GeoVisions
Programs and Reviews
GEOVISIONS WORKS WITH YOU TO HELP YOU MEET YOUR PERSONAL GOALS
GeoVisions ... We're small enough to pay close attention to our students and our employers, and large enough to give you the support and resources you need to be assured of a rewarding international experience.
Founded in 2001, GeoVisions' Co-Founders bring over 70 years of experience in international education and exchange. We're young enough to know what's needed in the twenty-first century, and old enough to have learned what's not needed.
GeoVisions carefully screens partners around the globe to help prepare participants for living in their host country.
We know the importance of international education and exchange, and we understand the value these experiences bring to your life.
Programs Abroad
Reviews
10%Overall
Rating
90%Overall
Rating
I signed up for Geo Visions Conversation Partners in early 2012 and I was matched with a family in March. There were a few communication glitches in the pre-departure process, but everything worked out. Living in Italy has always been a dream of mine, and this seemed like the perfect way to be introduced to the culture and make some Italian friends. I have been here for two days and my host family (a couple my age with no children) have been wonderful. They are very flexible and easy-going, and their schedules will allow me lots of free time to explore the Florence/Tuscany region. So far, everything has been great and Geo Visions has followed through on everything they said they would.
80%Overall
Rating
Overall my experience with the Conversation Corp program from GeoVisions in Italy was very positive. My assignment was to spend 15-20 hours a week tutoring two lovely Italian teenagers [13 and 16] in English. To my surprise, both of them were already quite good so that was actually more of a challenge then I had imagined.Also, the parents inadvertently began learning some English as well which he kids had great fun mimicking and acting out, you'd be surprised how similar 'angry' and 'hungry' sound to an Italian.
I had traveled to Italy previously for a semester abroad and vacation. Once that travel bug hit me again, I was seeking a new way to explore a culture I already knew I loved. The home-stay program was wonderful for anyone seeking to really get involved with a family and their local network. I was told some families only want a tutor and some families want the whole experience, thankfully mine was the latter. [State that this kind of experience is what you are looking for on your app to avoid the first kind].
I suggest this program if you are a comfortable, independent traveler looking for a unique experience in a country. If you don't have prior Italian language experience, make sure you put that app as well. I was in an area where no one spoke English save one or two people and it was a challenge I loved [even though it was intimidating at times], but if that's not for you, tell them.
I have already been back to visit my Italian host family throughout my continued travels and the kids and I Facebook chat regularly. I don't keep up the blog I began during my time there anymore, allieinitaly.tumblr.com, but it's still up for anyone looking to learn more about the program or the beloved seaside town of Porto Sant'Elpidio.
100%Overall
Rating
I spent the summer of 2011 with a family in Civitanova Marche. I lived with a family who had one son. The family was absolutely amazing, and they took me into their home and treated me like family. I truly felt at home being with them. 5 days a week I would sit down with the son for an hour and teach him an English lesson. We worked on vocabulary through games. We worked on words that are used on a daily basis. I used the resources provided by GeoVisions, which were generally just ideas to spur a lesson. From the ideas, I would build on them. I used the internet a lot to find short movies, google translator (when we were really stuck), and images.
On the weekends, I would travel to nearby cities to site-see. I did have difficulty finding friends at first because of the location of the family home. We were not located in a town with easy walking as we were located in the countryside of beach area. I had to count on the family to drive me places. I did meet up with people, and we were able to travel together on the weekends or meet up on a week night. The good thing about it is that once we did get to hanging out, we continued our friendships back in the States. I actually just got back from Denver from meeting up with them.
I absolutely loved my time abroad in Civitanova and chalk it up to getting placed with a family that was a perfect fit for me.
60%Overall
Rating
Moving to a new country is for the traveler that seeks to challenge themselves on a daily basis, right? Well, for those that have decided to pack up and call Holland their new home, it couldn't be more true. It's not to say that there aren't good times to be had in this small European country, but from my experience it is one of the most difficult places in the world to obtain great food, an affordable lifestyle, and most importantly a friendly social group!! There are many pieces to the expat puzzle that are often only revealed when you are in your new host country trying to establish a "normal" life. For an aupair in Holland, these pieces tend to be realizations that constantly being broke is inevitable (due to the high prices for food, bars, clothes...etc.) and that the Dutch are not the easiest to befriend. Despite their open-mindedness towards drugs, sexuality, and religion, their everyday social gatherings do not allow for expats to try and find their niche within their new surroundings. This is not to say that there aren't great Dutch people out there, but I must say it is one of the hardest challenges I have faced during my time here. On the plus side, most people speak English and are willing to help an American in need of some directions or suggestions!! I have also come to find that there are TONS of ways to travel in Holland (via bus, tram, metro, train...etc.) which makes things easier at times. Overall, I would let future aupairs know that life in Holland is not a walk in the park and to think if this would be the right fit for them, because this culture is not for the timid!
