Location
  • Argentina
Length
4 - 52 weeks
General grants/scholarships
Health & Safety

Program Details

Timeframe
Academic Year Fall J-Term Maymester Spring Summer Winter
Housing
Host Family
Language
Spanish
Age Min.
15
Age Max
18

Pricing

Price Details
Included in the program fee:
- Medical/Accident insurance
- Support and counseling services from in-country staff
- 24-hour emergency support
- Pre-departure Orientation and Preparation
- Cultural Pre-departure Orientation
- 5 Day Arrival Orientation
- Greeting and Transfer from Airport to Orientation Site
- Accommodation at Orientation Site and 3 meals per day
- 20 hours of Spanish lessons during orientation
- 6 hours of orientation workshops (covering school life, host family life, Argentine culture, etc).
- 1 cultural activity per day during orientation
What's Included
Accommodation Some Activities Meals
Dec 03, 2024
Dec 03, 2024
9 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Greenheart Travel's high school abroad program in Argentina offers a great opportunity for students to spend a trimester, semester, or year in Argentina as an exchange student while living with a local Argentinian host family. Live as one of the locals while also opting in for some other Argentinian excursions. Your full cultural immersion will allow you to practice your Spanish, learn about a new culture, and gain valuable skills to help you meet your personal and academic goals.

Program at-a-glance:
-Host family accommodation provides full language & cultural immersion
-2 years of Spanish experience highly suggested
-Choose from a trimester, semester or academic year program (OR 2-month Summer in Argentina --it's their winter)
-Online application process
-School placement
-Comprehensive medical/accident insurance
-5 Day Orientation upon Arrival

Video and Photos

Diversity & Inclusion

We appreciate that everyone has a unique worldview and value everyone regardless of age, race, ethnicity, gender or gender identity, ability, military status, religion, sexual orientation or political view. We are committed to building relationships and ensuring everyone we encounter feels welcomed, respected, and accepted. Greenheart is committed to helping anyone find the best program fit and will go the extra mile to make sure our participants feel safe and supported wherever they end up.
Greenheart Travel welcomes travelers identifying as LGTBQ+, and is committed to helping you find the best program for you. We can provide information on the cultural norms of our destination countries and are prepared to advise you on the best programs based on your needs and interests.
While most of our programs could be a good fit, we also know that certain cultures and countries are more accepting of and prepared to host LGBTQ+ people than others. We are committed to working with LGBTQ+ people to determine which experiences may be the right fit for them. Please reach out if you want to discuss which of our programs might fit you best ahead of applying or set up a phone call with us.
Greenheart works with partners who have varying levels of what is considered "good mental health". While we cannot change their eligibility conditions, we will work with participants to the best of our abilities in order to get them the program placement they want. We encourage you to discuss your specific situation with us directly, before securing these documents.
Greenheart Travel welcomes students of varying ability to explore their study abroad options! While resources and support differ from country to country, Greenheart Travel staff work with individual students as needed to find program options that will set students up for success.

Impact

We believe in supporting our travelers to make a positive impact in their communities. The Greenheart Club provides Greenheart Grant funding to alumni projects all over the world.
As the leading eco-friendly exchange organization, we are passionate about helping travelers explore the globe while respecting the environment and cultural heritage of the destinations they explore.
Greenheart Travel is a branch of Greenheart International, a Chicago-based organization that connects people and planet to create global leaders through personal development, volunteer service, environmentalism, fair trade, and cultural exchange. We provide resources, grants, and experiences to those who want to immerse themselves in another culture and leave it better than when they arrived. Through volunteering, creating relationships and more.

Program Highlights

  • Trimester, semester, or full academic year Immersion options OR Summer in Argentina (it's their winter!)
  • Host Family Accommodations and Meals included in the program fee
  • Arrival Orientation workshops, cultural activity, with accommodation
  • Personal program manager to assist you before, during, and after your program
  • Insurance and 24/7 Emergency Contact Line Available for all students

Program Reviews

4.33 Rating
based on 3 reviews
  • 5 rating 33.33%
  • 4 rating 66.67%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Growth 5
  • Support 3
  • Fun 4.7
  • Housing 3.7
  • Safety 4
Showing 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
Default avatar
Naomi
4/5
No, I don't recommend this program

A great experience, but with lots of bumps

This program was amazing for me and helped me grow a lot as a person. I went to Argentina and throughout my time there I was able to engage in school, sports, community events, travel, and make friends. In general, I had a very immersive experience and I grew to love a lot of the Argentinan culture. I was also able to go on a trip to Patagonia and travel for more than half a month because of the program I had chosen.

