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

Teaching in disadvantaged schools obviously means limited resources and potentially dangerous areas so I had anticipated this. The Greenheart staff, however, were a phenomenol resource in terms of providing support and assistance. They provided some much appreciated structure to the otherwise chaotic nature of Colombian culture. I dealt with Sara Thacker, which was absolutely my pleasure. She deals with a lot of difficult situations and always, always responded to me promptly and politely with as much help as possible. I could not believe her patience. Also she sent me a copy of my passport in an emergency situation within five minutes of me asking for it.It is a huge relief to know she is available for your support.

The first time that I went through Greenheart was in Thailand, so Colombia was the second time that I used them. Although there was a delay in the announcement of the start date due to MEN, Sara Dorsey would send updates with the latest information provided. She's always organized and answers any questions quickly! If you're ever confused about the process, she's there for support. Getting a book about the country was also helpful to know what to expect upon arrival. Being part of the GH community and having the support from other participants and alumni is another bonus :)

I taught for a semester in Armenia, Colombia. There were a few challenges with co-teaching, but the students were great to teach. The people of Colombia are friendly, and the country is beautiful and naturally diverse. I never felt unsafe during my time there. Overall, I had a great experience. If you're looking to take the leap, I would recommend Greenheart!

Sara Dorsey and the Greenheart travel program are amazing resources if you're thinking about teaching English in Colombia.

This year may have been a special case, but the Colombian government and the SENA program had issues with funding this year and thus communication about our start dates and placements were extremely delayed. While it was very frustrating and made things very difficult for those of us in the program who were literally sitting and waiting for news on when we would leave for Colombia, Sara and Greenheart did their best to continue communicating with us every step of the way, and were very understanding about our frustrations.

As with most government institutions, the SENA program has had its fair share of disorganization. I don't know if I would have continued with it if it hadn't been for Sara's empathy and constant communication. She also followed up with us after we arrived to Colombia and even months later after we settled in, even though her job was already done.

I have loved my time in Colombia and highly recommend going through Greenheart to get here easily and with great support from Sara.

I had a great time teaching English in Colombia. I traveled all over the country and saw so many things but teaching the students was definitely the best part. I definitely recommend doing this and have no complaints about any of it. The question I was asked most about going or when I came back was whether or not it was safe. I am a very young looking female and I traveled all over alone and I never had any issues nor did I feel unsafe. I can also be paranoid too, so I always paid attention around me and didn't do any obvious touristy things.

The application process and communication from everyone involved with onboarding was excellent, from our first application we were sent heaps of information and given a lot of support along the way.

On arrival to Colombia the team and lessons during training were good. They were not particularly targeted to those who'd been through similar before or spent time in South America. More could be done to assist those that want to know with those that already do so that everyone gets more out of it.

Our small town was tiny but we made the most of our time working on our own projects and meeting the locals. Not a lot of social events were planned by our Regional Coordinators that we could attend so I did feel isolated. I feel the feeling of being disconnected is an ongoing feeling with other fellows who aren't in the cities. It's all about making the most of where you are so for us a lack of social events or contact with other gringos was ok, but more definitely would have been good.

The schools themselves were chaos from start to end. The kids are amazing fun and come with their own personalities and challenges to teach, especially being asked not to speak Spanish in a classroom of kids who just want to talk with you in Spanish!
There's definitely a lot of adjusting required and the lack of classrooms, boards, pens, paper and books was a daily challenge that made any sort of routine impossible. Our stipend definitely didn't cover as much as I wanted to buy so I could teach effectively. As it happened we were part of Carnival on the coast (incredible to travel to!) and then the 2 month strike at the end of term which meant our amount of time teaching was much shorter than some others experienced. With longer actual teaching time I hope others were able to make more of this part.

Not being able to leave the small town for fear of missing classes if the strike suddenly ended was a really strange move by the program, especially after it had been going on for several weeks. Without school or access to anyone else in the program (due to our isolation) we were happy when the term ended and definitely ready to leave.

Overall the organisation of the program itself is very good and within the country the experience of living a local life and teaching in Colombian conditions was a rewarding challenge. Would I do it again? I don't think so. Small towns without much contact to to the wider teaching community is fine for a short time, but after 6 months it was definitely enough.

It is definitely an experience I will never forget - even if my memories are based more in Carnaval and the long strikes. I realise it was a lot different for us so I hope others have a more fulfilling teaching experience.

I have been teaching in Colombia for over six months and I love it. Sara and Greenheart have been present along the way, always checking in and wanting to know more about my experience abroad. The application process was not difficult and also very informative. Sara helped with any questions or concerns I had as well as reassuring that while moving abroad might seem a lot more difficult than it is there is an entire team in Colombia who will walk you through the first steps of getting acclimated to your new home.
Moving abroad not only has changed my perspective on traveling/home country/ideas but it also helped me figure out what is truly important to me and what career path I'd like to take in the near future. I have met wonderful people and made life-long friends while in Colombia. If you are thinking about moving abroad the only advise I have is to "JUST DO IT" you will not regret it and also take the experience for what it is and don't have any expectations.

I came to Colombia for my first time to teach English for 9 months. I have loved my experience so far. The pay is enough for living and the people are super nice. Also it helps improve your second language as Spanish. The safety is great in this town. I feel comfortable waking around by myself during all days and also at night. I have found a great church that is fun to assist and spend time at. I have felt like a part of the family of many people that I have met here. The culture is super friendly, so it is normal that people invite you over and on vacation with them. People also really want to learn Wnhlish, so that's another great way to meet people. I was afraid that I was going to feel alone living in another country as a foreigner, but I have found that I do not feel alone because I have found so many great people willing to share friendships with me. I would definitely recommend this program and location for others.

Currently I have been working for Volunteers Colombia with SENA for two months in Quibdó, Chocó Colombia. I have two highlights which will consist of talking about greenheart then my experience thus far with SENA/VC and Colombia.

First, I want to give the upmost applauds to Sara and Greenheart travel. Sara was so helpful and there for me during ever step of the way. She is someone who provides communication as quick as she can and as transparent as it comes. I really respect her diligence and the support I received was so warming and thorough. The whole process was very seamless from recruiting, to placement then now to my time in Chocó. Greenheart is a very wonderful platform and I would recommend using them a resource with the SENA/VC program.

Next, wow. Colombia in general is a place that is extremely diverse so depending on what you want, big city, beaches, mountains, rainforest... it is very diverse. I am very privileged to be in Quibdó, Chocó because the place is unlike anywhere in Colombia. We have four exotic fruits that are only found in Chocó that are delicious (Borojó is my favorite), the people here are some of the most generous and happy people I have met and they are so welcoming. Moving along, the SENA experience has been great thus far. Every Volunteacher has a mentor at the placement city and mine, a women by the name of Karen is excellent. She has been with me also pretty much every step of the way making sure we are doing well here. Her support is incredible. The students are a joy as well. They are so motivated to learn English and I can honestly say that I have no horror stories about the students. Even though I am only two months in, I already can see the change in my life of how rich of an experience this is. If you want to make an impact somewhere and always live in a beautiful diverse country that will change your life forever... then choose Greenheart and go to Colombia. Cheers!