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We believe education is at the core of our society, and teachers with broader global perspectives offer more enriching experiences to those under their guidance in the classroom. Founded in 2007, Global Exploration for Educators Organization (GEEO) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that has sent over 4,500 teachers around the world on adventurous and educational travel programs. GEEO’s programs range from 5 to 25 days in duration and are designed and discounted to be interesting and affordable for educators. Our programs are open to pre-K, K-12, and college-level educators, administrators, retired educators, and non-educator guests of all nationalities. Learn more about why teachers love to travel with GEEO .

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How Teachers Can Travel For Free: Crowdfunding Your GEEO Program

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Travel Tips for Teachers, Students, and professionals

Budget Tips , Uncategorized · May 31, 2020

37 Teacher Travel Grants: Free Travel Opportunities for Teachers

Did you know that there are numerous fellowship and grant programs that allow teachers to travel for FREE? Keep reading to learn more!

One of my favorite parts of being a teacher is the schedule. With two months off in the summer, and several weeks off during the school year, the possibilities for travel are endless. Over the past few years I have done a variety of trips that have not only been fun and relaxing, but have also provided me with a wealth of knowledge that has improved my teaching practice. I have studied flamenco guitar in Spain, practiced baroque flute in Nova Scotia, and have attended music education conferences across the United States. However, traveling can be expensive, especially when you are working with a limited teacher budget.

Luckily, there are a variety of government organizations, private companies and non-profit international organizations who sponsor travel grants specifically for teachers. These grants are perfect for teachers who want to broaden their horizons and improve their teaching practice abroad. These programs all differ in requirements and details, but in general, they are highly competitive and involve some type of research or teaching while abroad.

Below is a list of 37 different grant and fellowship programs that allow free (or almost free) travel opportunities for teachers.

Updated 1/5/24

• Who can apply?: K-12 teachers in the United States
• Application deadline: February 19th, 2024
• Program length: Yearlong professional development, 2-3 weeks of travel
• Destination options: Brazil, Canada, Columbia, France, Germany, Ghana, India, Finland, Indonesia, Morocco, Peru, Philippines, Senegal, Uruguay
• Application deadline: TBD
• Program length: 2-6 weeks
• Destination options: Argentina, Cambodia, Colombia, Honduras, India, Israel, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal, Palestinian Territories, Peru, The Philippines, Spain, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Zambia
• Who can apply? K-12 teachers in the United States
• Program length: 3 to 6 months
• Destination options: Brazil, Colombia, Finland, Greece, India, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Singapore, Taiwan, United Kingdom, Vietnam
• Program requirements: Bachelor’s degree
• Application deadline: Likely October 2024
• Program length: 6-12 months
• Destination options: Varies, see a full list here
• Program requirements: Non-U.S. college graduate or young teachers
• Application deadline: Varies by country
• Destination options: Varies, see map here
• Who can apply?: K-12 and postsecondary educators
• Application deadline: January 4th, 2024
• Program length: 4 weeks
• Destination options: TBD- varies each year
• Who can apply?: Teachers, students, and faculty engaged in a common endeavor relating to humanities, social sciences and languages
• Application deadline: March 27th, 2023
• Program length: Varies
• Destination options: Africa, East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific, the Western Hemisphere (Central and South America, Mexico, and the Caribbean), East Central Europe and Eurasia, and the Near East
• strengthen teaching and learning in schools and colleges
• facilitate research and original scholarship
• provide opportunities for lifelong learning
• preserve and provide access to cultural and educational resources
• Who can apply?: varies
• Application deadline: varies depending on the program. Check here for upcoming program deadlines.
• Program length: varies
• Destination options: varies
• Who can apply?: K-12 classroom teachers
• Application deadline: January 12th, 2024
• Program length: 7-12 days
• Destination options: Varies
• Who can apply?: Varies by program
• Application deadline: Varies by program
• Program length: Varies by program
• Destination options: Varies by program
• Who can apply?: PreK-12 teachers
• Application deadline: January 18th, 2024
• Program length: Varies- programs are self-designed
• Destination options: Flexible
• Who can apply?: PreK-12 educators
• Application deadline: January 7th, 2024
• Program length: 1-2 weeks
• Who can apply?: Pre-K-12 and college level educators
• Application deadline: Likely November 2024
• Program length: 2-4 weeks
• Destination options: At sea- varies
• Who can apply?: Full time social studies and/or STEM educators from the U.S. and Canada
• Application deadline: February 11th, 2024
• Program length: 2 weeks
• Destination options: Germany
• Who can apply?: K-12 educators in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
• Application deadline: November 16th, 2023
• Program length: 11 months
• Destination options: Washington, DC
• Who can apply?: Current NEA members who are U.S. teachers, counselors, or education support professionals
• Application deadline: February 1st, 2024
• Who can apply?: Middle and high school social studies teachers
• Application deadline: March 1st, 2024
• Program length: 10 days
• Destination options: Japan
• Who can apply?: Classroom teachers
• Application deadline: Varies based on your home state- check website above
• Program length: 1-6 weeks
• Destination options: UK
• Who can apply?: Primary and secondary school teachers
• Application deadline: Rolling
• Who can apply?: U.S. educators
• Application deadline: TBD- currently virtual due to Covid
• Program length: One week
• Destination options: Kingdom of Bahrain
• Who can apply?: K-12 educators
• Application deadline: Varies by program, rolling admissions
• Destination options: Gettysburg College, George Washington University, Princeton University
• Who can apply?: Students, teachers, administrators, artists
• Who can apply?: Public school teachers
• Program length: Varies- you create your own program
• Who can apply?: Licensed k-12 teachers employed in public or private schools
• Application deadline: January 15th-April 15th, 2024
• Who can apply?: Educators
• Application deadline: Summer 2024 information coming soon
• Program length: 4-8 weeks
• Destination options: Various locations across the United States
• Destination options: Online, U.S., and East Asia
• Who can apply?: Educators grades 3-12
• Application deadline: Late winter/early Spring- check website above for more information
• Program length: 3-5 days
• Destination options: Colonial Williamsburg
• Who can apply?: K-12 educators and college faculty
• Application deadline: January 16th, 2024
• Program length: One week in June
• Destination options: Brussels
• Who can apply?: “Anyone who is  currently  educating American students in a formal school environment.”
• Application deadline: January 15th, 2024
• Program length: 4-5 days
• Destination options: Mount Vernon (North of Washington, DC)
• Who can apply?: Social studies and science teachers
• Application deadline: TBD, likely May 2024
• Destination options: TBD
• Who can apply?: K-12 STEM teachers in the U.S.
• Application deadline: TBD, awaiting program information for 2024
• Program length: Yearlong engagement and planning with a stipend for PD/education conferences (registration fees, lodging, and travel)
• Who can apply?: Classroom teachers, informal science educators, artists, videographers, writers, social media experts and anyone who can make a good case for themselves.
• Application deadline: January 13th, 2023
• Program length: Two months, 12/10/23-2/2/24 or 2/9/24-4/8/24
• Who can apply?: Any high school teacher or counselor currently employed at a public or private high school in the United States or internationally.
• Application deadline: March 14th, 2024
• Program length: Varies- you can use this grant towards an educational conference of your choice.
• Destination options: Varies- you can use this grant towards an educational conference of your choice.
• Who can apply?: Any pre-service or current K-12 teachers from the United States
• Program length: Five days
• Destination options: Washington, D.C.
• Who can apply?: Middle and high school educators
• Application deadline: No deadline posted, applications opened in January
• Program length: One Week
• Destination options: Annapolis, MD
• Destination options: varies- check their website
• Who can apply?: Middle school STEM teachers
• Application deadline: Head to their website (linked above) to be notified when applications open
• Program length: One weekend

Do any of these programs sound exciting to you? Leave a comment below!

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9 Grants and Travel Opportunities for Teachers

July 12, 2023 · Countries and Regions , Teaching Tips

Teachers shape young minds and inspire the next generation. Therefore, it is important to maintain an up-to-date view of the world. One of the most impactful ways to broaden your horizons and develop as a teacher is through travel. There are several exclusively available grants and travel opportunities for teachers. These experiences allow teachers to explore new cultures and bring fresh experiences back to the classroom. Here are 9 incredible travel opportunities and grants just for teachers. 

9 Exclusive Travel Opportunities for Teachers

Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Program (Fulbright TGC)   is a program funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. It offers a professional learning opportunity for K-12 teachers from the United States to participate in a program aimed at globalizing teaching and learning in their classrooms. In this year-long program, teachers complete an online course and a short international exchange in one of the following countries: Brazil, Colombia, France, Germany, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Morocco, Peru, Philippines, Senegal, or South Korea. TGC is designed to provide professional development opportunities for U.S. teachers, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to prepare students for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century . The application deadline is in mid-March. 

You may also wish to explore the following Fulbright Awards for teachers: 

• Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Program for International Teachers (Fulbright DAI)
• Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Research Program
• Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Short-Term Program for U.S. Teachers

The Instituto Cervantes  was founded in 1991 by the Spanish government to teach and promote the language and culture of Spain as well as the co-official languages of Spain and Spanish-speaking countries. The Instituto Cervantes offers a comprehensive teacher training program designed to cater to the needs of teachers of Spanish as a second/foreign language in different stages of their careers.

The Fund for Teachers is a nonprofit organization that provides grants for self-designed professional development experiences. Educators create their own travel itineraries, focusing on areas of interest that directly impact their teaching practice. This grant empowers teachers to explore the world, attend conferences, engage in workshops, or even embark on self-guided research projects to deepen their expertise and bring newfound knowledge back to their classrooms. Applications open October 1st. 

Earthwatch Institute offers Teacher Fellowship programs that allow educators to participate in scientific research expeditions around the world. Work alongside scientists to gain valuable field experience, develop new teaching methodologies, and bring real-world applications of scientific concepts back to your students. Fellowships support projects on a variety of topics ranging from biodiversity and conservation to climate change and archaeology. The Teach Earth fellowship is for K-12 teachers of any discipline. The Project Kindle fellowship is for high school science teachers interested in leading a student group expedition in the next two years. 

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) offers tuition-free opportunities for K-12 educators to study a variety of humanities topics. Stipends of $1300-$3450 for residential programs and $650-$1725 for virtual programs help cover expenses for these one- to four-week programs. Applications are due in March. 

The Grosvenor Teacher Fellow Program , in partnership with National Geographic, is a fellowship that allows educators to embark on expeditions aboard the National Geographic Explorer or the National Geographic Endeavour II. By working side by side with scientists and photographers, teachers gain firsthand knowledge to enhance their teaching, with a focus on geographic education, conservation, and cultural understanding. The fellowship is for current pre-K–12 classroom teachers and informal educators from the 50 U.S. states, Canada, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Department of Defense Activity schools.

Travel opportunities and grants for teachers offer transformative experiences that can invigorate your teaching practices. Whether you are looking to for funding for research projects, field expeditions, cultural exchanges, or professional development, these opportunities will help you bring the world into your classrooms and empower your students to become global citizens . By taking advantage of these incredible opportunities, you can foster curiosity, understanding, and empathy among your students, ultimately preparing them for a diverse and interconnected world.

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The Best Options for Traveling and Teaching

As a  traveling teacher  for the past three years, I’ve kind of done it all. I have experience in several different teaching scenarios and think that teaching is a job that allows you so much freedom to travel the world. It’s truly incredible! In this post, I’ll outline the best options for traveling and teaching.

Some background about me… I taught in a traditional classroom in the US for eight years. During that time, I was able to spend my  summers teaching , traveling, and exploring. I  quit my full-time teaching job  and started to  teach online instead,  learning about a whole new world of teaching and traveling.

Some background about me… I taught in a traditional classroom in the US for eight years. During that time, I was able to spend my summers teaching, traveling, and exploring. I quit my full-time teaching job and started to teach online instead, learning about a whole new world of teaching and traveling.

Note: If you are wanting to travel and teach, your first step is certification. Whether you want to teach full-time or part-time, certification is going to be necessary in some form . I went to college for education and have been lucky to be qualified for all the below options. I’ll outline the certification needed for each option.

1. Teach full time, travel on holidays

Certification needed: full teaching license, state testing varies, degree required

This is a model I followed for several years and am so glad I did. It’s easy to use school breaks for travel. While you work, you’ll have weeks off at a time throughout the year. This means you have ample time to go on trips during the summer, spring break, and winter break.

There are so many options for travel discounts for classroom teachers. There are discounts on things like hotels, car rentals, flights, full vacations, activities, and just general tips for saving on travel that make it possible on a teachers salary. I created a whole series on travel discounts for teachers on my TikTok. Find all videos below:

• Vacation package discounts
• Flights, cars, hotels
• Travel memberships for teachers with discounts
• Hotels with government rates for teachers

2. Teach full-time in internationally

Certification needed: education degree or sometimes TEFL/TESOL certification, Bachelor’s degree required

There’s a lot of different ways to do this. If you area already a certified teacher, you will be able to qualify for a variety of positions. You can teach at international schools as well as in tutoring centers and the like full time. All of these positions go together because they are full time in the sense that they last longer than a few months. They are not temporary positions, instead you have a classroom and continually teach the same students throughout the year.

Alright to start…

T eaching  E nglish as a  F oreign  L anguage refers to teaching English language in countries where English is not the native language. A Mexican student learning English in Mexico, for example, is learning English as a foreign language.

T eaching  E nglish to  S peakers of  O ther  L anguages is an all-encompassing term that covers TEFL and is commonly used by membership organizations like TESOL International and by universities to refer to graduate degree programs in English language teaching, such as the MA TESOL.

You can also go in person to the country you would like to teach in and take a TESOL course there with guaranteed placement at the end. There are many countries where you have the option to teach and programs will vary greatly depending on the country you want to teach in. One thing is for sure, you will need a bachelor’s degree if you want a full time position and you will want to at least get an online TESOL course certification or you can go straight to getting TEFL Certified . From there, you can begin to speak with recruiters and make your choice.

Some full time teaching options include:

• Teaching at an international school (example of a position at an international school in Russia and Ukraine here)
• Teaching English classes (example here about teaching in South Korea )
• Teaching in after school programs (example here  about teaching in Beijing, Shanghai , and China )
• Teaching at a government school (example of Teaching in Thailand and Japan here)

3. Teach online

Certification needed: TESOL certification , Bachelor’s degree required (except PalFish, but it pays 1/2 what others do)

Teaching online is one way that you can see the world while continuing to work and make a decent amount of money. There are a lot of things to consider if you are wanting to teach

online, but know that this job offers a lot of flexibility and a certain amount of stability, depending on the company you choose . It’s a great way to explore while living abroad .

I’ve been working for two different companies, VIPKid and QKids, they both have pros and cons. Online learning is huge right now and it’s easy to transition to this while traveling.

Here are some things to consider:

• you don’t need teaching experience to start teaching online
• you will need a strong WiFi connection
• you will need props and materials for many of the programs
• some online platforms require a minimum of hours
• you will be an independent contractor and could be let go at any time
• see my list of companies hiring right now here

4. Teacher Travel Opps – Travel for Free with a Program!

There are many different programs that offer teacher exchanges, especially during the summer. I spent a summer teaching in China as well as in Zambia helping teachers in their classrooms.

The best way to find these programs is by looking into fellowships, non-profits, and the like for programs that fit your schedule. Some last a month, others just a week. These are a great way to spend some time traveling and helping other teachers around the world as well as developing your own practice.

Programs to Consider:

• Destino Idiomas

Full list of teacher travel opps can be found in my subscriber resources where I list  over 200 teacher travel opps .

My video series on Travel Opps for Teachers:

My experience teaching in Zambia and China

5. Teach Privately

Certification: set by family or tutoring center

Many parents, small towns, and private tutoring companies are looking for strong English speakers to teach students privately. They do not always require a degree or anything beyond being a native English speaker, but having experience with kids will give you a leg up. The easiest way to find these positions is to look online at places such as AuPair World .

Here’s a story of a private tutor below:

Teaching in Russia

6. Volunteer as a teacher

Certification: high school diploma or higher

I do not recommend this for various reasons, but I wanted to place it on the list because it is important to know what is out there. Typically, programs work like this: You pay a contribution to the volunteer agency and a small admin fee. You book your own flight, but the project itself is usually free, along with basic accommodation and two meals per day. Always question your intentions before and after your trip.

Really check your intentions before this one, especially if you have never taught before. Do you really want to help and be a part of something that could change the world? Or are intentions selfish, to travel and to see and experience a place at the same time? Always be honest with yourself about your intentions. That’s important.

Here’s a story about teaching and volunteering:

Teaching in Cambodia

7. Travel with your students

Certifications: This one assumes you are already teaching with students in another scenario above full time.

If you are looking for a cool way to explore and bring experiences to your students, consider organizing a group trip. There are several different organizations that offer this service and the best part? If enough kids sign up, chaperones get to go for free! Pretty cool huh?

8. Go on vacations just for teachers

Certifications: None

Did you know that there are vacations out there designed just for teachers? Yep, there are so many out there that you can find for affordable rates and fun over the summer, spring break, and winter break! I’m actually helping host one alongside two of my traveling teacher friends a vacation for teachers through GEEO .

Some other companies to consider besides GEEO are Teachers on a Trip, Traveling Teachers LLC, Book Bag Trips, and Classroom without Borders.

