Program Reviews

Greenheart Travel was among my first choices of travel agencies for my year abroad in Norway. I started the process long before I actually needed too, but they were always there for me along the way. 2020/2021 was a very difficult year for any student, let alone a student going abroad. The Greenheart staff was beyond supportive, and was always there whenever I needed any advice. They gave me amazing support with the whole application and visa process as well. I will continue any journeys abroad with Greenheart in the future.

Amazing program for students who are interested in teaching abroad. You will receive all the support and guidance you need throughout the whole program, which is definitely helpful for individuals who are going abroad for their first time. Ana is very helpful and supportive throughout the whole process. She made the whole process go by smoothly and easy. Any questions or concerns I had she was always there to assist me. Thank you for all your support and guidance. I am beyond excited to be in South Korea teaching English. It’s a dream that I’ve always had and I’m so happy to be pursuing it. Again, thank you Greenheart travel and Ana for all your help!

Everything from the people that I’ve met, the support I’ve received, and the experiences thus far, have been worth taking that leap of faith into the unknown! My journey is only beginning and I’m excited to see what my new home in Thailand holds. I’m looking forward to making a difference by teaching students English as well as getting to know the locals. I know there will be challenges but, that’s all a part of the process. Greenheart was with me every step of the way to prepare me before I left and I would choose them again!

I was accepted to teach in a French school rather than homestay, the program was canceled after I had been accepted. Rather than making me shift to a different program, Greenheart worked with me and allowed me to do what I had initially intended. I adored my host family and school, and had a great connection with my teachers and the students in my short time there. My host family really helped me to adjust to France, and taught me a lot of words and phrases that I could use. They encouraged me to explore the town and city, and taught me how to cook and bake French foods. It helped me grow my confidence as a French speaker, and someone who works with students. I was supposed to do the 3 mos. program, but left after 1.5 weeks due to Covid. Greenheart and its partners were helpful and understanding, and did the best they could to answer my questions in such an uncertain time for the world. They answered my questions as best they could, and I am looking to do another program with them in the future. I cannot say how the price of the program matches what was provided since I did not get to fully experience it, but I do not regret going. I spoke conversational french, but far behind the level that I thought I did. I suggest being truthful with your language level, and learning the basics.

Have had the idea to live in Norway for as long as I could remember and seeing that it was possible to do high school abroad program I thought all my dreams had come true! I picked Greenheart because I got the best impression from them and how communicative they were with answering questions and video chatting before applying and being accepted. The actual program was an entire different story. I paid $16k to get physically and mentally abused by my Danish host family while I was doing a Norwegian study program. The fact the family wasn't even Norwegian should've been a red flag to begin with. I understand there's only so much the company can do with screening families, but it's more so how Greenheart and their partner institution in Norway (STS) handled the situation. They continuously belittled me and downplayed the severity of the situation I was living in. I physically didn't feel comfortable living in my host family's house, after being threatened and manipulated numerous times- as well as having my independent phone plan shut off by them. I spent all my free time staying with friends and even some of my teachers at school who reached out to help. I had asked Greenheart/ STS to step in countless times, and called them nightly with my concerns. They were aware of all the gore details, but refused to do anything about it until my host family also requested I be transferred. My outlook on the program was tarnished after the first few months, but Greenheart/ STS couldn't understand why I had a hard time adjusting once I was placed in a new home. This experience was definitely one i'll never forget, and a lot of it I wish I could. It took almost a year for me to mentally get past what I experienced abroad through this program. The country and school was wonderful though! I definitely recommend traveling and doing study programs similar to this, just NOT through Greenheart.

Signed up for the 3 month program in winter of 2019. You have a coordinator here in the U.S and another coordinator once you step foot in Spain. Both of them were great at accommodating my requests!! Although unfortunately I did have bad experiences with the two families I was with. One family was constantly arguing and it was a very strict environment that did not feel comfortable. I mentioned to the mother how I felt, left for some coffee, and the same night she chained the door for the first time. So I couldn’t get in the house and I had to find a hostel to stay in for the night I was a nervous wreck. I requested a change in families only to be kicked out by the second family on December 26 in the middle of the holidays just because I could not accommodate the mothers VERY last minute request to teach one of her children that day (I was out of town and she knew). Aside from this, both families expected me to have vast extensive knowledge on how to teach yet Greenheart promotes that it is not a requirement to have teaching experience. If you do not want to risk having any issues, you would be better off going on your own and renting a room. A lot of foreigners in Spain you can meet and explore the city with!

Thanks to Covid-19 turning everyone’s world upside down, it wasn’t quite the experience I initially signed up for, but I thought they adapted well. Taking the course online wasn’t as bad as I thought, because I learn much better in person, but I found it very helpful and very informative in how to go about teaching English in a foreign country. Lots of insights on not just teaching but how to deal with culture shock and behavioral issues. The instructor was very knowledgeable and made it very understandable.

I have advanced degrees and thought this course would be like Community College—worth doing but not too demanding. Instead I found it required me to stretch to do well. Of course, that means I got more out of it than I expected. I took the course while I was also learning how to teach English 8 in public school online. It made for endless hours on the computer. Still, I had to push myself to complete the project required each week to my own satisfaction. It was worth the effort. But No Homestay!

Zoe and the crew at Greenheart and IEP in Auckland are super friendly and approachable and were a ton of help. I wish the "orientation" and "tour of the Auckland" were a little more informational because I feel like everything they taught us was pretty self explanatory and things I had already learned in the day or two I was already in New Zealand. Otherwise I appreciated all of the help and the program brought me together with friends I will have for a lifetime. It was really helpful for my bank account to be set up for me, but the program says they "include a sim card" but honestly that was not that helpful because SIM cards are free and I had to go to the phone store to set up my own plan. Obviously the expense was a lot and I could've figured out the working visa on my own but it was nice having a helping hand and the program led me to meet some of the greatest friends I've ever had.

I have been very lucky in my placement here. I live in a smaller city that provides me with the best of city and rural life. I only teach at one school and have wonderful co-teachers and lack nothing that I require to do my job. My home is within walking distance of my school and is very comfortable. I have loved every minute of my time here! For those thinking about this program I have a few pieces of advice... First, this is a teaching program, I am a certified teacher in the US so my transition has been fairly easy. I do know some however that have zero teaching experience or relevent course work that a struggling in their positions. Please keep in mind that this is a full time job, not just an extended vacation...Second, everyones experience is different. There will be bad co-teachers and apartments and you may live somewhere you werent expecting. You must be flexible and able to roll with the tide so to speak. Take advantage of this opportunity to experience a new culture. Eat the food! Speak the language! Meet the people...this is how you will get the most out of your experience here.