For a lot of my program, I attended high school abroad and I was happily surprised by how smoothly the transition went. My program paid the local private school I went to and helped me find uniforms right away. I was offered help with my Spanish and could have attended lessons if I needed. In addition, I had modified assignments and extra support from teachers so I could successfully complete my work. In addition, I found that everyone in my school class was very willing to integrate me into the class and I was able to make many friends. One thing to note is that it is highly possible that the schoolwork you complete in Argentina will not count in your home country because the schooling is vastly different and not as advanced as in many other countries.

I did struggle with my host family and found that I wasn't always comfortable with them and was happier outside of the household. I had the option to switch families, but I chose not to. However, if you do have a "bad" host family it seemed fairly easy to request and be granted a change in family. Speaking about host families and houses, I thought the living conditions were okay. They definitely weren't the best, but in general, my house was clean, warm, etc.

The reason I am hesitant to recommend this program is that I saw a lot of irresponsible decisions made by the EduQuality staff members who work in conjunction with Greenheart. The decisions they made and most interactions I had where didn't put the best interests of the exchange students first. For example, I watched other students struggle with their host families or other cultural aspects and saw EduQuality take away support from them instead of reaching out and helping them succeed. I also found that in general the host families were not very well prepared to accept exchange students and that the EduQuality staff members had not done a good job communicating with host families. For me, this is a deal breaker. If you are struggling with your host family and have no other support, you will have a horrible time.

Because of this, I would recommend a different program unless you are a fairly self-confident, flexible, and straightforward person. It's not that the program is not great, it was just that I found in Argentina the people carrying out the program were not doing it properly. Overall, I am satisfied with my experience, but I do think it could have been better and I recognize that this is partially due to the program I chose.

If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?
If I were to redo my exchange program I think I would have switched host families early on when I realized I did not get along well with them. I thought I needed to force myself to like the family and accept everything they were doing. This is not true and oftentimes it is not even cultural differences that are creating barriers, but personalities and closed-minded views. You can not "change" your host family or how they are going to act and you shouldn't have to accept disrespect or hurtful behavior. Because of this, I would say to analyze carefully what you are giving to the relationship and what they are giving as well. A relationship should be two ways and if they are not willing to have a relationship with you there is no point trying when you will only end up hurt. I would highly recommend switching families if you notice they do not want to spend time with you, criticize you, or overly depend on your monetary or physical help.
Pros
  • Emphasis on school and a lot of support in that area.
  • A lot of freedom from my host family and local coordinator to get out and explore.
  • Completely immersed experience in the culture.
Cons
  • Unprofessional support from Greenheart staff.
  • Lack of time my host family was willing to give me.
  • Not a lot of support with technical aspects such as exchanging money
5 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Max
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

High School Abroad in Argentina

I was extremely fortunate to receive the First Time Traveler scholarship from Greenheart travel. This scholarship enabled me to pursue a year studying abroad in Argentina. Greenheart in association with their partner in Argentina, EduQuality, made the experience unforgettable. In all honesty, I had no clue what to expect before beginning the program. A year away from my family in a foreign country was simply unfathomable. However, It has proven to be more valuable and enjoyable than I could ever begin to express. I encourage prospective travelers to take the leap, whether it be a trimester, a semester, or a whole year. A whole world of new incredible experiences awaits you.

70 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Blake
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A Cordial Welcome

When I first arrived to my family in Argentina, I was filled with anxiety and excitement.. Right off the bat, my host parents and sibilings made me feel apart of the family! The first weekend they had text all their family members and friends and invited them to a barbecue just to meet me! I felt extremely welcomed and was overjoyed from the pride me family had in having me as a foreign exchange student. With my fellow class mates, it was the same way, my brother had sent a group message to the class of about 20 inviting them to come to the park and to meet me and get a grasp on the life of person from the US. My foriegn exchange expirience was extremely fruitful and I'm grateful that this program placed me in a family that made me feel like I was home even away from home.

107 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers