Greenheart Reviews

I have taught in a few countries now and the program in South Korea was the best for overall teaching experience. I was fortunate to have great co-teachers who really took care of me, the pay is great and I got valuable teaching experience. The EPIK program was the second time I used Greenheart Travel to help me. The entire staff at Greenheart is amazing. They have a lot of materials with information to help you prepare before you leave (like important cultural tips and packing lists) as well as information for your time in-country. They also encourage communication among candidates prior to your start date so you can ask questions, share information and get to know each other before you arrive. It doesn't cost anything.....why wouldn't you use Greenheart??

As soon as I stepped off the plane in Santiago, I could immediately tell that I was going to like Chile, and once I met my host family in person, I knew I was going to love Chile. I could not have been matched with a better host family. This was my first time traveling alone, so I did experience a little bit of homesickness for the first few days, but my host family loved me like I have been apart of their family my whole life.

My teaching experience was unique in that we did not really have formal lessons. Instead, my host family preferred to learn solely through conversation and everyday routines and activities. I primarily lived with and taught a 71 year old lady, Sonia, who is absolutely precious. On weekends, we stayed with her daughter and grandchildren. While I was teaching Sonia English, she taught me how to knit and make sopaipillas.

My host family loved showing me around their country, and I was able to do a little bit of exploring on my own. The Chilean landscape is absolutely incredible. We visited the mountains and the beach, and it took about two hours to get to each location. I wish that I had spent more time in the country to be able to visit the north and south of Chile. I guess I will just have to go back!

The month I spent there flew by! When it was time for me to leave my new Chilean family, we all cried, but thankfully, technology allows us to stay in touch.

I couldn't recommend Greenheart Travel or this specific program enough. Everyone I spoke with along the way was incredibly helpful and encouraging. This has been an absolutely amazing experience!

I did plenty of research about teaching abroad before choosing Greenheart Travel. TEFL certification and placement programs come a dime a dozen now. The difference with Greenheart, though is I felt support from initial contact even up to now almost a year later. The school yera has concluded and the memories I've made as a EFL teacher in Thailand I owe much of the smooth transition to Greenheart.

I appreciated that my questions were answered promptly and the staff were helpful and professional. Their partner in Asia that actually handles the teacher placement portion on the ground work well with the Greenheart setup.

Although I have a masters degree and prior TEFL certification, I chose to add on the optional TEFL course. I highly recommend you so so too! If you've taught in a classroom before, great. But teaching in Thailand, to Thai kids, in a Thai school setting will be very different. The TEFL course not only included a jam-packed orientation week, but the conclusion of the course required a 2-day teaching camp and that was life-changing! Those kids changed my ideas about wanting to be a teacher. Their energy, smiles and warmth oozed through my soul. It's because of the TEFL program that I decided I wanted to continue teaching.
Had I just taken my placement after the orientation week and skipped the TEFL course I would've sorely missed bonding experiences with other program mates (some I mad great friends with!), learning valuable techniques to teaching in a Thai classroom, and made transitioning to Thailand life much smoother.

Marie Kondo was on to something in her book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. The book centered around the question “Does it spark joy?”...for me this simple question changed my life. As a overworked American passionate person about education, I found myself experiencing a burnout that was draining my life. I knew I needed change and my wanderlust soul was beginning to consume my thoughts. That's when I found Greenheart Travel...and I would have to say that's when Thailand found me.

After months of research on living and teaching in Thailand, I found no other organization that offered the structured support and guidance to live this dream like Greenheart Travel. From visa, resume, and cultural preparation, Greenheart made the adventure possible, easy, and informative. Kara answered every question that I had and continues to be in contact since I've been here. If you are reading this, it means you are thinking about embarking on this wild adventure...and as many Thais would say "why not?" Haha Go for it! It will change your life!

The TESOL course with XploreAsia prepares you in every way they can to not only be a great teacher but also how to culturally adjust to living in Thailand. Some participants from other partnered organizations with XploreAsia had horror stories of their preparation agencies...none of which I could relate to because Greenheart provided so much detailed information on what to expect and how to prepare.

