Program Reviews

It was an awesome opportunity for my 14 year old niece to experience a whole new culture. We all loved the people here and hope to come again. And learn to speak Spanish. The people on the adventure were the BEST. WE SPENT LOTS OF TIME WITH THE ANIMALS AND HAD TO STOP A FEW DOG FIGHTS. IN FACT THERE WAS A FIGHT EVERY DAY. The paw project owner was great and seemed grateful for all the help we provides. You HAVE to ride the chicken bus. You never know whT you'll find ridi g the bus with you or what you'll pass on the cobble stone street.

This course set me up perfectly for becoming an ESL English teacher. Within the first few days, I was face-to-face with English students and developing my practical teaching skills. Each week, the practical experience was centred around applying recently learnt theory. Then in the final week, I led a daily, hour-long class. Alongside this, I observed other English teachers at Maximo Nivel, studying how they applied the theory, which helped put what I had learnt into context. The curriculum was logically ordered and fast-paced.

My TEFL Trainer, Mackenzie, brought the whole thing to life by giving memorable lessons and extremely constructive feedback. Mackenzie is passionate about his subject and a very experienced English teacher. This really showed during his lessons, where he embodied the mantra: "show, don't tell". Mackenzie also gave very sound practical advice for finding jobs.

Overall, this was an awesome experience. I met great people on the course and even had time to hike the volcanoes around Antigua! I highly recommend it.

I went on the Holiday Program to San Jose, Costa Rica with Maximo Nivel and IVHQ. I had an incredible experience, and I would recommend this trip to everyone. I am 18 years old, and it was my first time doing a program like this. However, I was able to adjust quickly due to the constant support and care by the Maximo Nivel staff, other volunteers, and my host family. Even though I was a solo traveler, I never felt alone. My advice to future volunteers is to come in with an open mind and kind heart, and be ready to learn, listen, adapt, and have a life changing experience!

The holiday program was overall a great experience. I think it is one of the best ways to travel to a new country while being able to give back. The volunteering fills part of the day with different types of work while leaving the rest of the day free to travel and see other parts of the city and country. It especially is a great way to travel for a long period of time as there is a host family to prepare the breakfasts and dinners. This type of a trip can accommodate a wide range of travels, from going alone to a family coming together. In the holiday program there is a group of people from all different places, and it is a great way to meet new and friendly people. Overall this trip has been the best one I have ever taken, as the volunteering experience does make an impact, so you don't feel just as a tourist, but more immersed in the country. This aspect as well as the people I have met have been the best part of the trip.

For me, this was everything I wanted out of my TEFL program: economical, lively city (with weekend destinations), proper instruction, real teaching practice.

The instructor for the TEFL course was experienced and very knowledgeable about all things ESL. The TEFL classes were taught using the same teaching methods the course focused on, which proved their effectiveness for me. The classes were lively and entertaining, which was important given the compactness of the program. Getting to teach in front of real students was extremely valuable. Not only did it allow me to apply and practice all of the things I had learned, but it exposed my weaknesses and strengths as a teacher, allowing me to develop into a better teacher over the course of the program.

Maximo was a nice school. Free coffee/tea and places to study/work were awesome to have throughout the program. The end-of-program "TEFL Toast" was very fun and a nice gesture from the school. I think the real differentiating factor for this program though was the instructor, Mackenzie. Given the time-intensive nature of the program, having a great instructor seems critical. For six hours a day, the classes remained engaging. It was immediately obvious that they were prepared and really knew the material that was being taught. Those things were imperative for me to buy-in. Though I didn't take advantage of it too much, the instructor was more than willing to help outside of class and in office-hours.

As for Antigua, I found the city to be wonderful. By the end of my program it felt like home. Lots of food, events, and things to do. Entirely walkable and I always felt safe.The Acetenango and Fuego volcano hikes being right next door is also an amazing must-do while you are here too!

It was a very rewarding experience and my fellow volunteers all were very lovely and nice! I became close friends with them, which was very nice. And all the activities we participated in during the mornings were very impactfu and were all very different, so there was variety and it was never boring.

We as a family were looking for an opportunity to volunteer, expose our children to a different culture, and gain a new perspective on the world. We had never volunteered before. The program was well organized, safe, knowledgeable, and fun!!!! We stayed with a host family and it was enriching. An example of our daily activities include painting murals for an orphanage and spending time with the elderly. Afternoons were free for excursions or spanish classes. Highly recommend this program. The staff are kind and caring. We look forward to coming back to volunteer.

I had such a great experience! The staff was super helpful and showed us around the area. Our host family was so sweet and we had great food every day. I loved being immersed in Spanish and the culture of Costa Rica. Working with the community was so fun. I loved going to different places each day. It was great to learn about medicine in general here in Costa Rica. I wish we could have stayed longer to help more people in the community. We loved all of the activities. I couldn't have asked for a better trip.

I had such an amazing time with this program.<i learned so much so fast in a very welcoming enviorment. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to volunterr in a place so beautiful filled with even better people. The staff at Maximo is so kind and want to make sure oyu get the best experienece that you can get no matter how long you are there for. I felt I could go to them with any questions and there was going to be no judgment. I 100% recommend this program if you want to help people, explore new culture, make new friends, and make a difference in the world.

Overall, this was the most gratifying and unique experience ever.Although, we did not make a huge difference in the local community, I am glad we could make our small contributions. The staff were a great team to work with and they made sure that we had a good experience here. The home stay gave us an authentic experience, in which we were able to truly understand the costa rican culture. The family was very inclusive and helped us have a smooth transition. The patients and the people we helped were very appreciative of our work as well.