Program Reviews

From the beginning all the staff of Maximo Nivel was really kind and they would provide all the information promptly, making sure that no detail was left out and everything was taken care of.
The course itself was AMAZING, I can tell it was challenging but not discouraging and our TEFL trainer would make sure we received all the support needed and feedback at all times. You can really trust the trainer and all the people who is there to support you. Without a doubt, it's a safe investment for adventure!

maximo nivel is a great volunteer program. All of the staff here is very nice and helpful and supportive with anything you may need during your time here. The childcare program that I was at is great as well. The staff there is extremely friendly and helpful as well despite the language barrier. Maximo is great because you will meet so many new like minded people and maximo offers a place of socialization as well as free cooking and salsa dancing classes. this is a great program for young travelers or someone who has not traveled alone before such as my self. It can be scary at first being a young person alone in another country and it is important to feel like you have people to support you on your journey and maximo did a great job of providing that for myself and many others. i have met so many amazing people here and made some really great memories. I am sad to be leaving and I would love to come back some day. I definitely reccomend this program to anyone who is interested.

As a first time volunteer, I wasn't sure what to expect coming to Costa Rica. However my experience teaching English here with Maximo for the past 2 months has been nothing less than amazing and I have thoroughly enjoyed staying with a host family and getting fully immersed in the city and culture. The host family have truly welcomed me as one of their own and I've been able to see so many places and meet locals that I never would have otherwise as well as trying out Tico food!

I was sent to a project that focuses on teaching English to Venezuelan and Nicaraguan refugees with a class of around 8-10 students for 3 hours each day and whilst it was challenging, the team at Maximo have consistently been supportive and listened to any feedback I had aswell as assisted me with the materials for the classes. The project manager ensures you have an introduction at your project before you start as well as an orientation meeting and walking tour when you first arrive in Costa Rica, so there's no surprises - thankfully!

The San Jose institute is also well located so that you can travel to all parts of the country easily by bus /shuttle/car rental, I have travelled to several areas of the country by bus and although it takes several hours, the tickets are super affordable. There are also plenty of activities/trips that you can plan with the in house travel agent at Maximo and they are more than happy to help with your travel plans.

Maximo has such a diverse range of people from around the world doing volunteering/internships and its easy to make a lot of new friends here. The free salsa classes and cooking classes and occasional karaoke/movie night are also really great additions to the programs and being able to meet with Costa Rican students and have tandem conversations is a huge bonus too.

Overall, I would love to do another project with Maximo in the future and highly recommend coming here.

Maximo Nivel in Manuel Antonio was absolutely amazing! The TEFL course itself was an intense experience, but the teaching was incredible and I felt supported throughout! The centre itself was great, all the staff are super friendly and keen to help you in any way they can. There are fun and inclusive activities on throughout the week, and Manuel Antonio is fantastic in itself! The work was hard but we had plenty of time to relax and explore the area, the centre also partner with a tour agency so it was really easy to book tours, such as white water rafting! Would 100% recommend Maximo to anyone and everyone!

I learnt so much in my week in Anitgua, the class material was excellent and the teacher friendly and full of energy. I took group lessons and had a private which were both very useful. I was well placed in my class based on my ability. Highly recommend the photography tour Maximo arrange each week- very funny and fascinating local history! I had an issue with my accomodation and the Maximo team were supportive and resolved it very quickly. The staff a friendly and the school itself is just a beautiful space to spend time in!

If anyone has any doubts about doing the TEFL Program with Maximo Nivel (specifically in Antigua) I would say, without a doubt, to do it! The TEFL program is great but I believe a lot of it is mainly because of the instructor. Mackenzie, who is the TEFL instructor in Antigua, has a lot of experience being a TEFL teacher and a TEFL trainer. He actually uses the techniques that you learn to teach English in the classroom so it allows you to see them implemented every single day. The program also forces you to start implementing the techniques right away so that way by the time you get to the fourth week, which is practical teaching week, you already have an idea of what to do and feel somewhat prepared. I didn't even know that I wanted to teach English when I started the program and now I'm an English teacher in Guatemala! So if you have any doubts just take the leap of faith and do it.