Now, you might be asking "Is it all sunshine and rainbows?" Well, if you come in April or May, you have the sunshine part right as it is quite hot and the sun can be quite intense haha But as someone who hates cold weather, I lather on the sunscreen with a smile and carry an umbrella with me everywhere I go (comes in handy to shield the sun AND when it just randomly rains out of nowhere). Eventually you'll get used to the sweat...so don't sweat it ;-)

As far as adjusting to life in your placement city, you may experience a shock from going from being around people 24/7 during the TESOL course and having everything planned, organized, and easy to moving to your placement city alone, lost, and possibly not being able to communicate well. Buying the right size sheets at Tesco or Big C may be more of a complicated task than one realizes when you can't read the packaging and the sales assistant doesn't speak English haha After awhile you'll begin to adjust to venturing out on your own and depending on your placement, you may meet other foreign teachers who will help along the way. I live in the heart of Bangkok and I honestly think it has made my transition a bit more convenient and easier to adjust to. I quickly set out to make local Thai friends which has been a benefit in multiple ways! Thais knows all the good places to eat, the secrets of getting around, and best places to visit on holiday ;-)

There are many things I have come to love about Thailand. The food, the weather, the beautiful landscapes, and the low cost of living are just a few to mention about living in the "land of smiles." However, to me, the most important and refreshing has been the laid back "mai bpen rai" lifestyle. If you don't know what that means, look it up...you'll enjoy the research. It's been a game changer for me. Bringing me back to my point about Marie Kondo's "spark joy" mentality, I have come to love, embrace, and appreciate simplicity.

There is just something to be said about simplicity; it’s simply liberating and Thailand is a perfect environment to experience and embrace it. I am loving it more and more each day and if you were like me...stressed to the max all the time because of the rat race of your culture...I encourage you to simply ask yourself "why?" Then take a look at Greenheart's Teach in Thailand opportunity and ask yourself "why not?" haha You won't regret it.

I wish you the best on your quest for adventure.

As a first time traveler wanting to travel, but a little afraid to do it on my own, this was perfect. I could make it fit my schedule and go in the months I requested. As well, I did have concern that some travel programs might be a scam or unsafe, this was not at all the case with greenheart travel. From the beginning Allison was available to answer any questions, always responded to my emails quickly, and any concerns that I had were dealt with efficiently and comfortably. I did the 3 month stay and I learned so much about Spain, and made a real connection with my amazing host family. Furthermore, a lot of my anxieties about traveling have been alleviated and I feel more comfortable doing it independently. I would recommend this program to people who want to experience a country over a long period of time, but need a “safety net” (host family) available.

If you are looking for a culturally immersive program that will be rewarding every single day look no further! As a first time ESL teacher, I found this program to be a great fit. Other teachers in my group had years of experience and also found it to be a great fit. I felt supported by Lauren and Savannah from Greenheart and I felt extremely supported by ALIARSE, the partner organization in Costa Rica. I arrived with 10 other teachers from around the United States and the United Kingdom. We completed an informative, in-depth orientation in San Jose where we had a chance to do mock lessons, find out our placement locations, get to know each other and the organization and our social workers. Then on Saturday, we left San Jose with our social worker(s) for our new location and new host family!

My host family was by far my favorite part of this program. My host family consisted of a host mom and dad and 4 siblings, two lived in the house and 2 visited often. We frequently had grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and other extended family members at the house. This really immersed me in the culture and the language. My host family spoke some English but they agreed to only speak Spanish with me so that I could learn more. They invited me everywhere they went and we spent many evenings talking about culture, sports, music, Costa Rica and much more.

The Classroom:
My students were amazing, and I had an equally amazing social worker. I have never met a group of people who wanted to learn more than my students. They were in class every day ready to learn, always asking questions about words, pronunciation, and grammar they have heard. I was the second teacher in my location so the students had 4 months of English class before I started and it has been incredible to see them improve so much in 4 months. I'm able to look back at their first diagnostic test and comments from the first teacher to really see just how far they have come. Many of my students are mothers, some are single mothers. Some just finished high school and some have kids in high school. Almost none of my students knew each other prior to starting the program and in just 8 months they have bonded and formed a tight-knit, supportive community. They spend time together outside of class practicing English and only want the best for each other.

Each location has at least one social worker or more depending on the number of students. The social worker in my location is an incredibly special woman. She truly cares for each and every student, as well as the teacher. She always checks in with the students and provides so much support for them. Because the students come from impoverished backgrounds many of them have obstacles to learning. This is where the social worker comes in. She teaches soft skills, provides emotional support and helps the students mature.

As a first time ESL teacher, I found it very helpful that we were provided lesson plans from ALIARSE. This saved me a lot of time preparing. I still made notes and added some fun games and activities I had learned during my TESOL program, but I did not have to design a curriculum from scratch. There is also flexibility within the curriculum so that you can adapt it to fit the needs of your students. Also, the curriculum is constantly being improved based on feedback from teachers. The curriculum creators were very helpful in explaining the curriculum and providing support for it. Also, ALIARSE provides money for copies and transportation (I chose to walk to class, but if I wanted to take the bus, this would be covered by ALIARSE). This program is still fairly new so it is important that you come with an open mind and are flexible.

