The Hidden Italy: An Authentic Alpine Experience

I had a wonderful experience! Joinki connected me with an amazing family who had two young boys. I enjoyed being able to teach them English and to pick up some Italian in the process. The home cooked meals and day trips around Trentino Alto Adige I will never forget. If you love Italian culture, food and history I definitely recommend this program. Italians once they know you’re a good person, they are extremely kind people. This program was a good fit for me because I enjoy helping people. Being able to tutor some English was very rewarding for me.

Words cannot express my gratitude and admiration to Sabrina’s for her passion and vision in creating this language program. Because Joinki, I came away with an understanding of Italia that I never would have had before, had I just been a tourist. I came back to the United States with my heart full of love and memories, and a brand new family. I would go back in a heartbeat to invest in the relationships that I created while I was there. This was a life-changing experience for which I am truly grateful!

I really enjoyed my time in Trentino with the Joinki program, and I really cannot recommend it enough! It gave me an amazing opportunity to immerse myself into the Trentino culture, and I feel like I have truly made a connection with the place and the people for life. I now think of my host family as my actual second family and I am so grateful to Sabrina for pairing me with them. I also really appreciate Sabrina for welcoming me and looking after me so well, as she kept checking in on me throughout my stay and planned some amazing excursions with me, making my experience even more special. This has genuinely been an amazing once-in-a-lifetime experience that has changed my life and I highly recommend it. I’ve made so many amazing memories and I’ve seen so many great things- the mountains and the lakes are absolutely breathtaking! Since leaving Trentino about 3 months ago, I have already been back twice, and I will certainly go back again to see everyone again (and to keep exploring some more!!).

I just spent 4 weeks in the region of Trentino and it was a real life-changing experience! From the moment I arrived, I felt welcomed by my host family! I could easily walk in the streets and make conversations with the neighbours and the locals! Everybody was very friendly. The tutoring experience was truly memorable since I got to do it in such a peaceful environment surrounded by mountains and nature! The program is very simple and genuine, and I also got to meet so many amazing people that were interested in learning or practicing their English! You never feel alone there, especially with Sabrina who takes care of every step of the way and who will take time to do some fun activities with you! If you love nature, family values and building friendships, this is the program for you!

Joinki allows you to experience Italian culture in the best way! Because you are carefully matched with a host family you will have a unique experience, and be immersed in the culture. The family will make you feel welcomed from the very beginning and includes you in all the family festivities and you are able to take part in unique family traditions. From wine tastings, to cheese factories, to breathtaking hikes and lakes, the Trentino region has it all! The family took me on countless visits to places all over the region, especially non-touristic places that only locals are aware of! This made me appreciate the experience a lot more than a regular trip to Italy, since I was able to be immersed in the culture and live a typical Italian lifestyle. Joinki also sets up excursions with other members of the program as well and it was an amazing way to make new friends from all over the world who share the same love and interest in Italy. The program went above and beyond my expectations and I was able to learn so much about Italian culture and history, and fell more in love with the country. I would definitely recommend it to my friends in the future, and would love to come back again!

I had an amazing time with Joinki. From the thorough host family selection to the great efforts made by Joinki to get volunteers free transportation and guest passes to see local attractions, the Joinki experience went above and beyond what I expected from a volunteer program. During the initial interview, Joinki assesses your personality to determine which of their many eager families is right for you. Joinki also organizes events with other volunteers that are integrative and give you a taste of the authentic North Italian lifestyle! These things show just how committed Joinki is to giving volunteers the best experience possible. I would definitely recommend the program!

I already made three projects in Italy and this one was the best! Directly after my first Skype interview with Joinki I got a good feeling because I noticed that Joinki is really caring about me. After approx 2 weeks they already found the fitting family for me. And they were right because I felt very comfortable in my host family. In my six weeks in Terres which is a very small village in Valle di Non I was never bored. The nature around there is very beautiful so that you can travel around with your family or Sabrina from Joinki. During the afternoon I did some grammar lessons with my younger host sister. Seeing my host sister improving her german skills I was really confident and happy. Another great point about Joinki is the cultural exchange because I could show many things from Germany that are different in Italy. But of course I also learned a lot about the Italian all day life. Special experiences were a tour in a canyon that I enjoyed very much and making Pasta by hand. All in all I can really recommend this project cause of all these unique experiences you are able to explore.

Joinki offers a great program for its volunteers to live out a fulfilling tutoring and interning experience, while getting to enjoy access to all the Trentino region has to offer. I would highly recommend the program for anyone interested and passionate about sharing and engaging with various cultures!

