Teach English in Colombia on a One or Two Semester Contract with Greenheart Travel

Teaching in Colombia as part of the Ministry of Education English Fellowship Program is one of the coolest and most unique experiences of my life. First off, nothing can really prepare you for how different life is in Colombia. When preparing to apply, and researching the program, Greenheart manager Sara was most helpful, and answered all questions promptly. She ensures you have all your documents completed properly by the required deadlines and makes the whole process a lot easier. Once you arrive in Bogota, the week-long orientation is really well organized, and go will attend full days of pedagogy sessions on techniques and skills required for working in the Colombian classroom. The orientation includes 3 daily meals and hotel lodging, but is tightly scheduled with little to next to no free time for exploring Bogota. As soon as orientation ends, you will be flown to bused to your placement city where all the adventures begin. Your regional coordinator in your placement city will act as a big support to you in terms of finding housing, navigating your new city, and helping arrange social outings. Overall it is a really wonderful program, but you need to be flexible and willing to adapt to Colombian culture and school system (which is very different than in North America). As long as you stay motivated, and bring the best version of yourself to this program, you will succeed! The kids and teachers are really lovely, and you will truly be immersed in the local culture. They are also really excited to meet you, and hear all about your culture (so make sure to bring some items from home to share with them). This is an experience that will change your life, and leave you feeling very grateful.

It was an experience full of fun and learning. Our employers and recruiters (Greenheart Travel) were very organized and supportive.

Apart from not choosing your own city, definitely you will meet smart and enthusiastic kids who are eager to learn.
You will teach and you will learn more from them. Regional Coordinators are always around to help and support. The orientation sessions in Bogota is essential and necessary.

Greenheart Travel is an amazing partner in facilitating the process.
Expect though a lot of paperwork, before, during, and after the program.

Happy teaching!

As in all experiences learning and growth goes hand in hand. It is in learning about the unknown, and fortifying yourself with the knowledge obtained, that true growth is awarded. Teaching abroad in Colombia through the Volunteers Colombia program has granted me the opportunities I desired three fold: (1) To teach ESL on a global level receiving and conferring a cultural exchange of knowlege; (2) To immerse myself in a Spanish speaking community to strengthen my language skills; and (3) To become a valid part of the World Community and help uplift/enrich the lives of our children.

Teaching abroad in Barranquilla Colombia has truly enriched my life. To have the opportunity to be a part of an amazing program geared towards the health and welfare of children is fortifying. It is an opportunity to make a difference by helping to build a better world through educating its new leaders -- the children.

On the other hand, I have learned so much from my students and the people of Colombian. The outreach of support you receive in learning about Colombian Culture is truly wonderful. Everyday my students would bring in books, toys, picutres, stories, letters, etc helping me to learn about life in Colombia. In addition, my students are incredible Spanish teachers; from quizing me on my vocabulary, to showing the proper way to position my tongue to roll the letter R. And, for every word or phrase they want to teach me, I eqaully share its translation into English. What a great exchange!

Living in Colombia has been wonderful. I live in Salamanca, in Soledad which surprisingly many people in Colombia, outside of Soledad, have said that it is not a good place to live; however, I beg to differ! I love the closeknit family atmosphere, and the flavor of their Costal way of life. No matter where you go in Soledad, you are greeted with, ¨Buenas¨! In the begining, I thought that missing my family was going to be my hardest challenge, but everyone in Soledad welcomed me with open arms, embraced me as one of their own, and became apart of my family.

And do not get me started on the food! I originally thought it was going to be a difficult task to find good things to eat, since I am vegetarian; however, it was not. There is nearly a tienda with vegetables and fruits on every corner, and my favorite guilty pleasure -- the Panandaria. This is where I purchase the most delicious sweet bread at the end of every week!

In any new place, the element of different is present. Yet, the most amazing part of the adventure is to immerse yourself in the experience! Stay active, volunteer at community events, learn new things, and get to know your city by engaging in all its cultural activities! While in Barranquilla, I joined a local gym in my neighborhood where I workout 3x a week, I practice Muay Thai at Barranko, and take Zumba lessons at Fusion! I´ve read extensively, visited many museums, art shows, and cultural events within the city. In addition, I´ve had the honor of volunteering in Charitable Community events.

Being part of this teaching programme has literally made my dreams come true! Right from the beginning it has been a positive and enriching experience. I applied for the programme in January but was told it was full. However I was contacted a couple of months later and offered an opportunity to join the programme in July. From that point the correspondence and support I received was excellent. Sara has been really helpful the whole time, always checking in, and the rest of the greenheart team have been amazing.
It has given me an opportunity to get my first insight into teaching whilst still feeling supported the whole time and my plan is to return to Colombia next year to be part of the programme again. If you like a challenge, making a difference, happy people and dancing apply now! It will change your life!

This program is an excellent way to immerse yourself and gain appreciation for another culture, I definitely fell in love with my school and the country as a whole.

My experience teaching in my school was incredibly challenging to say the least, my co-teachers wear microphones to school just to cut through all the noise. The behavioral problem was so broad and so deep it just couldn't be solved, merely worked around. I'm sure this isn't true for all schools, but its not rare either. As long as you're willing to work in trying circumstances with limited resources you can still be successful. For me it actually made the work more fulfilling because it didn't come easy. Anyone wanting to teach in this country should be aware that this situation is a possibility.

The Colombia program has several different agencies who all recruit for the same program, but Greenheart is definitely the most helpful and supportive recruiter to use. There is a Facebook page full of information from current and past Fellows, and Sara is excellent at giving specific information on what you need to do. Her help with the visa process and general program changes really has made the program as stress-free as possible. There will always be some last minute changes and information doesn’t always come as soon as you would hope, but the Greenheart team really does their best to help keep Fellows and applicants in the loop as much as possible. In general, the program is a really amazing opportunity. As other reviewers have said, everything will vary greatly based on your city placement, attitude, and your school environment. I’m currently placed in a medium-sized city in the coffee triangle and it is definitely possible to live on the stipend. My students and co-teacher have been amazing and I have learned a lot about teaching from this position. This program is a great experience for people who are really excited about getting to live abroad and teach English, as long as you are prepared for last minute information and some uncertainty that comes with the government-based program!

I've loved doing this program. It's a fantastic opportunity to immerse oneself in Colombian culture. The program is well organized and there's a good network of support within the program. Special shout out to Sara from Greenheart Travel. There is a fair amount of paperwork to do and she was always organized and very responsive to any questions or concerns I had. I couldn't have done the process of applying for the Visa without her help.

A year ago I decided to apply through this program to go to Colombia. I was scared but mostly excited. I never knew my life would change that much. This experience in Colombia has been the BEST of my life. I have never felt so happy and fulfilled. The joy that those students bring to me is incomperable. I owe it all to Greenheart travel. Without them, I probably wouldn't be here today. Sara was helpful every step of my preparation to come here.
I came here and it was easy to meet people, to make friends and to feel at home. Colombians are so welcoming that I never felt homesick. My students are chaotic but have the biggest heart and will do anything for you.
Coming here, I was mostly scared that I wouldn't connect with the students because of the language or cultural barrier. But that wasn't the case. Colombia will always be home away from home.