Program Reviews

One of my favorite memories from my time at Casita Verde was harvesting carob from the giant carob tree in the middle of the dining area. We set down huge tarps underneath and whacked the branches with poles to make the carob pods rain down, climbing up to shake the branches on tricky parts. It was incredible time to work together with every single member of Casita Verde to work the land and collect what residents had been nurturing for decades.

I recommend Casita Verde to people who aren't afraid to get their hands dirty, who come in ready to lead structured workdays, and for people willing to work hard! Harvesting carob was awesome but at the end of the day my arms were so sore from holding a 7ft rod above my head all afternoon! Speaking Spanish is a definite plus— when I was there it was about 50/50 Spanish/English communication for the first half, then when the English-speakers finished volunteering and left we communicated all in Spanish.

Where to start... to quote the great and infamous Fresh Prince of Bel Air, "My life got flipped-turned upside down!"

I left the United States in May of 2015 with the intentions of teaching in Thailand for 6-12 months. I did my TESOL in Thailand and felt completely at ease as I headed over. Sarah and the entire Greenheart Team were more than helpful and very responsive to all of my panicked inquiries.
About midway through my TESOL training, I was offered the opportunity to come over to Myanmar for a short term contract. At first, I wasn't going to accept the offer. I wanted to be in Thailand because when I googled "Teach ESL Abroad" Thailand is what came up, so that was obviously the best option. And also, where the heck is Myanmar!? Nonetheless, I decided to take the job and head next door to the newly opened country. Compared to my move to Thailand, I was much more hesitant coming over to Myanmar because I had no background knowledge of this country and really didn't know what to expect. But I arrived in the Golden Land and was intrigued. I could tell that this was going to be something totally different.
Long story short...I initially signed a 6 month contract...that was 16 months ago!! I have no intentions of leaving anytime soon. Just to clarify, I'm not getting rich, I don't live in a big fancy apartment, I don't have television nor do I have wifi at my home but what I do have is an amazing connection with my students and my community. I hope that my teaching reaches my students and positively impacts their lives in even 1/10th of the way that I've been touched living here. If you want to get rich and party on the beach - go somewhere else. If you want to experience a culture that will enrich your life and leave a lasting impression - COME TO MYANMAR!!! I'll be here :)

Going abroad to Spain was an incredible experience which I will never forget. Greenheart truly takes the time to carefully match you with a family and location they see best fit for you. My host mother and I spent countless hours cooking and baking, which is a hobby I truly enjoy. Not only did this provide me with an opportunity to improve my Spanish, it provided me the opportunity to create a bond with my host mother.
In addition, Greenheart provides 4 private Spanish lessons for you once you arrive and are about halfway through the program. These lessons with my Spanish teacher were some of my favorite memories from the program. Our lessons consisted of us driving to neighboring towns and speaking of their rich culture and history. While we discussed what he was showing me, which ranged from statues of conquerors to castles ruins, he gentle corrected me on what he noticed to be habitual mistakes with my Spanish. This provided a comfortable environment for me to get the feedback I needed all while learning about the history of my surroundings.

Traveling abroad with Greenheart Travel was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. The two weeks abroad in France were both incredible and I had a blast completely immersing myself in a different language and culture. I feel like I changed so much mentally and physically (definitely more buff from all the walking) from my time in France. It’s such a rewarding feeling- taking the skills we learn in textbooks and utilizing them in the real world. It feels surreal. From purchasing a train ticket à la gare de La Hume to asking about the oldest church in La Teste, my French skills came to life and gave all those verb conjugations and French vocabulary cards meaning. I was fortunate enough to live with a wonderful host mom who is one of the most kind people I’ve ever met. In the morning she would always ask if I slept well, wanted to know about my day when we came back from school, she drove my host brother and I to get ice cream and to watch the sun set (which was my favorite memory from this trip). I am still in contact with her and email her regularly. The school was challenging, as I was placed in the most advanced group (I had 3 years of high school French prior to this), but was equally as rewarding. The camp was a ton of fun most days, but a couple times our afternoon activity would be badminton in the park or volleyball at the beach, which was fun for a few hours, but could get boring. Luckily, I was surrounded by other teenagers my age from around the world. I didn’t expect to become such close companions with kids halfway across the globe from the United States, but I am so grateful and happy to have met them. We became inseparable; we shared food with each other, lent each other bathroom money practically daily, and compared our cultural differences. I was able to use the “tu” (informal) form with them and practice lots of French, as well as learn words and phrases in Swiss-German, German, Italian, and Chinese. I taught them the word “hella” which they found hilarious, but is actually a very commonly used, colloquial word in California. This trip actually helped me solidify my choice on declaring my major as French in college! I'm currently in the process of applying for colleges, and I am considering studying abroad in college because of my amazing experiences I had in France this summer. I would highly recommend this program.

