Program Reviews

"Croi alainn" in Irish means: a beautiful heart. This place gave me such a new perspective on the world, and along with it, a beautiful heart. This program allowed me to see and receive all of this and more. It was an adventure of a lifetime, from all the trips we went on to the day to day support given by the group of friends I met while over there. I learned so many things about myself and about the world around me. I have made memories that are irreplaceable. Even the simple walk to class was a memory in itself. It is something to walk alongside the River Lee and climb a hill to see the buildings of Cork all around you and the green hills in the distance. Every time I escalated to the music building of the University I can hear those hills calling, even when it was pouring rain. I can still hear them now, and I can't wait to go back to the place my heart calls home.

My trip to Antigua was life changing and reaffirmed that healthcare is where I should be. I was not entirely sure what to expect because our program provider had never led a healthcare related trip before, but I was so impressed with every aspect of the trip: the activities planned, the organization and the extreme effort to help us get the most out of the short time we had over our Spring break.
We were prepared to work in some sort of capacity within the community and we had a vague idea of the itinerary for each day, but what we encountered was so much more than we expected. We eased into the trip with a couple of sightseeing days and "getting to know you" activities, such as hiking and zip-lining, which really got us, a motley crue of nursing students from various classes, communicating, laughing and much more comfortable.
Once our work week started we had a very structured schedule that included tours of local hospitals and clinics, attending lectures on local healthcare, assisting in passing out fresh fruit and vegetables to poor communities, teaching school-aged children about hand hygiene and dental health and, my favorite, two days of a mobile clinic. The mobile clinic gave me an experience that I had not had previously. It forced us to communicate and work through language barriers and gave us the opportunity to assess local communities and see what issues affected them on a daily basis. Although we were exhausted, the trip had plenty of fun and relaxing times too. We ate delicious local food, both provided by our host family or out on the town, we hiked an active volcano, an important and beautiful experience and we explored the town through our morning jogs.
I went on the trip believing that I would really enjoy working as a nurse internationally, but I walked away with the confidence that that career needs. I was so comfortable, adventurous and excited with every activity on the trip. Great, great job.
Since we were the maiden voyage, there were snags with being unprepared, such as a lack of certain supplies (gloves, masks, etc) but our trip allowed the next years participants to be better prepared.
Antigua felt like a home away from home and I made life-long friends on my trip: I would go again in a heartbeat (and there is talk among my group of doing just that!).

From the scale 1 to 10, I rate my overall experience an 8. The recruiters of Cultural Embrace were a great access. They assisted applicants with materials about the country before their departure and during their stay in the country. Their communication is very effective.

I taught in Cartagena, a coastal city in the northern region of Colombia. If you're the type that enjoys Miami weather and a vibrant atmosphere, then this the city for you. One thing that bothered me was the long commute to the school. Even though they have homes near the school, they (my opinion) were not of good quality, and I didn't want to live in the middle of nowhere. If you enjoy living in a rural area, then you will not have a problem.

If you're looking for a lucrative salary, then this is not the program for you. You will receive a stipend (plus housing allowance if you do not wish to live with a Colombian family) that will allow you to live comfortably. However, I think they can pay a little bit more. The main goal is to gain experience if you wish to become an ESL/TESOL instructor. If you decide to participate in the program, be prepared for work as a Teacher. Colombia largest public institutions are promoting bilingualism in their country; therefore, they are looking for individuals who are serious about teaching than having fun (you will have leisure time, though not much).

I had the best time during my study abroad in Barcelona. I was able to experience the nightlife, have home cooked Spanish meals, go shopping in local shops, and enjoy touristy places in and around the city. I was able to travel to different places in Spain such as, Burgos, Sevilla, Bilbao and Islas Canarias. I was also able to visit Italy and Portugal. This was all done in a short amount of time but has remained as some of my best memories. I met people from around the world and was able to pick up on Catalan. I lived right across from the the Picasso museum, as well as a beautiful park, the metro station, arco de triunfo and the Catedral. I would definitely recommend studying abroad in Barcelona and doing it through API because their staff was wonderful and all of the activities we were able to do were awesome. We were taken to learn how to make Paella, went bike riding in Sevilla, visited the Colosseum in Italy, watched a Flamenco show and so much more!