No matter the option you choose, you’ll have an incredible experience traveling and teaching

Related posts

Summer Abroad for Teachers: Ways to Spend Summer Traveling as a Teacher

Summer Jobs Abroad for Teachers: CIEE Program Leader, Traveling Teacher Series

Teacher Travel Groups and Opportunities

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Welcome to Teaching Traveling!

Be part of our global education community.

My name is Lillie Marshall , and I am a National Board Certified teacher who created this site in 2010 to help people bring global perspectives into classrooms and homes through the power of great curriculum resources and educational travel tips. Over 1.6 MILLION people have visited TeachingTraveling.com in the past decade, and I thank you for joining us.

This site is a combination of educational resources that I created (such as these 23 articles for racial equity in global education) and interviews with other experts about pedagogy, travel scholarships and grants , educator self-care, creativity, and destinations. Use the header menu and search bar at the top of the page to track down the most useful articles for YOU on Teaching Traveling!

Stay Connected to Teaching Traveling

I warmly invite you to   subscribe to my monthly newsletter which is a digest of the most useful articles of the previous four weeks. You can also connect with our community on social media via Facebook , on Twitter , Instagram , Pinterest , and YouTube , and LinkedIn .

To reach me directly , please use this contact form , however please note that I do not run any programs or scholarships, myself. Rather, I am a teacher who curates and shares resources related to global education from experts in the field.

If you’d like to explore my other three sites , I also run Around the World “L” Travel and Life Blog, Drawings Of… educational cartoon site, and Reiki Colors , a blog about energy work. I look forward to being in touch as we explore our world, and expand minds and hearts!

A Full History of Teaching Traveling

Here is the story of this site, and where YOU fit in. I started teaching in Boston in 2003, fresh out of college. After 5 years as a high school English teacher, I was exhausted and frustrated. To continue in education, I knew I needed to step back and get perspective on what learning really is.

For this quest, I spent 2009-10 traveling around the world: teaching in Ghana, writing in Thailand, and exploring architecture in Spain. In 2009, I started Around the World “L” Travel Blog to chronicle this world learning.

At the end of the year’s journey, I was energized and excited to teach in Boston again, and have been teaching happily here ever since… with travels every vacation possible, of course!

Clearly, teaching and travel go hand in hand. It was upon returning home in 2010 that I launched TeachingTraveling.com , with the mission of exploring the infinite ways to explore Global Education. The aim of this site is to inspire and assist more teachers to travel, and more travelers to teach by sharing real-life stories of Teacher-Travelers… in EVERY sense of the term.

How does this site work?  Simply use the menus and search boxes to find interviews that resonate with YOU, and with how you dream of combining teaching and traveling. Read for ideas, leads, and advice, and if you want further information, feel free to reach out to any interviewee with questions, either through the comments section of the article, or directly by email or social media, if that information is provided.

Over the almost-decade that I’ve run this site, it’s been thrilling to see the way this community helps each other, and the opportunities people have found and done! To be clear, this site is about you. I don’t have all the answers, but this community — you included — DOES know it all, so go forth and connect for inspiration!

Now, here are answers to your frequently asked questions.

Q: Who are TeachingTraveling.com ‘s readers? Is this site for ME?

A: This site is for anyone who fits (or wants to fit) the title “Teacher-Traveler” in ANY sense of the word you can imagine.

Are you a middle school teacher in Detroit who wants to spend a week in Mexico sightseeing, because you know it will help you re-boot and get perspective? Perfect! Are you a ‘Round the World traveler who wants to learn how to get an ESL job? Excellent.  Are you a parent who wants recommendations for Global Education children’s books? Fabulous! Have you dedicated your entire life to teaching and travel already? Great! Join us!

At the end of the day, however, aren’t we ALL Teacher-Travelers in some way? This community also includes, for example, a man who draws fictional maps on human skin, because that teaches us a new way to look at our world.

It also includes students who travel , a woman who teaches clowning in Afghanistan , a Scuba diving instructor , a man who never travels outside his own city but is able to experience the world by teaching ESL at home, and a retired road-tripping couple .

Do not worry for a moment that you “don’t belong here” just because you don’t fit a cookie-cutter image of what “Teacher” or “Traveler” means. You ARE a “Teacher-Traveler” if you feel it in your heart! :)

The point of TeachingTraveling.com is to celebrate that teaching is great, traveling is great, and we benefit by doing more of both. This site aims to inspire more teachers to travel, and more travelers to teach, and to provide educators and parents with Global Education curriculum and resources.

Q: Cool! How do I stay connected to this community?

A:  Do   subscribe to my monthly Teaching Traveling e-Newsletter (it’s free!) which delivers a round-up of the best travel and education ideas and opportunities right to your inbox, with no spammy spam.

You can also join the Teaching Traveling Facebook page , and follow me at @WorldLillie on Twitter , Instagram , Pinterest , and more!

Q: I notice that much of this site consists of interviews with Teacher-Travelers. Why, and who do you seek to interview?

A: Hearing how others made their teaching-traveling dream come true is an awesome way to learn how to do it yourself, either through concrete resources, or via general revelations.

This site is always seeking Teacher-Travelers (in, I am not kidding, ANY sense of the word) to interview, so please spread the word, and feel free to reach out to me on social media at @WorldLillie or by email at TeachingTraveling at gmail.

Even if you are a teacher who took a “non-educational” 2-day camping trip in the next state over which developed you as a person and a teacher, your story will inspire others to teach and travel, so do contact me.

Q: Do you endorse all the programs and paths described in the interviews?

A: The purpose of this site is to share stories about diverse travel experiences by people who love teaching and traveling. I have not personally tested every program and teaching-traveling path mentioned on this site, and therefore cannot vouch for or guarantee each.

What this means is that if you are interested in a program or opportunity mentioned, I invite you to contact the interview’s author to research more deeply. Always use good judgement and thorough preparation with regards to travel to strive for the best experience possible.

Q: Is “Teaching Traveling” an organization? Do you run trips or programs I can join? Do you offer any jobs?

A:  Nope! This site is just a place for Teacher-Travelers to share ideas about ways to combine education and the world. Many interviews do have links to travel programs, grants, and job placement agencies that you CAN join, however — I just don’t run any of them, myself!

Q: How is this site funded?

A: Most people don’t realize that it’s quite expensive to run a website with the volume of Teaching Traveling, which has hundreds of articles (with more coming each week), and which receives tens of thousands of readers each month. To address these site expenses, I’ve launched several monetization elements that I aim to make as minimal as possible for your reading experience, while still covering costs.

First, I use a display ad network which pays by views, meaning that all you have to do to support this site is to read as you normally would! These display ads cover the majority of the site’s costs, but not all. (If you don’t see the ads I’m talking about, your school’s network may be disabling them, which is totally fine.)

Second, some articles include affiliate links where appropriate, and (as per FCC guidelines) these links are always clearly marked. What does that mean? Say you’re reading an article here about a Global Education author . The link to their book on Amazon will be marked as an affiliate link, which means that if you buy the book (or anything else) through that link, a small commission will go to Teaching Traveling, at no extra cost to you.

Absolutely no pressure to buy, but if you were going to do so anyway, the affiliate link is a nice way to keep the Teaching Traveling community going. For more information, feel free to review my Disclosure Statement and Privacy Policy . In sum, monetization on this site is for the purpose of covering costs, and I appreciate your understanding and support.

Q: Do you offer advertising opportunities?

A:  Indeed I do, but they must fit the integrity and mission of this site fully. Check out my Teaching Traveling Media Kit here  for more information, numbers, and contact information.

Q: Are you available for speaking engagements or workshops, Lillie?

A:  Sure — I love speaking engagements! Only thing is, any bookings have to fit amid my schedule as a public school teacher. Feel free to reach out to discuss, however: Lillie at TeachingTraveling dot com. I can present about a wide variety of topics, from an overview of teacher travel and Global Education resources, to blogging, to social media use.

Q: What is your Copyright policy? Can I steal your articles?

A:  Yargh — please respect the work and laws. It is a violation of my TeachingTraveling.com Copyright to re-post any articles from this site in their entirety on another site. The same goes for the TeachingTraveling.com RSS feed.

You may, however, use a short excerpt (two paragraphs or less) from articles on this site with a link back to the original article and an introduction giving the context. Please respect the hard work that goes into this site and do not plagiarize, or I will file a DMCA takedown order. Thank you!

Q: How can I connect with or contact you?

A: Use this contact form , find me on social media at @WorldLillie, or email me at TeachingTraveling at gmail. I love to hear from you, so be in touch.

I’m so glad you found TeachingTraveling.com and invite you to use the upper navigation to dive right in!

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Patti brown

Tuesday 23rd of August 2022

Please follow-through so I can receive emails. I want to go on a short-term mission trip to provide and share my educational knowledge and experiences. I have been accepted to Argentina, and I need help with finances to make this trip possible.

