At World Minded we are passionate about ethical business and we found a fun one that you should know about. Meet Groundswell Educational Travel. They “lead immersion courses in sustainable tourism to world-class surfing destinations for college credit.” Let me clarify; a college student can travel on a Groundswell trip to a remote location (Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua, Peru, Liberia, etc.), become educated about the culture in that area, help with projects beneficial to the area, surf incredible breaks and get college credits all at the same time. Sign me up! Oops, college was 20 years ago for me and boy do I wish they were around then…

Each trip takes 10 to 18 students and along with the trip leaders there is always a professor educating about the area. It’s an upper level GE course offered through SDSU in Cross Cultural Interaction (which many schools require) with an emphasis on sustainable surf tourism and is not just open to SDSU students. Do you have to already know how to surf to go? Nope. You can learn on the trip; however, you should probably have a strong desire to before you sign up.

We are so excited to introduce Groundswell to you because they have created the perfect business model to cross passion while having a positive impact on the world at the same time. Not only are they positively impacting the areas they visit, but they are forever impacting the students who travel with them by showing them firsthand the connection of all things. We wish this ethical business all the success in the world! Meet the founders under our Remarkable People section.

Their Mission
“Groundswell Educational Travel aims to positively change global surf travel. We hope to shape traveling surfers into responsible global citizens that are considerate of and become advocates for the people, culture, and environment of the world’s best surf destinations. On a larger scale, we hope for global peace as we learn more about the beauty and value of diverse cultures and learn to appreciate and respect all people through first-hand experience.”

Why Groundswell is Different
“Groundswell Educational Travel leads immersion courses in sustainable tourism to world-class surfing destinations for college credit. Because travel and tourism is the leading industry in the world it is essential to be aware of the global importance and the implications concerning environmental, economic, and social issues. Surf tourism offers a focused look into the broad issue of the influence of tourism on local coastal populations.

Groundswell offers courses that are based on short-term study abroad experiences combined with college content and assignments (for university credit). Reading and assessments prepare students to get the most out of the in-country experience. The courses leverage student’s interest in travel and surfing (or learning to surf) to provide a powerful learning experience centered on cross-cultural understanding and sustainability in the context of surf travel. We focus on cultural understanding, environmental stewardship, and sustainable tourism.

Forty percent of the world’s population live in coastal communities that have differing social structures, cultural values, environments, and economic systems that are impacted by surf tourism every day. We hope to make that impact positive. As surf travel offers us adventure, education, and enjoyment, we learn about other cultures and ourselves; this is how we hope to move forward for a more tolerant future for all.”

For more information visit www.groundswelltravel.com

About Charles Perry

Charles is a bit of a renaissance man, a citizen of the planet, a building inspector by trade, devoted father & husband and one of the funniest people he knows. He is deeply passionate about peace, social justice and respect and equality for all living creatures. Charles thought up the World Minded ideology several years ago and has made it his goal to inspire people around the world to care for themselves, others and the planet we share by exposing what’s right in the world. He resides in the Eastern Sierras and loves life in the mountains, but longs for the beach because of some ridiculous “grass is always greener” notion.

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