Spring 2015 Newsletter

Spring 2015  |  Volume 1  |  Number 4

 

A Message from Jeff – Global Doing Good

These are exciting times for our non-profit division, Global Doing Good. We launched this officially in 2014; although, we had already been involved in projects that fit this model as early as 2012. I am happy to say that Global Doing Good is on the move. Let me remind you of what it entails:

* Homebuilding in the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica. For adult groups, adults and youths or even family groups.

* The Leaf Cutter Project in Costa Rica. (Read below and online about how Global Doing Good is helping high school students acquire employment skills.)

* Two Roads Project. (Read about it in this edition.) Kids are given $100 in the fall to do good in their communities, for individuals or for organizations.

* Service Scholars. High School students can serve by building homes in Costa Rica or the Dominican Republic, help to improve the environment of the Northwest Coast off Whidbey Island in the State of Washington, or assist in the Bowery Mission in New York City.

* Customized Service Trip. To a destination of the group’s choosing.

We are trying to provide scholarship funds for all of these experiences so that as many students as possible can be involved. This year, for example, we provided eight scholarships to students going on our American Heritage Trips. These ranged from $200 to $500 each. We also provided the seed money ($100 each) for eleven Two Roads Project students to find ways to do good. And, we were able to purchase property ($9000) in Costa Rica where two homes have been or will be built. This year we have eight groups building homes there.

I am happy to report that a number of people have assisted us in these endeavors with donations. This has been a true blessing that has helped us multiply our efforts. But, as our reach expands, we will need to count on many hands to help us reach out into a hurting and needy world.

With that in mind, take a look at the tee shirt (seen below) J.J. Peterson is wearing. This is our official Global Doing Good tee shirt. The hand making the imprint on the globe is our hand but it can be yours, too, as together we impact our world for good, assisting youth and adults to live better lives with more opportunities.

You may have read a recent, widely published statistic that is quite alarming: one percent of the world’s population possesses 50% of the world’s wealth. The other nearly 7 billion people share the remaining 50%. And when you add the middle classes of developed countries, that leaves even less for the lower economic classes.

Bottom line: the class of people whom we call poor is growing as their opportunities at a better life are contracting. Do you think that makes for a stable human society on earth? Of course it doesn’t. Poverty breeds contempt, hatred and war.

So do we accept this status quo and live with it thinking it really doesn’t affect us? We must not! Even with our limited resources, we do what we can, whether it’s providing safe and adequate housing for the poor in Central America, or helping children use their $100 bills to make life better for people here, or providing tutoring and service to the inner city poor in New York, it all makes a difference.

Furthermore, these service minded youth will one day be service – minded adults who will expand their efforts to bring about fairness and equity on this earth to the extent they are able. Why not join the effort today by purchasing a Global Doing Good tee shirt. One hundred percent of the profit from the sale of the tee shirts will go directly into the projects outlined above. Join your hands with ours and together let’s make a positive imprint on our world. Thank you for partnering with us.

Donating and Ordering Information:

“Yes, Jeff I want to join hands with Global Doing Good to make a positive impact on the world through Global Doing Good.” Your donation of $20 entitles you to one Global Doing Good tee shirt. A donation of $50 entitles you to three.
____ $5.00 ____$10.00 ______$20.00* _____ $50.00* _____$100.00 _____ Other
Please click on the following link to make a donation. During this process, please be sure to note your tee shirt size and your address: http://goo.gl/nsIjU9

Or visit us at globaldoinggood.org to learn more about us, to get involved, or to contact a representative.

J.J. Peterson wearing a Global Doing Good tee shirt on location during a home building trip to Costa Rica

 

Heed the Call from Down Under – Australia Beckons You

In March, 2015, a small group of Texas students and parents embarked on the trip of a lifetime with Global Travel Alliance to explore the beauties of Australia. First stop was Sydney where they got to learn about the country’s origins and the beginnings of the penal colony, and see such icons as the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge. Next stop was Cairns, the tourism center of Queensland.

From Cairns the group was able to experience three very different ecosystems: the rainforest, the savannah outback and the reef. In the rainforest students hiked on jungle boardwalks while spotting wildlife and even swam in crystal clear springs and slid down a natural waterfall. In the outback the group explored some of the longest lava tubes in the world, climbed a volcano and took an evening tour with a field biologist to the mouth of a cave while thousands of bats surrounded them at sunset. At night they experienced starry constellations only found in the Southern Hemisphere while sitting around an Aussie bush fire and spotting nocturnal wildlife.
Other highlights on the trip included holding a koala bear, feeding kangaroos, and swimming in a dormant volcano. To top off the trip the group traveled by charter boat to two locations on the Great Barrier Reef. They spent a day snorkeling amongst the vibrant coral with a multitude of colorful fish and finishing the trip with a perfect sunset over the Coral Sea.

Come see for yourself what makes Australia so unique and an adventure of a lifetime. Contact Global Travel Alliance to arrange your voyage “down under”.

Photo compliments of Joey Richards.

 

Til Death or Distance Do Us Part

By Larry Cunningham, Program and Staff Development Coordinator

Brian Mathis, Special Projects Coordinator for Global Travel Alliance, has taught English and history in Europe and was also a Fulbright Scholar in Germany. He guides a great many of our trips each year, and his aim is to give some little known information on the subject at hand or try to provide a different perspective.

A good example is when he gives his American Heritage talk to students at Mount Vernon, George Washington’s home along the Potomac River. Typically, lessons there do not focus so much on the fact that Washington had slaves, and when it is mentioned, it’s usually in, “the context of the times.” In other words, everyone South of the Mason/Dixon Line had slaves including Washington and Thomas Jefferson.

From all we know, Washington was a benign slave owner, but Brian makes the point that, benign or not, slavery was inhumane to a high degree. One point he makes is that Christian slave owners, like Washington, made sure that slaves had a Christian wedding. But, in the process, the wording in the vows was changed from “Til death us do part,” to “Til death or distance us do part.”

This, of course, reflected the common belief that slaves were property just like horses, cows, crops or furniture. It followed that if you could buy or sell or trade horses, you could do the same with slaves, which happened as a matter of course in those times. So, not only death but distance could terminate a Christian marriage if one of the spouses was sold. Facts like these drive home the horrible reality of slavery to 8th grade students and give them a different perspective on the colonial era workings of Washington’s plantation.

In similar fashion, the American Heritage tour visit to the Iwo Jima Memorial is often characterized by discussing the lives of the six men who raised the flag over the island. The memorial symbolizes service, honor, sacrifice and courage. It’s an iconic sculpture, one which arouses patriotic feelings in those who view it and who hear the talks about it.

As a student of history, however, I believe that we should take a more measured view of this battle. First of all, it should be noted that it took place in March, 1945, a few months before the war in the Pacific ended. By that time, the Japanese Air Force was nearly non-existent. The Battle of Leyte Gulf, which had occurred in October, 1944, had already decimated the Japanese fleet. In reality, all that was left for the Japanese was the defense of their island homeland.

Yet, the decision was made to take this island fortress laced with tunnels and caves and populated by 18,000 starving Japanese soldiers that had no hope of being resupplied or rescued. The battle was brutal with only 216 Japanese soldiers taken prisoner and the rest killed. There were 26,000 American casualties, with 6800 deaths. Incredibly, two Japanese soldiers survived in the tunnels until 1949, four years after the end of the war, when they emerged. The question arises: was the carnage worth the sacrifice? Could the island have been bypassed until the end of the war? There are arguments on both sides of the issue; Some point out that Iwo Jima was sacred to the Japanese because it was considered part of their homeland, but the point is to get students to think and understand that current U.S. military policies in this war-torn world need to be carefully evaluated. What I remind students of is that every casualty was a son, a brother, a friend or a father. I also remind them of what Herman Wouk so succinctly stated in his book, War and Remembrance: “Either war is finished or we are.”

The reason in sharing these thoughts is that education is at the heart of Global Travel Alliance American Heritage trips. Our guides present material that goes beyond the superficial . We want these students to learn critical thinking skills, skills that will serve them in their adult lives personally and in their role as citizens.

Yes, there are other student travel companies out there, but none that possess the determination that Global Travel Alliance staff members demonstrate as we exhort our students to think for themselves, to dig deeper into the subjects at hand and in the process, become better informed adults.

