Program Reviews

My time teaching in Cape Town was a life shaping experience not because everything was perfectly set up for me by World Teach but because the program allowed for self exploration. Many times I was given the freedom to find my way. This kind of experience was exactly what I was looking for. My Program Director, Peter Fenton, was one of the most down to earth, inspiring individuals I have ever met as well as being a huge supporter of education. He not only discussed intricately the educational, social, and economic pros and cons of Cape Town but also placed the volunteers, according to their comfortability, in the thick of it. We were allowed to become as integrated as we possibly could in our work. I remember by the time we were halfway through the summer I was teaching English Literature, Tourism, and Arts and Culture in Ocean View High School then getting in a taxi to go tutor my previous students in the Black Township of Masiphumelele in Math and Science. Then after that I was running rap workshops with a smaller group of boys obsessed with the art form. When I wasn't teaching core subjects at Ocean View High School I was running workshops in creative writing and latin dance just because there was an interest from the students I worked with. I was able to give all of myself to the experience and I learned so much about education, cultural difference, and the shared humanity we all have. This experience did not come without its hardships from homesickness to long, tiring days, and disagreements with fellow volunteers and host families but they paled in comparison to the richness of the experience. I made life long friends, still keep in contact with numerous students, and have a burning desire to return to Cape Town for any reason whatsoever. If you want to be a globally aware teacher, this is where to do it, no matter where you are from.

I was one of three WorldTeachers at my very rural school and taught 15 classes per week - different students in every class. At my school, these classes were not really formal English language/grammar classes, but were instead just to get students excited about learning English, so we sang a lot of songs, played a lot of games, and generally just tried to spend the hour with as much communication practice and fun as possible. When I wasn't teaching, I was free to do whatever I wanted, so I picked up a couple of new hobbies like the guitar, tutored a few students, trained for my first marathon, and spent a lot of time studying Chinese. Weekends and holidays we could travel, so I visited a lot of other volunteers in their sites, and spent long vacations visiting other parts of the country, including big trips to Tibet, Hong Kong, and Xinjiang. Our stipends were enough to live on in our towns and enjoy luxuries like massages and eating out a lot and some weekend travel, but not enough to cover big vacations, so expect to use some savings if you want to be able to take cool trips. WorldTeach gave us a lot of freedom and the staff were there if we needed them but not constantly monitoring what we did (in contrast with Peace Corps, for example), which was nice - as long as we fulfilled our obligations at our schools, we could travel as much as we wanted and pretty much take care of ourselves. There were about 60 volunteers in the program when i did it, which was nice because we had an instant network of friends and support, and we often got together on weekends and for holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. Many of the people in my program are still some of my closest friends, even ten years after we finished the program. Overall, it was a fantastic experience for me, but as always, it depends on your attitude and what you make of it, because it definitely wasn't without its daily frustrations and challenges.

As I'm finishing my year in China with WorldTeach, I honestly wish I could start all over again. You learn so much about a new culture and about yourself when teaching and traveling in this beautiful country.

WorldTeach has your back no matter what! From the first day of acceptance, to pre-departure, to in-country they make sure you are mentally prepared for what's to come and consistently check in. I always know I can ask them any question, big or small. They also did such a great job preparing us for working in the classroom. Without the 3 weeks of training, I wouldn't be having a successful year with 900 students.

Teaching high school students is so rewarding. I am excited to go to "work" everyday and see them. After 5 years working as a professional in DC, I can definitely say this job is fun, rewarding, and you learn something new everyday. The school will absolutely love having you and will make sure you are comfortable and happy to be there.

As someone who loves traveling, you are also afforded time off to explore the world. We just had a 5 week break and I was able to save enough from our stipend (as a volunteer you receive $500/month) to travel throughout Thailand for a few weeks.

This experience is like nothing you will have with any other program. I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves traveling and exploring the world while learning a new skill and giving back. Please ask me any questions you have! You won't regret this decision if you go for it and move to China with WorldTeach.

I can't talk up WorldTeach enough. China is a popular country for English teaching. I have met other foreigners in the city who are teachers and who have had difficulties with their school, been thrown into the classroom the day they arrive and have had little support.

WorldTeach is NOT that kind of program. It comes highly rated. And schools in Hunan Provence want WorldTeachers because of our training. For a whole month with WorldTeach you live in a hotel with other volunteers. You get the chance to make a support group as well as spend the month learning how to teach, learning Chinese, as well as about china's laws and customs.

You get to choose the type of placement you want city or rural. I chose rural and have no regrets. I love my school. The staff is friendly and helpful, my students can be rowdy but no more so than any other bunch of middle-schoolers and my liaison is always available when I need help.

You will not regret choosing this program.

If you're thinking you want a taste of the island life, but still have some modern comforts like internet and grocery stores, then WorldTeach Micronesia might be your cup of coconut water.

The program in Kosrae is a great experience, and you can really make a difference at the high school. Getting to know the kids is probably the best part. Afternoons and weekends exploring the island is a close second.

Island life is a glorious slow-paced roller coaster of an experience for first-world/fast-paced Westerners. It's good to put things in perspective, to slow down, enjoy simple pleasures, and get a taste of a different way of life. It's paradise... if you can handle it.

If you want the hardcore island life experience, go to the WorldTeach Marshall Islands program for an outer island placement.

If you want the more developed island life experience, go to the WorldTeach Pohnpei program.

If you want the more populated island life experience, go to the WorldTeach Chuuk program.

If you want the quieter and slower paced island life experience, go to the WorldTeach Kosrae program.

