Program Reviews

I am so pleased I chose Greenheart Travel to help me through the process of teaching in Thailand. They have been super supportive from the time of the initial application to periodically checking in on my experience in Thailand as a teacher. They also were very transparent and honest on details of what to expect once you get to Thailand. Sarah Thacker was my main person of contact at Greenheart and she has been great! She's authentic and sells the program from her heart. You can tell she loves what she does and supports this life changing experience. If you are currently researching the many overseas teaching programs and having difficulty choosing one, chose Greenheart Travel; you won't be disappointed.

I had a very unique experience for several reasons. The first is the location. Moncalieri is located on top of a hill and my host family had a backyard that looked out over Torino. The vista was just beautiful, and the family was a very sweet young family. Because the location was so remote, it was sometime difficult to go out on my own, but the family was very nice about driving me "down the hill" whenever I asked.

The children in my family were quite young, 2 and 5 years old, and this presented unique challenges for me in terms of teaching english. Their attention spans were shorter, so lessons and conversations had to happen in shorter spurts. I had very few low points, but when I did I wondered if perhaps the children were too young. It was difficult at times, especially if the children were tired, hungry or misbehaving. But in the end I think both boys learned quite a bit of english. Basic greetings, numbers, colors and lots of food and animals.

I am still processing this experience, but I feel it has changed me in many ways. I am more patient and I think my own teaching will improve as a result. I know some Italian which is fantastic. I got many wonderful photos and saw a part of the world I always wanted to see, but on a deeper level, more as a member of society as opposed to a tourist.

My favorite memory is probably Karaoke. I made friends with the nanny, Francesca, right away. She spoke no English, and I spoke little Italian, but we communicated through Google translate and lots of gesturing and laughter. She took me to do Italian Karaoke one Saturday, and I had so much fun singing in Italian with her and all her friends. I even did a solo to Whitley Houston which they played in English just for me! Many of the people I met that night are still sending me notes on facebook!

I do wish I had known more Italian before I left. Especially with young children it would be very useful.

The WEP representative and everybody from Green Heart travel was very supportive, and checked in with me frequently!

I will always treasure the experience I had, and it was the best semester off I have ever had!

After graduating from college and working a job I didn't love, I knew I needed something different. I could go back to school, change careers, or get a new job....but then I remembered how much I wanted to travel, and how many times people have said to me "you're so young, now is the time!"

So I did a ton of research, and found Greenheart Travel - and I'm SO glad I did. I knew I wanted to go to Italy because I minored in Italian and wanted to work on my language skills, and I knew that I was a bit too nervous to do a full year somewhere, so this 3 month program was perfect for me. I also wanted something social, and after seeing the Facebook page full of interactions of people currently and previously on the program, I knew that would be the case.

The best part of the program for me is being around other teaching assistants. Almost everyone in the program is in the Piedmont region, with Turin being the central city. Although we are all spread out, most of us have no problem getting into Turin for drinks or a dinner, and many of us have done traveling together. It's so reassuring to know that there are others you can call on if you have questions or concerns, or just want to vent about the things you miss from home. We also all got to meet each other at orientation, so we all had friends going into our host stays.

I was most hesitant about not having any teaching experience, and I didn't have the money to spend on a TEFL certification, but turns out that is totally fine for this program! I feel comfortable in the classroom even without any experience, since I am always in the room with another teacher and am getting guidance on how to structure lessons and what to teach about. You also have other the other teachers to reach out to for suggestions on games to play or lessons to teach.

I was also hesitant about not making any money, however getting housing and meals makes it a lot more doable. There are some possibilities of making money on the side (tutoring or giving music/sports lessons), but if you want to travel while you're on this program, you'll need to have money saved up ahead of time.

Overall, I would highly recommend this program. Especially if you want to be in Italy, there aren't many other programs available. There are a few things to consider (see below), so definitely do your research about Italy, especially the Piedmont region, and make sure this program is right for you and your needs!

I would definitely recommend coordinating an overseas teaching experience through Greenheart travel. They are good people with experience in helping you get overseas. In my own case they helped me with a teaching placement that was also handled by an agency in Thailand. Fortunately, since I had teaching qualifications and experience Greenheart helped me with a placement only. When I was there I met someone with similar experience, the company she went through made her buy a TEFL course she already did and didn't need. They basically told her that there was no other option and she had to do it. So she had to pay more money for something she didn't need. I can't say how happy I am that I went through Greenheart. They recognized the qualifications I already had and helped me coordinate a placement without trying to squeeze any more money out of me. They were also responsive to all my questions prior to leaving. If there were ever a problem I trust that they would be helpful in finding a solution.

Greenheart is a great organization to use if you want to teach abroad. After doing a lot of research on different organizations, Greenheart was the most comprehensive, cost effective and organized. Once we began the application process it was clear we made the right choice choosing Greenheart. Sara was beyond helpful. Any question I had day or night, I could email her and she would get back to me right away. She helped me from becoming stressed out during the application process and time leading up to departure! They send you lots of helpful material about Thailand, teaching abroad and what you can expect with both while abroad. We had a wonderful time teaching in Krabi Thailand and had it not been for Greenheart we never would have gotten to have this incredible experience!

