Greenheart Travel

Author: Estela Q

  • Greenheart Travel Alumni Opportunities

    Greenheart Travel Alumni Opportunities

    Congratulations, you’re a Greenheart Travel alumni!  

    Your adventure doesn’t stop here! We can’t wait for you to continue your journey with Greenheart Travel. Now that you’re a part of our alumni family, you have many opportunities to continue your personal and professional development. 

    The Greenheart Club

    The Greenheart Club is our exclusive online community where civic innovators and volunteers can network, gain access to professional development tools, and measure their community impact. Customize your profile, share stories, receive badges and learn from others around the globe, all while logging your volunteer hours. You are required to have a Greenheart Club account to apply for the Odyssey Programs and Greenheart Grants.

    Apply for a Greenheart Global Impact Grant (GIG) or Teach-Pair-Share Grant

    A Greenheart Global Impact Grant (GIG) is a financial award of up to $1000 given to exemplary members of the Greenheart Club. It provides alumni with the opportunity to create, improve, or maintain a community-focused project abroad or at home. Find more information on the Greenheart Club. 

    Greenheart’s Teach-Pair-Share grant provides up to $1000 for Greenheart English Teachers to partner with a teacher from their host community on a project that benefits their students and school. For example, the grant can be used to fund a language-immersion event, launch an afterschool program, or build an educational garden. Apply here.

    Become a Greenheart Travel Ambassador

    The Greenheart Travel Ambassador role is a unique volunteer opportunity for alumni who want to share their international experience, encourage others to travel abroad on a cultural exchange program, and grow their personal network.

    By participating as a Greenheart Travel Ambassador, you will:

    • Earn internship-like experience customizable to your interests
    • Develop advanced marketing, mentoring, and leadership skills
    • Expand your personal and professional networks
    • Connect with other highly accomplished alumni
    • Make connections and work directly with Greenheart Travel staff
    • Gain access to professional development resources and special events

    What does a Greenheart Travel Ambassador do? 

    Well, that depends on you! Are you a writer? Get published on our blog! An education major? Present with us in schools! Into marketing? Contribute to our social media and recruiting efforts!

    These are just a few of the ways our Ambassadors are involved:

    • Mentor new Greenheart Travel participants
    • Host a Greenheart Travel meetup in your area
    • Give a stellar presentation and inspire your peers
    • Join us at a fair or conference to promote travel for a change

    We’re happy to answer your questions! Learn more or apply today by emailing travelalumni@greenheart.org. We look forward to hearing from you!

    Apply for a Greenheart Odyssey Scholarship Program

    At the heart of our mission is the Greenheart Odyssey, a series of five leadership programs providing full-ride scholarships (flights included!) to chosen alumni. All alumni can apply through their Greenheart Club portal following completion of their program abroad.

    Junior Greenheart Global Leader’s Conference (Under 18)

    Jr. Leaders spend five days in Chicago exploring global leadership. They engage in service, public speaking workshops, cultural exchange, and one-on-one engagement with innovative leaders.

    Greenheart Global Leader’s Conference (18+)

    Adult Global Leaders spend a week in Washington, D.C. learning how to be advocates for cultural exchange and community development. Business, social justice, and sustainability workshops culminate in a Department of State visit and panelist opportunity.

    Greenheart Global Alumni Council

    Six all-star alumni are chosen to be Greenheart board members for the year. Council members are empowered by the unique opportunity to come together in-person at the Purpose Summit in Berlin, Germany and in online spaces. They develop initiatives that have an international impact.

    Become a Local Coordinator in the USA

    Join our team of local coordinators throughout the USA, placing and supporting our high school exchange students and their host families. This is a part-time contract position that is open to alumni 26 years or older, with the opportunity for domestic and international travel to annual conferences. 

    Fill out an inquiry form here: https://greenheartexchange.org/partner/become-a-local-coordinator/apply/ 

    Host a High School Exchange Student in the USA

    Located in the United States? You and your family can open your home to a high school exchange student from another country. You can host a student anywhere from a few weeks to an entire academic year. Volunteer host families provide our young ambassadors a wide range of landscapes, climates, activities, and lifestyles. 

