Bullis School Puerto Rico 2026
June 6, 2026
Today we met at DCA and spotted everyone easily at 6:15am because of our amazing matching red Global Works shirts. From there we headed over to our gate and split in groups to grab food around the terminal! Then it was time for our 3.5 hour flight (where we got the chance to sit next to our friends). When we were coming in for our landing we looked out the window and saw the most gorgeous view of Puerto Rico. After landing we met with our group leaders, grabbed our bags and took some fun selfies.
Now it’s lunch time!!!! The food was delicious, and a fan favorite meal at lunch was the chicken dish. At the restaurant we got the opportunity to use our Spanish to order water and sodas, played Uno and talked for a while. We also saw a very cute cat resting in the shade under a table and green iguana sun tanning. We walked out of the restaurant, hopped in the vans and took some very nice naps on the way to Casa Coral, about an hour and a half ride (there was lots of island traffic).
At Casa Coral we all checked out rooms, had some free time, and changed into swim suits. Then we had a meeting in the common area where we got to know each other and played name games and went over some rules. We got the chance to get in the lake near the house. The water wasn’t cold at all. We played beach volleyball and took some pictures. We had to meet for dinner at 6:30 pm, so we went inside, took showers and had a very delicious chicken dinner. After dinner we had some free time, played cards, listened to music, played football and met in the upstairs common area at 7:20 pm! During our meeting time we reflected on our day, played a fun team game and talked about our feelings.
AND OUT WITH A BANG
BULL DOGS!🐶
By: Gabby & Kellen
June 7, 2026
Hola Comunidad de Bulldogs!
It’s your favorite leaders, Zach and Sophie, writing the blog tonight. It’s the end of Day 2 of our Global Works Puerto Rico trip. Today we got up at 6:30 in the morning to get ready for our super awesome walking tour in Old San Juan. We ate our delicious, scrumptious breakfast around 8 am and got into the vans to head to Old San Juan. The car ride was about 45 minutes, and once we got there we were greeted by our rad tour guide Alvin who was super friendly and got us all organized. He took us from the Princess Garden, where we learned about Felisa Rincon de Gautier, who was the first female mayor in San Juan, to the beautiful churches where we learned about statues with many different meanings. Then we walked to El Morro, which is a large fort that we explored before we headed to lunch at El Jibarito.
After lunch we had time for souvenir shopping, Sophie bought a nice body wash while Zach bought a pair of cool heart sunglasses. After some shopping we got ice cream that is viral on Instagram because some of the ice creams are shaped like fruit and taste very good. After that we came back to Casa Coral where we began our cooking class. In the class we learned more about Puerto Rican history through food and made mofongo and sofrito. We ate it for dinner and it was so good! Then we all settled down to play a fun game of Mafia. We had great group bonding today, and we can’t wait to see what the rest of the trip brings.
Hasta Mañana Bulldogs,
Sophie y Zach
June 8, 2026
Today we woke up at Casa Coral and packed our bags before eating a delicious breakfast and heading out for the cacao farm. The potatoes were so crispy and everything was flavourful and fresh. Before we left, we met a local who had a puppy that she could fit into her tiny purse!
Once we arrived at the Cacao Farm, we met with our tour guide and farm owner Decennia, who told us about how she started the farm 13 years ago. We got to try her chocolate, including the cacao pod before eating a delicious lunch of chicken, rice, and fresh local papaya! After lunch, we spent time reflecting on all that we had learned today and where we want to see ourselves in 13 years, similar to Decennia’s story. We did this 30 feet apart from each other to fully immerse in our own minds. After this, we regrouped and divided into groups to work around the farm in. I helped water cacao plants while others were painting, sifting dirt, weeding, and meeting farm animals.
When we arrived at the Big Yellow House, we settled in before heading to the beach where we played taps and saw several sea turtles swimming near us. We came home and had some downtime before dinner catered by our good friend Ricky, who made us a delicious traditional spread of Puerto Rican rotisserie chicken, fried sweet plantains, tostones, salad, and bread. We also got a traditional Puerto Rican pastry called “quesito”. We enjoyed entertainment time as a group and played charades and hackey sack just like we do at school. ¡Estamos listos para mañana!
By Kellen + Crosby
June 9, 2026
Today we got breakfast at the Big (small) Yellow House at a lovely 8 am, with a suprising change of menu: French Toast, sausages, fruit, and eggs. After that, everyone got dressed in their tough hard-hat clothes and we split up into two vans to head to the site. On the drive over we saw hurricane wreckage, stray animals, and experienced some of the more hilly and narrow roads of Puerto Rico, exploring a part we had not yet experienced. Shoutout to our incredible, shifty and fabulous drivers Fernando and Alex.
At the site, we got to meet Ángel, Willy, and Eggy (who made a very dramatic entrance). The group was briefed on the instructions and safety precautions, followed by acquiring our never before used yellow hard-hats and gloves. Now that we were suited up, the last thing needed was Bad Bunny. We had a dance circle to get the vibes going. JP and friends shoveled the sand into buckets, followed by Global Works crew helping to put it with concrete powder into the mixer. Then, Shyer and Zach shoveled the liquid cement mixture into buckets to hand off to Zara and Brooke. Their buckets were passed down the fire line which was at this point a full-fledged dance party. In total, we were able to complete the floors in 3 different rooms, which was more than anticipated.
