History
GLEAN is the result of a long term evolution starting in 1997 with a program called Kids Studying Eurasian Nomads (KSEN). At that time it was a subsidiary of the Center for the Study of Eurasian Nomads, an organization in Berkeley, CA, directed by renowned archaeologist and author Dr. Jeannine Davis Kimball.

KSEN was started by Dr. Kimball's assistant, Suzanne Lettrick, who is also an educator. In 2000, with the intent to study nomadic cultures in Eurasia as well as in other regions, Suzanne created her own non-profit organization called Girls Global Education and Action Network. As the name implies, the organization was intended for girls only.

In 2003, the board voted to allow boys to participate.

GLEAN provides expeditions, training, and support to teenagers researching world cultures and issues. The Global Education and Action Network is a 501(c)3 non-profit public benefit organization that arranges a support network and expeditions to remote places in the world where young people interview, film, photograph, record, and learn from people living traditional lifestyles.

Students have researched cultures in Mongolia, China, Siberia, India, Botswana, South Africa, and Nicaragua for one to two months at a time.

Founder & Executive Director

Suzanne Lettrick, M.Ed founded The Global Education and Action Network and its precursor organization, Kids Studying Eurasian Nomads, in 1996. Since then she has traveled with teenagers from all walks of life to remote areas of the planet in order to learn about world issues and to gather stories of the earth, healing, and humankind from the indigenous peoples themselves. As an educator, writer, and photographer, Suzanne believes that the world’s people have so much to teach us about life and healing and about taking care of the earth, each other, and ourselves in ways that are integrative, intuitive, and simple.

Board Members
Don Menn, Secretary	Abby Falik
Suzanne Lettrick, President	Nancye Franzoni
Glen Sherman, Treasurer
Advisory Board
Ian Masters	Dane Gillibrand
Dr. Jeannine Davis-Kimball