    Fill out an inquiry form here: https://greenheartexchange.org/host/host-an-exchange-student/apply/  

  • How to Get Started Now to Teach English in South Korea Fall 2021

    How to Get Started Now to Teach English in South Korea Fall 2021

    If you’re interested in going to Korea in August of 2021 to teach English abroad, here is an outline of what to know. We will begin accepting applications later this year but you can get started on some things ahead of time. Applying as early as possible is the best thing you can do to increase your chances of being accepted! Here are some things you should get started on now, if you’re applying for the August 2021 start date in order of importance:

    1. TEFL Certification

    • A TEFL certification is required unless your Bachelor’s of Master’s degree is in Education, or you have a teaching license.
    • Please read more about the certification required for this program here.
    • It is highly recommended you start on your certification as soon as you decide you’d like to apply since the lesson plan is part of the application. This past round, 90% of applicants were asked to make major revisions on their lesson plans which immensely slowed down their application. It is highly encouraged that you start a TEFL course now so that you have the skills and knowledge to put together an amazing lesson plan!
    • The deadline to finish a course will be in July but you will need to have at the very least signed up for one in order to start the application process.
    • More and more provinces are requiring that online courses have at least 20 in-class or practicum hours, so it’s important to keep that in mind when deciding which course is best for you. Taking an online-only course will drastically reduce your marketability and limit your placement preference choices. Seoul and Gyeongnam require 20 hours and Busan requires 50 hours but that list is continually growing.

    Here are the upcoming dates to qualify you for the program on our 170 hour online + 20 hour practicum course:

    • July 15, 2020
    • July 27, 2020
    • August 10, 2020
    • August 24, 2020
    • September 7, 2020
    • September 21, 2020
    • October 5, 2020
    • October 19, 2020
    • November 2, 2020
    • November 16, 2020
    • November 30, 2020
    • December 14, 2020
    • December 28, 2020

    2. Letters of Recommendation

    • These have a validity of 2 years, so you can start on them now if you plan to apply within the next 2 years
    • These letters have STRICT guidelines. To be emailed instructions and templates please enter your information here or contact me
    • If your recommenders would like to send them directly via email now to us, that is fine, but have them also send the original ink signed copy to us via snail mail as well.

    3. The personal essay and lesson plan

    • These are a part of the actual application, which won’t be released until February 2021.
    • You cannot fill out the application until this round’s is released, as each rounds application looks slightly different, but the essay and lesson plan are usually the same prompt each round, so you can get started on those ahead of time.
    • Please note: we cannot guarantee that the prompts will be the same when the application is released, but in our experience, they have not changed recently.
    • For detailed instructions and the actual prompts please enter your information here.

    4. A passport-style photo

    • Must be an actual passport style photo (like the kind you can have taken at Walgreens or CVS) and show only the face and shoulders, with a plain background. Please do not take your own photo.

    5. Apostilled copy of Bachelor’s Degree

    6. One sealed official transcript of the Bachelor’s Degree

    • Since the transcripts are sent as sealed and official, they do not need to be apostilled. If you open up your transcripts or get them apostilled, they will not be accepted.

    7. Photo page of your Passport – Legible color copy

     

    ONLY IF APPLICABLE:

    8. Apostilled Copy of Master’s Degree

    • You can save time and money by getting your BA and MA degrees apostilled together.

    9. One sealed official transcript of Master’s degree

    10. Proof of full time teaching experience letter

    • Like the letters of recommendation, this letter has very strict guidelines so it’s important that it is written correctly so that corrections don’t slow down your application.
    • For detailed instructions and the actual prompts please enter your information here or contact us.

    11. Citizens of the UK will need to have an original birth certificate apostilled and sent in to Greenheart Travel via mail.

    12. Citizens of Australia will need to notarize a photocopy of their birth certificate and then have the notarized photocopy apostilled and then sent to Greenheart Travel.

    13. Citizens of South Africa will need to submit a Proof of English Language Instruction letter from each school they attended since 7th grade with their initial application submission

     

    What you SHOULD NOT start on just yet.

    1.  Apostilled Original National Level Criminal Record Check (CRC)

    • Your criminal record check must have been issued within the last 6 months of your visa issuance, so you cannot apply for this until around February 15th, 2021.
    • This process takes the longest so it is important that you apply for your CRC as soon after February 15th as you can. We have had participants in the past who were accepted into EPIK but could not go because they applied for their CRC too late and couldn’t get it by the deadline.

    2. The actual application

    • This updated application form will be sent to all Greenheart Travel applicants in February 2021 to fill out. We will send it to Korea on your behalf and coach you through the whole process of filling out the application correctly.

    Greenheart Travel has been sending teachers to South Korea for over 15+ years and we have supported thousands of people through the complicated application process as well as prepared them for life in Korea prior to departure. We provide hands-on support and personal attention every step of the way including:

    • Preliminary practice interview with Greenheart Travel
    • Exclusive tips and prep questions for your interviews
    • Access to 11+ guides and tools for each part of the process, built from years of experience, and updated each round
    • Tips and resources to expedite your documents
    • Comprehensive and in-depth pre-departure support includes cultural and logistical training
    • Continued support throughout your contract in Korea
    • We will keep you on track to make sure you have the best possible chance of getting a position in South Korea!
  • Some Things You Might See at Orientation For High School in the Netherlands

    Some Things You Might See at Orientation For High School in the Netherlands

    Curious what your first week might be like on our High School in the Netherlands Program? Check out these photos to give you an inside look, and make sure you continue to follow along with our current students at #greenhearttravel!