If you haven't lived in Costa Rica before it is worth your time. It is one of the most beautiful countries I have ever had the pleasure of visiting from the landscape to the language to the culture and the people. I have truly enjoyed embracing the "pura vida" lifestyle while here. The food is fresh and delicious. The fruit is cheap and from right down the road and came off the tree/bush/etc only days, sometimes hours prior! (Unlike the US where much of the fruit is months old and has traveled thousands of miles).

If you are looking for an adventure, to live in another country, to embrace another culture, to learn another language, to significantly impact Costa Rican people, to step out of your comfort zone, to meet teachers from around the world, to work for an amazing organization, to build your resume, to eat fresh fruit, to experience what "pura vida" truly means this is the program for you!

I am writing this while still in Italy, having just completed my 10 weeks of teaching in Verbania, Italy. I could not recommend this program enough.

Greenheart provides incredible support and preparation, and the orientation we received was thorough. Orientation was also a blast because I was able to meet the other 20 teachers also being placed in the Piedmont region (most of them near Turin). Everyone was instant, effortless friends and all of my trips around Italy on the weekends involved at least one of these new friends, sometimes more (like the 10 of us who took on Florence for a weekend---such a blast).

I had 2 host families during my stay, and each one was fantastic. I consider them close friends now and living in their homes meant traveling with them to their favorite local spots, eating incredible meals together, and sharing our worldly perspectives around the dinner table over local wine. Staying with host families was certainly the most rewarding part of this adventure as I feel I got a very deep sense of Italy culture.

Teaching at the local middle school was a really great experience. It boosted my future teaching career so much. And, be warned, Italian school systems are very disorganized. If you can go with the flow, you'll be okay. That being said, be prepared to run an entire class by yourself because the teacher usually with you took the day off to go skiing. Be prepared for teachers who harshly yell at students and students who yell right back. It's a different system in a different culture so be prepared for it to take a lot of time and energy.

During my time, I've been able to travel to Florence, Venice (for Carnival no less), Naples, Rome, Genoa, Turin, Milan, and even into the Swiss Alps. Every day is an adventure and a chance to eat the most incredible food you've ever had in your life. And the gelato is so good, you'll seek out the best places in every town and have it at least 3 times a week. Embrace it.

I highly recommend this program for anyone who wants to be immersed in a culture, work hard at school, eat amazing food, and travel around Italy/Europe. I never had any issues.

Doing this program was one of the best decisions of my life. Greenheart was incredibly supportive throughout all the pre-departure planning and the trip itself. Being a first time traveller, I was also able to apply for the Greenheart Travel First Time Traveller Scholarship which was a huge financial help to me!

Rescue P.A.W.S. became my second home and will forever have a special place in my heart. I was lucky to have an incredible boss and amazing coworkers who I know will be friends for life. My days were spent with puppies or cats in my lap, putting my skills to use in a way that I can confidently say I am proud of. This internship is very self-directed - I came in with project ideas in mind and was able to do all of them. I come from an art background and was even able to illustrate for, and design, a bunch of new merchandise, which isn't something I thought I'd be doing in a marketing internship at all! I loved Rescue P.A.W.S. so much that I even decided to stay a couple of months longer than I had planned. If you're on the fence about doing this program, don't be. What could be better than puppies in Thailand?

A few years ago I was searching the internet for a way to travel to another country but stay longer than a normal vacation. After weeks of searching I found Green Heart Travel's program to Colombia. I studied history and focused on Latin America so this was instantly my favorite program I'd seen. After applying and going through a few interviews, I was on my way to Colombia within 6 months. For the following 6 months I not only had an amazing time with my students and teachers at my school but also traveled the entire country which included snow and glaciers, beaches, mountains, ancient ruins, urban cities, colonial towns, and lots of beautiful hikes with waterfalls and mountains everywhere. Everywhere I went the people were so friendly and I never felt unsafe at anytime. I would highly recommend taking a chance and traveling to Colombia and would definitely recommend Green Heart Travel for all of their help and organization throughout my time there and even after returning.

I came to China via Greenheart having used them already in 2015 to complete a programme in Thailand. Once again, Greenheart were very well organised, pragmatic and supportive throughout the entire process. Greenheart had less involvement in the programme than when I went to the teaching placement in Thailand, as there was no introductory weeks of lessons, activities etc. I was regularly in contact with Greenheart staff however, who were especially supportive when I was having a tough time in my homestay struggling with cultural difference and homesickness. The lady I spoke to had suggestions, encouragement and liaised with my boss of the company that I was handed over to, in order to help me though my issues and feel more at home in China. By the end I didn't want to leave! I also had an alumni discount for this programme, which is also great as we all know that money can be an issue when you have itchy feet. I would definitely recommend the home-stay programmes as an immersive and humbling experience, however i might suggest going on a paid teaching programme first like I did in order to get to grips with culture shock and first-time working abroad with others in the same boat before going it alone.