Greenheart Travel • Center for Cultural Interchange • Live Your Dream of International Travel

Greenheart Travel: helping responsible travelers satisfy their thirst for adventure while respecting the environment

Greenheart Travel: A Division of the Center for Cultural Interchange (CCI)

Connecting People and Planet
The Greenheart Travel team is passionate about helping you reach your full potential through unforgettable experiences abroad. Whether you want to boost your resume with an internship in London, spend a summer studying Spanish in Buenos Aires, or volunteer in West Africa, they'll help you reach your goals.

Greenheart's commitment to international travel is matched by their commitment to the environment. A deep concern for the welfare of the planet drives the Greenheart passion for helping responsible travelers satisfy their thirst for adventure while respecting the environment and unique cultural heritage of the destinations they explore. Whether you are rolling up your sleeves in Australia to plant trees or supporting local businesses in Turkey, you can help ensure that Greenheart's favorite places to visit today are there for the travelers of tomorrow, as well as for the people who call them home.

Greenheart Travel offers students and adults the opportunity to explore the world through unique cultural immersion programs in over 30 countries. Choose from volunteer projects, internships, teach abroad programs, language schools, independent homestays or gap programs. All participants will receive an orientation upon arrival, are assigned a local coordinator, provided medical/accident insurance and receive 24-hour support.

Volunteer Abroad: Where do you want to make a difference?

Greenheart Travel's Volunteer Abroad programs combine rewarding service work with unmatched opportunities to learn about fascinating cultures from the inside, as you never could through the windows of a tour bus.

Locations: Argentina, Australia, Benin, Cambodia, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Ghana, India, Kenya, New Zealand, Peru, South Africa and Spain.

Dates: All projects run 2-12 weeks in length with year-round start dates according to your schedule.

Projects include environmental conservation, animal rescue, working with children in schools and orphanages, health care, community development and women's empowerment.

Accommodations are typically with a carefully screened host family but depending upon the project, may be in volunteer guest houses. All or most meals are included.

Depending upon where your new journey takes you, certain language skills may apply.

A Day in the Life: Find Your Inner Tarzan!
Learn how one Greenheart Travel volunteer found her Inner Tarzan after chasing a bus in Costa Rica.

Internships: Take your career to a global level.

When you complete an internship in another country, you will not only enhance your language fluency and professional abilities, you will also gain an understanding of a whole new culture. After your internship, you'll have a resume that stands out, the confidence you need for job interviews and a greater understanding of the world that can't be taught in a classroom.

Locations: Buenos Aires and Cordoba, Argentina; Melbourne and Sydney, Australia; Shanghai, China; Ecuador; London, England; France; Dublin, Ireland; Florence, Italy; Barcelona and Madrid, Spain.

Dates: Internships run 1-4 months in length with year-round start dates according to your schedule.

Placements can be made in a variety of fields and vary according to your destination. Standard placements are in general business, marketing, finance/accounting, social services and travel/tourism. For additional possibilities, contact Greenheart!

All internships are unpaid and your work schedule is usually 30-40 hours per week.

Accommodations are with a local host family or in shared flats. Two meals per day are typically included in the homestay.

Interns must be able to converse at an advanced level in the language of the host country and have previous studies or work experience in their chosen field.

Teach Abroad: Share your English language expertise.

Teach English Abroad while earning your living expenses and a monthly stipend! You will serve as an English language teaching assistant for one or more English teachers at a local public school. In addition to teaching, you will be in charge of organizing various extracurricular activities that can include after-school clubs, sports, art projects, discussion groups and other activities that promote learning English outside the classroom.

Locations: Chile (volunteers will be placed in the Coquimbo region, located about 5 hours north of Santiago), Korea and Thailand.

Dates: Full-time teaching assignments are available for 4, 6 or 8 months with specific start dates.

The programs include full accident and medical insurance, in-country orientation, transportation to the teaching placement and a monthly stipend. Programs in Chile include accommodations with host families with full board, and programs in Thailand include housing in apartments or guest houses provided by the schools.

Volunteers must be at least 21 years of age and must have a bachelor's degree in any subject. Volunteers in Chile must have a basic understanding of Spanish.

