Greenheart Reviews

So my son and I came up with a crazy idea for him to go overseas for one semester of senior year in high school. we had no information or contacts to achive this and our school did not either. LUCKILY, we found this program online. Some of the other programs we found we not very well run and did not communicate very well with us and our questions. As a father, I had lots of questions before making a big decision like this. we were connected Hope Pavich as our program coordinator and she literally did everything for us. Without Hope we would not have been able to pull this complicated process out. she concucted several interviews with not only my son, but me as well to make sure she knew our collective goals prior to selecting a program and host family for us. I was incredibly impressed that this program also included a language online course prior to leaving. Hope also went through common pitfalls and what to watch out for prior to departure.
Johnny really enjoyed the orientation week in Netherlands where he was with 150 other exchange program kids prior to departing to their host families. Lastly, Hope nailed the host family for Johnny. Johnny loves his host family and vice versa. They have family dinners, make him do the dishes and otherwise treat him like one of their own. To date this has been the best experience of Johnny's life and I am so thrilled we met Hope and found this program.
As you can tell, it has my highest regards and recommendations. John Robinson

I will be honest and say I am the queen of making impulsive decisions. Some I regret and some I am very proud of. I gave up a lot once I heard the great news of being accepted to the Greenheart Travel Teach in a Homestay program. I moved out of my pricey apartment in Venice, CA, and moved in with my parents to save money and not pay rent while I was traveling.

I believe about a month before departure was when I was placed with a beautiful family of four in Mancha Real, Spain. A place I had never even heard of before. It is a very small rural town in Andalusia. No research I had done did this place justice. So I thought to myself, "I will just have to see for myself when I arrive."

The next step was to quit my 8-5. Once everything started to feel more real, I was freaking out a little bit but knew I was doing something that would be so enriching to both myself and the family. I gave up a lot for something that was such a short amount of time, and wished I had done the program for longer. However, being there and completing the program allowed me to plan out an extra month of personal travel as well. Within the month that I was there, I created memories that will last a lifetime. I was fortunate enough to click instantly with the family and will most definitely be in contact with them forever.

Teaching the girls that I lived with was fun and easy. They were so inquisitive and interested in English, culture in America, myself, my family, etc. It really was a treat and as a family we were able to share so much of our lives and daily routines with each other. I actually became so accustomed to their culture and schedule that I am having a hard time reverting back to the time zone in the states.

I have no advise other than to just go for it! Stop living inside your comfort zone and branch out. It really brought a new level of awareness to my attention. Once you see the impact you can have on an entire family and vice versa, it really is an indescribable and touching feeling. If I could start the process all over again, I totally would.

I only stayed in Tokyo for 2 weeks, but it still was one of my best experiences abroad!
My host family was really kind and funny and I could adapt to their everyday life easily. They had a daughter my age so we really bonded and it was very nice.
The school (GenkiJACS) and Greenheart Travel staff members (Allison Yates) were really helpful with everything and I appreciate their support! The classes were practical and useful, having different teachers everyday was really fun. At the school I was able to meet wonderful people and now I have friends from all around the world.
I'm very glad I joined this program and I recommend it to anyone willing to learn about Japanese culture and language!

If you're looking for a casual homestay for cheap you can stop looking because you found it! I stayed in China for two months and absolutely loved it. You get attached to the host family very quickly and they become like your real family, it's crazy! I felt completely safe and knew my program manager was an email away at all times. They walk you through every step before you leave and you always know what's happening. Little tip: if you want to stay in China longer than a month, you might need to look into getting a student visa instead of a tourist one. That's what I had to do!

I recently completed my 6 month teaching contract in Yangon, Myanmar with Greenheart Travel. Applying to Greenheart was the best decision I've ever made. Greenheart handled all of the difficult processes of the journey (TESOL Program, contracts with local schools, business visas, finding an apartment + suitable roommate) and made it a smooth and easy transition into my new life! My 8 months in Asia let me live my dreams and help some awesome kids + adults sharpen their English along the way. *shoutout to Sara Thacker for being so helpful and responsive before + during my entire journey!*

Greenheart Travel placed me in a very spacious, furnished apartment in a very authentic neighborhood in Yangon, Myanmar. I loved being completely immersed in the people's culture - San Chuang had bustling street markets every morning. I saw few to none foreigners in my every day life, but there were plenty of places to connect with Westerners as well! There are plenty of nice restaurants, bars, and clubs, but eating local is extremely cheap (about $0.50 - $3 USD for a meal) and delicious! Yangon lacks many of the conveniences we take for granted (i.e. clean / unlimited water, assurance of electricity, sanitary civil structuring..) but is easy enough to still live comfortably.