Lillie Marshall

Wednesday 24th of August 2022

Hi Patti, Congratulations on your Argentina position! Unfortunately I don't have any leads on specific grants for that, but send you the best of luck.

Wednesday 24th of June 2020

Besides what looks like a lot of fun - your effort to get an international perspective will positively impact your students!

A well wisher from Boston.

Thank you, mysterious anonymous well-wisher! That's the plan!

Thursday 23rd of November 2017

I want to spend the summer speaking English either in Italy or Spain. I speak both Italian and Spanish fluently and are a NY state certified teacher. How do I go about finding a situation to teach in a home or school?

Friday 24th of November 2017

Great question! The short answer is there are too many options to list here, and that's why this site exists! Use the search tool at the top to search for keywords like Spain or Summer and see what you find. Best of luck! You have valuable skills that are in high demand.

Thursday 24th of August 2017

Hi Lillie I am interested in teaching abroad for short duration (3-4 days) Currently working as a teacher educator in India Please guide and provide information

Saturday 26th of August 2017

Hi Madhuri, Thanks for your comment! I'm sure there are some great opportunities out there for you, but I can't identify specific ones at this point, as most of the interviews on this site are by Teacher-Travelers from the U.S. or Europe. You're making me realize I need to expand who I'm interviewing so we can learn of opportunities for everyone!

Saturday 5th of August 2017

I am a English Foreign Teacher now an Online Language Consultant working from Cape Town...As a non degree holder any ideas of work abroad but not in Asian countries? Please advise

Thursday 10th of August 2017

Hi Shaway, Exciting! Use the "Locations" tab on the menu to search for interviews about other regions of the world that aren't Asia, or use the search box to type in specific places or keywords. Best of luck!

89,567 + dreams turned into reality

Trip overview

Qualification, trip details.

• Trip location

Accommodation

Trip itinerary, why choose us, how it works, teach english in japan (online tesol).

52 others looking at this too. Next opening is Jul 2024 , with limited spots.

Japan is a cultural powerhouse. From the dynasties of the 3rd century CE to modern life resembling a sci-fi movie – this is an island of the unexpected. 

To experience the whole of Japan – one needs a lifetime. Or , you can get your TESOL certification in Japan and become an English teacher in the Land Of The Rising Sun – and explore your new home to your heart’s content. 

When you book with Global, you get: 

• Guaranteed Job Match. Once you’ve passed your TESOL course, our team will arrange interviews to help you land your dream job. 95% of Global Travellers are placed in teaching positions within a fortnight of passing their TESOL. 
• TESOL Course. Your online, 120-hour (4 weeks), internationally recognised TESOL course is included in this trip. Learn from our experienced TESOL trainers including 1 on 1 feedback sessions.  
• Local Activities & Experiences. Once you arrive in Japan, get the lay of the land and experience the highlights of your new home with a range of cultural activities and experiences. These may include a Japanese cooking class, a walking tour of Nagoya, and a visit to an ancient Japanese Castle and temple. 
• Cultural Foundations Course. Know before you go with our cultural foundations course. Learn the language basics, cultural norms, and fascinating history of Japan.

Can you imagine your life in Japan? You’re surrounded by the eclectic mix of old and new that’s so prevalent in Japan.

The ancient shrines and temples tell the tantalising tale of Japan’s history – with the oldest ruins being 12,000 – 15,000 years old.

In the modern world – Japan birthed manga/anime, high-speed bullet trains, and a fashion scene found nowhere else on Earth.

Let’s not forget the interesting culture, delicious cuisine, incredible natural landscapes (with ski slopes galore), friendly and polite people….

But this isn’t just a trip to Japan. It’s an opportunity for you to get a professional certification that gives you a meaningful occupation. With a local income that will help you fund your travels and live comfortably. 

When you book with Global, you book with the best. You get the full experience for a fraction of the hassle

Our team will help you with the essentials you need to start your new journey with a bang! Including helping you find accommodation, visa assistance, a range of exciting cultural activities, and so much more.

Tap to show less

Certified TESOL course

On completion of your TESOL course, our team will arrange interviews with institutions across the country for you to secure a paid teaching placement. There’s a huge demand for English teachers in Japan and you could earn between $1575-$2000 USD per month, so you can fund your travels further. Or, take your new certification to a new country instead.

Dedicated Trip Coordinator

Pre-departure guide, trip visa guidance, personal travel concierge, arrival guidance.

Your Trip Coordinator will pinpoint the perfect airport for you to arrive in to start your adventure. Depending on where you're going, once you’ve landed you'll either get picked up by a representative from the school, instructions for taking the train easily, or an airport transfer, all subject to the school's location.

Cultural foundation course

Local cultural experiences, interview preparation, permanent accommodation support, certificate of completion, ongoing local team support, global emergency line.

Feel confident knowing we have a worldwide emergency team on standby, 24 hours a day, Monday to Friday. 

gWorld access

Travel alone but never lonely with Social! An exclusive social network inside our gWorld app to talk, share & meet-up with other Global Travellers in your region, with a dedicated Community Manager.

Global Academy

Gain access to an ever-growing range of skills & languages to learn before & whilst you travel.

Marketplace deals

$250 off your next trip.

Tap to expand

Just in case it’s not clear already, we’re not an employment or recruitment agency. Read more

To qualify for this trip you must meet the following requirements:

• Be between 21 - 40 years of age
• Be a citizen of an eligible country
• Have no criminal convictions in the past 5 years

Ask a question

Chat with us online now, or we can call you back for free, 24 hours Mon-Fri.

Our Teach English trips are designed to get you set up in your new life overseas as smoothly as possible. Our goal is to save you time, money, and stress while eliminating the risk of returning home early. Here’s how we do it: 

We’re on your side from the moment you get started. 

You’ll be assigned a Dedicated Trip Coordinator. They’ll guide you through the next steps and answer all your questions. They’ll also help you with pesky visas. No guesswork – only the right paperwork in your hands before you leave. 

Your Personal Travel Concierge will help with flights, insurance, and any add-ons you’d like for your trip. These are real humans too – no robots here. 

Japan has a unique culture that’s different from what most foreigners are used to. We want this transition to be as smooth as possible for you. 

Which is why you’re required to take a 40-hour, online Japanese culture course before you arrive in Japan. This course is designed to help you adapt to Japanese life easily. There are a number of modules to make sure you know everything you need to know before you arrive. There are lectures, quizzes, and interactions with other travellers planning to teach English in Japan.

Next, you’ll do your 120-hour TESOL certification online. While you’re at it, our in-country partners will start preparing you for your job search and start getting all your documents sorted out. 

Our goal is to get you a job offer before you finish your course or shortly thereafter. So you know which school you’re going to, where in Japan it is, and exactly what to expect once you’re there. 

You’ll fly into the nearest airport to your placement. Your school will tell you the best way to get to your accommodation using public transport. 

If your teaching position doesn’t provide accommodation, our local team will work with you until you have a comfortable home you’re happy with – complete with the modern technology that’s standard with Japanese living. 

Rent is around 350 - 650 USD a month, excluding water and electricity. Accommodation is often single occupancy in a studio apartment. You might find a private room in a larger shared house with shared utilities. You’ll be asked to pay a 1 – 2 month deposit at the time of moving in. 

To help you get a feel for your new home, this trip includes the following activities (weather dependent): a Japanese cooking class to impress your friends back home, walking tour of Nagoya, a visit to an ancient Japanese castle, or a trip to Tokugawa Art Museum. 

These activities happen over weekends in Nagoya. So you can join in on the weekend closest to your arrival. 

Our support doesn’t end there. We’ll be in touch during your trip to make sure everything is going smoothly. If you have any questions or concerns we’re one quick message, DM, email, or carrier pigeon away. 

Our team is well travelled so you can rely on our experience.

We’re with you every step of the way.

Requirements 

To qualify for this trip you must have a Bachelor’s Degree in any field. You also must be a native English speaker and have a valid passport from a native-English speaking country. You must bring a laptop to help with your classroom duties.

What extra costs will I have? 

Flights, travel insurance, criminal background check, souvenirs, and spending money.

If accommodation isn’t included in your teaching placement, our team will help you find a comfortable home you’re happy with close to your teaching placement.

The beauty of this trip is that you have the freedom to create your own adventure. But, for a rough idea, this is what most travellers journey looks like:

Before departure

Complete your 120-hour online TESOL certification from anywhere with an internet connection. 

You’ll also need to complete the 40-hour online cultural foundations course before you leave. 

Our in-country partners will then start sending out your resume and getting you ready for job interviews. Once you’ve secured a job, it’s all-systems-go getting your visa and other documentation sorted.

