Marine Science Internships in Belize

I am a first-generation college student, and going to Belize was an experience I will always carry with me. At first, I was afraid that I wouldn't make an impact at my internship or that I would get homesick more than a thousand miles away from home. In the end, I made great friendships and discovered some of my passions in life. The experiences were so pure that I grew in many ways. As soon as I stepped into the warm blanket that is the Belizean weather, I felt attended to. Our driver, Mr. Roberto, welcomed us with a warm smile and took us to our destination in San Ignacio, Belize. The program staff was always attentive to our needs and gave us all of the necessary tools to grow professionally and personally. That is exactly what happened to me and reciprocity played a huge role. I was able to conduct presentations for surrounding schools in the town of Santa Elena. I interned in the Santa Elena Public Library and had great support from my supervisors. I worked both independently and in groups with the staff as well as with people of the community. This made the experience so much more rewarding. The daily face to face contact was something I still keep close to my heart. One of the most memorable moments was swimming in the Carribean Sea. I was also able to cook alongside Mayan women and prepare a traditional meal with the Garifuna people on their island, in South Belize. These immersive experiences definitely were some of my most memorable. Reading about a culture in a history textbook is one thing, but tasting the culture is something I will certainly never forget. TEP played a major role in my success in the program and I will be eternally grateful. Oh yeah, and how can I forget, I climbed to the top of the Mayan ruins of Xunantunich.

Toucan Education Programs (TOUCAN) responded to this reviewDecember 05, 2019

Dear Jessica,<br/><br/>Huge thanks for your lovely review. You did an awesome job immersing yourself not only in your internship but also in your host community. <br/><br/>Again, huge thanks!<br/>Rhondine

From beginning to the end the experience went well. I especially was impressed with the level of engagement by the administrators. They kept me informed every step of the way. This program exceeded my expectations.

Olá! I participated at the Lisbon Hospitality Internship for a month. It is an unforgettable amazing experience. Both local staff and guests were friendly and helpful. I did not face any struggle during my stay. Just great time and loads of fun in an amazing city and a country as well.I highly recommend this project! Also appreciate GoEco´s team support - regularly asking via email if everything is alright which made me feel secure.Thank you. Hana

After my arrival in Israel I had a great day in Jerusalem with coordinator Yan. He showed me the city of Jerusalem in another way that impressed me very much. Then we went to Tel Aviv for the project. The manager of the bakery Assaf is a very open, kind and talented person. We had a lot of fun working.The working hours were very flexible, so I could arrange my free time and, for example, go to the Dead Sea or take a tour with Yan through Tel Aviv. In the bakery I helped to prepare the recipes, operated the dishwasher, baked cakes and much more...I think we were a very good team! Outside of the project, I met many other travellers in the young - people Abraham hostel in Tel Aviv. We went out together in the evening and had a great time! In summary, I am very grateful for this experience! Also thanks to the Go Eco team who made this possible for me!

The Toucan Education Program (TEP) helped me to connect to organizations in Belize where I could share my own expertise in a reciprocal learning environment. I learned more about the Belizean education and culture from the two organizations that hosted me, than they probably learned from me. The TEP organizers arranged for all meetings, transportation, and events during my stay. They checked in on all of the members of our group on a daily basis . . . always making sure we were enjoying our experience and having our needs met. I made connections that I hope will last for a lifetime, and I'm already planning to go back!

Toucan Education Programs (TOUCAN) responded to this reviewApril 03, 2018

We are very grateful for your review and for your work in Belize.

TEP was absolutely excellent!! Everything was well-planned, there was never a time where you questioned where your transportation was or where you were supposed to be next. All of the staff were extremely helpful and always quick to help or respond to any question or concern you had! I would HIGHLY recommend utilizing TEP for your travel abroad experiences!

Toucan Education Programs (TOUCAN) responded to this reviewApril 03, 2018

Huge thanks for your feedback. We are equally grateful to Dr. Beitman and Jim who remain passionate about their service in Belize.

Amazing experience! Working in Assaf's bakery you learn not just the vegan pastries, but a lot of other stuff, also you get to know yourself much better. Assaf is amazing human being and can easily become your friend for life! If you want to volunteer in Tel Aviv, Yan is your man, best tour guide. This guy will take care of you better then your own mother!

