Program Reviews

Living and teaching in Thailand was the most challenging and rewarding year of my life. The Issan region of Thailand is stunning and provides volunteers with an authentic experience of Thai culture that is untouched by tourism and Western influences. The Thai community is extremely caring and welcoming and love to include foreigners in various activities and events. There is a 6 week summer vacation which gives volunteers the opportunity to travel to other countries around South East Asia if they so desire. The Thai markets are remarkable. The meat and produce (although there are few green vegetables) are extremely fresh and inexpensive. The WT group of volunteers is quite small which is good because it allows everyone the chance to get to know one another and become a sort of family where everyone can rely on each other for support and guidance.

This program was perfect for a someone like me. It gives you enough freedom to really find yourself and plenty of guidance if you are confused or lost. The month-long orientation was extremely helpful. It is crafted to make you feel as comfortable as possible with your new environment, new language, even with your new colleagues. My field directors were really cool people. They don't act like parents or bosses. They do whatever they can to make sure you are safe and sound. And in extreme cases, they will stop what they are doing an come to your site to assist you. All of this is to say that my transition to into my new situation was smooth thanks to this program.
Be prepared to work. When I arrive at my site in Esmeraldas, Ecuador, I assumed I would be a teacher's assistant or work with children in the community. Some of my colleagues did get those types of assignments, but not I. I was given the responsibility of a university professor. Structuring curriculum, grading papers, assigning project, uploading official grades. It was a challenge but a welcomed one. You've been warned.
Then there's the culture. Man, oh man. Culture. It's everything. Your new world will change the way you food, language, friends, family, humor, love and everything else.
I highly recommend this program to anyone, like I, who is reluctant to begin working right out of college and you think you might like teaching, or, in the case of some of my colleagues, you just want to try something different.
I'm still here, by the way! Five years after my initial journey, I still live and work in Esmeraldas. I am now a full-time professor with benefits and have an Ecuadorian wife and son. So, just go! If your heart is in the right place, it could change your life forever

I went to Costa Rica with WorldTeach for a year in 2010 and ended up staying for two years. It was the most incredible and life-changing experience. Not only did I learn a language and gain valuable teaching experience (and life experience!), I also created deep and lasting bonds with my community, my school, and my host family. This has been the greatest blessing of the program. I have a second family whom I am very much connected with, and we celebrate one another's life events. I met my host niece the day she was born, and I've seen her grow into an amazing little girl, already poised for kindergarten.

I chose WT because it was the most bang for my buck, and offered comprehensive training and in-country support. I am so glad I chose WT over other programs, and I would tell anyone the same.

The WorldTeach program itself provided an incredible platform for mine and my cohort's success. The in-country staff were helpful in every way you might have needed them. I went through a crisis situation and knowing they had my back made me feel so much safer and supported.

WorldTeach is an amazing opportunity to develop new skills, stretch comfort zones, and learn about yourself and others. If any of those are things you'd like to do-- don't think, just apply! You'll get the added bonus of beautiful terrain, interesting culture, and wild animal safaris. The country is easy to travel when you have free time and would like to see what is beyond your placement site. There is even the opportunity to visit neighboring countries with ease. You will go through a comprehensive orientation before you take over your classroom and the field director is always available via email or phone.

I taught 8th grade ELA for World teach for 10 months in beautiful American Samoa. I absolutely loved my year there and the opportunity I was given to travel and teach in the South Pacific. Being a teacher is hard anyways and I'm not gonna lie that it is hard to teach with little to no resources but I don't regret it because it was rewarding to watch my students learn. I would go home and mentally and physically exhausted but with a smile on my face. I would get to recharge on the weekends by lounging on untouched beaches and beautiful national park hikes. I also got to experience a completely different culture which was humbling to my first word problems in the states! We had a field director on island who helped us with literally anything we needed which was nice to have. If you are looking for a year abroad exploring the culture of the South Pacific and really making a difference with the education of the students on this island, I highly recommend using world teach!

What an amazing experience to be able to teach and live in this new culture for a year and see a whole new perspective of life. I learned so much about the culture and the people, and I grew stronger as a person, learning how to overcome cultural differences. One year with World Teach and I became such a different person - all for the better. Everyone needs a year abroad, and maybe the world would be more accepting and tolerant. Thank you World Teach.