We’re with you from the moment you get started. You’ll be assigned a dedicated Trip Coordinator. They’ll guide you through the next steps and answer all your questions. They’ll also help you with the pesky visa. No guesswork – only the right paperwork, approved the first time, in your hands before you leave. 

Your Personal Travel Concierge will help with flights, insurance, visas, and any add-ons you’d like for your trip. These are real humans too – no robots here. 

Before you land in Japan you’ll be given detailed instructions on how to get to your accommodation using public transport. 

Nagoya is where you’ll enjoy a wide range of local activities and excursions included in your trip along with your new teacher friends. 

More often than not, people are offered a paid teaching position before they even finish their course. In the rare cases this doesn’t happen – as long as you graduated from your TESOL –  our local partners won’t stop until you have a paid teaching position confirmed. 

But our support doesn’t end there. We’ll be in touch during your trip to make sure everything is going smoothly. If you have any questions or concerns we’re one quick message, DM, email, or carrier pigeon away. 

Our team is well travelled so you can rely on our experience. We’re with you every step of the way. 

Join 80,000+ travellers – giving us 10,000+ 4 & 5 star reviews – by choosing Global to make your travel dreams come true. 

Most travellers book their trip 6-12 months in advance. Dates are flexible, but spaces are limited. So if you’re serious about teaching in Japan, don’t delay. 

With our Book Now, Decide Later feature, you can get started with a small deposit today, and take a full year to choose your dates. 

We’ll take over from there, helping you with visas, flights, accommodation, and setting you up with our partner in Japan. 

This is the trip for you if you’re after the ultimate teaching experience in Japan, complete with everything you need and 24/7 support.

Click the red button to check dates & prices.

The main purpose of this trip is to get your TESOL qualification so you can teach English as a foreign language anywhere in the world . 

You’ll do your 4-week TESOL course online before you even set foot in Japan. 

As tourism grows and globalisation makes the world smaller, English continues to be the ‘global language’ for mutual communication. 

Which means that people who live in non-English speaking countries could open up a world of opportunities for themselves and their communities by learning to speak English – even in modern and advanced countries like Japan. 

Japan takes education seriously. The strive for excellence is part of the culture in Japan, and this translates into their education system as well. 

Which means this is the perfect trip for someone who wants to follow a career in education, but wants to travel the world while they’re doing it. A stint as an English teacher in Japan will look great on your resume and set you up for success for a future in education.

New on the 'gram

Frequently asked questions.

As the world’s leading gap-year and "work & travel" company, we pride ourselves on providing a premium service for Global Travellers. Choose from a variety of awesome experiences worldwide, and let us assist you with visas, pre-departure preparations, flights, insurance, and tours. Throughout your journey, our cool tech features will support you every step of the way. As a Global Traveller, gain access to gWorld, our personalised app designed to enhance your travel experience. Keep important documents and trip details handy, and take advantage of exclusive Marketplace deals, a vibrant social network, language learning resources, side trips, meet-ups, and more. It's like having all your favorite travel apps merged into one, but even better! But our support doesn't end there. With four international offices, over 100 dedicated staff members, a 24/5 emergency team, and the backing of over 90,000 Global Travellers who have turned their travel dreams into reality with us, rest assured you're in good hands. We also proudly boast the most and best reviews in the biz, and maintain a massive following on our social channels including Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. Embark on your next adventure with confidence and ease. Join us and discover the world in a meaningful way!

While we would love to include flights and insurance in our trip packages, it is not feasible to have a fixed price due to the diverse destinations, trip durations, and individual coverage needs of our travellers from around the globe. However, once you register for the trip, we will assign you a dedicated Travel Concierge. They will work closely with you to arrange the ideal flights and insurance tailored to your specific adventure. Rest assured, our team is here to ensure you have a smooth and hassle-free travel experience from start to finish!

No experience? No problem! Most Teach trips include a comprehensive in-country TESOL/TEFL course and certification. Led by experienced instructors, these courses equip you with the necessary skills to succeed in the field. All in-country courses include in-person teaching practice with real students so you can gain practical experience as well as cultural immersion, to ensure success when you're out in the field.

One of the huge advantages of choosing Global Work & Travel for your Teach adventure is our commitment to helping you secure your first paid teaching placement. Our in-country partners have a stellar reputation for training highly competent and confident English Teachers. With their extensive network of schools and language institutes, they work diligently to set you up with a paid placement. Once you complete your TESOL/TEFL course, or sometimes even before finishing it, our in-country team will set up interviews, prepare you for success, and guide you towards securing your desired teaching position. Then it's off to enrich the lives of students with your English wisdom!

Most Teach trips include initial accommodation, and our in-country partner will provide resources to help you find a clean, comfortable, and affordable place to stay during your teaching placement. It's common for our teachers to develop great friendships and opt to live and work together. You'll be pleasantly surprised by the modern, nice, and affordable accommodation options available to you. Rest assured, we'll ensure you have a comfortable home away from home during your Teach trip!

Absolutely! While the earning potential may vary depending on the teaching destination, all our teachers on the field earn more than enough to cover their living expenses and save some funds for exciting side trips or future travels. Many teachers even take advantage of additional tutoring opportunities to further boost their income. You can rest assured that your teaching placement will provide you with sufficient financial resources to support yourself and enjoy the incredible experiences that await during your time abroad.

Absolutely! Once you've successfully completed your TESOL/TEFL course and initial placement in the country you booked, you'll have developed the skills and experience necessary to excel in English teaching. Many of our teachers take advantage of this and choose to explore other fascinating destinations while leveraging their English teaching skills as a means to work and travel the world. It's an excellent opportunity to expand your horizons, immerse yourself in different cultures, and continue making a positive impact through teaching. The possibilities are endless when it comes to teaching in multiple destinations - the world is literally your oyster!

While we acknowledge your existing TESOL/TEFL, we require all our teachers to complete our comprehensive TESOL/TEFL Course & Certification included in the trip package. This ensures that you are equipped with the necessary skillset, practical experience, and premium accreditation for success in the field. Even teachers with prior TESOL/TEFL certifications, including those with extensive professional teaching experience, have found immense value in our course. Our courses provide local language and cultural training, lesson planning, in-class observation and evaluation, and more. It serves as a refresher, helps you acclimatise to the local environment, make lifelong friends, and ensures you are fully confident when applying your teaching skills.

After the last unexpected disruption to travel caused by the..c word..people are now more eager than ever to venture out and explore the world, determined not to miss out on any experiences. Global Work & Travel works on a first-in-best-dressed basis. Booking earlier ensures that you don’t miss out on the best intake, season, placements and more! We recommend our travellers take 6-12+ months to plan their trip for a reason - to make sure you’ve got everything organised perfectly, stress-free. As a Global Traveller you’ll get exclusive access to gWorld, our personalised app where you can keep all of your important documents and trip details in one spot and gain insider access to everything Global. This is where you will find exclusive Marketplace Deals, a unique social network to connect you with other like-minded Global Travellers, access to our Academy with an ever-growing range of skills & languages, and so much more. Think all of your favourite apps merged into one, but like, better? Why not give yourself something to look forward to by booking that trip!

Yes you can! Simply tell your Trip Coordinator after booking that your friend is also going and they can link your profiles. For most of our trips we should be able to have you and your friends placed together or nearby. Meaning that you can live, work, play & travel together! But wait there's more! Not only can you travel the world with your besties at your side, you can also earn some extra cash towards your own trip just by referring your friends to Global Work & Travel. You can learn more about the great referral rewards program inside your gWorld account once you join. And for those who decide to go-it-solo, we’ve made it easier to meet other Global Travellers in the same region as you. Just like any other social platform, you’ll be able to interact, share, chat and meet with some really cool people who are doing trips just like you!

At Global Work & Travel, we share a deep love for animals and fully understand the special bond you have with your pet. We recognise the challenges of embarking on a trip without them. Due to travel restrictions, requirements, and limited pet-friendly accommodations among our host organisations, we regretfully cannot facilitate their inclusion in the journey. However, many of our customers choose to entrust their pets to a family member or friend, embark on their adventure, and return home to wagging tails and furry cuddles.

We know that life can get in the way of travel, so all our trips come with a great deal of flexibility. In most cases, if you cannot travel on your selected date, you can place your trip on hold to deal with whatever is holding you back, and continue in the future without incurring any penalty. You may also have the option of transferring to an entirely different trip and destination as well, or even transferring your trip to a friend or family member. In the event that you need to outright cancel your trip, if you give us 84* days notice you can do so with only a 50% cancellation fee. Your refund of the balance will come in the form of a Store Credit which you can put toward any other trip that we offer, including tours through third-party providers, as well as holidays through DealsAway.com, and is valid for 2 years from date of issue. As international travel can be complex, your options are based on the progress of your trip organisation and our support team can assist you in finding the best solution for your needs.