Alumni Interviews
Staff Interview
Interview: Randy LeGrant, GeoVisions Executive Director
We are proud to feature Randy LeGrant, who is the Executive Director of GeoVisions. Randy and the rest of the folks at GeoVisions provide voluntourism opportunities in international education and exchange in over 25 countries around the world. Randy has extensive experience in teach, volunteer, and internship opportunities abroad, and we're delighted to have him here today to share his own experiences and advice. We hope you enjoy the interview and welcome further comments and questions below!
GO: Lets start with a brief introduction. Who are you, where are you, and what are you doing?
Randy: My name is Randy LeGrant and I'm the Executive Director of GeoVisions. Our inbound office, where we operate the J-1 Visa U.S. Work and Travel program is located in Chesterfield, NH. Our outbound office, where we operate the volunteer and teach abroad programs is located in Guilford, CT. I work in Guilford and I love it. The building we're in was built in 1750 and the town Green we overlook was built in 1639. About a mile down the road is a working harbor for Lobstermen and we even have a lighthouse. We feel like we walk around in a postcard all day.
GO: Tell us a little about GeoVisions and what this organization aims to accomplish?
Randy: We founded GeoVisions on August 11, 2001. We hit our first real challenge a month later on September 11, 2001. But through that, and most recently the global financial meltdown, we have managed every year to grow our programs and the number of volunteers and teachers we send abroad.
Something many people don't realize is the amount of experience the three principals of GeoVisions have. We're old guys and in some respects that works against us. But combined we have 109 years of experience in this field. When we sit down at a table for a meeting, 109 years of experience is a good thing.
And before you take pitty on this old man, I'll also share that I'm a Black Belt in TaeKwon-Do and hold 5 Gold Medals in International competition. I'm in the Dojang four nights a week unless I'm traveling. Even then I research a GTF or ITF school where I'm going to be.
GO: Describe a typical GeoVision volunteer.
Randy: Is there a typical volunteer that is drawn to GeoVisions? That's a good question. Our volunteers and teachers are mostly 22-35 years of age. 80% come from the U.S. and the other 20% from the UK, Canada and Australia. 65% are female and that actually is lower than the industry average of 80%. We attract more males, I think, because of the unique projects we have available.
When we talk to people with an interest in volunteering abroad or teaching abroad, we ask a lot of questions. A good volunteer is either going to have a very precise reason for going abroad and a very precise location in mind, or the volunteer will be open to suggestions and countries. You either need to be focused on one type of project in one location or you need to be an open canvas, ready to write or draw your experience as it happens.
GeoVisions engages in Voluntourism. We are not an aid or development organization and we don't pretend to be. The type of programs we provide give a volunteer or teacher plenty of time to experience the local culture and to travel around the country. And then we provide the time to roll up your sleeves and get a lot of experience working in a community, and living with a local family.
GO: Many aspiring volunteers are surprised to learn they must pay hundreds (or thousands) of dollars to volunteer abroad. How does GeoVisions address this concern?
Randy: The "why do I have to pay to volunteer" is a question we get from time to time. Interestingly, as Voluntourism is now a "mainstream" travel experience, most people know they are going to have to pay. But years ago it was a question we received all the time.
When we open up a new project, we calculate fees based on what it will cost us to support the project properly. We don't want any volunteer to be a burden on the community or a host family. So we build in an insurance policy that covers death, accident, medical and dental. In countries where families need assistance with food for another mouth to feed, we calculate that cost. And almost all projects require a financial arrangement to help offset the cost of a foreign volunteer. The volunteer found out about GeoVisions and the project through the Internet and I don't think anyone understands the enormous cost of marketing programs online. Our annual online marketing fees are more than we pay in any salary to anyone on our staff. And then of course we don't set up a project unless someone from our team goes abroad and fills out a 15-page Risk Management report on the project, the people who work at the project, the community and the host family if we use one.
We maintain a page on our website that explains how we spend volunteer's money and we try to be transparent. Above all, we respect anyone who is going abroad to help others. We respect the time our volunteers are giving and the money they are spending.
I like to think we honor the commitment of our volunteers and teachers by providing solid but very unique experiences. We have a live person answering our phones 24/7 and we care about what our volunteers think and what they are doing. We write to them when they are abroad and check in from time to time with our offices there. We have a big presence on Facebook where volunteers can write anything they want and we also encourage comments on our blog. We don't remove anything that is negative because we know we aren't going to please everyone. But the fact that we are transparent and we do provide many open forums, we know that makes us a better organization each day.
GO: What do you believe is the continuing benefit of volunteering abroad after returning home?
Randy: There is a global debate, you know, about whether an organization is for-profit or non-profit. And there is a debate on whether or not voluntourism does more harm than good or if the projects benefit the volunteer more than the local community. We engage in this debate everyday. I comment on at least three blogs each day about these topics.
