Cultural Embrace

I come to China every year, and this summer, I wanted to do something different. Specifically, something that would actually help the local communities, and the easiest way I knew how would be to teach English there. I googled "teaching in English" and at the end of my exploration online, I decided to go with Cultural Embrace's volunteering in China program because it was the most affordable one that I saw. I just had to send in some key documents such as the fee, a criminal record, health record, letters of recommendation, etc. and everything was set. The application process was actually very simple.

The experience itself, once I actually got involved in the program, was an unforgettable one. Meeting and interacting with the kids in Yantai, a city in the province of Shandong, was amazing. Cultural Embrace made sure that I was placed in an environment that I would be comfortable in, and took care of the living arrangements really well. I didn't have much to worry about before, during or after my teaching experience.

This program was also a great chance for me to meet people from both Canada and the United States, and I made many friends. Everyone bonds really well because you're all thrown into a new and exciting situation. :)

I suggest that anyone who's looking for an adventure of some kind to apply for this volunteering program. China is an exciting country, and I'm sure you'll discover that and much more with Cultural Embrace.

From my experience as an intern who worked alongside many CE volunteers in Guatemala, I've seen CE consistently go above and beyond my expectations.

It is amazing what Emlyn and her team of coordinators can accomplish for so many individualized trips. Julie Dean, the Latin American coordinator and Miranda Dawn, one of my intern coordinators, were in contact with me almost every day for the month preceding my trip.

Both Dean and Dawn answered all of my questions and managed last-minute changes per my requests. It was clear that they were masters of juggling many projects, but it never ruffled a feather when handling my customized experience.

When I went to Guatemala, CE took care of me from the moment I landed until the day I departed. When I wasn't happy with my host stay, they gave me four other options and let me decide. When I sent the coordinators an email about incoming volunteers or internship responsibilities, they replied usually within hours, never longer than a day.

Though they didn't hold my hand, I feel confident that CE would have done everything in their power to accomodate my needs and concerns if any arose.

In Guatemala, I worked alongside a group of nearly 20 Appalachian State students who came to volunteer during their spring break. The group leaders said their trip was well organized, fairly priced and the CE coordinators made all of the arrangements without any glitches.

From my experience and the experiences of the volunteers I met in Guatemala, the issues mentioned below seem few and far between.

I highly recommend Cultural Embrace.