Program Reviews

Teaching in Colombia as part of the Ministry of Education English Fellowship Program is one of the coolest and most unique experiences of my life. First off, nothing can really prepare you for how different life is in Colombia. When preparing to apply, and researching the program, Greenheart manager Sara was most helpful, and answered all questions promptly. She ensures you have all your documents completed properly by the required deadlines and makes the whole process a lot easier. Once you arrive in Bogota, the week-long orientation is really well organized, and go will attend full days of pedagogy sessions on techniques and skills required for working in the Colombian classroom. The orientation includes 3 daily meals and hotel lodging, but is tightly scheduled with little to next to no free time for exploring Bogota. As soon as orientation ends, you will be flown to bused to your placement city where all the adventures begin. Your regional coordinator in your placement city will act as a big support to you in terms of finding housing, navigating your new city, and helping arrange social outings. Overall it is a really wonderful program, but you need to be flexible and willing to adapt to Colombian culture and school system (which is very different than in North America). As long as you stay motivated, and bring the best version of yourself to this program, you will succeed! The kids and teachers are really lovely, and you will truly be immersed in the local culture. They are also really excited to meet you, and hear all about your culture (so make sure to bring some items from home to share with them). This is an experience that will change your life, and leave you feeling very grateful.

My experience with this course started off pretty rocky. I felt disconnected from the Hello Academies instructors and wasn't sure how the remainder of the course was going to go. I kept an open mind and by the end, I'm happy that I earned my TEFL certificate in Prague. Greenheart Travel, specifically Kara, made all the difference. She truly listened to my concerns and worked with me to figure out the best plan of action to make my experience enjoyable. I'm EXTREMELY excited to see where this course takes me and what opportunities I can now take advantage of with my TEFL certificate!

All I knew when I started this adventure is that I wanted to see and fully experience a different part of the world. I knew next to nothing about teaching or Thailand but was eager to dive into the experience and see how it would change me. While I write this review only 3 months into my experience I couldn't be more thrilled with how things have been thus far.
Leaving the US for the first time and traveling solo across the globe brought plenty of anxiety, questions to answer, and opportunities to give up before even getting started. However, once I committed to signing up with Greenheart Travel I gained a support system that would make the details of getting started a breeze. Sara Thacker was my trusted advisor and was personable and knowledgeable in helping answer any questions I had about how to make the leap. Not only did she and the Greenheart team make the experience of getting here and settling in easy but they made the logistics enjoyable. Walking through the steps and talking with Sara helped me turn the nerves into excitement and had me eager to board that plane.
Three months in and feeling more and more at home here in Bangkok is all thanks to the support Sara & Greenheart continue to provide, always letting me know I've got people back home looking out! Nothing makes the experience of moving to a foreign place on the other side of the planet more adventurous and less challenging than having a strong support group backing you. Sara & the Greenheart team fit that roll exceptionally, and I can't recommend their guidance enough in starting this adventure for yourself!

Coming to China has been a life-changer for me. I worked back in the United States, but I knew I wanted a new experience. Living in Shenyang, China now, I realized I made the right decision. Kara Menini from Greenheart travel is awesome. She was very informative about where I was going to teach and how the living conditions were. She also talked about her own experiences, which eased my anxiety of traveling halfway across the world, speaking a language I did not know, and experiencing an unknown culture. A year and a half in, and I am very happy with the decision that I made. I have learned a lot of the language, visited many different countries, and experienced some things that at first, were only dreams. I could not have done all of these things without Kara and the Greenheart program. If you want to travel and work abroad, I recommend Kara and Greenheart Travel 100%. They will provide you with the support you need to have a smooth transition into your program. With them, you will always know that you are not alone.

I am so happy I found Greenheart to help launch my teaching adventure in Thailand. This organization has supported me every step of the way, providing expert guidance that has made for a seamless transition. Sara, Greenheart's Senior Program Manager, has truly been a pleasure to work with. Sara's level of professionalism, responsiveness and attention to detail made an inherently difficult process remarkably simple. Beyond the logistics, Sara really humanized the process by sharing stories from her personal experience and offering thoughtful reassurance. I highly recommend Greenheart to anyone interested in teaching in Thailand!

My experience teaching aboard in Thailand through Greenheart was AMAZING! I received awesome support from day 1. Sara Dorsey Thacker answered all of my questions and made me feel comfortable as I got ready head abroad. I had done a good bit of travel before this program, but I still was nervous. This was something completely different! Sarah and Greenheart made sure everything was taken care of and that I felt comfortable.

I taught at a school in Chonburi, Thailand for 5 months. I loved it! I made great friends and still keep in touch with my students almost daily. I felt supported, safe and confidant in my classroom and my town.

I can’t wait to go back and visit my students one day!

GreenHeart Travel was the perfect program for me. Before Thailand, I had never left the States; I had always dreamed of traveling, but never thought it would be possible for me. The idea of packing up my life and moving to the other side of the world was intimidating, but Sarah and the supporting staff at Greenheart made everything easy. During my time in Thailand I experienced culture, language, and made friends from all corners of the world. After spending 7 months teaching in Thailand I feel more self confident and prepared to pursue a career focused on educating others on the importance of inclusive education. My time in Thailand only enticed my wanderlust! I decided to travel directly from Thailand to Spain for 3 months--going through GreenHeart Travel: Homestay in Spain. Although my journey in Spain has just begun, I already feel like a member of this family and I owe it all to the team at Greenheart. I would recommend Greenheart Travel to anyone, experienced or non-experienced travelers alike.

My experience teaching abroad in Thailand has been absolutely incredible. It is a big and scary decision to move abroad, but Greenheart (and Sara) made everything so simple. I am grateful that Greenheart has given me the opportunity to blog for them and share my stories and experience along the way. One of my favorite memories is from my schools English Camp. At my school I teach both elementary and middle school students which meant that my elementary students were the campers and my middle schoolers were Teacher's Assistants. It was fun watching my younger students learn and interact with my older students. It was so rewarding to see some of my shy middle schoolers step into leadership roles. We had such a fun three days of dancing, singing, and playing English games.

My time in Thailand was incredible, and I wouldn't trade my experience for anything. It is nothing what I expected but everything I needed. I'm not going to lie...there are difficult parts and sometimes I wondered what the hell I was doing, but the growth and transformation within myself during and after my trip is immeasurable. The people I met in Thailand changed my life by showing me how despite the language barrier our common humanity ties us together-and how beautiful that is! I would highly recommend this trip to anyone interested. You will come out a better person and have memories that last a lifetime!

Greenheart Travel is a well organized, professional company. My experience on their TESOL + Teach in Thailand program was smooth and I was well informed every step of the way. Sara is a great coordinator; she is quick to respond to any questions or concerns brought up through email or social media. They also provide clear instructions for obtaining visas, flights, etc., and make sure to update you with any changes to the program or procedures. Overall, I would definitely recommend this organization to set you up on your first teaching experience, and can imagine that they are just as great with all of their volunteer and work abroad programs! I am happy to be choosing them again to participate in another teaching program!