Hope you have a great experience too :)

Day to day my life in American Samoa was simple, breathtaking, dirty, loving, humid, bright, and happy. Teaching taught me a lot. It ended up being very rewarding. The people on the island are so generous! The laid-back island life comes with its ups and downs, but as with all things, it is what you make of it! I chose to make it an adventure. Go for it!

As a native Guyanese, this was a unique, but quite rewarding experience for me. The WorldTeach admin officers provided excellent support, and while the conditions in the country were not ideal, knowing that I was making a difference was well worth the minor discomforts. The other teachers in the school are helpful, for the most part, and the students become quickly attached. Some may find several school practices rigorous and perhaps too structured, but approaching the experience with an open mind and not trying to change the system (too much) is a more productive use of a volunteer's time. Life is Guyana is slow. A volunteer should make friends with the locals; listen to their advice if they say to stay away from a certain person or place; become very familiar with the local stores in the villages and the vehicles that go around selling vegetables; and make sure that a seller does not inflate prices. Foreign products are available in Georgetown, but they are quite expensive. A volunteer on a stipend needs to budget carefully. The riches a volunteer may experience in Guyana are not of monetary value, but it is a learning and fulfilling experience that will stay with a volunteer for a lifetime.

Perhaps the singular moment that best embodied my Moroccan experience was the commute to school on my very first day as a teacher: my host brother accompanied me out of his flat to the nearby street, where a horse-drawn carriage was waiting for us! As I sat in the carriage, I smiled to myself at how utterly insane my life had become, at how odd it was that commuting by horse-drawn carriage was normal (as it is in that neighborhood of Casablanca; a single ride cost only 25 US cents), at how strangely charming the whole thing was. This is, in fact, how I would describe my whole experience in Morocco: surreal, insane, bizarre, almost unbelievable, but beautiful too, and something that I will take with me for the rest of my life.

No, the program is not comfortable by any means. The "toilets" were holes in the ground. I got bit rather frequently by mosquitoes and sandflies. I felt somewhat anxious every time I got into a car, because traffic in a developing country is rather ridiculous. Privacy is not a thing. But that experience taught me that the Western comforts to which I had grown accustomed do not actually matter. What mattered was knowing that in some small way, my presence in Morocco enabled my students to further themselves. The satisfaction of seeing students progress was immense.

The WorldTeach program in Morocco is not for everyone. You need to be headstrong, self-motivated and very willing to adapt. You really need to know going into it that there will be moments (likely quite a few) in which you will feel pretty isolated and lonely. But if you're willing to take the leap, it's an experience that will not only help the local communities in Morocco but will also, hopefully, make you a better person.

My summer experience in Nepal 2014 was probably one of the most difficult things I have every done. The country itself was unlike any other place I have ever lived. The water had to be boiled prior to drinking, the food had to be cooked prior to eating, western toilets were a luxury and not readily accessible. It was loud, polluted and culturally very different. I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I applied to the Nepal summer program but I would do it again in a heartbeat.

I lived with a host family for about six weeks during my stay in Nepal. There was a mother, father and a thirteen year old maid. I had my own room and a wester style toilet! It was challenging living with a host family because culturally it was very different from anything I have ever experienced. My host family liked to be involved in everything I did and wanted to know where I was and what I was doing every day. There really was no such thing as personal space. The food was pretty much the same everyday and there was a lot of it! The meals were mainly rice, lentils and vegetables. The main problem most of my fellow volunteers and I had was the amount of food. The most helpful advice I would give about living with a Nepalese host family is be friendly, embrace their culture, be open minded and just laugh and have fun. It is going to be difficult at times but as long as you maintain a good attitude you will get great enjoyment of living with your host family and make lifelong friends.

As far as teaching, I am a dental hygienist by trade and have never taught in a school. When I arrived in Nepal I was told that I would be teaching six days a week. I would be teaching grades four and five with two sections in each for a total of four different classes per day. In addition, I would be responsible for running a "teacher training" for two weeks in the middle of my service. The task seemed daunting. I was provided class books to prepare for my lessons. I quickly learned to be very patient, thoroughly prepare before each class and just go with the flow. Almost all of my classes had fifty very loud students with varying levels of English. I tried to start each class with a daily warm-up that involved conversational English followed by my lesson. I used the class book as an outline an prepared my lessons with games and activities. Teaching was difficult but incredibly enjoyable and a very rewarding experience. By the end of my teaching term not only had I completed two weeks of teacher training, taught my fourth and fifth graders but I was going into grades k-3 to play games on a daily basis.

Just be open minded, flexible, and have a good attitude and you will greatly enjoy your experience in Nepal.

My Colombia WT year was a challenge, yet enriching and informative as well. Don't do this program if you want to have fun and relax. Do it to learn to surpass your limits, give everything you have and excel when things don't go as planned. As I came to Colombia with very little Spanish and teaching experience, I spent a grand majority of my time learning the mechanics of Spanish to better understand the mistakes my students would make in English as well as planning detailed and creative lesson plans. Of course, it is hard! Especially because the schools that you will be working with here aren’t organized or well-resourced, but you learn as the year goes by. Plus, WorldTeach staff are incredibly supportive and know the ins and outs of teaching English abroad.
Make sure to have some savings before embarking on your adventure as you really won’t be earning much. The stipend is to keep you afloat.
Also, WT is a great program to do if you are interested in living and teaching abroad, but a bit scared to make the jump alone. You will have a group of teachers in the same boat as you to support you while you immerse yourself in the local culture at the same time (because that is also why you are doing this program, right?). I was able to stay in Colombia after I finished and find teaching jobs because of my experience with WorldTeach.
Good luck!