I choose Project Abroad because it's a very well organized organization. They provide you with all information regarding your project and they assist you in the preparation and planning of your project. During your stay in the foreign country, they give you all support and they never leave you alone.
Alumni Spotlight: Nicola Di Iorio
Nicola is a 30 years old guy from Italy. He grow up in Italy. He is always traveling around the world since he is a navy officer and is covering the rank of 1st officer onboard cruise ships.
Why did you choose this program?
What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?
They assist you with the planning and preparation of your project. Also, during your stay, they assist you during the working hours and they give you good suggestions; you can always rely on them. What you have to organize by yourself it's the lesson plan for each day. You need to develop a lesson plan for your project using you ideas and skills.
What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?
Working hours sometimes can be very hard. I was working 8 hours per days alone with kids and this is very tough. I can suggest to be ready and to have a good lessons planning, which can be very helpful. What I also suggest is to plan lessons in a "funny way"; for example to build some plays for the kids, because it is hard for them to get focus being sitting for long time in the classroom.
What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?
I was working 8 hours per day. I was starting 8am and finishing in 4pm. Once I was back to my accommodation, I was preparing the lesson plan for the day after. I was working from Monday to Friday. Saturday and Sunday were free and I had the chance, together with other volunteers, to travel around Thailand.
Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?
The biggest fear for me was to get familiar with foreign traditions and culture. Being volunteer abroad means also that you need to be ready to adapt yourself to different culture and lifestyle since you gonna live with local peoples. I can suggest to have an open mind and be ready to share your time with them.
What is the feeling once you are back home?
Once I was back home, my feeling was so incredible. With my mind and my heart, I was still in Thailand. I will never forget the kids, teachers, staff, volunteers and all the other persons whom I shared my experience with. My abroad project has been the best experience of my life ever.