 

Freedom Comes with a Price – By Larry Cunningham

Thirty-five Crestview Middle Schoolers from Littleton, Colorado, found that touring the Nation’s capital in March isn’t for sissies. They were blown in by a cold northwest wind the afternoon of March 24, expecting the beginning of the cherry blossom extravaganza. The buds held tight as temperatures ranged in the low thirties to mid-forties that first day.

Global Travel Alliance guide, Ryan Sparzak, kept them smiling, however, as he cracked woebegone jokes with them on the bus. Once they arrived at the Air and Space Museum, they were awestruck by the enormity of the facility and what it offered. A complete X-15 Rocket plane and a pristine DC-3 hung from the ceiling, looking as if they had just taken flight. A quick scurry across the Washington Mall to either the American History or the Natural History Museums was next, with most students interested in nature. After dinner, a look at Ford’s Theatre where President Lincoln was assassinated was a grim reminder of a very dark time in American History.

As darkness fell along with the temperature, the group arrived at the Martin Luther King Memorial completed in 2011. They marveled at the monolith of stone with the inscription, “Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope.”

The exhibit contained a number of quotes by Dr. King, one of which captivated their attention. “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that.” Ryan used this quote to explain Dr. King’s insistence on winning the civil rights battle through peaceful means and not giving into the violence that was perpetrated on him and his followers.

Just up the pathway, was the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Memorial completed in 1997. The main concentration of the memorial was the Great Depression years and the war years. About the Depression, Ryan had this to say: “If you had been living during the Great Depression, one fourth of your parents would have been without jobs. Many of your parents would have lost their homes. Some of you and your families would have been vagabonds desperately looking for work, a home, a meal.” The students regarded these and other comments with great solemnity.

The next morning everyone was up bright and early and on the bus by 7:20 a.m. for the trip to Arlington National Cemetery. We spent nearly the entire morning there visiting the grave of President Kennedy, observing the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and visiting the gravesite of the lost astronauts from the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986.

What really impacted the kids, however, was when a funeral procession came up the lane where they were standing. Four white Lipizzaner horses ridden by soldiers, and one empty saddle with boots reversed in the stirrups accompanied the caisson bearing the flag-draped casket. A contingent of soldiers followed on foot. Later in the day when the students were asked what crucial lessons they had learned so far, Tim answered immediately. “Arlington has taught me how much sacrifice has been made for our freedoms in this country.” There were many nods of assent and murmurs of agreement among his classmates.

That evening we visited the Iwo Jima and Vietnam Memorials. I gave background talks about these memorials with the theme that as citizens of this country, the students must be ready to question authority when facts don’t ring true. I discussed the fracture the Vietnam War created in American society and how our involvement there was fraught with misinformation . Yes, our policy was containment of Communism, but it was questionable that Vietnam was the place to make the stand. Perhaps, and we can only speculate now, we should have taken a firmer stand in eastern Europe at the end of World War 11. The quote, “War is old men talking and young men dying,” seemed to resonate with the students.

Makayla asked if she could look for her great uncle’s name on the Vietnam Wall. Amazingly, among the 58,200 names she found it. Jaun Martinez killed in l968. When asked how she felt about her discovery, she said, “My grandpa wanted me to find it and take a picture.” Juan was his brother whom Maykala never knew.

In sum, the trip was illuminating to the students. Ryan and all of us endeavor to reveal historical nuggets that bring the American experience to life in its majesty and sometimes in its shame. Truth is in short supply these days, but it must be found and acted upon if our nation is to thrive going forward.

Crestview students on the lawn of Mount Vernon with the Patomac River in the background.

Crestview students at the World War II Memorial.

 

Why Travel with Global Travel Alliance

Travel is a huge industry with endless choices of companies and experiences available. Each company endeavors to provide a niche, which it markets, hoping that a significant number of potential travelers will like what they see and give the company a try. If you read the accompanying article, Global Travel Alliance Making a Difference by being Different, you will understand our values and goals to some degree; however, you might also think we are “tooting our own horn,” as well.

From time to time, we receive letters and emails from folks who have traveled with us. Here are some excerpts from an email from Danielle Sjoden, a teacher in Anchorage, Alaska, who traveled to Costa Rica with her students. We’ll let her toot our horn, and you can decide if booking a trip with us is something you want to do.