Deciding to teach abroad is a huge decision and deciding what company to go through can be really overwhelming and stressful. I can honestly say Greenheart Travel made it SO much easier! Sara is incredibly knowledgeable and replied to all of my emails (and I sent her a ton of emails) in a very timely manner. Greenheart breaks down everything that needs done into a manageable timeline, provides feedback on your Thai resume, sets you up with Thai insurance, and helps you with all of the paperwork needed to apply for a visa. They also send a packing list and a guidebook that were so helpful! Once I got to Thailand, Sara reached out on multiple occasions to check in and make sure everything was going well. If you have any interest in teaching abroad, I would definitely recommend reaching out to Greenheart Travel! I will 100% be using them again for future travels!

I gave my overall experience a 9 because I don't have another program to compare it to, but overall it's been a really positive experience.

I went through EPIK (English Program in Korea) and it was definitely a time consuming application process. But with the help of my adviser, Kara, she helped alleviate the stress and guided me every step of the way. EPIK's application process is very long and specific. Your application will be delayed if something isn't filled out correctly, so accuracy is important. That's why I wanted to go through a recruiter. But what really stressed me out was gathering up the necessary documents needed for the application (passport photos, FBI background check, notarized/apostille diploma etc...). I couldn't imagine doing this by myself. There were so many questions I had. I emailed Kara back and forth about how to go about some things and she definitely clarified things for me--she made the process as easy as possible. What I really appreciated were the live seminars she held. These seminars went over how to fill out the application, how to gather your personal documents and anything else you wanted to go over. Also, if you couldn't make it, they were recorded so you'd be emailed the seminar. I thought this was great because I could go back whenever I needed to.

Fast forwarding to my acceptance:
Once I was accepted into the program Kara updated me as much as possible. She held another seminar before leaving the country which again, was helpful. Overall, I'm happy I went through Greenheart Travel. They definitely ensure that you are taken care of throughout the entire process!

*Note: There is a fee to go through this recruiter, but if you get TEFL certified through International TEFL Academy your fee will be waived (as of 2018).

I spent three months in Madrid, Spain for Greenheart’s Teach in a Homestau program and loved every second of it. I felt like Greenheart really listened to my preferences and paired me with an absolutely incredible family. My program support liaison, Allison, was such a pleasure to work with and kept touch throughout the program to see how everything was going and if I was enjoying it. The program itself is a bit hands off- I didn’t feel connected to the company or in a program setting once I arrived in Spain, but they did provide me the tools and housing to make me feel comfortable and able to prosper there. If you are looking to travel abroad and can’t commit to a longer program, I would hands down recommend this one. It was a truly great experience!

I used Greenheart Travel to go to South Korea through the EPIK program. Kara was so helpful and was available to help me every step of the way! She answered/returned every call and email very promptly. She also updated me as often as she could with any new information she had about my particular application. The information Greenheart provided about what my life may be like in South Korea was also very helpful and the webinars were full of information. I would highly recommend this program!

At the beginning of last summer, I made the decision to change my life around a bit and decided that I wanted to move to South Korea to teach English. I have a degree in Theatre and while I love the field, I wanted to be able to do something that would combine my love of teaching with my love of travelling and cultures. I did some research online and found many different programs that would help me get to South Korea. I got in touch with a few of them, but it wasn't until I came upon Greenheart and Kara that I found the program I was the most comfortable with. Most people decide that they want to go abroad and give themselves plenty of time, but I was determined to be hired by EPIK and leave the US for the Spring 2018 intake in February. This meant that everything needed to happen very quickly for my goals to be met.

I was able to schedule my first interview with Greenheart the next day. I was working at a summer camp and was not off of work yet, so I was anxious because I was in summer clothing chilling in the storage cupboard at work during my interview. Kara was so wonderful and easy to talk to however, and I felt very comfortable from the very beginning. Kara helped me decide which route would be the easiest for me to take and talked to me about getting my TEFL from the International TEFL Academy. I was signed up for the August in-person TEFL class in Chicago by the very next week!

When it came time for the EPIK application process it was very comforting to know that I had Kara to look over my application and help me make it as strong as possible. I have never done anything like this before and that support was very appreciated. She looked over my application and letters of recommendation and walked me through each step of the process. After our third chat, I felt much more comfortable with the application process and knew exactly what I needed to complete to have a winning application.

EPIK is a wonderful program, but applying to EPIK was the most stressful 6 months of my life. I was constantly wondering whether I would get an interview, would I would be prepared when I did get an interview, had I passed my interview, did my documents arrive in Korea safely, WHERE will I be placed, when can I buy my airplane ticket, and when exactly will I need to be in Korea. The materials that Greenheart provides really helped calm me down during these months of waiting (and to be honest I read some of the packets WAY to many times). It was also comforting to know that I could turn to Kara with any concerns and she would respond in a timely manner. Now that I am in Korea, she still keeps in touch and follows my adventures on Facebook, and I can feel that she is genuinely interested in what happens to the people that she helps place abroad.

Overall, my experience with Greenheart was wonderful. Kara dealt with all of my panicked e-mails and helped me every step of the way. I would work with them again in a heartbeat. They truly made the stress of changing your entire life and moving halfway around the world much more bearable!

Thank you, Kara and Greenheart for everything.