The time I spent in Belize working with Toucan Education Programs (TEP) was a truly immersive experience and one that I would recommend to any motivated student who is looking for a highly individualized yet community oriented opportunity. This program, created by founder/CEO Rhondine Petrof, not only allows for exponential growth in an academic sense but also works to challenge currently held positionalities that contribute to an individual's identity. This intentional reciprocity between student and study creates space for the practice of introspection. Correspondingly the development of self-confidence is later met when planning, conducting and presenting exploratory research. I am forever grateful for the efforts of TEP and to the individuals I have had the privilege to share these memories with. The experience has allowed me a deeper grasp of varying intersectionalities within public health and gender roles, comfortability in realizing that as I continuously face new situations, I will be discovering new facets of who I am, and to above all else trust that I am capable. Also important to mention, the staff of TEP including Rhondine was there for me when I was experiencing health concerns. This comfort and commitment to ensuring I was okay for the remainder of the trip truly helped me feel safe, secure, and relaxed. Their actions helped me overcome small challenges that allowed me to quickly bounce back and enjoy the experience.

Toucan Education Programs (TOUCAN) responded to this reviewSeptember 22, 2017

Hello Sara,<br/><br/>Huge thanks for your review. We value your feedback and support.<br/>

I cannot say enough great things about my experience with TEP in Belize! Rhodine is amazing! The people of Belize are warm and welcoming. It was well organized, immersive and a great cultural opportunity to make an impact and Belize made a beautiful impact on me!

Toucan Education Programs (TOUCAN) responded to this reviewSeptember 20, 2017

Hello Sydney,<br/><br/>We are so grateful for your awesome review. Huge thanks and hope you are well!<br/><br/>Your humble TEP team!

I have only positive reviews for this program. As a solo traveler heading to the Middle East for the first time could be quite daunting. Throughout my whole experience from the weeks leading up to my trip, to my entire stay…not once did I feel alone, clueless or stressed. Every matter was addressed and made clear to me. Life changing adventure filled with culture, appreciation for world issues and new friends.

I went to Israel to volunteer at a food bank originally but after talking with my field guide he suggested that I go to the bakery instead and being that I'm actually vegan I agreed. It was the best decision I made other than actually deciding to come to Israel and I'm so glad I was flexible on this. This decision made my trip 1000 times better. First, I love to cook but baking can be a little intimidating for me so I got the chance to watch bakers in their element and to draw from their confidence. Everyone was so nice and welcoming. I felt right at home from the first day. They put me right to work and the next time I looked up it was time to go home. The highlight for me of each day was our lunch breaks. One of the chefs would make a delicious vegan lunch for us all to share and I loved that we all sat down together and just relaxed around good food for a moment and talked. It was Awesome! The chefs also suggested good vegan places to eat during my stay in Israel and one of the sweet chefs even took the time to take me around to a few of them. I not only got to volunteer but I also got to see the non-touristy side of Israel which was priceless. I very much enjoyed my time at the bakery and plan to go back again in the summer.

Amazing experience all around. I had a great time. I will never forget my time in Belize. I will definitely come back. I would recommend this program to others. TEP staff and the people of Belize have been so kind to me.