1. Choose a trip style

Find your dream experience & destination, then secure your spot with a flexible & low deposit. Activate your gWorld to unlock some cool perks. Well done! The hardest part’s over!

2. We become friends

Book a time to meet your dedicated Trip Coordinator who knows all the ins & outs of your trip. They’ll be by your side and working behind-the-scenes to pull everything together.

3. Time to go!

We’ll get your tickets, accommodation & transfers ready. Our in-country team or partner will have everything prepared & waiting for your arrival. Get on the plane with no worries!

4. 24/5 support

Never stress, knowing we’re there with you when you need us with ongoing & unlimited local team support. And just in case, we’ve got an emergency team on stand-by, 24 hours, Mon-Fri.

Still have questions?

Why go global, flexible trips.

The unexpected can happen sometimes. Can't travel right now? Swap your trip, gift it or save it for later with our Lifetime Deposit Guarantee.

Worldwide support

Know that someone is always ready to assist throughout the journey & they’re only a call, tweet, comment, text or double tap away, 24/5.

We're the experts

With over 10 years in the industry and a team of over 90 passionate pros, you can bet we know our stuff better than anyone else.

Partner network

We have over 1,200 partners around the globe, so we have access to plenty of exclusive opportunities to make your trip the best it can be.

Check out these similar trips

Traveling Teachers

Group trips and travel opportunities for teachers

How American Teachers Can Travel for Free

Imagine this: it’s mid-winter, just after winter break – when everyone is groaning about going back to work and school. Your colleagues are braving record-breaking snowstorms, preparing for high-stakes testing and facing the monotony of the daily grind. They’re facing unrealistic performance pressure from clueless politicians, administrators who have no faith in them, and parents who have decided teachers are their adversaries. All of this is happening while you’re doing the best possible job of ensuring each student receives the education and attention they need every day – considering their different needs, strengths, interests and temperaments. It’s enough to make one’s head spin just thinking about it!

Now, scene change to your location. You’re in a warm, sunny, sub-tropical village in Vietnam. The weather is perfect, the food is even better, and the sunsets are just to die for. On top of all that, you’re learning and growing every day, being sculpted by the transformative experiences you’re having. You rest well every night knowing that you’re making a difference. You’re training and helping teachers who have fewer resources and/or opportunities to travel, and you’re learning so much to share with your students and fellow teachers back home. On top of all that – your flights were paid for, you’re making a modest stipend, and all of your basics needs are taken care of. You’re now daydreaming of becoming an ex-pat in Vietnam and making this your life long-term.

It sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? It may even sound like I’m about to pitch an MLM or side-business idea to you – but I promise I’m not! While there there isn’t anything wrong with those ideas, you don’t need them to travel for free if you’re a teacher.

And if you don’t have the flexibility or availability to travel throughout the school year, that’s OK too. There’s a wealth opportunities that happen during summers and school breaks.

In this blog post, we’ll explore several ways that teachers can travel for free! Stick with us, and you’ll also learn how to travel recreationally on the cheap, and ways you can get paid to travel!

Let’s get into it.

Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Being a Fulbright teacher is a life-changing experience. Every educator I’ve talked to who’s done this program cannot sing enough of its praises. The program itself is so broad, in fact, that it can be difficult to explain exactly what it is, as each teacher really creates something unique with it. Before I go on about how amazing it is, and just how diverse the opportunities for participation are, it’s important to note who’s eligible for this type of experience. Fulbright definitely isn’t for the faint of heart, nor is it the best fit for every teacher. I should also note that this is technically two programs in one, as the long-term and short-term experiences are a bit different from one another. Ideal Fit You might teach abroad in India, while simultaneously taking and leading professional development courses for local teachers. Whatever your plan, you must have an interest in and ability to: *Designing and implementing an inquiry project related to education in the United States and host country *Building global networks of researchers, practitioners, and policy makers *Exchanging ideas and best educational practices with teachers from all over the world *Develop resources and tools that can be used long after the project ends Qualifications Note: New teachers are more than welcome to apply, but note that they usually prefer teachers with 5 or more years of experience. Fulbright teachers must be: *A U.S. Citizen *Employed full-time at an accredited K-12 school *A holder of a Master’s degree (or, they must be enrolled in a Master’s program at the time the grant begins) *Experienced leaders in professional development activities *Able to meet current J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board eligibility requirements regarding previous grants *Employed full-time at an accredited K-12 school (classroom teachers, guidance counselors, curriculum coordinators, special education coordinators, media specialists, librarians, gifted and talented coordinators, and any other school employees who spend at least half of their time interacting with students Benefits The Fulbright program is an amazing opportunity, but it is a TON of work! So, what makes it worth it? This program covers all travel costs for the orientation and international field experience! Additionally, each fellow receives a stipend to cover in-country expenses associated with participation in the program, such as housing, meals, transportation, and other miscellaneous items. Note that the stipend is not intended to replace a participant’s salary. Educators typically negotiate with their schools and districts regarding fully or partially paid leave and benefits. The amount of the stipend provided to each participant will depend on the host country, the duration of the field experience, and other factors. You definitely need full support from your school before embarking on an application for a Fulbright! Another huge benefit is that the Fulbright Distinguished Awards for U.S. teachers allows you to bring a dependent! And not only that – but your stipend will vary according to the amount of dependents you have with you. This is almost unheard of in program circles. This option does vary depending on the host country and housing types available, so you’ll definitely want to mention this request early in the application process. For programs and hosting institutions that allows dependents, fellows will receive a modest allowance for each dependent that accompanies them for at least 80% of the program. Note that you will need to pay for the travel of any dependents. Responsibilities This is definitely not a program where you can kick back or go unnoticed. This is only for teachers who want to research, serve and learn! Responsibilities for each teacher vary, depending on their project requirements and the need of their host. It is vital that Fulbright teachers communicate constantly with all parties involved to ensure everyone comes of the experience with what they need, so being a self-starter and clear communicator is essential. Costs For the semester-long program: Fulbright covers all travel costs for the orientation and international field experience . During the program, each fellow receives a stipend to cover in-country expenses associated with participation in the program, such as housing, meals, transportation, and other necessary items. The stipend is not intended to replace a participant’s salary, so applicants need to negotiate with their schools and districts regarding fully or partially paid leave and benefits. The amount of the stipend provided to each participant varies depending on the host country, the duration of the field experience, and other factors. For the short-term program: The Fulbright Program will fund all international travel costs and a daily honorarium for participants. The host institution will provide the teacher with arrival and departure support (what is included as far as support may vary), local accommodation, in-country travel, meals, and assistance obtaining a visa, if needed. This assistance includes any necessary visa fees, which is a huge help for certain countries! Basically, your biggest travel costs (airfare, accommodations and most meals) are covered, and you get paid a stipend, on top of your regular salary! Just ensure you have valid insurance, income and approved leave (if doing the semester-long experience), and additional money for miscellaneous and personal expenses. Dates and Deadlines The application for each cycle open in the preceding December. If you’re interested, definitely bookmark the link and set a reminder in your calendar!

Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms

Many students don’t get to travel and see places different from their homes while they are young, so the majority of their exposure to various cultures and ideas comes from the experiences of their teachers. This program is dedicated to that idea, allowing you to gain international experience that can be brought back to your students. Fulbright TGC is a year-long professional development opportunity for U.S. elementary, middle, and high school teachers. Fulbright TGC equips teachers to bring an international perspective to their schools through targeted training, experience abroad, and global collaboration. The goal of this program is to have teachers bring first-hand experiences from around the world into their classrooms.

Ideal Fit This program is great for teachers in the United States who want to bring travel into their classroom, especially if they work in an area where students do not get to travel often outside of their immediate region. This is best for teachers who plan to stay in the United States for their career.

Teachers who participate in this program:

*Care about designing and maintaining a globally conscious classroom *Are ready to have their prejudices, biases and views challenged *Are committed to bring what they learn back to their school and community in the United States *Are self-starters, committed to growing personally and professionally as a teacher

Qualifications To be eligible to participate in TGC, you must:

*Hold a full-time K–12 teaching position in the U.S., a U.S. territory or school associated with Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA), including classroom teachers, guidance counselors, curriculum coordinators, special education coordinators, media specialists, librarians, and gifted and talented coordinators and others who spend at least half of their time interacting with students *Have five years of full-time K-12 teaching experience in the U.S., a U.S. territory or school associated with Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) *Be a U.S. citizen, and reside in a U.S. state, territory or campus associated with Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) *Have a bachelor’s degree or equivalent education and experience *Demonstrate a commitment to continue teaching or working in their field after completion of the program *Teachers from all disciplines are encouraged to apply. There is a wide range of current participants, including STEM, English, ELL, social studies, art, business, and special education teachers. *Guidance counselors, media specialists, technology coaches, and other types of educators are eligible to apply, so long as you are employed full-time as an educator at a U.S. public, private, or charter school, or within the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) at the elementary, middle or high school level (K-12). *Teachers must have a valid passport before departing for their international field experience

Benefits Like any other Fulbright program, there is a considerable commitment to work involved!

