Program Reviews

A week in Belize under this facility-led Therapy Abroad program was one of the most memorable weeks I’ve ever experienced. I have so much love for the people I met along this journey, as well as the supportive & brilliant team that made this experience so incredible. We got to go out into city, meet Belizean locals, and offer our services—all while learning their unique stories. These are people who’ve left a forever lasting impression on me. Chad, one of the program directors, did a great job of taking us around to all the best sites and restaurants. We were able to experience such a variety if Belize! Moreover, the final 2 days in Caye Caulker at the end of our trip was the perfect way to end it. Belize now has a very very special place in my heart. I’d 100% recommend this program to anyone!

This was my first time out of the country and it definitely will not be my last. I truly enjoyed the experience and opportunity to learn from my teachers and classmates. I recommend every student with a heart and mind for learning to take the chance of doing a therapy or study abroad trip. You get a chance to have hands on experience outside of the classroom and take what you learned into your career path. My favorite part were the memories I shared with my teachers and fellow classmates. We were all able to comfort and support one another when we were faced with situations, and that allowed us to learn how we can adapt to one another with different personalities and mindsets. We all had to learn to be flexible and be open to the conditions we were faced with, but it allowed us to grow and learn.

This was my first time leaving the country and I was excited but a little apprehensive. Luckily, I had amazing support from the faculty who came with me and from the Therapy Abroad staff. This program was an incredible stepping stone to my graduate career. I feel so much more prepared to be a graduate clinician because of the challenging experiences I had while in Belize. SLP services are not readily available in Belize, and the infrastructure of the schools reflect that, so we were never doing screenings, evals or treatments in the most ideal conditions, but this really forces you to be creative and use your problem-solving skills. Besides the academic and vocational benefits, the people in Belize were also some of the best that I've ever encountered, and the landscape there is beautiful. I would encourage any SLP student who has the opportunity to do this program, it will change your life!

Once in a lifetime experience! I felt safe the whole time, and I knew we were really making a difference. Our patients wouldn't have had a chance to be helped without us. There is only one speech pathologist on the entire island! If you are thinking about going on a similar trip... do it!

The itinerary of this Belize program was a perfect blend of clinical hands-on experience and cultural exposure. The clinic sites were brimming with sweet children and friendly staff who were eager to help us get started. I will never forget the children's faces. It was hard to leave the clinical sites, I would have loved to have stayed longer to work with them more. The Belizean people I encountered were truly happy we were there to offer our help. Also, the excursions of the itinerary were educative and highly enriching. Belize is full of history, and it will not disappoint those with special interests in this area of study. I felt completely safe the entire time, and I truly enjoyed the accommodation locations provided. This trip met my expectations and more. I felt challenged but nurtured, and I feel compelled to return to this beautiful place. - The food was wonderful as well!!

The amount of time allotted for work and learning and fun was just right. We had plenty of time to learn and play. I enjoyed working with this wonderful team of my classmates and professors to make a difference in the lives of several children and adults. While doing so many back to back screenings in one sitting was hard, it was exciting to challenge myself and be able to actually practice what I have been preparing to do for 3 years now. I got to work with schoolage children, preschoolers, and the elderly. We were able to do language, hearing, and articulation screenings. Every area was covered during our experience!
We also got to learn all these things in a new cultural context. Through the help of our Belizian staff, Eden, we were able to prepare ourselves with information about dialect and cultural differences between Belizians and Americans.

This program was a great experience not only to learn about other cultures and their educational system but, also the field outside of the USA. The staff especially Ellen, is awesome. She is knowledgeable, respectful, fun, and truly cares about the students.
The supervisor Denise, was excellent. She was passionate, caring, and had fantastic teaching style where she would show you something if you didn’t known instead of just telling you.
We had a great group and we all got along wonderfully. I think that fact that it was only 5 grad students made it better. But the undergrad were great too.
Make sure you; bring $, lots of sunscreen, and are OPEN-MINDED don’t expect US’s standards in someone else’s country. Belizians are
welcoming & the food is delicious. S/o to Monkey Bay’s kitchen staff!! You’ll miss their food once you come
back.
I’d highly recommend this program to any student.

This was a great program to attend before heading into my first clinical placement. I can say that I am more comfortable leading evaluation and treatment sessions after just one week of exposure. Ellen and the supervisors were very insightful and made sure that we were provided with information about the country, school system, and set clear expectations for the week. Everyone had a different style which I loved because no supervisor will ever be the same and you will need to be flexible! This program was very rewarding and I think that everyone should experience this at least once. Every lead/supervisor was organized, professional, and good communicators. It was a wonderful learning environment and I without a doubt would do it again with no hesitation!

The week that I spent in Therapy Abroad’s Graduate program is an experience that I would not take back. It allowed me to create great connections with students and SLPs, receive eclectic speech therapy experience unlike anything I have done before, and to explore a new place! You will not be disappointed by the accommodations at Monkey Bay. The staff there are some of the sweetest people that are willing to help you in any way. My speech therapy experience allowed me to better understand school systems in developing countries. It also made me realize the need of speech and language pathology services in developing countries like Belize. Then, in your down time you are able to explore the country (even the islands!) If you are thinking about it, go!!!!

Be ready to have a lot of fun and learn a lot about how to work in a multi-cultural setting! Bring multiple changes of clothes, lots of bug spray and a love for learning about new cultures! Don't be afraid to dive in and talk to every one you meet as you will meet some truly amazing people both from America and Belize. Studying with those from different backgrounds and schooling allowed me to learn about many different schools of thought that exist in this field and I learned so much! I am very grateful that I went on this trip and was able to have so much hands on experience. I hope to both stay in touch with my group members as well as come back as a team leader some day! It is very exciting that therapy abroad is expanding to different countries.