On the small hike to lunch, we came into conflict with a rogue horse who was definetly also annoyed by the heat of the day and saw tons of cute dogs too. After a grueling hike, we made it to lunch where we had a delicious home cooked meal made by Maria, Ángel’s wife. Similar to the work site, Maria had lots of kittens and animals at her house, yet one that the group will forever remember and have in our hearts is the sweet white dog with the hurt leg from the work site. He was so full of joy and symbolizes the Puerto Rican community with his resilience. Cami, Maria’s grand daughter, was super social and very sweet, showing us her drawings and sharing her kittens with the group. She even carried a bucket or two at the site to help us out. After years of debate, she finally surpassed Karina in height which was a very big deal.
After lunch we still had a sweet craving and got rewarded for our hard work with a trip to the grocery store. People got things ranging from granola bars, ice cream, to a candy salad which all the friends contributed to. After the grocery store, we went back to the Big (small) Yellow House and got ready to head down to the beach where we played Taps, Categories, and Steal The Bacon. Suprisingly, we saw horses swimming in deep dangerous waters which was a never before seen sight. Following beach time, everyone had some free time to relax and prepare for dinner. Some chose to chill, others played basketball, while most fought over the shower (common occurrence).
We reconvened at the dinner table at 6:30 to feast on some chicken and incredibly delicious baked potatoes, with a side of salad and cupcakes for dessert. Ms. Niepold had the clever idea to do shoutouts and everyone had a chance to say some kind words about another which was a good appreciation activity. The entertainment crew of the day had the fun idea to play “graveyard,” and in the process we pranked one of the leaders, (Zach), by running away and hiding from him. It was VERY funny. We played some red-light green-light too and Leila won one of the rounds which she was very exstatic about (she probably cheated). Even more impressive than Leila’s win, Luke had to show off 4 different magic tricks, some really bad with others being pretty good and really tripping up the whole group.
All in all it was a pretty successful day, and we can’t wait to do it all over again tomorrow! Estamos listos para mañana!
By Shyer & Leila
June 10, 2026
Hola! Today six of us (Kellen, Zach, Gabby, Ms. Kadets, Sra. Neipold and Ivanna) got up early for a yoga class in the backyard of big yellow house provided by our legendary trip leader, Karina! We loved it so much and it was a great start to all of our days. The rest of us woke up around 7:30 am to get ready for breakfast and our second day of building the floor for Antonio’s house (Antonio is one of the amazing community members.) Breakfast today was at 8 am and consisted of fruit, pancakes, and sausage, as well as other amazing food provided by Chef Ricky! After breakfast everyone put on all of their long, concrete-proof pants (not actually) and headed to the vans for a calm 30-minute drive to the work site. On the drive we played tons of games and we tried to get off our phones as much as possible to continue getting to know each other (by the end of this trip we will all be best friends!!). We passed multiple other construction sites and in some areas, Henry spotted foundations with nothing on them. It’s pretty possible this could mean that the house was destroyed from a hurricane. This showed Henry how much his work, as well as everyone’s work, means to the community.
We arrived at the site at around 9:45 am and put all of our gloves on for another great day of work. Yesterday we completed the floor of 2 big rooms in the back of the house, and today we continued pouring concrete towards the front of the house for two bathrooms and another large room. Pretty much every single person tried each and every job possible, from shoveling sand into buckets, shoveling concrete into buckets, passing full and empty buckets, as well as pouring concrete. But most importantly, Henry and Zara were in charge of making sure the beautiful neighborhood dogs did not step into the wet cement and get stuck. We also made sure to give both of the cute dogs some cold water, which they loved so much! We were making insane progress and at around 12 pm we finished the 2 bathrooms and the hallway and were ready for lunch!
We headed to Maria’s house just like yesterday at 12 pm and sat down for lunch and got some much needed cold AC. Lunch today was chicken nuggets, rice and beans. As of now, Gabby and Henry have heard that this was everyone’s favorite lunch so far! We are so thankful to Maria for preparing another incredible meal for us! After all of us ate we formed a circle and played two rounds of this word-association game called Imposter. We played two rounds and the word in the first game was “Squirrel” and in the second round it was “watch.” (Of course Henry won both because he is so good.) At 1 pm we left Maria’s House and headed right back to the work site.
We got back to the work site at around 1:05 PM and got right back into work to finish one half of the final big room! This was our first time working on the house in the afternoon and it was so much hotter, but within 30 minutes we got it done! Henry saw Ms. Kadets, Zach, and Shyer working so hard in the afternoon and was super impressed. Everyone was super hype and dancing around and time flew by as we had fun! At around 1:45 pm we were done for the day and cleaned up and got on the buses at around 2 and headed back for the big yellow house. The bus ride was lots of fun: Ms. Kadets, Luke, Ivanna, and Gabby played contact on the ride back!