The international field experiences take place in the spring and summer, and typically last two to three weeks. This time is an intensive introduction to the host country’s history, education system, and culture. During this time, teachers participating in the program receive intensive orientations to their host country and their host country’s education system. This includes school visits, cultural excursions, meetings with teachers and administrators, and educational workshops. This means you receive a TON of free training, cross-cultural exposure, and insight into education in another culture. This is especially helpful if you want to become an international teacher eventually.

After the orientations and trainings, teachers travel in pairs or trios to host communities around the country. This really makes a difference, especially if you’ve never worked or volunteered abroad before. Having a few teachers with you to experience things alongside you will give you an inherent support system, which is often sorely missing when you first move abroad!

While at the host sites, teachers observe classrooms, interact with administrators, and teach or co-teach their own lessons with international teacher leaders. The travel experience concludes with a debriefing session where teachers reconvene and reflect on their experiences in-country before returning to the United States.

Ok, but what’s included? Pretty much everything! TGC takes care of visa fees, the online course fees (for their online course that must be done before the field experience), airfare, lodging, meals and miscellaneous costs – for the Global Education Symposium in Washington, D.C. (which usually takes place in February), and the International Field Experience. You get two travel experiences in one!

Additionally, the U.S. Department of State provides a health benefit plan, which supplements the teacher’s health insurance. This ensures that you’re covered for sudden illnesses or emergencies that may happen while you’re abroad for the program.

While you don’t get to pick your host country (this is decided by the U.S. Department of State, though you can make requests), the countries that are participating are definitely destination nations in their own right! Past participating host countries include Brazil, Colombia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Morocco, Peru, Philippines, Republic of Georgia, Russian Federation, Senegal, and Ukraine.

Responsibilities Participants must complete a rigorous, 10-week online course before the international field experience. Expect to devote 7-9 hours a week to it! While at the symposium in Washington D.C., and during the International Field Experience, teachers must be willing and ready to devote 100% of their time and effort there to the professional betterment of themselves, and those around them. However! 🙂 This doesn’t mean there won’t be time for fun! All of the teachers we know who have done this say this experience was invaluable to them. It’s worth it!

Costs The biggest perk of this program is that there’s really no cost to you! Fulbright even covers incidentals. However, we always recommend taking money with you abroad, even if it’s just for a few weeks. You’ll want to have extra money for gifts, activities, going out, etc.

Dates and Deadlines The application for each cycle open in the preceding March. If you’re interested in participating in TGC, bookmark this page and keep checking back at the beginning of the year! Note that they mostly update on Facebook now, so you’ll want to like and follow them there, too.

Qatar Foundation International

QFI has been around since 1995, with the mission of using education to bring understanding, tolerance and acceptance of the Arab world, to the rest of the world. They do this with three main program areas – Arabic language instruction of students, Arab Cultures and Societies (which focuses on teachers learning more about the Arab world through fine and performing arts), and Connected Communities – which connects different geographies with that of those within the Arab world.

Ideal Fit This particular teacher tour is put on in partnership with GEEO. If you’re personally interested in the Arab world, and/or you’re interested in exposing your students to cultures and ways of life within the Arab world, then the partnership between QFI and GEEO Educator Tours is exactly what you’re looking for.

Qualifications *Must be a teacher within the U.S. *Both primary and secondary teachers are welcome to apply *Teachers in public and public charter schools are welcome to apply *Preference is given to educators who are in the social science, humanities, and arts fields *Teachers must demonstrate both a strong interest in and commitment to teaching about the Arab world in their classrooms

Benefits All major expenses are covered , including travel, lodging and meals for this particular program. Of course, the relationships you’ll develop, the people you’ll meet and the learning that will take place are priceless – but getting to tour Qatar and Oman for 12 days without paying for it is an amazing opportunity in itself!

Responsibilities You must not only demonstrate a personal interest in the Arab world; that interest must be coupled with the commitment to bring what you learn from your experience into the classroom. You’ll want to ensure you have ways to document your use of what you’ve learned.

Costs This is another amazing program that has all the major expenses paid! You’ll just want to ensure you have adequate health insurance, travel insurance and money for incidentals and activities.

Dates and Deadlines While there’s no deadline listed, these trips are coming up quickly in December and March. Hurry and apply before all of the grant money is gone!

Transatlantic Outreach Program

TOP is an amazing opportunity that is fairly competitive, but well worth it if you can make it. This is a true inter-cultural experience, as Americans interact with German teachers, education professionals, students and residents to learn all about Germany’s culture and history.

Ideal Fit TOP will be appealing to anyone interested in World War II, the Holocaust, or just German history and culture overall. Since the histories of Germany and the United States are so heavily intertwined, it’s important for Americans to educate themselves on the shared past. And of course, any teacher who is interested in visiting Germany will definitely be tempted by the videos and reviews of the program!

Qualifications *Must be employed in the United States or Canada as social studies and/or STEM educators. This includes classroom teachers (grades K-12), general education/elementary educators, university methods professors, curriculum coordinators, principals, applicable curriculum authors, and applicable state Department of Education employees who teach social studies and/or STEM. *Since the primary participant of this base is North American, fluency in German is not required. *Participants must be able to walk about 20,000 steps per day. *Participating teachers must be willing to take on the role of an avid learner throughout their time in the program.

Benefits All major expenses are covered . TOP pays most international and domestic transportation fees, hotel accommodations while abroad, two meals per day (usually breakfast and dinner), and any mandatory study tour-related fees (i.e. museum entry fees, admission, etc).

And the itinerary is incredibly; jam-packed. Berlin, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Munich, Hamburg, Kiel, Dresden, Schwerin, Weimar and Leipzig are all on the list – with plenty of opportunities to explore using all five senses!

Responsibilities This program is highly sought-after and competitive, and it’s engaging. This means participants need to be on their A-game throughout the entire duration of the program. For this section, I found it appropriate to copy the section from their website:

“We ask that all participants come prepared, ready to assume the role of a student and willing to consider new ideas, to proactively engage themselves, to be inquisitive, to be flexible, and to learn as professionals during a fun, yet mentally and sometimes physically intense two weeks in Germany. This is a group study tour. You will spend the majority of your time with the group and there is little free time during the two weeks abroad.”

“To adequately prepare participants for their study tour, we ask for participation in pre-departure webinars that are important for enhancing background knowledge, setting the stage, and providing a foundation for group cohesion. We also require that participants complete pre-departure reading assignments.”

“Upon returning from Germany, every participant is required to 1) author an original unit of learning based on the C3 FRAMEWORK and INQUIRY DESIGN MODEL (IDM) format and 2) conduct one TOP professional development workshop at the local district, state, regional, or national level by May 1, 2021. The ‘unit’ may consist of any ‘contemporary-Germany-related’ topics of the participant’s choosing but should be aligned to C3 (College, Career, Civic Life) or NGSS (for STEM) standards for learning with the goal of enhancing and assessing students’ global competence.”

Costs Most of the major costs are covered, however, you want to be aware of what’s not: *TOP will not pay for any incurred airline baggage fees. *TOP will not pay for transportation fees in Washington D.C. during the pre-trip orientation. *TOP will not pay for passport or visa renewal fees. *TOP w ill not cover any hotel incidental expenses (i.e. long-distance telephone service, laundry service, mini bar, etc). *TOP strongly recommends that participants bring at least $400 with them to cover one meal per day, as well as any miscellaneous activities or costs.

Dates and Deadlines For the 2020 year, you must apply by Monday, January 27th to be considered. Do not be late! They won’t even review late applications!

Do ensure that you allot enough time for the application process. TOP estimates that applicants spend approximately 5-10 hours.

TEACH Bahrain Fellowship

This program had it’s inception in 2009. It was birthed as a way to provide U.S. educators an opportunity to visit the Middle East, allowing them to gain insight into the culture, challenges and opportunities experienced by their peers living and from there.

Ideal Fit Any teacher who is genuinely interested in learning about life in the Middle East will benefit, though I think this would be especially helpful for teachers working with students who have never been to or met someone from the Middle East.

Qualifications *Must be employed in the United States as an educator *Must be willing to share what you learn with your students and colleagues

Benefits All major expenses are covered . There is a small application fee of $25, as well as a small fee toward the program – but all major expenses are included! And, it can be free by funding your trip (that post is coming soon!). Not to mention, Bahrain is just a unique place. Isolated enough to have it’s own, distinct culture – yet, with a flavor that’s familiar to anyone with an affinity for the Middle East.