Now that our trip is complete, I wanted to let you know how great it was. This was my first time doing a trip with students and my first time to Costa Rica. I was nervous about the guide, since we were in his hands the whole time, and how each day would flow. Daniel was a phenomenal guide, and very soon after meeting him, it was clear we were in good hands. Through him, we gained extra insight into the country that we would not have by merely participating in the activities. Daniels’s knowledge as a naturalist was particularly helpful and engaging. He interacted with all our different personalities with ease, and having him with us was a highlight of the kids. I was impressed with the quality of the food and hotels, and how well put together our itinerary was.

Aura’s farm, tour was an unexpected highlight and ended up being one of the favorite parts of the trip for many of us. It felt authentic, and not only did we get to try a number of new and interesting flavors, Daniel and Martin made it a hands-on tour.

I also appreciated how organized you were and how simple and straightforward the whole process was. The factors for me choosing Global were the fact that we had a guide the whole time and did not have to worry about the logistics. This, of course, means trusting the company, but Global came highly recommended to me, and I will now personally recommend Global without hesitation.

Thanks and take care,

Danielle

Need we say more? Whatever you want to do, wherever you want to go, give us a call and we will provide you with an unsurpassed experience.

 

 

Daniel Granados is Employee of the Year for Global Travel Alliance

Many of you know him as the point man for all groups that travel to Costa Rica under the auspices of Global Travel Alliance or Global Doing Good. His welcoming smile and friendly demeanor immediately put the foreign traveler at ease. Once the work of homebuilding begins, Daniel is right in the thick of the project. No standing around giving orders. No wonder that one former traveler wrote in the memo field of her check, a donation to purchase land for more homes, Daniel is awesome. The entire staff of Global Travel Alliance agrees and gave Daniel a hearty round of applause when Jeff Peterson, President , announced Daniel as Employee of the Year.

Jeff had many kind words for Daniel about his hard work, his dedication, his desire to see the poor people of his country thrive instead of continue along the dead-end path of poverty. What Jeff keyed into the most, however, was Daniel’s ability to observe a need and, without prompting from anyone else, suggest a solution. Jeff made it clear in his remarks that it’s this kind of innovation and self-reliance that he values, not just in Daniel but in all Global employees.

Daniel’s most recent brainstorm, The Leaf Cutter Project, addresses the need for high school students from Licco Ambientalista Finca Dos (LAFD) High School in a remote corner of Costa Rica, to obtain training that will help them find employment.

Consider:

* The unemployment rate in Costa Rica is about 10%. For recent high school students it is much higher; in fact, it is estimated that only 1 in 100 high school seniors will end up in a career they set out to pursue.

* 50% of adults have completed elementary school.

* The Literacy rate is 18% but only at the elementary school level.

You ask: what is a leaf cutter? It is a species of ant (Zumpopa), which accomplishes two tasks: It cuts leaves into tiny pieces so sunlight can infiltrate the plants that grow below the rainforest canopy, and it churns the soil providing aeration and fertilization. The compounding work of Millions of ants ensures the survival of the rain forest.

Daniel believes this is a good example of a two- pronged initiative he has already begun at the (LAFD) high school. First, he has proposed a rigorous curriculum in environmental science and language training to help students acquire skills to enter college in that field or the field of eco-tourism, which is rapidly expanding in Costa Rica. Global Doing Good, the non-profit division of Global Travel Alliance, will be supporting these efforts by providing funding and other resources and training.

Objectives include:

* Providing measureable increase in student engagement and pursuit of continuing education by the time students reach their senior year in high school.

* Enabling LAFD to achieve its goal of being truly an environmental science magnet school by providing additional curriculum, tools, educators and resources that can be used jointly by the Leaf Cutter Project and the school itself.

* Providing potential employment opportunities through Global Doing Good’s network in the field of science and educational travel.

* Assist an initial twenty students to begin pursuit of a career in eco-tourism and/or environmental science.

Ambitious, yes. Impossible, no. Even the Bible talks about the ants and, when working together, what they can accomplish. The Leaf Cutters do their part to sustain the entire rain forest. Daniel believes their example will lead to successful lives and careers for this and future generations of young people.

Will you consider supporting this project? Curricular materials, science equipment, and training of staff are emergent needs at this point in time. Global Travel Alliance is already providing funds to make the project a success. Please join the effort with your gift today. It is tax deductible and 100% of it will go to establishing a sustainable Leaf Cutter Project. Thank you.