I had the most incredible experience being an English tutor for Joinki. When I first was connected to the program through Aiesec, I didn't know exactly how it would be, but I was very interested in learning more about it. Joinki is a language and culture exchange program done by the locals, for the locals. This made it an even more incredible experience because I got to not only join the Joinki family or the host family I was placed with, but actually become a part of the community. Within the 6 weeks I was there I had ingrained myself into the life of this beautiful valley that held the kindest people. I was also able to learn Italian and make friends for life. The amount of growth I was able to garner from this experience is unquantifiable. I can never thank Joinki enough for the opportunity. Its a select group that they bring, but if you are someone who is fluent in either English or German with a passion for helping others, and would like to learn some Italian, this is the program for you.

Joinki occupies a unique niche in giving students and professional educators access to friendly people in a stunning region. Our host family was lovely, generous, and helpful. We had enjoyable lessons with them in the morning and they pointed us in the right direction when it came to spending our free time. The Joinki team is laid-back yet professional. It is a small program so it is easy to keep in close contact with the staff. As professional English teachers, we enjoyed the opportunity to teach one-to-one in a relaxing atmosphere. The program is aimed more at college-age students and they seemed to enjoy themselves. We highly recommend for teachers like us but even more so for university students. Trentino is the perfect place for them to get their first taste of being abroad.

JOINKI give me the time of my life! I learned a lot about Italian culture while interacting with locals and helping them learn English. The representatives of the JOINKI Program were so kind and helpful that they made me feel very welcome. They constantly checked up on me and took me on several trips to show me more of what Italy has to offer! I am very glad I chose JOINKI!

It is hard to sum up my time in Italy because it impacted me in such a huge way! My host family was phenomenal, and I truly believe that we are friends for life! spending time learning Italian and teaching English in northern Italy was such a rewarding and beautiful experience, and so different from my normal life back home. I lived in a very small village with a host family for a month and travelled all around the region exploring a part of Italy I never knew existed! The Joinki program was fantastic and they helped me see the region, integrate with my host family and make the most out of my experience. This program allowed me to learn a new language in a truly immersive way and make connections with people that otherwise would never have existed and for that I am grateful.

Joinki is an amazingly organized and thoughtful program. Sabrina, the head coordinator and all her staff work so hard to make sure that everyone who comes in contact with Joinki is left feeling happy and fulfilled through their experience. Their selection process is a little lengthy but only because they work so diligently to make sure that family and the volunteer they take in are compatible. Joinki also provides their volunteers with travel cards that give them access to free transport within Trentino, and take the volunteers on excursions around the area. Joinki truly is a cultural connector, that places its volunteers and families in the heart of all that they do. I loved the family that I lived with, and hope to go visit them again soon. Without Joinki, I would have never made family abroad and had an experience that truly changed my view of the world.

Joinki is an incredible language program that provides a truly authentic way to experience a culture. Because you live with a family in the Trentino region, you get to live their way of life. This part of Italy is full of breath-taking nature and beautiful villages. You will not be living a tourist lifestyle. I learned to cook specialties of the region, got to go to community events with the family, and, of course, learned some Italian. The family took great care of me and the Joinki staff if always there when you need them. Sabrina helped us get acclimated, followed up with our family relationships, and coordinated events to get to know the other tutors in the program. I have already recommended this program to people and will continue to do so. Thank you Joinki for an incredible experience I will always remember!

When I first found Joinki online, I got really excited about the program. I really got a feeling that the staff of Joinki cared for their tutors and really took their time to make sure you were placed in a family that matched with your interests for the month long program. When I arrived, I felt very welcomed not only by the family but also by Sabrina and never did I feel like I was lacking anything. Beyond helping the family I was with with English, I was also volunteered at a high school, helping in the English classes. I also had mentioned I was interested in learning Italian and Joinki made sure I had plenty of resources to learn the language and I actually ended up leaving with a decent knowledge of Italian. Sometimes with the family it was a bit unclear what they wanted in terms of English help but we made it work and tried different tutoring methods until we found the best one for each family member. Through Joinki we also got to go on a few trips with some of the other tutors and it was really amazing to explore the region. Trentino was a wonderful location that I really didn't know much about and now am completely in love. I really recommend this program for anyone look for a true language exchange experience. Not only do you get to teach the family, but you also get to experience the Italian culture and learn some of their customs. The Joinki staff is extremely helpful and they take their time to tailor the experience to your interests and are always checking up on you to make sure everything is well. Thank you Joinki for giving me an unforgettable few weeks in Trentino!

