EDUCO: Teach English in Italy at Summer Camps

I heard about Educo through a friend who lives in Italy, and it was such an incredible experience! I plan on going again next summer! I was at a bit of a loss here in the states as to how I should spend my summer. My friend, knowing my background in both Theater and Education, informed me of this opportunity to teach Italian kids English through drama while traveling the country and experiencing authentic Italian life! Needless to say, I didn’t hesitate to apply and once I did, I knew I was in for a lifechanging experience! For orientation, they set us up in a really nice hotel, on the Adriatic Sea! I met other English speaking tutors from all over world and I made a ton of new friends and connections. During orientation, they fully stocked us with all of the information that we needed before we were off on our own. After orientation, I was ready to meet my first host family, travel Italy and teach! During my summer with Educo, I had the opportunity to work in camps from Parma in the North to Napoli and across the South of Italy. I ended my summer at a camp on Lake Garda, near Verona. During my teaching experience, I took a week off to travel Sicily as well! The camps were incredible and well stocked with supplies. Italian kids are really affectionate and warm, they make you feel welcome and they’re so excited to have a native English speaker as their teacher! The play, in English, that your students perform at the end of every camp, was the best way to end a week or a two week stay! Your students families are so excited to see them speaking English and having fun while they do it! It’s always sad to part with your camp at the end. I still have artwork and letters that my students created for me while I was their tutor! On facebook, I’m friends with every host family that I stayed with while traveling. Also, don’t worry about speaking Italian! You are given a helper with each group of students and they are fluent Italian speakers! The camp directors prefer that you only speak in English anyway! The host families that you stay with will always have a child attending the summer camp that you are working, so they usually will drop you off in the morning with their kids at the camp. Every host family that I had were so incredibly hospitable and welcoming! I stayed on a luxurious vineyard by the biggest lake in Italy! Also, be prepared to stuff yourself on authentic Italian cuisine during your stay! Italian families love to feed you and take care of you. As if this isn’t incredible enough, you are paid weekly by Educo with room and board and travel costs accommodated for! Educo staff are personable and always available for questions or concerns. I met everyone in the Educo staff during orientation, and I kept communication with them via Facebook or email for the entire summer.
I cannot recommend this program enough! It was an experience that will stay with me for forever!

The day after my convocation, I took a flight from St. John’s to Bologna to take on the greatest summer of my life. I was trained to become an English tutor in Rimini, which gave me the push that I needed to step out of my comfort zone and meet so many amazing people, with lots of admirable skills. During the orientation week, I had the opportunity to learn so many amazing songs and interactive ways to teach English in a fun but also professional way. Even though the orientation week involved a lot of training, time flew by because everyone was so engaged and eager to participate. Once we were done training, we had the opportunity to have time to explore Rimini, which was amazing because the beach was only a few walks away from the hotel. The orientation week was definitely one of the many things I loved about EDUCO, because I got to meet so many wonderful people that to this day I keep in touch with and consider them very close friends.

Once we had to leave Rimini and go to our designed locations, travelling by train and bus was such a thrill because I had the sensation of “travelling like a local” with the help of EDUCO already organizing everything before hand. The best part about this transfer is that for the most time, you had a buddy that was going to the same camp from orientation so the experience could be shared and also for those being scared of getting lost, this was a huge ice breaker to get out of your comfort zone. Aside from travelling, like a local, there was a warm and friendly Italian family ready to welcome you to their home and make sure you have one of the best meals and experiences of your life.

For those that are not professional teachers like myself and have graduated with a degree, in business, it is such a great experience because my first day of school was definitely one for the books and made me realize how much I enjoyed planning my lessons, singing songs, playing games and being able to inspire young Italian children to learn more about the global language, which is English. The camp directors and helpers were all so friendly at every different school that I had the opportunity to go to. I went to Bergamo and Varallo - Sesia, the north side of Italy, and to this day I keep in contact with my Italian host families because they have become a family to me for now and always. I honestly felt so blessed to have been able to taste local dishes prepared by my host family, get to learn a little bit of Italian and explore the local places that, as a tourist, I would of never had the chance to see.

I would definitely recommend being involved in the EDUCO family because it gives you a sense of joy, experience, adventure and friendships that will last a lifetime. Being a tutor for the summer was definitely one of the highlights and something I wish I could of done while I was in my bachelors so I could spend every summer getting to know more people and visiting new local places that Italy has to offer. Now, I only encourage everyone to apply and take advantage of the benefits that the EDUCO team provides many that are passionate on exploring Italy but at the same time contributing to society and doing something that you will be proud for days to come.

