLAIN, BETHEL UNIVERSITY A Colombian “college” with an American twist, Bethel University students continue the tradition of service begun by the missionary founders of Colegio Americano back in 1928. The 2025 trip marked a 10 year anniversary partnership between Colegio and the BU Global Studies program and…
PARIS, FRANCE PROGRAM
A Transformative Journey:How Study Abroad in Paris Encourages the Development of Essential Soft Skills By Stacie Freeman, MSSW Traveling to Paris as part of our study abroad program at Bethel University was more than just an educational excursion—it was a profound opportunity for personal growth and the development of critical…
GCAC News
High School Students, GCAC Leadership Visit Mayan Ruins with Bethel University Global Studies
YUCATAN, Mexico (October 2025) — Four high school students from Gleason and Greenfield, Tennessee, and the leadership team of Global Citizen Adventure Corps (GCAC) experienced the rich history and culture of the Maya and Mexico during their fall break, traveling with Bethel University Global Studies. GCAC offered the logistics for…
Nine Women from Across the U.S. Embark on Transformative Journey Through Afro-Brazilian Culture in Salvador da Bahia with Global Citizen Adventure Corps
by Dr. Julie Hill, Co-Founder, President, CEO of Global Citizen Adventure Corps. Salvador da Bahia, Brazil – [June 2, 2025] – In an extraordinary cultural immersion, nine women from diverse corners of the United States recently completed a life-changing journey in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil, with the nonprofit Global Citizen…
Bruceton, Camden Residents Make an Impact in Central America
COSTA RICA — Thirteen adults and high school students from Bruceton and Camden made a positive impact during their volunteer service in Costa Rica at an animal rescue center and along the beaches of the Pacific coast. Jenna Patton, a Spanish teacher at Hollow Rock-Bruceton Central High School, served as…
Go Abroad Press Release
National Recognition GCAC Named Finalist for Two Prestigious International Awards Global Citizen Adventure Corps (GCAC), a nonprofit based in West Tennessee, has been named a finalist for two international awards by GoAbroad, a leading platform for global study, volunteer, and work experiences. GCAC is recognized in the categories of Global…
Global Citizen Adventure Corps Featured on WLJT-TV
Global Citizen Adventure Corps (GCAC) is the featured organization on “Tennessee is Talking,” a weekly segment on WLJT-TV, West Tennessee’s Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). GCAC is featured during the March 2025 airings. In an interview conducted by veteran TV personality and news anchor Tom Britt, GCAC’s co-founders, Stacie Freeman, M.S.S.W.,…
PARIS, FRANCE (March 2025)
A group of 22 travelers embarked on a 10-day trip to Paris, France, through Bethel University’s Global Studies and Global Citizen Adventure Corps. The group explored iconic landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, the recently reopened Notre Dame Cathedral, and enjoyed boat cruises on the Seine River, as well as…
Travel Vlogging Teen Realizes Her Dream
When 17-year-old Rachael Libby reflects on first dreaming of world travel, she points to the days of the pandemic and spending a lot of time watching the travel vlogging of others on YouTube. Among her favorites were Kara and Nate, a Tennessee couple who started their channel with a goal…
Keeping the Beat in Cuban Classrooms
DRESDEN/UNION CITY, TN – Julie Hill has more than 27 years of experience as a music educator, scholar, performer, lecturer, administrator, and non-profit arts leader/advocate. And a recent exploratory excursion to Cuba had the Union City resident tapping into all those roles as she, fellow Global Citizen Adventure Corps co-founder…
Paris Surgeon Ready to Take Lead with Global Citizens
PARIS, TN – Dr. Ray Compton’s medical knowledge and surgical skills have previously taken him to Tanzania, Ecuador, Mexico, and Iraq. But his latest trip to Honduras in early October had him in a dual role and one which will translate into return trips in the years ahead. As co-leader of a…
West Tennesseans Bring Clean Water and Medical Assistance to Honduras and Return Home with Much More
DRESDEN, TN – When Stacie Freeman and Julie Hill founded Global Citizen Adventure Corps one year ago, they wanted to offer travel service-learning experiences to their home communities in West Tennessee and throughout the Midsouth and Ohio Valley. They believed in partnering with international nonprofits to meet the needs as…