Reviews

I really enjoyed this experience. My review is based off of a free trip less expenses such as food and transportation, as I received scholarships for this course. I do know that many students paid upwards of $7,000 on this study abroad trip, which I do find to be a bit much. Considering we were staying in $80 / night hotels with non-working lights, mediocre amenities, and bad air conditioning and bedding coupled with the scarcity of included meals, the figure should have been more around $3,000 without airfare cost. I do not understand how the cost was so high for what was received. I also found living in the dorms with random Costa Rican people to be fun, but a bit restrictive. The morning meals were literally eggs, a piece of bread, and really bad coffee. I was also staying in a really small bunk bed which was uncomfortable. Staying in an affordable hotel would have been better. Next time I recommend the school book out Ester’s Place which is closer to the tech campus and run by a lovely lady who has many rooms available in her home hotel. She also had a much better breakfast and the cost was only $65 / night per person. I stayed here my first night flying in on the 12th and wish I could have gone back but due to restrictions I was not allowed. My family of four at the time in 2019 went on an all inclusive cruise to Italy, Spain, and France for under $10,000 with included meals, drinks , stay, etc. So this trip being $7,000 + for just ONE PERSON is a bit crazy. Regardless, the activities were awesome and for me, price was not an issue as stated before. So, my review without price factored was it was amazing. Great tour guide Rodrigo was so knowledgeable and a very nice guy. He took us to authentic places and not just generic touristy places. I enjoyed seeing the stark contrast in sustainability initiatives between exotic resorts, quasi-governmental organizations, and design firms. I truly did get a wonderful experience with understanding how firms work and the metric process used to gather sustainability info, as well as how to tell if a company may be kind of BS-ing the situation with their sustainability initiatives, or holding themselves accountable. I loved the zip line tour and the coffee and cocoa bean tour. The history tours around the towns was cool, but truly was not necessary. I feel we could have just had an informational PDF sent to us instead of touring these relatively boring historical landmarks. Activities are always more fun than learning about history. I think it would have been much more effective to fly into Liberia, tour the beach and Penninsula Papagayo’s HOA office, then make our way back to San Jose and visit firms, then fly out of SJO. The amount of time driving was frustrating. Or, instead, we would just fly into SJO and tour the Caribbean side of things and skip the western side of Costa Rica altogether. This way the time could be allocated more effectively. I also wish the professors would have split us into groups so we could have gotten to know everyone. There were certain folks I never really got to have conversations with because the groups would naturally clique and we never had forced exposure to each other. Overall it was a wonderful trip and, with a few adjustments I know the next one will be awesome as well!

I volunteered for five weeks at IPBIO's Amazon program, as well as five weeks at IPBIO's Atlantic Forest program. Working with Imran and Marleen was really fun at the Amazon program, as was working with Vitor and other staff at the Atlantic forest. I especially enjoyed the bird inventory. There are also mushroom, arthropod, fish, and tree plantings/inventories, so really something for everyone!

Studying in Berlin with AIFS at FUBest was one of the best decisions I made during my college career. The program made everything so easy, from booking my flight to providing opportunities for cultural immersion to travel opportunities. I made so many incredible memories and friends throughout the duration of the program. I loved it so much that I am planning on attending grad school in Berlin! I would recommend this program to literally anyone and everyone!

This course was something I wanted to do as a hobby over summer while I waited for a winter job, and I never would have imagined myself working at a dropzone. But now that the course is over I can say I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. The instructors are amazing and are always helping out to keep you safe, the whole course feels structured and well worth the price, and of course the work isn't too bad all things considered. I would reccomend this course to anyone who is willing to give new things a go, you never know where it's gonna take you.

This program is run by Ando Rakotoarison, a tireless, friendly and incredibly accomplished scientist. Under Ando’s guidance, I discovered three new species of frogs in the coastal rainforest. I am now a published scientist and have fielded interviews with NPR, BBC, and others. That life-changing experience could not have happened without the mentorship of Ando and the deep immersion in Malagasy culture and ecosystems that this program offers. Madagascar is the most beautiful country on earth, go experience it!

My experience with the volunteer organization was incredibly positive from start to finish. The application process was very straightforward and easy to navigate, which made getting started stress-free. I felt well-supported and there was an abundance of helpful information provided about how to get settled and get by in Portugal, which made adjusting to a new environment much easier. What truly stood out to me was how hands-on the program was. I initially expected that my role would mainly involve taking care of the children, but it turned out to be so much more meaningful than that. I was given the opportunity to connect not only with the children but also with the young moms. Being able to share stories, experiences, and build genuine relationships with them was something I hadn’t anticipated, but it became one of the most rewarding parts of my time there. Overall, I absolutely loved the program. It exceeded my expectations in every way, and I’m so grateful for the experience and the connections I was able to make.

I loved every minute of travelling and exploring the city of Paris, the program was really fun and I learned quite a bit. My professor was great and the locations we went to were awesome. Go abroad! It's worth it.

Had a great trip to Italy. I met a ton of people from all over the world and we worked together educating about issues around refugees. We worked during the day and had fun at night and on the weekends. I am still in touch with many of the people I volunteered with. Thanks

As a community member I had the best time being able to travel and learn about the culture and history along our trip. Our guide was amazing and extremely knowledgeable and was able to teach us a lot along the way! The itinerary was well thought out and planned for us and the students to really get the full experience I really hope that I will have another ability to travel again with this group, it was unforgettable!

SIT Madagascar continues to be an experience that has helped shape me, and I'd do it again and again. My worldview has expanded, I feel more and more gratitude for who I am and what I have, as well as feel even more of a desire to help others. The entire SIT Madagascar program is an adventure-- from the walk to school to traveling the country, connecting with your peers and building relationships with your homestay family, and to choosing an internship or research project, and spending the last month of your program in the area of your research. Every ounce of this program is laced with opportunity, such as to expand yourself and your understanding of the world, to realize how much more there is to learn about the world, to create lasting connections, and to build mutual understanding. I am a better person for having experienced and complete this program, and so if you enjoy traveling and being outdoors, I encourage you to do this too. Additionally, I completed this program with Cohen Manges, who wrote his review below, and I agree with each of his words. Experienced-based learning is challenging to put into words, but trust us when we say that SIT Madagascar has been a fantastic experience.