I just completed 9 weeks of summer camps all over Italy and I can confidently say this was this was the best summer of my life.
1. The Location - Italy is absolutely beautiful. The country is so diverse north to south, east to west. It's like visiting 4 countries at once. Every city has new sights to see and castles to wander through and "THE BEST" restaurants, gelaterias, pasticcerias to eat at. So when you're not working there are so many choices of where to go and what to see it's hard to know where to start.

2. The Staff- The summer starts with a week of training with the most hilarious, energetic, supportive group of mentors where you and 40 tutors get to sing and dance and play camp games all week together. Basically, you make 40 new friends within the first two days of arriving. Educo camp tutors are from all over the world. Everyone you work with is simultaneously embracing a new, exciting, abroad experience so you get to meet people from across the globe with similar adventurous, open mindsets. And the office staff are so open and warm and constantly in contact making sure you have what you need all summer long. Also, all of the material for classes is given to you in a great manual with all of the lessons and games to use throughout the summer and you're at the liberty of picking and choosing what methods are best for you and your class.

3. The Families - For every camp, you are matched with an Italian host family who has children attending the camp in that city. You get fully immersed in the culture and the language and get fed 3 homemade Italian meals EVERYDAY. You'll be introduced to all the aunts and uncles and step-cousins-through-marriage and quickly feel like part of the family and make really strong connections during the week or two weeks spent with them. Families are always offering whatever you need and open to giving you rest after the days at work or ready to take you on a new adventure.

You get paid to travel around Italy for 3 months, to sing and dance and make adorable Italian children laugh and learn in a new language for the summer while meeting world travelers and being hosted by some of the most hospitable people in the world. I would recommend this summer job a thousand times over.

During the summer of 2018 I trained to become an English tutor with Educo in Rimini and then I taught at a two week camp near Bologna in the province of Modena. The experience was truly unforgettable and has left me with so many great memories to take with me. The training week was very intense, however provided me with all the tools I needed to be a successful tutor at the camp. Tutoring at the camp was the most fulfilling experience I have ever done, the kids (all 100 of them), took to us tutors so well and the bond created between the tutors has given me many friends that I will keep in touch with. The teaching side has its difficulties but is so enjoyable, and seeing the kids all improve because of your teaching is the most rewarding outcome I have ever experienced and I can't wait to come back and do it again next year!

I worked for Educo in August 2018 teaching in a camp in Spilamberto (Near to Bologna). The two weeks I spent teaching therewere incredible, such a rewarding experience, meeting new people in the tutors and helpers which I will remain friends with. Teaching young Italians who are so charismatic and fun to be around. Living with a host family that treated me like royalty and a family I will see again on my future adventures to Italy.
It is truly an unforgettable experience and I can not wait to come back next summer and do it again, hopefully teaching in many more camps across the entire country!

I have now worked three summers with Educo English Summer Camps, every year has been an unbelivably rewarding experience.
The children that you meet and work with along the way are the highlight of the experience; Italian kids are definitely very unique, full of energy and hilarious.
The staff are really supportive, the materials are professional and the camps are amazing!
There is so much oppotunity to have fun in Italy during the summer. I couldn't reccomend this programme more.

Makes sense folks! I had the time of my life, made friends for life, worked my tail off and really felt like I made a difference to some kids across the country! And I made enough through the camps to then go explore Europe! Two for one! My advice would be to keep an open mind, and remember to listen and support your colleagues.

The staff is amazing and really look after you like family!! I love them

The way I see it, this is the opportunity of a lifetime. The experience with the kids is amazing! For better and for worse you get to spend time and possibly even inspire some children who don’t even speak your language. I learned so much about who I am and how to live in another culture. The idea of being with host families the entire time I was there intimidated me at first, but once I got in there man I loved it!! Made beautiful friends and memories with host moms and dads and brothers and sisters and a really cool nonno too 😎😎. And having anyone cook for you is a beautiful gesture (not even mentioning home made italian food). You also get to meet English speakers from EVERYWHERE! I got on a train once, and two other English tutors I didn’t know were also on the train! And we had so much fun getting to know one another and share our camp experiences and now we are all meeting up in Israel at someone’s house at the end of the summer!! You make memories, you make bonds for life.

p.s.
I am an American with family and friends scattered across Europe. With the Educo summer camps, I got to see a lot of them! Before and after camps began.

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The staff are AMAZING. Took day and night to get your experience as smooth as possible

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This isn’t like a camp you’ve done before. And none of our camps will be exactly like the one you did just before. Keep an open mind and work TOGETHER with EVERYONE.