What GeoVisions is really interested in is what our volunteers and teachers do AFTER the experience. Here we call it the 'Experience after the Experience'. If we do our job in finding sustainable projects that are unique and different from other organizations, and if we do our job in making sure the projects and host families have a sustainable need, and if we do our job in making sure the volunteers and teachers we send are matched appropriately to the projects, then the experience the volunteers have will be positive. What we want to do is encourage our volunteers to be engaged locally when they return. Or volunteer abroad again. We are engaged in research along these lines with Southern Connecticut State University and Voluntourism.org.
GO: What does the future hold for GeoVisions?
Randy: We have a very bright future. We do a pretty good job of differentiation in a sea of so many volunteer abroad organizations. If you hear the name Conversation Corps or Conversation Partner, you can equate that with GeoVisions. The Corps represents 65% of our volunteers. Just this week we added Conversation Corps-Nepal and Conversation Partner-Rio.
Thanks for asking these interesting questions. We appreciate your interest in GeoVisions.
Let me start by saying, I would NOT recommend this program to anyone. To make a very long and bitter story short, here are a list of complications:
- Much like other entries seen here, their communication with me was good when they were trying to get me interested in the program, then became ridiculously painful to get a response from them afterwards.
- I contacted GeoVisions 10 months before I wanted to begin working in Korea. It wasn't until the end of the 8th month and after I quit my then-job (with the encouragement of GeoVisions) that they put me in contact with actual recruiters (Xplore Asia) who informed me at that point, that my start date was unrealistic due to the time crunch. They did not understand why Jodi had waited so long either.
- The first position the recruiters tried to set me up with was in an English Village, even though I said I did not want to teach in one. They made me do the interview anyway, it was very awkward.
*I later found out this is because recruiters work on commission.
- I happened upon information that indicated that my FBI Background Check would have to be 6 months recent in order to receive my VISA in Korea (at this point it was 9 months old, since I got it when GeoVisions told me to, back in January). I pointed this out to my recruiters who confirmed. GeoVisions acknowledged their error by agreeing to pay for the new Background Check and Apostille (at my recommendation), but never apologized or refunded any portion of my paid fees. This error on their part set me back an additional 3 months. This alone was simply unforgivable and unprofessional.
- After paying my $1,515 to GeoVisions, my Xplore Asia recruiters started heavily pressuring me to get a TESOL certification. I repeatedly told them I was not interested, but after telling me that I would not get a good position without it I agreed. I wanted to do my own research and find a program I was interested in, but the recruiters insisted that I use their program, even threatening that if I didn't use them it could delay my placement even longer (something about them having to validate the certificate). This cost me an additional $569. The course was online and was completely useless:
(1) The course was designed for people attending in person in Thailand, for the online version they simply took the powerpoint presentation from the class and uploaded it online. The slides were constantly geared towards Thailand (not where I was teaching), missing information, and confusing. I had to ask for the additional notes on the slides to be sent to me. Additionally, there was only one Skype conversation during the entire course.
(2) I was the only person signed up for this course, so instead of have me take the course alone, they had one of the employees at Xplore Asia pretend to be a student taking the class with me. I only realized this when I started receiving emails from him with an Xplore Asia email address. It was very bizarre.
(3) I learned nothing from this course. I have now been teaching in Korea for over 3 months and I can say with confidence that this course was completely useless. It was very obviously a throw-away idea, simply for making money, not for the good of the teacher. I repeat, a complete waste of money.
- After my 2nd FBI Check arrived, there were a number of other items I had to order in order to complete my paperwork in Korea. GeoVisions was COMPLETELY uninformed of what was needed and were resistant to do any research that may qualify them to help me. This delayed my process even longer.
- During the time I was waiting to go overseas, GeoVisions provided no answers on how long I would be waiting. I asked them constantly for updates emphasizing that I had quit my job and ended my lease at my apartment (at their encouragement) and had no money nor a place to live. They gave me nothing, but the occasional message about "being patient". It was frustrating, infuriating, and condescending.
I want to note that at the end of this debacle, I did receive a job offer and moved to Korea (over 1 year after my initial contact with GeoVisions and 5 months after I had originally wanted to leave). However, when I initially applied I was told I would find a job with 2-3 months paid vacation and ended up with a job with 2 weeks vacation.
*Note: Jobs with 2-3 months vacation do exist, just not at the school's that Xplore Asia was in contact with.
Additionally, my school operates under less than ideal circumstances, often replacing their entire foreign staff every year. This is not a very good sign for a school and something that GeoVisions should have been aware of, with their promise of finding credible schools with good working conditions.
I am currently working with GeoVisions to try and fill a dental insurance claim under the insurance provided for me. I will say that at this point, Lisa with GeoVisions has been helpful.
All in all, I paid over $2,000 and was extremely unsatisfied with the service. I hope that this review does not come off as an angry rant, but rather as a warning to anyone considering using this company. Please do not waste your time and money with GeoVisions!!!!!
What I recommend: Sign up for a credible TESOL course available in your area. After the course is over, the instructor will set you up with recruiters in your area of choice. If you are moving to Asia, I do not recommend using Xplore Asia as your recruiting source. This process will be much less expensive and infinitely more helpful. This is what most people do who plan to teach abroad.
Good luck!