Program Reviews

Overall, I had an amazing experience teaching in Thailand through Greenheart Travel! Greenheart Travel did an excellent throughout the pre-departure process and during my time in Thailand to communicate all the necessary information and ensure that everything went smoothly! With the help of this program, I felt very prepared every step of the way and was able to have an incredible experience and meet so many wonderful friends along the way! I would definitely recommend this program to anyone hoping to teach English abroad!

As in all experiences learning and growth goes hand in hand. It is in learning about the unknown, and fortifying yourself with the knowledge obtained, that true growth is awarded. Teaching abroad in Colombia through the Volunteers Colombia program has granted me the opportunities I desired three fold: (1) To teach ESL on a global level receiving and conferring a cultural exchange of knowlege; (2) To immerse myself in a Spanish speaking community to strengthen my language skills; and (3) To become a valid part of the World Community and help uplift/enrich the lives of our children.

Teaching abroad in Barranquilla Colombia has truly enriched my life. To have the opportunity to be a part of an amazing program geared towards the health and welfare of children is fortifying. It is an opportunity to make a difference by helping to build a better world through educating its new leaders -- the children.

On the other hand, I have learned so much from my students and the people of Colombian. The outreach of support you receive in learning about Colombian Culture is truly wonderful. Everyday my students would bring in books, toys, picutres, stories, letters, etc helping me to learn about life in Colombia. In addition, my students are incredible Spanish teachers; from quizing me on my vocabulary, to showing the proper way to position my tongue to roll the letter R. And, for every word or phrase they want to teach me, I eqaully share its translation into English. What a great exchange!

Living in Colombia has been wonderful. I live in Salamanca, in Soledad which surprisingly many people in Colombia, outside of Soledad, have said that it is not a good place to live; however, I beg to differ! I love the closeknit family atmosphere, and the flavor of their Costal way of life. No matter where you go in Soledad, you are greeted with, ¨Buenas¨! In the begining, I thought that missing my family was going to be my hardest challenge, but everyone in Soledad welcomed me with open arms, embraced me as one of their own, and became apart of my family.

And do not get me started on the food! I originally thought it was going to be a difficult task to find good things to eat, since I am vegetarian; however, it was not. There is nearly a tienda with vegetables and fruits on every corner, and my favorite guilty pleasure -- the Panandaria. This is where I purchase the most delicious sweet bread at the end of every week!

In any new place, the element of different is present. Yet, the most amazing part of the adventure is to immerse yourself in the experience! Stay active, volunteer at community events, learn new things, and get to know your city by engaging in all its cultural activities! While in Barranquilla, I joined a local gym in my neighborhood where I workout 3x a week, I practice Muay Thai at Barranko, and take Zumba lessons at Fusion! I´ve read extensively, visited many museums, art shows, and cultural events within the city. In addition, I´ve had the honor of volunteering in Charitable Community events.

Being part of this teaching programme has literally made my dreams come true! Right from the beginning it has been a positive and enriching experience. I applied for the programme in January but was told it was full. However I was contacted a couple of months later and offered an opportunity to join the programme in July. From that point the correspondence and support I received was excellent. Sara has been really helpful the whole time, always checking in, and the rest of the greenheart team have been amazing.
It has given me an opportunity to get my first insight into teaching whilst still feeling supported the whole time and my plan is to return to Colombia next year to be part of the programme again. If you like a challenge, making a difference, happy people and dancing apply now! It will change your life!

This program is an excellent way to immerse yourself and gain appreciation for another culture, I definitely fell in love with my school and the country as a whole.

My experience teaching in my school was incredibly challenging to say the least, my co-teachers wear microphones to school just to cut through all the noise. The behavioral problem was so broad and so deep it just couldn't be solved, merely worked around. I'm sure this isn't true for all schools, but its not rare either. As long as you're willing to work in trying circumstances with limited resources you can still be successful. For me it actually made the work more fulfilling because it didn't come easy. Anyone wanting to teach in this country should be aware that this situation is a possibility.

The Colombia program has several different agencies who all recruit for the same program, but Greenheart is definitely the most helpful and supportive recruiter to use. There is a Facebook page full of information from current and past Fellows, and Sara is excellent at giving specific information on what you need to do. Her help with the visa process and general program changes really has made the program as stress-free as possible. There will always be some last minute changes and information doesn’t always come as soon as you would hope, but the Greenheart team really does their best to help keep Fellows and applicants in the loop as much as possible. In general, the program is a really amazing opportunity. As other reviewers have said, everything will vary greatly based on your city placement, attitude, and your school environment. I’m currently placed in a medium-sized city in the coffee triangle and it is definitely possible to live on the stipend. My students and co-teacher have been amazing and I have learned a lot about teaching from this position. This program is a great experience for people who are really excited about getting to live abroad and teach English, as long as you are prepared for last minute information and some uncertainty that comes with the government-based program!

I've loved doing this program. It's a fantastic opportunity to immerse oneself in Colombian culture. The program is well organized and there's a good network of support within the program. Special shout out to Sara from Greenheart Travel. There is a fair amount of paperwork to do and she was always organized and very responsive to any questions or concerns I had. I couldn't have done the process of applying for the Visa without her help.

A year ago I decided to apply through this program to go to Colombia. I was scared but mostly excited. I never knew my life would change that much. This experience in Colombia has been the BEST of my life. I have never felt so happy and fulfilled. The joy that those students bring to me is incomperable. I owe it all to Greenheart travel. Without them, I probably wouldn't be here today. Sara was helpful every step of my preparation to come here.
I came here and it was easy to meet people, to make friends and to feel at home. Colombians are so welcoming that I never felt homesick. My students are chaotic but have the biggest heart and will do anything for you.
Coming here, I was mostly scared that I wouldn't connect with the students because of the language or cultural barrier. But that wasn't the case. Colombia will always be home away from home.

Loving my time in Colombia and super thankful for Greenheart's/ Sara's part in this experience! Greenheart/Sara are so well organized and helpful while preparing for my travels and gathering documents! This is especially impressive considering that things on the Colombian side are not always the most clear or well organized! One more perk about applying with Greenheart is that you're encouraged to join their super helpful facebook group which has lots of awesome advice! Although co-teaching has its ups and downs, I have really enjoyed this experience and learned a lot! Very thankful that I made the trip to this beautiful country with the help of Greenheart!

I have been teaching and living in Palmira, Colombia and finish November 2017. Overall, things are going smoothly and I have no major complaints. Depending on what part of Colombia you are placed in and what school you are assigned, the experience will vary. Other fellows I talk to are having a very positive experience like I am, and some not as much. It depends on how you make it and it is important to remember you are here to help the youth and their community as best you can.
I can say I am learning more about myself as a teacher and education in general through this program. My school doesn´t have as much resources as one would like, but it challenges me to be resourceful and work more with less.

Switching over from another agency that I didn't find very helpful, Sara welcomed me with open arms. I found her extremely efficient, and always willing to answer any questions no matter what they were. I was very, very intent on being in the SENA program as it was my main draw to the program and she honored this preference of mine. Although there were a lot of ups and downs with whether or not I would be able to be in the program, it really wasn't the fault of Sara or Greenheart, but the unpredictably of the Colombian agency. Everything that Sara/Greenheart could have possibly done for us, they did, and even all my friends that are here with Greenheart are unanimously happy with their experience.

For those of you who are considering this experience, I can't speak highly enough of it. I absolutely love my placement city (which was completely random, and I had never even heard of it). I did so much research prior to arriving but I feel completely at home here only after 3 months and love my students and the experience of teaching them. I would highly, highly recommend this country and teaching with SENA !