Greenheart Travel: Changing Teen’s Lives Through Study Abroad Programs!

Disclosure: This is a compensated campaign for Greenheart Travel, however all opinions are sincere and are my own.

Learning a new language or keeping your home language alive is a really tough job.  Lots of people think that, specially when it comes to keeping the mother language alive, it should be something that simply happens naturally:  but it’s not.  To keep your home or mother language alive or to learn a new language the most important thing is to be immersed in the language and the culture.  Since we moved to the USA and I realized how little time my children spend at home between school and extra curricular activities and what a challenge it is to keep our home language alive I knew that I had to have a long term plan.  Part of that plan is making sure that my children have a study abroad experience and although they are still too young for that I have been researching about it as I am convinced that studying abroad will change their lives, give them an experience they will never forget and open so many doors for them.

That is why I am super excited to share with you all about Greenheart Travel!  Greenheart Travel is a nonprofit exchange organization that provides cultural immersion programs. Like me, Greenheart Travel truly believes that meaningful travel can have a profound effect, not just on the individual traveler, but the global community.

I was bilingual from an early age and the key to that was immersion.  I was in a full immersion English school, a school where all of the classes and teachers where native American and spoke only English.  Later when I was in College I tried to take Italian and French and although the classes where great and I learned a lot I lost all of it quickly because I didn’t have the opportunity to really get immersed in the language.

As a teen I always wanted to participate in a long term study aboard program and I although I did not have the opportunity I did participate in a summer abroad program traveling to the Czech Republic when I was a in high school and spend two summers in NYC when I was  in college. These travel aboard experiences completely changed my life and I learned so much during those times that I spent abroad immersed in a different culture form my own and getting to meet new people.  I am a firm believer in the importance and value of exposing children and young people to new cultures and languages as a way to open up their hearts and their minds to the world!

The summer months are the perfect time to help a high school teen in your life start preparing for a life-changing academic experience overseas. Greenheart Travel’s high school abroad programs are an opportunity for students to fully immerse themselves in one of 18 country destinations around the world while living with a host family. Not only do they have the chance to stand out on college applications and resumes, teens will improve their language proficiency, develop leadership skills, the ability to adapt to new environments and gain a greater global perspective by studying abroad. Whether it is a trimester, semester or year-long program, this study abroad experience is an incredible opportunity for growth academically, personally and socially.

[important]The final deadline to apply for a 2015 spring study abroad start date is September 15th. So head on to Greenheart Travel’s website to find out more about this program! [/important] 

Language proficiency requirements depend on the country of interest, and students must be from the United States or Canada between the ages of 15-18 years of age. There is a program fee but flights, housing and meals are all included as part of the full immersion experience.

Of coarse just thinking about sending my kids abroad and away from me makes me really nervous and that is why it’s so important to do your research and choose a program that you can trust.  One of the things I liked about this organization is that Greenheart Travel provides each student with a personal program manager that helps with the application process and is available during the students’ program abroad.  I would also encourage you to to read the blog posts from Greenheart Travel exchange students, I believe that the best way to see if a program like this fits your family or not is to hear from the teens that have experienced it!

I love that Greenheart Travel is a division of Greenheart International, a nonprofit committed to connecting people and planet to create a more peaceful and sustainable global community. They have programs that foster cultural exchange, eco-fair trade, volunteerism, personal development and environmentalism all over the world.

• Author
• Recent Posts

Paula Bendfeldt-Diaz

Paula moved from her native Guatemala to SW Florida with her husband and two children and together they are discovering what it means to live life between two languages.

Paula studied architecture and now makes a living as a freelance writer,traveler and amateur photographer.She started her writing & publishing career as the editor of Bebé y Mamá, the first parenting magazine in Guatemala.She is the founder of www.GrowingUpBilingual.com and www.365thingsswfl.com and writes articles in Spanish and English for both magazines and the web on travel,food and bicultural and bilingual parenting .

When she is not on a plane or road trip she likes to create recipes inspired in the flavors of her native Guatemala.

Latest posts by Paula Bendfeldt-Diaz (see all)

• How to Photograph Semana Santa in Guatemala: Tips for the Best Photos of Holy Week in Antigua - April 12, 2025
• Holy Week Sawdust Carpets : Everything You Need to Know About the Alfombras in Antigua Guatemala - April 11, 2025
• Holy Week in Antigua Guatemala 2025: Best Tips and Must-See Hidden Gems from a Local - April 11, 2025

Sharing is caring!