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The GREEN Program

The GREEN Program

4.97 Rating
58 reviews
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About

The GREEN Program is an award-winning, experiential education program focused on our world’s most pressing issues in sustainable development. We provide 10-day, accredited programs in Iceland, Peru, Nepal and Japan. By using the world as our classroom, our model expertly balances sustainability-focused course work, exclusive industry exposure, and bucket-list adventures. We specialize in providing access to leading industry facilities, from Iceland’s largest Geothermal Facility to Fukushima’s Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Our programs provide hands-on, global experiences at the fraction of the time and cost of traditional study abroad. We challenge our cohorts to solve real-world sustainability challenges in the form of innovative business solutions. Beyond our program experience, we are one of the only program providers to offer leadership development and resume-boosting opportunities after students return home.

Please email info@thegreenprogram.com for access to our application.

Website
thegreenprogram.com
Founded
2009
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Community Photos

A photo of me and one of the most inspiring people I met on the trip, during our snowshoe excursion in Nikko!
Me, standing in the small control room overlooking the refuel floor of Daini (cried right after this photo because it was so bad-ass)
Our group underneath the control rods in the Daini BWR (I totally geeked out hard here).
A man, a mountain, and a glacier
Panorama at the summit of Rjupnafell
Stroll through the highlands
Pointing at the spikes that were tied to my feet during the Glacier Hike.
Beautiful view during our hike in the highlands.
Visiting a beautiful waterfall during a sunny day.
Hiking along the geothermal hot springs. Not only are they great natural hot tubs, hot springs also help produce a large fraction of Iceland's energy.
Reykjavik excursion with other TGP students
During this glacier hike we saw first hand the harmful effects of global warming.
Llamas
Lama at Machu Picchu
Beautiful fountain in Cusco
Ancient ruins of Machu Picchu

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Community Awards

  • Go Overseas Award

Reviews

Default avatar
Raven
22
Female
United States
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program
Program:
Iceland: Renewable Energy Innovation & Sustainability

Wonderfully Educational and Beautiful Experience!

Jun 16, 2022

If you have the opportunity to explore a new country and new technology with The Green Program, do it! This program was so educational teaching me not only about the Icelandic culture but also the amazing geothermal and hydropower technology their geography allows them to run. The friends I made on this trip are some of the best people I've ever met, and we still talk about our experiences from the trip every day. We all shed some tears when we had to leave, but we knew we would always have the Green family with us and those amazing memories we made too.

Pros
  • Amazing food (including allergy accommodations).
  • Great housing hostiles and sight seeing.
  • Fun, educational, and exhilarating (yet safe) activities!
Cons
  • Very busy schedule - little free time (unless you want to sacrifice some sleep at night).
  • Geothermal and hydropower plant tours could have gone a little more in-depth (were not actual plant "tours" as we initially expected).
Summit of our hike in Thorsmork
Default avatar
Maria
27
Female
United States
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program
Program:
Iceland: Renewable Energy Innovation & Sustainability

Iceland Abroad - My Spring Break

Apr 19, 2022

I had a great time on the Iceland TGP program! I explored some areas in Iceland and met some great people. The trip was a good way to close out my academic career as a graduate student. My favorite part was learning about Iceland's sustainability initiatives and exploring the country, as well as meeting a whole bunch of cool new people. I enjoyed the learning aspect but felt there could have been more, as well as more hiking and exploration. I still had a good time and recommend as a spring break for other college students.

Pros
  • Meeting like-minded people
  • Lots of activities
  • Nice living areas and great outdoor temperature
Cons
  • Gets pretty socially exhausting after a while
  • Not much hiking or intensive tours in the power plants
  • Not much time to explore on your own
Default avatar
Grace
21
Female
United States
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program
Program:
Iceland: Renewable Energy Innovation & Sustainability

Best Immersive Experience

Apr 18, 2022

Being my first time out of the United States, I didn't have a lot to base my Iceland experience off of but I can easily say this was the best week+ of my life. The sights alone were enough to make this a great trip, but on top of that I was with a great group of people that wanted to explore as much as possible. This trip definitely forced me out of my comfort zone (in a good way!) and made me realize how much I love adventure. The food was definitely a plus and it was great to come back from a long hike to a homecooked meal.