WorldTeach Ecuador has made me into a new person. Despite the inevitable struggle that comes with culture shock and a deep longing for the familiar, slowly a new me emerged, one who spoke fluent Spanish, hitched rides with pigs on trucks, marched in rallies, sold chickens to locals, or whatever new adventure the day presented. I taught English at night and spent the daytime planning how to create clubs at our school or take my students on field trips to practice English, learn Backstreet Boys lyrics, or live the life of an Ecuadorian in a gateway city to the jungle. I made lifelong friends even with spiders, which I indicated on my WorldTeach application I was deathly afraid of, guess I got over that. Like a lot of others fears in life, my year in Ecuador helped me let go and focus on what matters. I found a career path in international development and pursued international studies in Latin American at the post-graduate level and returned to Ecuador several years later with my now husband. I hope the next trip will be with our children and some day with theirs. A legacy was started more than 20 years ago by volunteering with WorldTeach Ecuador and it has changed my life forever. In just one-year. I love Ecuador and traveling and hope that other people will allow themselves the opportunity to explore our global community.

I have always wanted to visit the Amazon so when I saw an ad for a fellowship that would pay for me to teach there, I immediately applied. After going through the application, some recommendation letters, and an interview, I was accepted and decided I was leaving. I left the first week of December not knowing anyone in the program but excited to do some traveling post grad and reinforcing my Spanish skills. I love working with kids so teaching 2nd-4th grade was really challenging but ultimately, my ideal situation. I learned about patience, how hard it is to be a teacher, and how helpful the teaching community is (Ecuador has a Facebook specifically for English teachers!). I loved every part of my experience, being with the kids in the sweltering sun or pouring rain; going to every social event that was run by the teachers; traveling for almost an hour to reach my school site; doing lesson plans every week; running some English classes for my fellow coworkers; and getting accustomed to the Ecuadorian traditions that as a Peruvian, I had never heard about. There was definitely some stress in the lack of training we received; when I was put in front of my class, I felt unprepared and got really anxious. I think some changes could be done to the program like better planning and communication from the team, a longer training program, and working with the actual government to better the system as a whole as opposed to just tweaking the lesson plans at our school sites. I left feeling like I had a stronger connection to my language and my roots. I made really great friends both in the program and in my site and I would not have changed my location for any other place. I loved being surrounded by animals and feeling so in touch with nature. I would recommend this program to someone that has more experience teaching as I feel like many of us felt unprepared in our classrooms. Also, I think that those that do apply, should be conscientious of the privilege and space you are taking wherever you go, be it Ecuador or Ghana. Overall, I am really glad I did WorldTeach and really do feel like I left a piece of my heart in Tena, Ecuador.

It's been a few years since I returned from Ecuador, and although the program was a little expensive for what it is and has its flaws, it is a good start for someone who wants to start traveling and seeing the world. The orientation is great. My main qualms with the program were where the host families were located and some issues with the program directors, but as I said, it's been a few years and I hope they've worked out those kinks. The Spanish classes at the beginning of the program were great for someone who doesn't know much Spanish like me, and I really, really valued the toolkit they provided as far as teaching goes, with orientation, resources, and support. Ecuador is a beautiful country and anyone who has the opportunity to spend some time there is supremely lucky! If you are a more experienced traveler and speak Spanish, however, I think it is probably easier to just move there and find a job with one of the schools, but it is super nice to have WorldTeach take care of the visas, housing, etc.

This program came with the typical dysfunctionalities that accompany working or volunteering abroad (communication issues between local program and NGO, logistical problems, etc), but for the most part, the staff at WorldTeach were a consistent and supportive resource for me as I navigated my way through a school transition and moving to a different site placement. I spent the majority of my eight months in the province of Chimborazo where I lived with a host family and taught at a school in a neighboring town. Teaching in Ecuador comes with unique cultural challenges, but it is really up to the volunteer/fellow to adjust and accommodate to the needs of the local teachers and students.

Ecuador is one of the most vibrant and diverse places I have ever visited, and it was relatively easy for me to travel throughout the country during my time there. One element of this program that did fall short for me was the research component, there was little guidance from WorldTeach and it ended up being a self-directed, independent project for most fellows. Otherwise, living in Ecuador changed my life for the better. I made life-long friends and still keep in touch with my host family. Increased Spanish fluency will come with the experience, but you'll have to be intentional about not spending too much time talking to your English-speaking (or your respective language) friends and family. If you're considering choosing Ecuador as the country where you want to work, travel, or volunteer abroad, it is really one of the best options.