The Teach English in Colombia program has been an incredible experience. It was a relatively new program so there were some changes in the beginning. More cities were added at the last minute and the specific details about the centers weren't clear but CE did a very good job of staying in touch with me before and during my time here. By participating in this program I have had the opportunity to improve my Spanish, to learn more about the Colombian culture, I have been able to teach English to Hotel students, I have been able to travel in Colombia and experience living in the beautiful coffee region. Although there were difficulties, I believe the benefits out way them. If you enjoy adventure, experiencing a new culture and can go with the flow then this is a great program and I would recommend it to anyone.

First of all, Chile is an awesome place to go if you want to experience all types of scenery, practice your Spanish, eat awesome food, and meet some of the kindest people in the world! Chile has the driest desert in the world, an amazing coast, mountains in Patagonia, and so much more. No matter where you are, there is so much to see. That being said, pack for all climates if you choose to study here because likely you'll want to see a little bit of everything!

As far as the university goes, it was a nice mixture of courses taught in English as well as Spanish so that you can do what is best for your current level. They also have a great program that allows you to volunteer while you are there. I chose to teach English a few hours a week and others did activities with the local orphanage, planted seeds at gardens, spent time with disabled people at the hospital, and a few other things.

Lastly, my host family really made me fall in love with Chile. They became my second family while I was there and we have kept in touch since. They were the kindest people ever and it was also really good for me to practice my Spanish. You must stay with a host family if you go here!

Safe travels! :)

Stepping off of the bus, onto the cobblestone in Florence was like a fairytale. The city is the most beautiful I have ever seen and the food is second to none. The university also offered great courses including Italian cooking, the impact of the Holocaust on Italian Jews, Italian philosophy, and much more. You could study almost anything here. I would highly recommend this program. We also got to go on excursions to classics like Rome and Venice to name a few.

Having studied abroad in Europe (Ireland) before, I knew I wanted to go to the place where half of my family comes from. Spanish culture has been an active part of my life for as long as I can remember, and though we are not from Granada, it was the perfect place for me to stay for a full academic year (winter break and all).
My Spanish was "okay" before I left my home state of New Hampshire, but I noticed right away that I improved and gained all sorts of knowledge about the language that even my professors at my home university could not have taught me.
I did request to live in a shared apartment with several other people (including a fellow API program student), but it was a rough adjustment and we all chose to go our separate ways. API found me a great new place to live in a matter of a couple of days, and I thoroughly enjoyed having a host family living in the same building as I was, even though I did not live in their apartment with them.
The Universidad de Granada (sprawled across the city, which I did not know initially, but adjusted quickly to walking pretty much wherever I needed to go) was great, and the views from the top of el Centro de Lenguas Modernas were phenomenal. I went to school in a mountain university, so seeing the Sierra Nevada mountains in the distance made Granada feel like home.
The program directors were wonderful; Carmen and Curra, along with their student interns Lydia and Gabriela were helpful, especially with the adjustments as the shift of students happened between winter break (right before Christmas) and the new students arriving in late January after the holidays. I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of their lives and it was difficult to say goodbye (as well as departing from my host family).
I love(d) Granada, and I could see myself living there in the future.

I'm so happy I decided to teach abroad in Colombia with Cultural Embrace! It definitely wasn't easy getting here because it was a relatively new program when I joined, so I wasn't entirely sure what I was getting into. However, Cultural Embrace did the best they could to make me feel safe and supported as I prepared myself to move to Colombia. They worked extremely hard to get me contacts with current teachers before I arrived in the country and although it took a long time to confirm city placements, they continued to stay in touch with me on a regular basis to let me know they were working hard to get me a teaching position in Colombia. Cultural Embrace answered all my questions in a timely fashion and continue to stay in touch with me now to see how the teaching is going. Teaching English in Colombia is both challenging and rewarding and I'm so happy I made the decision to come here!

Our university shared a building with a Dominican Monastery and only had 100 kids. When I was there it was 10 Americans, 9 International students and then around 80 Locals. There was really no campus but the school is inside the Old Town Walls. It's a very new program which makes it quite an interesting place to study. I cannot say enough good things about it. I 110% reccomend this for anyone who wants to stay in Europe but wants to go somewhere different than the "usual" destinations of Italy, Spain, France... ect...