I participated in this program as a Language Tutor for 6 weeks in April and May 2018. Engaging in this experience was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Not only was I given the extremely rewarding opportunity of teaching English and chess in a school in Northern Italy as well as improving my host's ability to speak English, I was able to learn in-depth about the culture and lifestyle of people in the Trentino region. The program provided me with an Italian tutor who also worked as a tour guide in the area and took me to different restaurants and museums and explained the history embedded in the region. This allowed me to learn the Italian language and also understand in detail everything that happened in the past in Italy and specifically in the Trentino region. The director of the program also took the language tutors on various excursions including trips to Lake Garda and hiking in the canyons near Val di Non. At the school I taught at, all of the teachers were very nice and inviting and the students were also all very curious and social, making going to the school very enjoyable. Trento is an excellent place to spend time as the University of Trento is there, which makes it easy to meet and become friends with the students of the University. Trento is also in an excellent location in Northern Italy, which allowed me to take trips to many cities including Milan, Venice, Verona, Innsbruck, and many others. The host I was placed was very nice and hospitable. He cooked meals quite frequently or would take me to restaurants in Trento. However, we did many things outside of working on English and eating together. We went hiking multiple times in the mountains surrounding Trento, letting us see some of the most beautiful views in the world. We watched many football matches as he was a fan of AC Milan. We went to a world class circus that was sold-out in Trento. He even had a friend of his take me on a helicopter ride through the mountains. As he had resided in Trento for 20+ years, he was able to give me a lot of tips on what to do in the area and pass on a lot of knowledge about the city. Overall, I would say that this was one of the most fun and educational experiences of my life and would highly recommend it to anyone looking to go abroad or learn about a new culture.

I do not exaggerate when I say that I had a fantastic time in Trentino. I always felt very welcome as I had a great host family and the Joinki staff was always present. Therefore, I felt safe and very well cared for. I was a language tutor in a Primary School as well as in a Middle School and it was great seeing the students' but also the family's improvement in the German language. However, I could also improve my Italian. In my free time I could see a lot of beautiful places nearby. I warmely recommend this program for everyone who likes to meet lovely people, a cultural exchange and who likes pizza ;)

Joinki is a fantastic program that allowed me to improve on myself as well as give me the opportunity to teach English in a variety of settings. Living with a family gave me a deeper insight into the culture and I felt like a local instead of a tourist. I would recommend this program to anyone who wants to live in another culture, challenge themselves and likes working with people. My world has certainly gotten bigger because I worked with Joinki.

Ich werde diese wundervolle Zeit in Italien nie mehr vergessen! In meiner Schule in Deutschland habe ich Italienisch und während Schüleraustauschen die italienische Kultur kennen gelernt. Mir hat dies sehr gefallen und ich wollte es gerne umdrehen. Dafür ist Joinki perfekt. Ich war für 2 Monate in Tuenno, einem kleinen Dorf mitten in den Bergen von Trentino, in einer super netten und liebenswerten Gastfamilie. Ich hatte die Möglichkeit meiner Gastfamilie die deutsche Sprache beizubringen und die deutsche Kultur in den Alltag mit einfließen zu lassen. Während meiner Zeit in Italien war ich Vormittags immer in der Schule, um bei den Deutschstunden die Lehrer zu unterstützen und die restlichen Stunden durfte ich dem Unterricht folgen, um meine Sprachfähigkeiten zu erweitern und auszubauen. Durch den direkten Kontakt mit den Schülern und der Gastfamilie hat man viele neue Redewendungen, aber auch Gewohnheiten kennen gelernt. Alle 2 Wochen haben wir (alle Tutoren zusammen) einen Ausflug gemacht, der von Joinki organisiert und begleitet wurde. Somit haben wir viele wunderschöne Orte besucht und eine tolle Zeit zusammen erlebt. Ebenso habe ich auch mit meiner Gastfamilie und auch manchmal mit den anderen Sprachtutorinnen selbstständig Ausflüge in die Natur unternommen. Es war einfach wunderschön andere Landschaften, als bei einem zu Hause, zu sehen. So haben wir zum Beispiel eine Wanderung zu einem Wasserfall oder auch auf einen 2600 Meter hohen Berg gemacht. Die Aussicht war einfach athemberaubend. Wenn man sich auf eine andere Kultur einlässt, kann man unglaublich viele neue Erfahrungen sammeln. Ich würde es immer wieder tun!

If you want to have the experience of a lifetime you should come to joinki. Six weeks ago I decided to become a member of the project, practice my skills, share my knowledge with them and get known to Italian culture. Culture, which was always in my mind and wanted not just to visit this country but live and experience the feeling of being Italian. And Joinki gave me this opportunity. I lived in a nice family and taught English to the family members. Teaching was really challenging for me as I didn’t know Italian and had to explain everything in English. But it was quite productive . Now I am more confident, I know what may be my weak points while working with foreign students and how to cope with them. My host family was very caring and cheerful. Their friends, relatives, neighbors they are all so sociable it’s impossible not to feel like the part of community. Volunteers have a great support from Joinki staff. From the very beginning they explained us everything in details, even how to use gestures while speaking with Italians :) :) They planned trips and gave opportunities to the volunteers to get together , change teaching experience and have fun. Volunteering in this amazing project was more than I expected it would be . I could use holidays and explore amazing touristic destinations , as well as discover gorgeous part of northern Italy. Bunch of thanks to Joinki for these unforgettable days <3