Resolving Health, Education and Economic Disparities

Squads Abroad is a program of Global Brigades, an international non-profit that uniquely implements a holistic model to meet a community’s health and economic goals. Our model systematically builds community ownership and collaboratively executes programs with the end goal of sustainably transitioning to a relationship of impact monitoring.

Our Mission

To empower volunteers and under-resourced communities to resolve global health, education, and economic disparities and inspire all involved to collaboratively work towards an equal world.

Our Vision

To improve equality of life by igniting the largest student-led social responsibility movement on the planet.

Our Values

Empowerment

Creating an infrastructure that propels passion to meaningful results

Holistic Approach

Implementing programming at all levels through a multi-disciplinary model

Scalability

Perpetuating positive impact

Sustainability

Creating replicable systems that maximize impact

Financial Transparency

Demonstrating efficient resource usage

Collaboration

Facilitating a “partnership” approach that makes any act of “service” empowering

What makes Squads Abroad’s program different than others?

Funded Through Student Movement

Squads Abroad, a program of Global Brigades, funds all of its programs, leadership development and administrative costs through the fundraising efforts of more than 500 Global Brigades university Chapters and high school Squads Groups around the world. This grass-roots fundraising effort gives us the autonomy to develop programs to the needs of communities, rather than the whims of a few large donors.

Community-Led Sustainability

All of our projects include community member involvement, formation of committees and long term funding streams for future sustainability. We believe that the empowerment of local leaders is the only way that programs will continue to be maintained and grow once Global Brigades transitions its partnership with a community to follow-up.

Full-Time Local Teams

Global Brigades employs more than 100 full-time local staff members and over 300 temporary local staff members year-round. Our local staff members are the driving force behind program development, brigade coordination, community follow-up and impact measurement. We believe that programs should be locally led.

Government Collaboration

We believe in working with local governments instead of against or in replacement of. Our projects could not be possible without the support of local governments. The local governments are involved with each of our projects in varying degrees such as offering support in funding, transportation of supplies, equipment, and/or vocalizing support.