Teaching internship & TEFL Certification (Thailand, Vietnam, Europe, China, India)

I was placed in a summer camp through the organization LSF in the Verona province, Italy. We started with a 1 week training in an Italian town near the beach, where I met co-counselors from across the world and had so much fun while training. We then moved with 2-3 other co-counselors to our designated summer camp locations and lived with host families. I had so much fun and learned so much. I loved meeting people from all over the world, getting a more personal understanding of Italian culture, and learning skills of how to teach children best. I lived in a small, semi-rural town near Verona so I appreciated learning what life is like there. One of my favorite moments was the final 'show' that students at my camp put together. They invested a lot of energy in it and everyone enjoyed it, especially the arts and crafts portion of it.

The application process with Gotoco was very straightforward and the Gotoco team answered my questions very quickly. I did not expect to be placed in a camp because I applied late, but Gotoco immediately forwarded my information to a camp and I received a response right away, which I greatly appreciate.

Overall, you'll learn a lot about being a summer camp counselor, will meet people from across the world and hopefully have lots of fun!

I enjoyed the host I stayed with and the opportunity to meet the students and the local teachers. Being placed with other volunteers was also very enjoyable. I feel like living in rural T allowed me to experience the real culture and understand my students better. Some good examples are: Watching the children remember the lessons I taught. Dancing and singing with the students during English camp, eating Thai hot pot in the evening with the teachers and the host while being eaten alive by mosquitoes. Jocking with the other volunteers while preparing lesson plans.

An overall fantastic experience that provided immense value to all those involved. A perfect first step into the experience of travelling paired with the perfect opportunity to give back to the local communities accommodating your stay.
The teaching allowed me to develop valuable skills in communication and patience and enhanced my experience of Bali significantly. Spending time with the kids felt really special and has left me with lasting positive memories, from teaching them to chant the lyrics to 'We Will Rock You' to introducing the game of duck duck goose to them and watching them run around endlessly in circles.

I found the YMCA training camp activities to be alot of fun. Bringing these activites to use in school were a great success as the kids really enjoyed them. My highlights would have to be meeting my fellow gotogoers as I found they were all extremely nice and have made good friends with them as we went exploring together. I would recommend to a friend as I feel the overall experience was amazing and is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I feel the overall setup was very professional. I am definitely considering applying for another Gotoco programme.

Had a great time with gotoco with a partnership organisation abroad and felt like I came back as a different person. It's a great life experience, opportunity to see the world and talk to people you wouldn't have met otherwise with some support and guidance from the organisation. It really helped me develop more people skills and I met some really interesting people along the way - I would 100% recommend as long as you're willing to put in some hours and be around people pretty much constantly.

This was such an amazing experience! It's a great way to see more of the world and the funding makes so much possible. The teaching is extremely rewarding and provides you with loads of transferable skills alongside teaching, like confidence and independence. It was the first time I had been on a long hall flight, and my first time outside Europe. There's also loads of time to explore and travel in your own time, with some great trips planned for you. Everyone was so nice and supportive and this is a great way to spend the summer!

I went to Thailand funded by Gotoco for six weeks this summer and it was such a special
and happy time. The people in my group were so lovely and I continue to stay close with
them all even back at different unis. One of the most special things about the programme
though was the students we taught, their joy in learning desire to understand different topics
was heartwarming and created special moments that I won't forget anytime soon. I also went with a friend through the Gotoco programme where you can apply together which was such a good idea and meant we built on our friendship and the overall experience. I couldn't
recommend this programme enough!!

Going to Thailand with Gotoco made this summer one of the most memorable times of my life. Teaching in a small school in the middle of rural Thailand was way out of my comfort zone, and everyday kept my mind full and my heart warm. Additionally, the experience as a whole contributed to a real boost to my confidence, especially travelling so far (Thailand), with no one I knew, and as a 19 year old first year. The constant group settings helped tremendously with any challenge I faced and the community we had was something I was not expecting to be this strong. I made such good friends with people from the programme and outside, and I also took the days off to travel to the south of Thailand's beaches, with my roommate from the programme, which ended up being the single greatest trip of my life. I'm extremely content that this trip got to be both a great skill-building experience that can contribute to my resume, as well as an unforgettable soul-shaping adventure.