I had a great experience as I completed the internship through Maximo Nivel. I learned a lot throughout the whole experience, and the internship program helped me improve my Spanish speaking skills, which was one of my main goals. Another one of my goals was to help people, and the internship provided me with the opportunity to work with a variety of people, both from Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Besides working with new people there, I also met a lot of great people from the institute while participating in the Maximo Nivel activities.

Hola! I compeleted the TEFL course with Maximo Nivel in October and I am so glad I pursued this opportunity. The course is challenging in the absolute best way, and I could not have asked for a better location. Jackie was my TEFL trainer and all I can say is WOW - she is amazing! She is so incredibly talented at what she does; it's truly inspiring to watch her teach and connect with every student. The staff at this location are so kind and supportive. It was amazing to watch all us learn so much and grow into great teacher - definitely a once in a lifetime experience you don't want to miss out on!

I finished my TEFL course at maximo Nivel in Manuel Antonio two weeks ago and have only positive things to say about the entire program.

Firstly, my housing situation was wonderful. I did the host family option and was set up in an awesome lady’s house. She was lovely and was also a professional chef who ran cooking classes at the school so every meal she made was absolutely delicious. The house was very clean and just a short walk away from the bus stop which took me right outside the institute. My “host mom,” as we call it, demonstrated such patience with me as I came to Costa Rica speaking no English at all. She cleaned the house very often and she was always lenient when I would have to have breakfast/ dinner at a different time due to schooling conflicts.

Next up, the institute itself has the most beautiful scenery and view that I have ever seen at a school. Learning in an environment like this manages to keep the students motivated even when the course got very stressful and difficult. It was also right next door to some awesome cheap places to get food during the day. I probably ate at the 1000 colones pizza place right next door at least 20 times during my one month course. The open concept layout created such a warm and welcoming environment and made the work not seem like work at all. The many dogs that would be constantly walking around the institute was an awesome bonus.

It was incredible having such awesome workers in the school who were constantly checking in to make sure we were doing well and had everything we needed to be successful. Karen, DJ, and Valeria were some of the kindest people I’ve met so far in Costa Rica and that is saying a lot considering how friendly everyone is here. I felt extremely supported by the staff here and they helped me with everything I needed.

Starting this program as a 20 year old, I was extremely nervous to come as I thought I wouldn’t be able to connect with my classmates because of the age differences. That is honestly hilarious to think about that now because this group has become my second family. There is a 30 year age gap between me and the oldest person in the class, but I created such a deep and special bond with each and every one of my classmates, many of who I know I’ll be friends with for life. I’m currently travelling through South America with two of my friends that I made in the class. I seriously could not have asked for a better group of people to spend every moment of this month with. We laughed together, struggled together, partied together, and I watched every single person turn into a wonderful ESL teacher in such a short time period. My advice to anyone debating getting TEFL certified with maximo… you’re never too young, and you’re never too old to do this program. Everyone shares the same goal and you’ll all come out as best friends in the end.

The last and most important person I would like to discuss is my incredible TEFL trainer, Jackie. Jackie finds a way to keep 11 adults motivated and engaged in a classroom for 7 hours a day when the sunny, beautiful beach is just minutes away. She is kind, caring, sweet, intelligent, motivating, fun, hardworking, passionate, committed, and every other adjective that describes a perfect teacher. She teaches in the same way that she teaches us to teach in our ESL classrooms, so we’re constantly engaged to good habits and she managed to turn us all into teachers in one month. She is certainly loud and intense at times, but it is always in the best interest of her students. She truly cares about us so much and created a very warm and friendly environment for us all to grow as friends, as teachers, and as people overall. Anyone who has the privilege of getting TEFL certified from Jackie is in for a real treat.

Thank you for everything Maximo🎉🎉🎉

Just recently graduated from Maximo Manuel Antonio, and had such an incredible experience! Felt so lucky to have met such an amazing group of like-minded people doing the course, which I felt really added to the experience. The course itself was a lot more challenging than I'd initially thought, but thoroughly enjoyed the challenge and made it all the more fulfilling to graduate! The school has an incredible view, which I never got tired of. The staff were super friendly and helpful - and our TEFL Trainer Jackie was insane, couldn't have done the course without her patience, guidance and constant encouragement, her can-do attitude got us all through it 100% :)