I volunteered at this vegan bakery for six weeks. Over the course of those weeks, I went from disliking my volunteer experience to thoroughly enjoying it. So, I think I'm in an appropriate position to explain some of the good and bad parts of the program. THE GOOD: - Vegan-ness - Everything that the bakery makes is vegan, as you've probably already figured out. For the vegans like me out there, that's awesome because it means you're only handling vegan food. You'll also likely get to sample some of the baked goods, with the luxury of never having to question beforehand whether they are vegan or not. But even if you're not vegan, if you like baking, you'll enjoy learning the bakery's tricks to make delicious vegan food! - The people - Everyone at the bakery is a lot of fun, especially once you get to know them. The owner is a perpetual joker, the delivery guy is full of great stories, and the women in the kitchen usually go along with the two of them, to humorous effect. On my last day, I was serenaded with an improvised lyrical rewrite of The Beatles' "Yesterday," if that gives you any idea of the type of people I'm talking about. - The location - Tel Aviv rocks. Many restaurants accommodate vegans (those with the "Vegan-Friendly" stickers and more), and there are quite a few all-vegan restaurants as well (try The Vegan Shawarma on King George Street). Plus, vegan ice cream is all over the place! But if vegan food isn't a top priority for you, you'll still love Tel Aviv. You'll be a short walk from the beach, and you'll easily be able to visit Jaffa just to the south. Since Israel is relatively small, you can also visit other places in Israel and Palestine without excessive travel. THE BAD: - Poor food sanitation: When it comes to food, cleanliness is a big deal for me, so I was upset to see fairly low sanitation standards at the bakery. (These low standards aren't necessarily unique to the bakery, though - in general, Israel doesn't value food sanitation as highly as North Americans do. That said, on a worldwide scale, Israel is probably towards the middle of the pack.) This problem was what caused most of my initial dissatisfaction with my experience, but I eventually became somewhat desensitized when I saw food being handled in less-than-sanitary ways. - Tight workspace - The kitchen is very narrow, so if there are too many people working inside, it can be frustrating when you're trying to move around. This is only a problem when there are several volunteers at a time, though, which isn't always the case. Overall, I had a great experience in Israel. The longer I was there, the better my experience became. If you can, I'd recommend going for at least a month so that you really have time to get to know the way the bakery operates and the people who work there. On a longer trip, you'll also have more chances to explore Tel Aviv, Jaffa, and other areas. Learn some Hebrew, and eat plenty of falafel, and have fun!

This February, I had the opportunity to volunteer in a vegan bakery in Tel-Aviv for 3 weeks. As soon as arrived, I was quickly welcomed into the bakery family by the owner, who is incredibly warm, quirky, and funny. The head pastry chef immediately started teaching me how to work with every type of machinery and food product imaginable. The other baker, too, was always incredible patient and kind and never hesitated to lend me helping hand or explain instructions again. Every day, they would guide me through new recipes, techniques, and how to overcome the challenges of baking vegan (without eggs, dairy, etc). By the end of my three weeks, I was familiar with almost all the products and techniques used in the bakery. My jobs included all parts of the baking process: cutting freezing cold cookies, operating the dough machine, operating the mixing machine, packaging mousse cakes, making batters, scaling ingredients, unloading products from the frigid-cold walk-in freezer, rolling croissants, forming pie crusts, operating the oven, and even learning the Hebrew words for many baking products. Each day was different, new, and kept me busy and challenged mentally and physically. One night, the owner even invited me to bake with him for the anniversary of a different upscale vegan restaurant in Tel-Aviv. I really enjoyed “baking on the spot” with him and truly felt like a real baker :) And of course, another plus was the fabulous food-- not only was I able to sample many of the yummy pastries, but the bakers always cooked incredibly delicious, healthy lunches that I already miss. While I did learn many important concrete skills at my three weeks in the bakery, I also took away many life lessons from all the baking I did: the importance of timing and safety, being aware of space and people around you, finding a balance between being gentle and rough and focusing on quality vs. quantity, performing tasks in the easiest and most timely manner, and not being to hard on myself if I made a mistake (e.g. shattering glass jars or dropping entire bowls of batter). In short, volunteering at the vegan bakery was a meaningful experience and I gained much from it. I will be sure to use many of the skills I picked up even in the short time I was there and hopefully re-create many of the yummy recipes I learned. Thank you to all the staff at the bakery for a great three weeks-- I hope to be back someday and maybe even wait on line next time for a sweet-potato quiche, apple crumble pie, chocolate-cranberry cookie, or chocolate croissant...

Our volunteer experience with TEP was excellent. What stood out the most was the breadth of experiences we had - we would never have been able to organise many of these encounters ourselves. Collaborating with someone local allowed us to meet and speak with a huge range of people that would have otherwise been difficult to contact. Likewise, the social and cultural activities were excellent and not necessarily something I would have thought to organise myself. I appreciated the contrast provided by working in both a public and private setting.

My experience in Belize was great. The program offered cultral experiences, excursions. It was well organized and i always felt safe. This was my first time abroad and I had a great experience and will definately come back to Belize to visit or maybe even do some mision work within the country. The Toucan Education Program is well crafted and enriching for students looking for a great study abroad experience in an english speaking country. I was able to adapt well and it was not too big of a culture shock.