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The Education Abroad Network (TEAN)

Why choose The Education Abroad Network (TEAN)?

The Education Abroad Network (TEAN) is a full-service international education provider specializing in immersive study and internship programs throughout Asia Pacific. Creating close partnerships the best universities in Australia, New Zealand and across Asia over the past two decades has allowed TEAN to become experts at delivering unique programs in the region. Dedicated and experienced staff provide unparalleled individual service every step of the way and thrive on giving students personal attention, program preparation and quick answers to all their questions. TEAN's online applications, extensive pre-departure consultations, in-country orientations, on-site Resident Directors, included cultural excursions, and high quality accommodations make for the ultimate experience abroad. Check out one of the awesome programs below and visit TEAN's website to make your study abroad dream a reality!

Website
teanabroad.org
Founded
1995

Scholarships

TEAN by WorldStrides Diversity Scholarship

This scholarship is offered for summer and semester programs and is intended for students with identities historically underserved in education abroad. This can include, but is not limited to, individuals who identify as African American/Black, Hispanic/Latino, Asian American, Alaskan Native, American Indian, Native Hawaiian, LGBTQIA+, First-Generation College Students, U.S. Military Veterans, students with disabilities, and/or students at Minority-Serving Institutions.

Value
$2,500 - $5,000

Diversity & Inclusion

BIPOC Support

Here at TEAN, we strive to be a leader in supporting students from all backgrounds to be able to travel and learn abroad. Our aim is to empower our students and help prepare them for a life-changing experience. Everyone's identity is unique to them and can be an integral aspect on where a person chooses to study or intern abroad. Our entire TEAN team is here to help you feel informed, comfortable, empowered and supported throughout every step of your journey. In addition, we have a dedicated Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) team that is ready to act as your resource! The DEI team is passionate about advocating against social injustices, racism, homophobia, xenophobia and all discriminatory social constructs. It is their priority, along with TEAN’s, to ensure students of all backgrounds have access to and are encouraged to travel, specifically through study abroad.

LGBTQIA+ Support

Here at TEAN, we strive to be a leader in supporting students from all backgrounds to be able to travel and learn abroad. Our aim is to empower our students and help prepare them for a life-changing experience. Everyone's identity is unique to them and can be an integral aspect on where a person chooses to study or intern abroad. Our entire TEAN team is here to help you feel informed, comfortable, empowered and supported throughout every step of your journey. In addition, we have a dedicated Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) team that is ready to act as your resource! The DEI team is passionate about advocating against social injustices, racism, homophobia, xenophobia and all discriminatory social constructs. It is their priority, along with TEAN’s, to ensure students of all backgrounds have access to and are encouraged to travel, specifically through study abroad.

Neurodivergent Support

TEAN is committed to facilitating quality programming to students with varying levels of neurodivergence. Our entire TEAN team is here to help you feel informed, comfortable, empowered and supported throughout every step of your journey. In addition, we have a dedicated Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) team that is ready to act as your resource! It is their priority, along with TEAN’s, to ensure students of all backgrounds have access to and are encouraged to travel, specifically through study abroad.

Accessibility Support

TEAN is committed to facilitating quality programming to students with varying levels of accessibility. Our entire TEAN team is here to help you feel informed, comfortable, empowered and supported throughout every step of your journey. In addition, we have a dedicated Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) team that is ready to act as your resource! It is their priority, along with TEAN’s, to ensure students of all backgrounds have access to and are encouraged to travel, specifically through study abroad.

Impact

Sustainability

TEAN’s Choose Earth initiative is our way of building environmental and social responsibility into the ethos and outcomes of education abroad. At TEAN, we believe that studying abroad should include learning about – and finding solutions to – our most challenging societal problems, such as sustainable development, climate change, biodiversity, resource use, habitat preservation, gender inequality and social injustice in a globalized world.

Ethical Impact

To this end, TEAN is committed to providing experiential learning opportunities abroad that help build the knowledge, skills and attitudes students need to become locally engaged, civically minded and globally responsible. We believe that studying abroad should include learning about – and finding solutions to – our most challenging societal problems, such as sustainable development, climate change, biodiversity, resource use, habitat preservation, gender inequality and social injustice in a globalized world.

