Program Reviews

The experience of teaching abroad is one that I would not trade. It is rewarding beyond any tangible measure and helped to mold me into a great teacher. That being said, were I to do it again, I would have more carefully scrutinized the programs that I considered. WorldTeach, while it provided a beneficial experience, could have done more to support me as a volunteer. I feel that there are other programs that offer a more comprehensive training program designed to better prepare their volunteers to run a classroom. While we did receive close to 100 hours of training, I did not feel prepared to succeed when I was given my classroom. However, if you view the initial mistakes that new teachers make as an inevitability, then you should not be deterred. I knew that I would make mistakes, but I did not feel incredibly well-supported to understand and evaluate them, and ultimately use them to improve.
I found that one drawback to the program was the wide variety of teacher placements. There was too much of a difference in the teaching loads, institutional support, and stipend pay across volunteer assignments, even within the same city. I was unlucky with my placement in that I ended up at a school with the lowest pay, least vacation days for travel, and a less than ideal daily schedule. While one school in the same city had 8 week terms with a 2 week break, my school offered 10 week terms and a 1 week break. The former school also paid approximately $100 more per month. While I did not enroll in this program to make money, the stipend that I received was not enough to get by each month and I had to use my savings.
My daily schedule was to teach a two hour class from 7am-9am and 6pm-8pm, five days per week. The 8 week school, as a comparison, offered classes closer together and teachers did not teach on Fridays. These stark differences only caused me to envy my fellow volunteers who were lucky enough to teach at that school.
I can look back on the experience with mostly fond memories, but there is some definite room for improvement. The students were of course the most inspirational and memorable part of the experience. I also learned a great deal about perseverance, grit, and self-reliance through this program. Overall, it was an incredibly valuable experience, if not always fun.

The year I spent volunteering in the Marshall Islands was truly unlike any other experience I've had in my life, before or since. It challenged me in ways that I never could have expected and also rewarded me with the chance to develop a greater sense of strength and independence. This was all in addition to the incredibly kind, warm, and welcoming community that I was fortunate enough to become a part of for my year in the RMI. This experience truly changed my life and some of my closest friends to this day are people that I met while volunteering with WorldTeach.

I had a great time working in my English teaching placement and living with my host family. It was the first year (and last) of this program and there were more than a few kinks. Much to work out but the basics were great! Some of the goals were not met because of the pilot and partner organizations. Overall, I would recommend world teach Ecuador because of their history and presence in the country! Their other programs are much better worked out!

Ecuador is an amazingly beautiful country and everyone I met was extremely welcoming. The WT program was very poorly organized. In part due to inexperienced staff who couldn’t speak spanish well and partly due to partnering with the Ecuadorian government. I went there due to my interest in Education and research. However the research portion of the program was completely a joke. Basically we were just English replacement teachers so that the Ecuadorian teachers were less busy. If they had continued this program it could have improved and been successful

Overall, I had a good experience. In the beginning, the culture shock and the climate were challenging, and learning how to be a teacher took longer than I had expected, but once I became acclimated and invested myself in becoming the best teacher I could, things settled down into a manageable routine. I feel that in the end, I was a positive influence and made a difference in the lives of my students. I am still in touch with many of them today. The country director was excellent and I always felt she had my best interests in mind. The camaraderie of the volunteer cohort was good and even as a non-traditional participant, I felt welcome and involved in our group's extracurriculars.

Transportation on the island is available via busses but walking is always an option especially when the busses aren't running after 6 pm or on Sundays. Making friends on the island is essential. This is how we got the behind the scenes tours were able to catch a ride with someone when you want to go to the movie theater after 6.

As in most programs, you get out of it what you put in, so if you choose to volunteer abroad as a teacher for a year, give it your all, all the time. Don't complain about inconvenience or fairness or how unorganized things can be sometimes, simply go with the flow and keep trying to make a difference, for the children. They should be why you are there! They are what matters most!

My experience with WorldTeach China was by far the most influential travel experience in my life. I consider myself a globetrotter, but the time I spent in China was something that I have yet to be able to replicate.

Being able to live as a local and also be able to contribute to the local community by having the opportunity to teach made it an extremely beneficial experience that still stick with me 10 years later. The bond I made with the local teachers and students is something I look back on with fond memories.

The program also was designed in a way that I was able to go into this experience feeling safe and well prepared. I always knew I had the WorldTeach staff to support me during my time there. To anyone who is considering volunteering abroad, but is a little intimidated by such a big commitment, I highly recommend WorldTeach! They will be with you every step of the process!

I was at a crossroads in my life, two years out of college, close to completing a two-year job, looking for the next thing, when I met someone who had recently returned from a year in Costa Rica with WorldTeach. I immediately sought more info and decided to apply to the Ecuador program. For a very reasonable fee the organization provided a month of training in Quito, placed me with a family in a small town, found a school for me to teach at, visited during the year, and provided a mid year and end of year training. My experience in Ecuador was otherworldly and life changing and led me to pursue an advanced degree and to pursue an international career. The program is demanding. There are volunteer hours you need to complete before departing the United States. The teaching schedule is demanding. More is expected of you than the other teachers. But it was a very rewarding experience seeing how I could help impact others and it certainly led me to an interational career.

I applied to World Teach on retirement from UCSC. The training and support I received were impeccable. The adventures I had were like nothing I had experienced before, and broadened my understanding of culture and people, literally changing my outlook and approach to life. I am still friends with some of my first grade students in Costa Rica, who are now entering college and working in helping professions. They share their accomplishments and my joy and pride in these relationships is exquisite, invaluable payback for that year of my life.

WorldTeach definitely changed the course of my life in the best way possible. I arrived in Ecuador with zero Spanish and very little teaching experience. Now, two years later, I still live in Ecuador and work for another organization 50/50 in Spanish and English. I keep in contact with people who were my students while I was with WorldTeach, and I still see my host family regularly. I would definitely say I lucked out by finding this program because when I knew I wanted to go abroad with an organization and possibly get my TEFL I was overwhelmed with options. Some of my favorite memories from my time with WorldTeach range from visiting the jungle with my host family and playing with monkeys, watching one of my least confident, lower level English students graduate at the end of my service, and getting to know the incredible mix of cultures and landscapes that Ecuador has to offer. The friendships I made, my personal and professional development, and the deep love I've developed for Ecuador are some of the best things to come out of this experience for me.

I loved my year teaching with World Teach. The volunteer requirements leading up to my departure really helped prep me for teaching English. Once I was there, the the month of Spanish language courses and Teaching English classes were excellent preparation for my year teaching English. I felt so supported both acclimating to my new home and in my growth as a teacher. I made so many great friends and had such a rich experience professionally and exploring Ecuador. I really liked The approach they took to working with and immersing yourself in the community.