 

Upcoming Travel Highlights

May, 2015. A Taste of Italy tour of Tuscany region of Italy. May 2015. Call Brian Mathis toll-free at 1-866-313-2577 immediately if you are interested in this once-in-a- lifetime experience.

May – early June. American Heritage tours to Washington, D.C. and surrounding area. 80 groups of students from all across America making these trips.

Late June early July. Service Scholars from Bozeman, Montana, homebuilding in Costa Rica.

October, 2015. Ladies Fall Foliage tour of Boston and New England with plenty of opportunity for shopping and fine dining included. Call Brian Mathis toll-free at 1-866-313-2577.

Update! Global Travel Alliance has a Gtrek science and ecology program in place for students. Included are five important areas: Florida Keys, Costa Rica, Northwest Coast of the U.S., Grand Canyon and Canyonlands National Parks and the Rocky Mountain Front and other areas of Montana. Although these programs are designed around student oriented, curricular field studies, we also welcome interested persons to consider eco-tours to these iconic sites. Click here to view more about Gtrek eco tours easily customized for adult travelers. For more information contact Paul Belanger at 406-690-8363.

Global Travel Alliance is here to serve you. Tell us where you want to go anywhere in the world. Most likely one of our associates has been there and will be glad to work with your group for the trip you have always wanted to take.

Call us toll-free at 1-866-313-2577 to get started.

 

Montana State University-Billings Foreign Students Tour Yellowstone and Surrounds in Winter

Brian Mathis selfie with Korean students in Yellowstone National Park.

In keeping with our vision that Global Travel Alliance is an educational enterprise more than simply a travel company, we hosted 17 Korean and 4 French students on winter trips they will not soon forget. These students were at Montana State University-Billings on a six week program to improve their English and to experience a part of the country that many foreign visitors never see.

On their one- day trip, in mid-January, they visited Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody,Wyoming. There is no better place to become acquainted with the Old West than here. Refurbished cabins, a massive firearms collection, Native American art and crafts–the museum has it all. The students were duly impressed as they tried to make sense of the collection without a very good grasp of English. What they could grasp, however, was lunch at the historic Irma Hotel where William Cody spent many nights. Of course, buffalo burgers were the first choice of most of the students.

A couple of weeks later, during the traditional January thaw in this part of the country, the group traveled to the Bozeman, Montana, area and stayed at Yellowstone Alliance Adventures Camp. From there they made a day long trip through the northern section of Yellowstone National Park. In the LaMar Valley, they spotted numerous elk and buffalo and even one wolf, usually elusive during mid-day. At lower elevations they saw both mule and white-tail deer, pronghorns and eagles. They also visited the terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs. The Koreans were most interested in the hot springs and indicated they would have enjoyed a soak, something not possible where the water boils out of the ground at 200 degrees or more.

Back at the camp, the kids went inner-tubing down a luge-like course, at speeds up to 25 miles per hour or more. It was exhilarating and piqued their appetites for supper and a treat they had never experienced for dessert-smores. They also enjoyed relaxing music by the stone fireplace in the lodge provided by one of the Koreans, an accomplished pianist.

Before heading back to Billings the next day, they wandered the streets of Bozeman, a much more pedestrian oriented city than Billings. Both the French and Koreans loved Bozeman. They explained that their cities were organized more on the pedestrian model and Bozeman reminded them of home. In sum, the Korean and French students greatly enjoyed their mid-winter foray into the heart of the West, telling Brian it was a highlight of their six week stay at MSU-Billings.

These short but meaningful trips for foreign students are another example of how Global Travel Alliance is building bridges and changing lives of people from all parts of the globe and from all walks of life. If you or someone you know would be interested in similar short experiences for groups, give us a call toll-free at 1-866-313-2577. We would be most happy to discuss your plans and design a trip that will exceed your expectations.

Korean students with Yellowstone Elk in the background.