Reviews

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Alexia
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Best decision of my life!

Studying abroad in New Zealand was hands down one of the best decisions of my life!

I learned so much about the world and myself while I was abroad and it has even helped me discover my future interest in travel nursing and international nursing missions. My favorite memories studying abroad were exploring the South Island with my new friends! For example, I went sea kayaking with fur seals in Abel Tasman National Park and hiked up snow-covered Mt. Olliver to watch the sun rise over the clouds!

TEAN was so helpful in walking me through everything I needed to get done before leaving to go abroad and Meaza and Anikka were both super helpful with their prompt responses to any questions I had. The weekend trips they planned helped me to explore parts of New Zealand I otherwise would not have seen on my own and encouraged me to try new local foods and experience more of everything NZ has to offer.

You won't regret your time abroad with TEAN!!

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Get to the west coast as much as you can! It's definitely the most beautiful part of NZ!
Pros
  • TEAN makes it easy to make friends upon arrival
  • TEAN makes it an easy transition arriving in a new country and culture
  • TEAN allows you opportunities to have exciting and authentic local experiences
Cons
  • It took a long time for them to send out flight information so prices went up
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Lauren
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Best Summer in Melbourne

This trip was the best experience of my entire life so far! The memories that I have gained from going to Australia are unmatched. If you are debating on if you should go, just go!! I grew so much in my confidence, made amazing friends from all over the world, learned from the best of those in my aspired career, and took part in Australian culture. I also had the opportunity to attend fun sporting events, travel to other areas of Australia, and work alongside well-known athletes! Australians are some of the nicest bunch of people; they made the experience a lot more fun!

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
I have done so many surprising things on this trip that I never thought I would be able to do in my life. One of the most fun things was being able to attend the World Cup. The energy from the fans was incredible! Another surprising thing was just navigating the city with my friends. There was always something fun going on in the heart of the city and there was never a dull moment.
Pros
  • Australians are some of the nicest people ever
  • Sporting events are so much fun and everyone if full of team spirit
  • The work enviroment in Australia is a-lot more relaxed and fun
Cons
  • The whether was definitely very gloomy most of the time
  • Getting around can be a bit difficult with the trains
  • Living in the heart of the city can be loud at times
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Jaya
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Australia Summer Study Abroad

I had the time of my life. I feel like the two months I spent in Australia were a movie. So much happened, and I learned a lot about myself and my future profession. I made friends with people that I never would have even known had I not gone. At my gym, I learned new skills like how to coach children and how to properly execute and teach different lifts. I also got to discover some cultural differences in coaching styles in Australia vs the USA. I made friends with and met some professional athletes and even sat front row of my new favorite sports AFL and Rugby. I definitely recommend it.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Go as many places as you can! Australia has a lot of really cool cities that are just a short plane ride away. I got to see Quokkas in Perth, Tasmanian Devils in Tasmania, the Sydney Opera House, and New Zealand while on my program.
Pros
  • The locals were amazing and very nice.
  • My group of interns were so full of personality, it made everyday an adventure.
  • The work experience
Cons
  • Depending on if you get a random in your dorm apartment things could get a bit wierd
  • The food was just okay. I ended up eating a lot of Chinese food
  • It was hard to find seasoning
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Libby
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Study Abroad in Perth

I have had the pleasure of studying and interning abroad in Perth, at the University of Western Australia with TEAN and ISA. I have had the most fantastic time exploring Australia and meeting new people. TEAN and ISA has made coming over here so easy with all of the help they provided me by helping me find my internship, student accommodation, and support 24/7 while abroad. I have met some of the most amazing people not only through my student accommodation and University but also other students that are here through TEAN and ISA. I have made lifelong friendships with those students and will cherish that forever. Some of the amazing opportunities and excursions that I have been able to do through TEAN and ISA was going to Cairns in Queensland and seeing the Great Barrier Reef, I have been able to go surfing, and also watch a professional AFL game. This is just a few of the many extra excursions and activities TEAN provides for their students abroad.

