GoGlobal

GoCamp Ukraine sent me to the western city of Ternopil, three hours by train from Lviv. On the night of my arrival I was met by the friendliest host family I could have asked for. We quickly became close and my stay with them proved as central to my GoCamp experience as the teaching itself.

The class I was assigned varied in age, though most children were between 10 and 12. Teaching them English through my own personal life experiences proved incredibly fun for all of us, and the teacher I was assisting provided me with continuous guidance. I was also shown a number of landmarks in the area in a number of day trips organised for the class and myself by the school.

I cannot stress how well organised GoCamp is. I could not attend the orientation session at the beginning of my stay due to passport issues. My GoCamp coordinators were quick to assist me and provided me with a SIM card and train tickets despite my late arrival. I strongly recommend GoCamp to everyone, and I would be happy to see you this June in Lviv if you find yourself in the vicinity! :)

I have traveled to 44 countries of the world. This was the first time that I have experienced an immersion environment that allowed me to taste the life of an average Ukrainian family in a city and in a small selo. This was thrilling - very enriching for my wife and me - and we feel guilty for we feel we gained more then we gave.
The students were polite, thoughtful, info sponges - yearning to hear and learn. Each day, host families would show us neighboring towns and historic sites. They would drive us to surrounding areas so that we could experience the wealth and beauty of the history and countryside. They would take us shopping on for their needs. Let us experience their daily life, struggles, picnics, birthdays, Sunday services, everything...
Today, at every opportunity, I encourage everyone to participate in this program. I guarantee they will take away more then they will give. If I could, I would participate in all 4 sessions per year .

From the staff, volunteers, students, and program managers everyone was so wonderful and genuinely excited to be a part of the program. I made such good friends throughout this program. Ukraine is a wonderful country with wonderful people. The food and hospitality was amazing. It was very rewarding seeing the impact the volunteers had. One of the students I taught had no interest in school and was only a part of the program to meet foreign volunteers, by the end of the program he had decided he wanted to study International Relations in University in the capital, Kyiv. I went to visit a year later and was able to meet him in Kyiv as he had achieved that dream and is now studying English and to become a diplomat. I highly recommend this program for anyone who wants to experience what Ukraine is like, and meet the amazing people that run this program.

As someone who has participated in many volunteer service trips around the world, I felt that GO CAMP was one of the best ones I have been part of. It is clear how much they care about the mission, vision, and values of the organization. This is reflected in an incredibly low price point for volunteers to attend (flight + application fee). Many organizations would "charge" a $3000-8000 fee for a month of volunteering oversees. The staff are organized, empathetic, passionate, and very intelligent. It was an honour to meet so many like-minded volunteers from all over the world at our 3 day training in Kyiv (and after our placements at a final debrief in Kyiv). The host family, community, and participants at camp were incredible! We were the first non-blood relatives/tourists in the community. I felt valuable and valued as a volunteer. I was able use my skills in various ways, have input in programming, and also teach my skills. I was also able to sharpen my skills as an educator. Please consider going to Ukraine with GO CAMP. You will love it!

I had many subconscious stereotypes about Ukraine and I decided to challenge them and gain new skills by joining GoCamp in August 2018. It turned out that both of these goals were achieved. I had a fantastic experience in Ukraine during my entire stay. Ukraine made a very good impression on me with its friendly, humble and hospitable people, which are qualities that I really appreciate when I travel. The staff at GoCamp acted professionally 100% of the time. It seemed to me that they thought of every single detail in regards to volunteers and the schools. They organized an amazing introduction camp where they provided us with a insight into Ukrainian culture and language, and they also organized the train ride to our school all around Ukraine. I felt like there was always someone there for me in case I needed any help or advice. As for my teaching experience, I gained lots of leadership and teaching skills when working in my school in the town of Berehove. I learned how to set up realistic goals and how to achieve them effectively, but also how to plan the activities with other volunteers and how to divide the roles among each other. Moreover, I learned how to make the kids respect me, and how to accommodate their individual needs and how to adapt to their pace of learning. Plus, I was blessed to work in an international environment with volunteers coming from Ukraine and abroad as well, and I can definitely say that I made lots of friends for life. In other words, Ukraine gave me a lot and I can't be thankful enough for taking part in GoCamp. I miss my days in Ukraine so much and I would absolutely recommend everyone to take part in GoCamp!