I have made lots of friends in the Colombia Bilingue program, some of whom came to Colombia through other recruiters. After talking extensively about our different recruitment processes, we have come to the conclusion that Greenheart was the way to go. My friends can't believe how responsive Sara Dorsey was, and how much pre-departure support and information I received. I came to Colombia feeling ready, because Greenheart answered all of my questions and did all that it could to make sure I was prepared for the experience and knew what to expect.

I definitely made the right choice to teach English in Colombia using Greenheart Travel as my recruiter. Sara Dorsey, who is in charge of the logistics, is fantastic - she is well-organized, extremely prompt in responding to questions, and made the overall process smooth and seamless. I am currently teaching in Cali, Valle del Cauca am enjoying my time here. Thank you Sara and thank you Greenheart Travel!

Chances are if you're interested in applying to teach English in South Korea through the English Program in Korea (EPIK), you already know how extensive and daunting the application process is. Looking back on my experience, I can't imagine applying without Greenheart Travel's help!

I learned about Greenheart Travel about six year ago. When I first reached out about applying to teach in Korea, I had already missed the deadline. So, I waited a few months before attempting to apply again. I was so impressed that Greenheart Travel staff remembered my initial correspondence! From that point on, Greenheart Travel staff members were always so attentive and personable, all the while professional and efficient.

Greenheart Travel helped me successfully complete and submit all of the necessary documents needed on time in order to be offered a English teaching position in South Korea. I ended up staying in Korea for two years and absolutely LOVED my life there. And even after I had arrived in country, staff members from Greenheart Travel continually checked in on me, as well as encouraged the work I was doing!

My experience with Greenheart travel was unforgettable. I lived with a host mom and four other international students for three weeks and we all attended the language classes together on weekdays. When we had free afternoons we would walk all over Florence and by the end of our stay I felt like I had truly lived in the city like any other Italian. If there is one thing I loved about this program more than anything else, it was the chance to explore in the afternoons. This way, I could search out and go to places that interested me personally, like San Lorenzo Chiesa. The friends I made during my trip are incredible and I would definitely recommend this travel program to anyone with a desire to freely explore a new country while learning the language as well.

Going to Salamanca last summer was an incredible experience! I made so many new friends, improved my language skills, grew in character, and made memories that will last a lifetime. Salamanca is a very safe city, and it is full of history and fun things to do. One of the best parts about the teen program at Estudio Sampere was the diversity of the students. I became friends with people from all over the world. Most of these students speak English fluently, so it could be quite alienating for someone that does not speak English. Staying with a host family was an incredible experience, and a chance to experience life in a different culture. My host family was very kind, yet not very involved. This was the case with most families. Staying at the residence (dorm style) is definitely something to consider, especially because it is very close to the school. The lessons at the school were all in Spanish, which significantly improved my comprehension and speaking skills. The culture activities were quite monotonous and engaging, but still a good way to learn about the city! I highly recommend travelling to Salamanca, it was truly an experience of a lifetime. If you have the opportunity to travel abroad, take it!

My experience in Salamanca was something I will never forget! I met so many life long friends and my confidence in my Spanish improved immensely.
Some important things to know before embarking on this program are:
-Estudio Sampere, the school you will attend, is in charge of the excursions, classes and rules. In other words, they will be the ones who regulate your entire trip. Greenheart Travel is a travel agency which sets up the homestay, flights, ect.
-The teachers are very kind, knowledgeable, and welcoming. You will grow close to them despite the language barrier.
- You do not need to know any Spanish beforehand. However, it might make the first few days less stressful.
-Before signing up, decide whether you would like to stay in the residence (with your peers in a dormitory style floor), or with a host family. If your main focus is improving your Spanish and getting a taste of real Spanish life, I recommend staying with a host family. If you would like to build close friendships and have more freedom, stay in the residence.
My top recommendation is to take every opportunity available to you, try to do as much as possible so you won't have any regrets. I highly recommend this once in a life time opportunity!