Pros
  • Tasty (+traditional) Icelandic dishes
  • Beautiful landscapes (great for photos)
  • Lots of time to be outdoors
Cons
  • Not a lot of time for Reykjavik exploration
  • Schedule regularly changed (mainly due to weather concerns)
Default avatar
Victoria
22
Female
United States
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program
Program:
Iceland: Renewable Energy Innovation & Sustainability

Experience of a lifetime

Apr 8, 2022

Going with The GREEN Program to Iceland was easily one of the best decisions I’ve made. I’d never been surrounded by so many like-minded people so eager to learn. Although some may find the weather there off-putting, I saw it as a wonderfully unique experience. One minute the sun was out and the sky was bright blue, and about 30 seconds later we’d be hit with the some of the strongest winds I’d ever felt and pelted by weirdly-shaped snow. It was unpredictable, fun, and always changing. The people there were so culturally diverse from one another, even though the majority of us were from the same country, and it was amazing to learn, share ideas with, and just be around such a great group of people.

Pros
  • Amazing leaders and peers
  • Always adventuring, regardless of weather
  • Beautiful landscapes
Cons
  • Sharing rooms
  • Can get very cold
  • Cost
Taken by the wonderful Brock Wunderlich!
Default avatar
Dane
24
Male
United States
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program
Program:
Iceland: Renewable Energy Innovation & Sustainability

Iceland Experience

Apr 7, 2022

One obstacle I faced when committing to the program was cost. Looking back at the experience, it was worth it. The personalized tours, classroom exposure to lectures on Iceland’s History, Hydropower, Geothermal, and Power Systems, along with all the beautiful sights, truly made the program the best spring break trip I’ve taken.

I have participated in study abroad before, and this one was the most engaging and planned out. You also meet great like minded people, who want to change the world with you!

Pros
  • Planned itinerary with great guides
  • Beautiful sights not available to outsiders
  • Networking with great likeminded people
Cons
  • Wet, cold rain, but we embraced it and it was part of the Icelandic experience
  • Not a lot of free time, but there were so much cool stuff to see and do
Visiting a geothermal powered tomato greenhouse with the best tomato soup ever.
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Alumni Interviews

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

CJ Casey

Program
Iceland: Renewable Energy Innovation & Sustainability
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Why did you choose this program?

I saw an opportunity to travel to Iceland and thought it would be a great idea. I had never been out of the country and had to deal with numerous friends ranting and raving about their own Study Abroad trips. I decided that if everyone’s doing it, why don’t I jump off the bridge with them and take my shot at Iceland? I had heard it was a gorgeous destination, and this was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

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

My program provider (The GREEN Program) provided me with countless amounts of information – emails upon emails of testimonials, links to learn, packing advice, and many other things. The reps I was in contact with were amazing. They replied within five hours to an email I sent answering whatever questions I needed answered (which were a lot because this was my first Study Abroad experience). The only thing that was not provided in the program was the flight. Fortunately, they gave me the information I needed to contact Student Universe and book a flight at ease.

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

This might not answer the question necessarily, but be yourself. Thinking back on my experience, I threw caution to the wind and did whatever my heart was telling me to do. You fall into the monotony of everyday studies and conform to a friend group without even realizing it (and this isn’t a bad thing! It is natural!)

Upon starting my first of 10 days in Iceland, I decided to buy and start a blog to document my trip. I had never written before but had always wanted to. To this day, I am still blogging because I enjoy writing, and it was all because I made this decision. Along with this, never try and impress someone or act differently on a trip of this duration. I was able to create over 20 really good friends who actually enjoy me for me because I stayed true to myself throughout the trip.

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

The average day starts with a pretty good breakfast. After which, you jump on a bus and head 45 minutes to either the University or a power plant. After a little instruction and some knowledge bombs, you either eat a packed lunch you made at breakfast or head to a local food establishment and enjoy some Icelandic cuisine. After that, it’s some adventuring in the mountains, lakes, rivers, etc., and you truly get to experience the beauty that is the land of Fire and Ice. Wrap it up with some dinner and working on your capstone project, and hit the hay to get ready to do it all over again!

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

My biggest fear about traveling abroad was the fear of the unknown. Was I going to enjoy it? Was there going to be people there I would get along with? Was I going to get lost at the airport? (Also my Mom’s biggest fear). I think I finally got over all of these when the plane took off from Chicago. It was that feeling you get when you’re in mid-jump into a pool. The ‘welp, nothing I can do now except hold my breath’ feeling.

To be honest, it was the biggest relief. I immediately met some of the people from the program when I landed, and we hit it off instantly. The airport was very easy to navigate; by Day Two, I was angry at myself for ever questioning if I would enjoy my trip to freeking ICELAND!

How have you changed since your trip?

For starters, I was four years into an Electrical Engineering degree, and I was debating changing my major to Renewable Energy. I was so foreign to the concept coming into the program that I never saw a future with myself involved in it. So, I didn’t end up changing my major, but since returning, I have dived into books, speeches, Ted talks, and lectures on renewable energy and have also been accepted into a sustainability project in the city of Chicago. This experience has changed me forever and has changed the way I interact with people as well as with the world.

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