We got back at the big (small) yellow house at 2:45 pm and we had around an hour and a half to relax before we headed to the beach for an awesome hike. Some of us played soccer, basketball, other games, ate snacks, or just relaxed on the houses super comfy couches.
At 4 pm we all headed for the short beach hike and we found two incredible lookouts where we took some awesome pictures that we’re sure all of you have seen or will see. It truly was an incredible view! We then took around 30 minutes to swim in the beautiful clear waters of Puerto Rico and then headed back to the big yellow house to prepare for dinner.
We all got ready for dinner, had some delicious pasta with red sauce, and sat around the table. Then we chatted about how we were feeling during the day and gave some shout-outs. Then we met another amazing Global Works community member who taught us all salsa moves while we danced the night away then got ready for bed at 10 pm! It was truly an exhilarating day!
ADIOS and catch us tomorrow!!!
Gabby and Henry
June 11, 2026
Hola amigos! Today we started off the day with yoga and an amazing breakfast (as always) made by Ricky. We ate waffles, sausages, and eggs right before getting ready to leave for the day. As the leaders of the day, we had to make sure that everyone had on sunscreen and was ready to go for our exciting work day. While on the way to the work site, a couple of us played the game Contact again, which was mentioned in the previous blog.
For the last time, we made it to Antonio’s house in Villa del Río. Like the previous two days, we created the house’s floor by making and placing cement using a human assembly line. Knowing the routine, we worked very hard and efficiently. We had music blasting the whole time to keep the vibes up, and put our salsa skills to use. We made what might’ve seemed like hours of work into a moment of fun and connection. We finished all of our service before lunch and within two hours. As the last bit of cement was smoothed out, we shouted “estamos terminado!” in celebration.
After taking our last walk up the gut-wrenching hill, we made it to Maria’s house where we ate some (really) delicious chicken wings, rice, and salad. During our meal, we took some time to commend each other for our hard work, commitment, resilience, and positivity during our work time. We also reflected by thinking of advice that we would have given ourselves a few days ago (we did not think we would enjoy working!). After that, we enjoyed talking together and playing with Maria’s dog and cats. Then we headed back to the yellow house.
We enjoyed one and a half hours of free time, where some of us decided to play a card game called Cambio to pass the time. We talked, changed, played basketball, watched the first World Cup game (Mexico won!), and ran numerous hacky-sack sessions.
After that, we headed to our beach for the last time :(. Many of us were trying to catch fish and crabs (none were caught). After the beach, we made our way back to the small yellow house and we once again fought over who showered first (thankfully Ivanna did tonight). Once all of us got a chance in the shower, we got ready for a dinner with the community from our work site.
The relationships we built during our work time came full circle during our meal. We enjoyed cooked chicken with roasted potatoes, waffle fries, salad, and cupcakes. After we ate, we got into groups of four to create questions for the community to answer. Angel, a community member who leads construction for Global Works, answered our questions with kindness and said a few words about the work we did and what it meant to them. The moment was so touching — it even made some people tear up. The community members even gifted us these awesome Puerto Rico bracelets with charms on them. After various conversations and getting to know the locals more, we took a group photo.
Before bed, we spent free time with the community members, ate ice cream, and played some card games. Luke (one of our trip leaders) showed us his daily card trick again, which we finally figured out after making him do it almost 10 times. Finally, we ended the night with another round of Cambio.
We’re really excited for tomorrow. Buenas noches!
By Ivanna and Isaiah
June 12, 2026
Hola! This morning we woke up at 7 AM and had an amazing breakfast of french toast and eggs made by Ricky. We then packed up all of our stuff and changed into our bathing suits for our snorkeling adventure. We gathered outside of the Big Yellow House together to have paper plate awards (but on index cards) made by Ms. Kadets, Ms. Niepold, Gabby, and Leila. This included awards like “Who’s most likely to be on The Voice” which Ivanna won for her incredible singing voice and “Dancing Queen” which Kellen won because of his spectacular dance moves.
We then left for snorkeling. The drive over was an hour and a half, and people listened to music and played contact. Once we got there, we got our gear, and some of us went to a bakery. We then went to the marina, and got on the boat. We left the docks, but had some engine trouble and had to switch boats. Once we were moving again, we went to the snorkeling spot (which was about a 25 min ride) and we got into the water. We saw two octopuses, a bunch of fish at the coral reef, and a sea turtle. After we were done snorkeling, we got back on the boat, and went just outside of a private island to swim and have lunch made by the crew. Lunch was sandwiches with turkey, lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese. The crew provided us with many snacks and drinks, including (virgin) piña coladas. We had the opportunity to swim and visit the beach for about an hour and then we headed back to the docks.
After we got back on land, we sadly had to say goodbye to Ms. Kadets because she was leaving early. We then piled into the vans and headed back to Casa Coral. We arrived around 7 PM and had time to settle in, while dinner was at 8 PM. At 7:30, we gathered in a circle and said things we noticed about the person to our right throughout the trip. We had a delicious dinner of chicken and beef, with rice and beans.
After dinner, we shared our highlights of the day, which included singing on the boat, seeing the wildlife underwater, and the snorkel tour overall. We then had quiet time starting at 10 PM.
Adios!
Brooke and Zara