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Michelle
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

University of Queensland

This is an amazing university to study at, especially if you are in the sciences and love field trips and the environment. I was able to take many trips with my university to islands and fossil sites as well as gain relevant experience with research projects at the university and have opportunities in the future with this university and the professors. I was able to connect with people from all over the world and have many different adventures in and out of the country. I have gained many new experiences and have been excited to share them with my friends and family.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Try everything! This is a city that has so many things to do if you look for them and this university has the best courses, especially if you want to get out and about. I would recommend living on campus in a college, I lived in International House which was an absolute blast and a great way to make new friends across the world.
Pros
  • It is a very international place and most of the time I would rarely hear english being spoken around me, especially on campus
  • Public transit is amazing and efficient
  • There are many courses in all subjects and several include fieldtrips to islands or around the area
Cons
  • Campus is out of the city, but there is a bus that takes you fairly frequently
  • If you want to explore nature you have to get outside the city and have a car most of the time

Programs

Displaying 19 - 22 of 22

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Katherine Cooper

Katherine Cooper

Why did you choose this program?

I chose this program because Thailand sounded like the perfect adventure country for me.

I knew I liked Asia, and Thailand looked like it had so much to do that 5 months wouldn't even be long enough to spend there. The courses eliminated many gen-ed classes that I needed, which was important for me to graduate on time.

The cost of living was another factor because studying abroad is notoriously expensive.

What did your program provider (or university) assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

I found the program through my university's portal. Once I decided that I wanted to go to Thailand, I met with a study abroad advisor who pre-approved courses for me to take. TEAN's staff did most of the rest.

Picking classes was a breeze. Transitioning into the country was seamless because TEAN guided us until we were ready to go off on our own. The only thing I really had to do on my own was to book a flight. TEAN made a Facebook group of the people in my program, so I messaged some people and picked the same flight to Thailand.

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

Do your research. If something seems too good to be true, then it probably is. There are many tourist attractions that seem cool and would make for a great Instagram photo. However, they might not always be ethical, especially ones involving animals. Research cultures other than your own, and learn how to be a sensitive traveler, especially in how you dress in northern Thailand.

On a different note, if you are abroad for an extended period of time, or traveling within a country, rest stop bathrooms are minimal. Bring toilet paper along with you or packaged wipes. Feminine hygiene products are harder to find so bring them with you on any weekend trip or longer. Birth control that limits periods is a great option as well.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

On Monday-Thursday, we went to class in the day. Breakfast was usually a muffin and coffee from 7-11. Lunch would be from the canteen. Dinner would be street food with friends, or on special nights, we'd take a grab to the old city, and sit down for a fancier meal.

The weekends are what you make of them. Staying in Chiang Mai usually involved going to the club, Zoe, at night, and finding a coffee shop or body of water to hang out at in the day. It was easy to travel, and for three days, you could go anywhere easily.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

I was afraid of making new friends in my program. I went in not knowing anybody. The best advice I received was to be a yes man for a few weeks at first. You can catch up on sleep in December. Meet people and see who you vibe with. Many Thai people are reserved when it comes to speaking to westerners because they are not confident in their English. Starting a conversation can go a long way.

What was your favorite experience while studying abroad?

Every day things are so much scarier when you're abroad. The first time I got sick, I went to the hospital. I was talking to my brother and he told me not to worry because everything's funnier when you're abroad. I'd be laughing about it in no time. It wasn't the advice I wanted to hear when I felt so sick and scared.

He was right, though.

At the moment, things can be scarier, but after they pass, they're that much funnier. My go-to story is when I was in the hospital one time (I got sick a lot; I was an anomaly, not the norm), I asked a nurse, who seemed to speak English very well, for the results of my blood-work. She told me that I had bacteria in my blood. I freaked out, thinking I had blood poisoning. I called her back to confirm and she calmly told me the same thing - bacteria in my blood. My mom was about to book a flight over.

The next morning, I asked the doctor, and he explained it was only a bacterial infection, seen through my blood-work. It's nearly impossible to remember at the moment, but the scariest times make for the best stories.

