Volunteer with Therapy Abroad

I enjoyed my experience with therapy abroad so much! From the very beginning everything was planned thoroughly and signing up was smooth. When we arrived at the airport we were quickly greeted by our therapy abroad person - Ms. Patty. Ms. Patty was fantastic, she was very informative and enthusiastic throughout the whole trip. Our bus and bus driver Tyrone were also great. Everything from the jump felt safe and comfortable. We were brought to where we were staying which was also a beautiful place in an ideal location in San Ignacio. My only grievance with the trip is that we had to bus far every day, but other than the I loved my experience!!!

The cave tubing was awesome and I really enjoyed the pottery making and corn tortillas at the Mayan Women’s excursion. Everything was perfect, if there was one thing I could suggest it would be staying in another part of Belize in order to cut the travel down being on the bus. Days were longer with all the riding around and meals were not enjoyable on the bus. The food provided was delicious and the accommodations for the hotel were clean and safe. The staff and people were all welcoming. I would recommend this trip to others.

This trip was so impactful and I loved getting to know the country and culture! I feel like I’ve made an impact on the people I worked with and it was very rewarding. The only thing was how much time we had to spend on the bus which was a lot and I feel like there were things that could’ve been done to make it so we were on the bus less. I also would’ve appreciated a slightly better packing list or a more concrete itinerary so I could’ve packed better for this trip. Luckily I was able to make the things I had work or I was able to buy something. Besides those 2 things I loved being here!!

It was a great experience helping others and experiencing a new country! I went with my university as a service trip to give physical therapy to people in need and who do not have access to that service. It was a really great trip to Belize as we got to work with many people, see different cities, and go on different excursions such as tubing through a cave and a cultural experience. I would recommend this to any groups looking to give back and try something new. I will forever remember this time.

I think this trip was incredibly special and truly opened my eyes to the privileges of living in America. We got to visit a public hospital and learn about what is available for residents of Belize in terms of healthcare which I think made me realize how much of an impact we are making. I think this trip is a great way for students in any kind of healthcare profession to realize that they are making an impact whether they believe it or not. As a first year physical therapy student, it also helped me understand what patient population I'd be most interested in treating.

I was super nervous going into my Therapy Abroad trip as I did not know anyone going and had never done 1-on-1 work with kids before — I LOVED it!! This program gave me such a boost of confidence and it was both fun and fulfilling to work with the wonderful people in the town of San Ignacio, as well as the group I travelled with. Everyone was so nice and welcoming, and it was great to collaborate with all of them. Shout out to my supervisors for the trip, Elizabeth and Jen — they are the BEST and had such awesome input and advice to give us. I could not have asked for better people leading this experience. Overall, this was such a fantastic opportunity to dip my toes into the clinical space, and it was so much fun! I would definitely do this again.

As an SLP student who had the incredible opportunity to work with children in Belize, my experience with therapy abroad was both profoundly rewarding and enlightening. The chance to engage with children from diverse backgrounds allowed me to develop a more adaptable and culturally sensitive approach to speech-language pathology. Therapy abroad in Belize was an invaluable learning experience. It expanded my professional skills, deepened my understanding of cross-cultural practices, and reinforced my commitment to providing empathetic and individualized care. I highly recommend such opportunities to any SLP student eager to broaden their horizons and make a meaningful impact in diverse communities.

Overall, the trip was a very worthy experience! It was great getting to immerse myself in the community, learn about the healthcare system there, and getting to make an impact on families and individuals that do not have as much access to therapy services. The excursions were fun experiences. I really enjoyed zip lining, cave tubing, and snorkeling. Belize has the second largest barrier reef in the world, and we got to see so many things, including a manatee. The food was wonderful as well. Having everything included in the up front price was very convenient, as well as having a set schedule every day. I would definitely recommend it!