    Having fun in Amsterdam

     

    Meeting the host families on the last day!!
  • VIDEO: High School Exchange Students Interview Each Other

    VIDEO: High School Exchange Students Interview Each Other

    When deciding whether or not to study abroad as a high school student your mind is likely full of questions like “Will I make friends!?” or “What if I’m lonely?” While we are here to can support you as much as possible through things like the Greenheart Travel Atlas, nothing can beat hearing first-hand from two Greenheart high school study abroad students about their experience.

    Ian is an American who studied abroad in France with Greenheart Travel. Paula is a Spaniard who studied abroad in the USA with Greenheart Exchange. How are their stories the same/similar? Watch to find out!

  • 8 Cities Where We Place Teachers in Italy, and Why You Would Love Living There

    8 Cities Where We Place Teachers in Italy, and Why You Would Love Living There

    We asked our current teachers in Italy to complete this sentence: “You would love living in ___[your placement city]___ because…”  to get a good idea of just how unique and interesting each placement city is within Italy. If you are considering teaching in Italy, check out the wide variety of culturally diverse cities we place teachers in!

    Liz Pignatelli – Placed in Frossasco and Roletto

    One night, during a deep conversation, I confessed that I was extremely close to not going to Italy for the program after I was told of my placement. I had already bought my plane ticket and I considered not going. I was placed in Frossasco and Roletto and I would switch families midterm. My towns were very small- maybe a couple of thousand people in each, and to be honest this really scared me.
    I studied Italian for a few years in high school, but the thought of being in such a small town frightened me. Obviously, I took the leap. I went. To this day, choosing Greenheart Travel and deciding to go teach in my small town was one of the best choices of my life. Living in a small town turned out to be amazing. It was a GENUINE Italian experience. I learned so much that I couldn’t have learned anywhere else. I went to the tiny Gelateria in my town all by myself. I would walk 30 minutes to the nearest Basko when I wanted a specific snack that I discovered and fell in love with – like Pocketcoffee.  I looked at the stars in the sky when it was clear, which happened so much more in my small town than it does back home. I looked at the Alps every day on my way to school. I opened my window to see a beautiful field of grapes of hazelnuts.
    It was an experience you can’t get just being a “tourist.” I still talk to my host families three years later and also my main host teacher. I am traveling with one of the girls I met in Italy and still keep in contact with many of the people I met during the program. In fact, next month, I plan on moving to Bali with two of the girls I met through this program. This program is amazing.
    I loved living in Frossasco and Roletto because I got a taste of real Italian life. I saw cities in Italy no one has ever heard of- and that’s amazing.
    I met amazing friends, and the memories I made I will have forever. It was one of the best experiences of my life and I would not trade it for anything in the world. There will be struggles. You will learn. You will grow. In the end, you will be so thankful you took the leap and hopped on that plane. ✈️🇮🇹

    Nick Zingale – Placed in Lanzo Torinese

    You would love living in Lanzo Torinese because of friendly people, gorgeous Alpine setting, and a 13th-century bridge!

    Sarah Feitelberg – Place in Biella

    You would love to live in Biella because I loved the great teachers that I got to work with and it was suburban like my hometown is.

    Biella, Italy back of my school with a mountainous view

    Auriana Petach – Placed in Torino

    You would LOVE living in Torino because there’s incredible historical palaces/castles, there seems to be a festival/fair in the streets every weekend and everything is in walking distance!

    Melanie Lewis – Placed in Bosconero

    You would love living in Bosconero because it was an authentic Italian experience. I was scared to death when I learned of this small town placement (about 3,000 people), but it turned out to be the BEST experience of my life. I learned true Italian traditions and cooked with the best host mom (who also happened to be the best cook!) Bosconero was a great placement because it was a small town, but I could still catch a train to Torino, the big city that all trains go through, so I could travel all over Italy. This was my view EVERY morning when I walked the 1/2 mile to my school.

    Kylie Mayhew – Placed in Fubine

    You will love living in Fubine because you will feel like you are living in a fairytale. Drink some local wine and bask in the old world magic!

    Claire Davies – Placed in Torino

    You would LOVE living in Torino because you’ll never get tired of the views.

    Rachel Ford – Placed in Ferrara

    You would LOVE living in Ferrara because the people are friendly, the cappellacci (pasta with pumpkin) is life-changing and did I mention there’s a castle in the middle of the city?

    Erika Spinale – Placed in Torino

    You would LOVE living in Torino because… unlike other large cities in Italy, it does not feel like you are surrounded by tourists. You really feel the deep pride that the citizens of Torino have in their city. It is perfectly situated for easy travel to the main Italian cities and surrounding countries.