Gogi Abroad
Liz Jackson, Gogi Abroad founder, with a friend and member of the the Beading Collective in Tanzania
Gogi Abroad is a small, dynamic organization with seasoned, enthusiastic leaders who work closely with families to ensure a safe, inspiring experience. We come to know each student personally in a true relationship that lasts beyond the trip itself and into life.
Based in Brattleboro, Vermont, Gogi Abroad was founded by Liz Jackson, a passionate educator who has been teaching adolescents and leading international trips for over 10 years. Liz holds a Master’s Degree in Education from Lesley University and brings fifteen years of experience as an educator of both Spanish and Waldorf curriculum. She is a seasoned trip leader and an avid traveler with over 20 student trips logged in just the last five years and recently completed a ten-month trip around the world with her family.
Her passion for travel and experiential learning is rooted in her own transformative experiences studying abroad as a teenager. She loves witnessing her students’ growing awareness of the world as they travel together, and she brings both the compassion of a mother and the clarity and knowledge of an educator.
Our Mission
We believe in the transformative power of experiential learning. Traveling to places that challenge one’s outlook is a crucial step in a person’s spiritual, intellectual, and personal growth. Gogi trips expose travelers to the language, culture, and people of a new community, expanding students’ ideas about how to live and how to be a global citizen. Unexpected detours are part of the magic of traveling, as they are what prompt us to grow on a deeper level. We request that students strive for empathy, understanding, and kindness. These are hallmarks of Gogi Abroad programs.
Our Vision
We strive to help the next generation learn for themselves what it is to be a traveler, not a tourist. We aim to develop empowered, empathetic students of the world, curious about what they can learn from others and about themselves. We believe the detours and bumps we encounter on the road spark the richest inward growth and we ask that students meet these challenges with flexibility and patience for the experience and for themselves. We provide students the opportunity to handle small challenges and frustrations in a safe and compassionate environment so that they may develop the confidence and resources to navigate future roadblocks on their own. We believe the lessons learned and challenges overcome while on the road will serve our students wherever they decide to call home.
Liz and Gogi Arroyo who inspired our cultural programs, mission, and name!
“I was nervous about sending my daughter to Spain with Gogi Abroad, because she’s never even been to a sleepover camp, yet I knew she’d be in great hands with Liz. Gogi Abroad leaders care deeply about each of the kids, and she felt so comfortable with Liz. I’m so glad she did this trip because she had a life-changing experience!”
“What I really appreciate about Gogi is that the trips are beyond anything that I could create myself, even though I am a pretty seasoned traveler. Liz has a global network of amazing people that she works with. Our trip leaders were South American and were very accomplished outdoors people with lots of technical expertise and they were very skilled with nurturing the group, caring for the kids and attending to the evolving community dynamic.” ”
Gogi Abroad Offers . . . .
Custom designed cultural immersion trips for schools and homeschool groups
Open registration trips designed for adults and families
Authentic cultural connections in Tanzania, Peru, Ecuador, Nepal and Spain.
An 8-month Tribal Gap Year program in four countries for ages 18-22
Personal and detailed support balanced with independence and freedom
A life-long connection to the Gogi global family