 

Two Roads Projects Continue Tradition of Service

Middle School students from three campuses met at the Lewis and Clark Middle School Library in Billings, Montana, the evening of February 10, 2015, to report on their Two Roads Projects. This program, the inspiration of veteran teacher, Jamie Jarvis, began in 2010, when Jamie and his wife gave three students $100.00 each and told them to try to multiply it, do some good in the community and report back in three months. The program, as the saying goes, went viral, and soon schools in Bozeman, Montana, and even in Colorado had begun their own projects. Television stations and local newspapers ran several articles about kids who helped veterans, provided hats for cancer survivors undergoing chemotherapy, and made donations to an organization dedicated to caring for handicapped adults, among others.

This year’s Billings students were no less creative . The Lewis and Clark group consisting of Jade, Harper and Jaylyn, targeted an after-school program called House 316 in a poor section of town. This organization ministers to elementary aged kids until their parents can pick them up after work. The Two Roads students raised money to purchase books, games and snacks for House 316. They were somewhat distressed because they couldn’t do more. Some of their promised funding never materialized. Jamie Jarvis was quick to point out, however, that this is part of the human experience. “Don’t feel ashamed,” he exhorted. “This is merely another life-lesson connected with the project. As we all eventually find out, things don’t turn out as we would like.” In the end, the local Hobby Lobby gave the group a generous donation so they could complete their project successfully.

Duncan, Jack, Lalla and Kaylee, representing St. Francis Middle School, were able to capitalize on funding from past sources. In addition to the usual bake sales, penny tosses and raffles, they were able to add $1400 to the $400 they were awarded from Global Travel Alliance.

In the past, Two Roads students had given support to Eagle Mount, a Billings based agency that provides assistance to disabled adults. The St. Francis students donated $1800 toward the purchase of ski and other equipment for folks who desire to take part in winter activities. The students like the idea that Eagle Mount tries to involve their clients in as many meaningful activities as possible, one way of showing them that they need not be thwarted by their various disabilities.

The St. Francis group also donated $400 to St. Vincent DePaul, which is currently raising funds to build a shelter for the homeless and transient population in Billings. The students believe that this project will alleviate much suffering for these unfortunate people, especially during the winter months where temperatures most often range below zero to around 35 degrees above-definitely not weather to be out in especially when lacking warm clothes and shoes.

Shelby, Chelan, David and Noah from Lockwood School in Billings raised an additional $800 above the $400 seed money they were given. Shelby presented the project to her church and others solicited Walmart, with both making significant donations. The group also talked to a bakery owner who immediately said he would donate ten dozen cupcakes for a bake sale if the kids would help him frost and decorate them. From what the kids said, that turned into a mini-party for them.

Their project consisted of putting gift baskets together for nursing homes residents. They ended up donating 115 baskets on Valentine’s Day filled with crossword puzzles, chocolates, flowers and cupcakes they knew the elderly would enjoy.

Noah and David related a story that greatly impacted them: they knocked on a door and waited for a couple of minutes. When no answered , they proceeded down the hallway to the next room. Just then the door opened behind them. An elderly man stood there not saying a word. The boys gave him a basket and wished him a Happy Valentine’s Day. He took the basket and suddenly burst into tears as he closed the door still without saying anything. Whether he was unable to speak or simply overwhelmed by the gift, the boys never found out. They did, however, learn how even small acts of kindness can greatly bless others.

Shelby added to the story by explaining many of the residents seemed to reflect the fact that they did not have many visitors. On more than one occasion when presented with a basket, the recipient would exclaim, “For me,” and begin crying.

At the end of the sharing time, Jamie Jarvis summed up the evening with these words: “Service is giving of self so others are impacted. But, as you students have found out, you are also touched and impacted.”

Parents were also touched by the stories. One noted, “What a great way for kids to learn more about what’s going on in their community.”

No, this isn’t a massive program in terms of community impact, but in their own groups and in their own way, these students made a difference in the lives of several hundred people with issues ranging from homelessness , dealing with disabilities to advanced age. The Two Roads Project is named after the poem by Robert Frost, The Road not Taken. which ends:

Two Roads diverged in a wood and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

These Two Roads students are obviously on the less traveled road of service to others, and it has and will make all the difference in their lives as they grow into adulthood.

(Jamie Jarvis has plans to expand the Two Roads Project for the 2015-2016 Academic Year. He hopes to have twice the number of students involved in the Billings area as well as more in the Bozeman area. Global Travel Alliance is committed to providing the $100 per student start-up funds. Your financial assistance with this project in any amount would be gratefully appreciated.)