Greenheart made it easy to get acquainted with other foreign teachers in the area, so I had a group of English speaking friends right away. Aside from them, I quickly made local friends of all ages, as Burmese people are extremely welcoming and inviting. A simple smile and "mingalaba!" goes a long way, and many people are eager to speak English with native speakers. I strongly recommend teaching, living, or just visiting Myanmar, their culture is unparalleled by any other people. Entirely unique, authentic, and still closely in tact with ancient traditions.

I would highly recommend the Greenheart Teen Language Camp in Salamanca, Spain. I attended for 6 weeks which was treat for truly learning the language. I had an amazing experience! While it was difficult in the beginning it ended up being one of the most rewarding experience. I learned more in 3 weeks than I did in 2 years of learning Spanish in school. The instructors were so wonderful and fun. You can walk everywhere and everyone does. It is such a beautiful city and evergone is so friendly.

My Thai Life for 2-months was the most incredible experience I have ever had. I hesitated to teach abroad for years and for numerous reasons. Now, I would never doubt or feel hesitant again. Teaching in Thailand was absolutely life-altering. I became a better educator. I became more culturally enlightened. I became more patient, humble, and appreciative. I challenged myself in mind, body, and spirit. I made so many life-long Thai friends. I would travel with Greenheart again in a heart beat. The entire staff was impeccable. I am so grateful I chose them for my teaching adventure. XploreAsia their partnering team in Thailand was also amazing. Both companies taught me so much about the reality and life of traveling and teaching abroad. This program also teaches you how to gracefully handle the positive and negative aspects that are indeed inevitable when you are out of your comfort zone. I appreciated every moment and would recommend to anyone who has thought about teaching abroad to just, GO!

Volunteering with the Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Society has been one of the best experiences that I've ever had. I’ve loved seeing elephants, volunteering with the program, and meeting such amazing people. It was my first time traveling alone which is why I found the experience to be a challenge, but all the staff and volunteers at the fieldhouse really made you feel at home. I loved getting to do hands on fieldwork and getting to work outside so much. Each morning we would split into groups to go complete different projects which I liked because we got to do a variety of different things and see how all the different projects were run. In the afternoons we would get to go and observe elephants, we wouldn't see them every day, but when you did it was really special. Even the days that we didn't see any we wouldn't get bored because there was so much to learn about everyone you were with.

I learned a lot about myself on this trip. I had never traveled alone before and at first I didn't really trust myself but after arriving home I realized that I was capable of way more than I first gave myself credit for. I realized that I really enjoy hands on learning and I love being outside even more than I thought. This trip taught me a lot about Sri Lankan culture, the elephant conflict, different people around the world, and myself. It was an eyeopening experience and I would highly recommend it!

My 6 month study abroad program in France helped me not only gain fluency in the french language but it helped me gain a much stronger independence and confidence as well as self-understanding that I feel can only be accomplished through an experience like studying abroad. I met amazing people in my host community as well as other exchange students from all over the world, and was able to see some of the most beautiful parts of the world in my travels throughout France, and it was all possible thanks to Greenheart travel who connected me with an amazing host family and school in a really cool town.

The Greenheart staff, Sarah Thacker in particular, was very helpful. From the program requirements, to the cv/resume templates, to the visa paperwork, Greenheart led the way. I would have preferred that visa paperwork arrive earlier because that created some stress as I prepared to leave, but otherwise very helpful. I was placed in an International School in the Bangkok suburb of Nonthaburi. The school provided very decent housing on campus. The curriculum was provided, but at times lacked clarity and needed materials. I was asked to be lead teacher and served as an intermediary between the staffing agency and the other American teachers. This occasionally led to some headaches, but overall I embraced the role. Perhaps, the lead teacher should be paid slightly better for the handful of additional tasks. Which were at times quite time consuming. Our school was supportive and the students were brilliant. They were eager to learn English, and it was my pleasure to teach them. Sarah Thacker answered question after question prior to my departure, and I am grateful for that.