Independent Homestays: Get inside another culture.

Unlike a tour program, a homestay is an intensive cross-cultural experience. You'll see and experience things beyond the reach of the average tourist: enjoying a home-cooked meal, making new friends, and learning new traditions. If you are studying a language, there is no better way to improve your conversation skills!

Locations: Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Poland, Spain, Thailand, Turkey and the United Kingdom.

Dates: Homestays run 1-4 weeks in length and can begin at anytime throughout the year, you set your own start dates.

Accommodation is with a carefully screened host family and all or most meals are included.

You should have the ability to converse at an intermediate level in the language of the host country.

Independent exploration of the host community is encouraged!

Home Stays Abroad: 15 Ways to be Part of the Family
Would you like to experience life in a small Turkish village, see Mt. Fuji when you awake every morning, or hike the northern Spanish mountains with a family as your guide? Greenheart Travel staff members share some of their advice for making your homestay abroad experience a success.

Language Schools: Total immersion makes all the difference.

There is no better way to learn a language than by studying it in the country where it is spoken. The learning continues beyond the classroom, whether you are chatting with your host family, talking with vendors in shops and markets, or ordering a meal in a restaurant.

Locations: Argentina, China, Costa Rica, Ecuador, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Peru and Spain.

Dates: Language School programs run 1-4 weeks in length and can begin any Monday throughout the year. (Specific start dates for complete beginners may apply).

Courses include 20 hours of lessons each week. Lessons are very active and focus on improving your conversation skills.

Accommodation is with a carefully screened host family and two meals per day are included.

Organized activities and excursions give you the opportunity to experience all the city has to offer, while giving you a thorough understanding of the local art, history, politics, and cultural traditions.

You will have lots of free time to independently explore as well!

Gap Adventures: Travel outside the box.

Dreaming of seeing the world? Need a change of scenery? Not sure what you want to be when you grow up? Take time out to experience life beyond the walls of the cubicle or the classroom! Gap Programs can be for all ages and offer you the chance to gain valuable life experiences, learn more about yourself and the world, and return home feeling more motivated, focused and ready for challenges that lie ahead.

You can design your own Gap Program or take advantage of Greenheart's ready-made options. Select from any program (volunteer, internships, language schools, homestays) in order to build an itinerary that meets both your travel goals and offers you the adventure of a lifetime.

Choose from over 30 countries on six continents!

Length of time is flexible and depends upon the itinerary that you would like to create. Typical Gap Adventures last 12-20 weeks and have flexible start dates to fit your schedule.

Accommodations depend upon the type of program and destination but are typically with a carefully screened host family.

Feature Video

CCI & Greenheart: Connecting People & Planet
Watch CCI and Greenheart participants talk about the ways cultural exchange has given them a fresh perspective and expanded their horizons. By connecting people and planet, the goal of CCI and Greenheart is to move toward a more just and peaceful world.

Watch more Greenheart Travel videos »

Download the adult application form and mail this to Greenheart Travel by the following deadlines:

Volunteer: 8 weeks prior to your intended start date

Internships: 12 weeks prior to your intended start date

Teach Abroad: Specific dates; view the latest deadlines »

Language School and Homestay: 6 weeks prior to your intended start date

Gap: 12 weeks prior to your intended start date

After your completed application is received in the mail, Greenheart Travel will confirm your acceptance within 1-2 weeks. You will receive an emailed packet of information including helpful tips on your program, travelling to a new country, and adjusting to life abroad. When applying for our internship program, your placement and accommodation details can take longer to secure since your Greenheart Travel Coordinator will be searching for an internship that is a good fit for you!

Throughout the process, your Travel Coordinator will always keep you updated and informed of all information regarding your program. One week prior to departure, you will have a pre-departure orientation over the phone to make sure that you are prepared and ready to travel!

Connections

Hands of change

Greenheart Travel
746 N. LaSalle Drive
Chicago, IL 60654
312.944.2544
888.227.6231 toll free
312.944.0728 fax
info@greenhearttravel.org
www.greenhearttravel.org

Navigation

Greenheart Travel can be found in the Work, Volunteer & Intern Abroad channel