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Alice Cooksey

Job Title
Internship Program Manager
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Alice is based in Sydney and manages the TEAN Internship programs in Australia, New Zealand and Asia. She is originally from the UK and loves to travel. She has covered the majority of Europe, America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand in her travels.

What is your favorite travel memory?

I am very fortunate to have traveled to over 30 countries so far, but one of my favorite travel memories was two months of travel across New Zealand with my mum during a school break. There is probably no point arguing with me on the note that New Zealand simply is the most beautiful country in the world.

We traveled both the North and South Island during the New Zealand Winter and it was absolutely freezing but this automatically made it even more beautiful because of all the stunning scenery being lit up with snow and twinkly lights in all the streets in the evenings.

As much as I love to travel, and as much as I would love to go back tomorrow, there is still lots of magic in a home that we can treasure every day. Yet saying that, I often visit New Zealand and get to enjoy its beauty on a regular basis and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. The mountains of middle earth are particularly stunning and I would encourage anyone to hop on a plane and go and explore this beautiful country full of beautiful people and culture.

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

I have grown substantially since working for TEAN, both personally and in my career. I started out at TEAN managing both the Australia & New Zealand Internship Program and am now managing the Internship Programs across Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Kyoto, Shanghai & Bangkok.

My TEAN journey has developed quickly yet I am continuing to love and grow my role within this organization more and more every day. Personally, I have changed in terms of some of the approaches I have adopted due to TEAN’s sustainable ethos – for example, I no longer use plastic bags at the grocery store and am taking more and more steps each day to contribute to helping save our planet.

I have also developed even more of a bucket list of travel locations, which is almost impossible not to do when you work in this industry.

What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

Just recently, one of my return students shared the extremely exciting news with me that he had been accepted into the internship program for the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, the largest independent film festival in the United States!

The work that he completed during his TEAN internship in Australia allowed him to be published in multiple national media platforms and I am so excited that his experiences in Australia are now able to take him to such exciting places to now learn from the best of the best in the United States.

Films from Sundance include Boyhood, Donnie Darko, Saw, Little Miss Sunshine, Napoleon Dynamite, The Blair Witch Project, and more. I couldn’t be more proud and delighted for him that his experience in Australia has got him to this place in his career and I can’t wait to see some of the films that he will be responsible for in years to come.

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

If I could go on any program that TEAN offers I would go to Massey University in Wellington to study Visual Arts & Design. I fell in love with Wellington and its atmosphere earlier this year and it felt like home to me.

For anyone who is artistic, there is so much inspiration in every street that it’s not surprising some of the world’s most famous cinematography, film crews, fashion designers, and costumers have stemmed from this location.

Having been fortunate enough to work closely with Massey University throughout my career, I have seen the outstanding facilities that they have on offer for their students. If I could turn back the clock, I would have told myself to study abroad in this location.

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

TEAN is like a family to me. TEAN is unique in its approach to so many different things such as its sustainable ethos and choosing the earth to the unique student approach. Being a part of the TEAN family has encouraged me to make lifestyle changes to ensure we are taking care of this planet and it’s wonderful to know that everyone shares these same values.

Everyone in the organization is so passionate about what they do that we achieve some incredible & innovative results for our students. I love that our students are a name and not a number at TEAN and that we can get to know them on a personal level and establish what they want to achieve from their time studying or interning abroad from the outset.

My team is consistently making me proud and on a daily basis are accepting new challenges and striving towards having the best possible opportunities available for our students.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

I believe that the biggest factor in being a successful company is in the staff that are a part of that company. When your employer invests in your development and your growth as an employee, it speaks volumes and allows staff to excel. Peer support is essential to growth and success of a company and opportunities for staff to explore your creativity as well as your skillset to complete tasks can be very inspiring and can lead to new and exciting developments.

This is one of the main reasons I find internships to be of such value to our students as well – by being able to grow with a company, you contribute to their success and learn a lot along that journey as well as taking away essential strategies for your future career.

I also think that company success stems from staff success which can be seen through passion and dedication to a role whilst having & developing expertise in the work that you are doing.