Re sponsibilities Participants must be ready and willing to be fully involved. The experience is a bit of a whirlwind, as teachers cover a lot of metaphorical (and physical!) ground in a very short amount of time! Teachers must also be enthusiastic about learning all they can about the culture, and bringing their newfound knowledge into the classroom.

Costs Though most of the major costs are covered for participants, you will pay: *A $25 application fee *A small fee for the program (disclosed in the application process) You’ll always want to bring money for incidentals, souvenirs, activities and etc.

Dates and Deadlines Opportunities for the following Fall, Spring and Summer generally close in December, so bookmark this one for 2021 if you’re interested.

Teach Earth USA Fellowship (Earthwatch Institute)

This program is unique in the sense that it allows teachers to experience the work of field scientists. During Teach Earth USA, American teachers join field scientists on expeditions across the world for hands-on projects. You might track endangered mammals in Costa Rica, or measure the circumference of trees in a cloud forest. This is a unique type of experience and fellowship.

Ideal Fit American teachers who enjoy science, are passionate about conservation and the natural world, and who enjoy learning by doing, will absolutely love this program. Participants should also have a high level of openness to new things, as their schedule will definitely be different than what they’re used to!

Qualifications Participants must be K-12 classroom teachers with U.S. citizenship, available to travel for 7-14 days (during the designated dates for the field expedition). Applicants should demonstrate that they’re passionate not only about teaching in itself, but about the opportunity to learn from and grow with other educators. Applicants should also be ready to explain how they will share what they’re learning with their class at home. Important note! You can only qualify for TWO Teach Earth USA Fellowships in your lifetime, unless you return as a Senior Fellow – so think carefully about when and where you’d want to go with this program!

Benefits There are full and partial scholarships available for this program. It is highly competitive, so be sure to put time and effort into your application! Fellows are chosen based on their demonstrated merit.

R esponsibilities This is not a scholarly fellowship where teachers will be in a lab or classroom! When they say “field expedition,” they mean it. You will be out in the field, getting up early and wearing snake guards (yes, that’s a thing in the rainforest), doing all of the same work they’re doing. If you’re not into hiking, sweating, animals, getting up early and doing physical, manual labor, this isn’t the fellowship for you. If the thought of an adventure somewhere wild doing conservation work IS exciting, then this may be the perfect fit! On top of doing the legwork during the fellowship, teachers must demonstrate evidence of their bringing back what they’ve learned and become passionate about, back into their classrooms.

Costs You can choose to either apply for a partial or full scholarship. Full scholarships are obviously more desirable, which makes the program application in that pool more competitive. If you’re willing to apply for a partial scholarship, you can apply for grants, crowdfund or earn money in other ways to supplement the costs. On this site, you’ll find ways to supplement your teacher income if you stick with us! After you’ve read this post, be sure to take a look around the site!

Dates and Deadlines If you’d like to go this summer, be sure to to put January 10th, 2020 on your calendar. You’ll probably want to get that application done over Winter Break, because that’s less than a month from now! If you’d like to save this opportunity for another time, be sure to bookmark the page.

NOAA’s Teacher at Sea

This fellowship is similar to Earthwatch’s Teach Earth USA program in the sense that you would be working on the front-lines, with scientists, on actual expeditions. It’s definitely a unique experience which teachers treasure and students benefit from. As stated in the video, students living in certain areas may never meet or connect with a scientist otherwise.

Ideal Fit American teachers who are up for an adventure and excited to do work in the field. Participants must be able to travel well on a boat, since they’ll be there for a while! The program includes 14-16 days, exclusive of travel to and from boarding the ship.

Qualifications To be qualified to apply, you must be: *A citizen or a Lawful Permanent Resident of the United States *Fully employed this current year, with proof of being so next year *A Pre-K12 teacher, college/university professor, museum or aquarium educator, or an adult education teacher. *Be open, flexible and willing to take directions *Have unique methods and ideas for communicating complex science concepts to students *Supported by your school administrator/principal

Benefits All major expenses are covered! This includes transportation to and from the ship, lodging and a per-diem travel allowance. Here’s the big one: FLIGHTS ARE ALSO PAID FOR! Do note, however, that the flight is purchased directly by the program, so you’ll need to communicate clearly about your dates and needs. While all other costs are covered, you’ll be reimbursed after the program – so you’ll want to ensure you have enough money saved for all of your costs before the program starts. And be sure to save your receipts!

R esponsibilities This is another fellowship where teachers will be actively involved! Since fellows actively conduct research in the field with designated field scientists, and since they will be living on a ship, teachers need to be able to follow a set schedule with established rules. They must also have foundational science knowledge, and interests pertaining to the science conducted by NOAA. Since so many of the topics covered include a wide variety of phenomena, teachers should be skilled at communicating these tough concepts to students in a way that’s engaging and interest-inducing.

Costs This is one of those unicorn programs where all costs are covered by the U.S. Government. It is very unique in that sense, as even your travel to get to and from the fellowship destination is included. While the program arranges any necessary air transport, it’s important for you to have accessible funds that cover your costs throughout the program, as their coverage comes by way of reimbursement.

Dates and Deadlines The application deadline for the summer of 2020 has already passed. But if this program interests you for 2021, note that the application will open in November of 2020. That gives you a whole year to talk with other teachers who have done it, and to ensure your application is in ship shape (pun totally intended)!

American Friends of Russian Folklore Expeditions

When considering where to spend a spring or summer learning, Russia may not be the first to come to mind – but it is definitely worth considering. Russia is a vast country, dotted with delightful villages which have been largely isolated from the rest of the world. This means their songs, stories, ways of life and overall culture have been well-preserved while the rest of the world has globalized. That’s what makes this opportunity so appealing. You get to travel this unique country to experience it first-hand, while documenting what you see along the way. The example above is a preview into Maslenitsa, better known as Butter Week or Pancake Week. One of the opportunities available would allow you to experience this unique cultural event first-hand.

Ideal Fit American teachers who have the skill of storytelling through fine, performing or digital arts will find a perfect marriage of their interests within this opportunity. Anyone interested in ethnomusicology will be particularly fascinated by these expeditions.

Qualifications What makes this opportunity unique, is the fact that these expeditions are open to interested candidates from all over the world. Their priority is ensuring that volunteers are of sound physical, mental and emotional health, considering the varied conditions of rural living in Russia. However, it’s important to note that they only offer two scholarships of $2,000 each year. One goes to any interested citizen to the United States, who can demonstrate interest and willingness to share what they learn of rural Russian village life with Americans. The other goes to a an American K-12 teacher or curriculum specialist, which is why we’ve included it on this list. Participants must be able and willing to: *Walk a level mile (1.6 k) in 30 minutes *Carry all their own luggage up and down stairs *Use pit toilets with no seats *Adapt to local cuisine *Deal with dust, mold, pollen and animal dander Participants must have: *Mental stability while immersed in unfamiliar culture, language, environment, activities and society *Flexibility and patience necessary for teamwork *Emotional stability, with no extreme highs or lows *Tolerance for lack of privacy and lack of certainty *Tolerance and respect for unfamiliar customs

Benefits The experience alone is unique. In recent years, Russia has become increasingly difficult for Americans to visit, save for a few loopholes. The visa itself is about $400, and scholarships for teachers to visit Russia are few and far between – so opportunities like this are worth bookmarking! Moreover, those who visit Russia usually just stick to Moscow, St. Petersburg and Novosibirsk, along with a few others. If you go on one of these expeditions, you’ll have a look inside the Russian way of life that used to span the entire country. Because it’s so different there, it’s worth mentioning that sanitation and comfort standards there will be different for Westerns. You’ll use pit toilets, carry your own water from a local well, and collect your own firewood for heat (in places where it’s still chilly in summer). You’ll also walk A LOT. If these things don’t sound appealing to you, then they may not be benefits. But for the adventurous teacher who wants to have an authentic view into another culture and time, this would be an absolute treat.

R esponsibilities The scholarships require an interest and willingness to document your experience, with the intention of educating the American public on the rural ways of village life in Russia. Teachers go about this in different ways. You could blog, vlog, paint, record music, feature translated interviews on a podcast, there are so many things you can do with it. Just be sure to go in with a plan for how you will share your experience if you end up getting a scholarship!

Costs Each expedition varies in cost, as the specific demands of each trip vary. Scholarships are available for $2,000, which will cover most if not all of your programs. They also have a myriad of resources for funding available if you’re willing to do the leg work!

Dates and Deadlines Each expedition has it’s own application deadline. They vary from December through March – so if you’re wanting to go in summer of 2020, start working on your application now!

American Councils for International Education

American Councils for International Education (ACIE) really offers a plethora of opportunities for people of all ages, skill levels and education to pursue educational experiences abroad – but for teachers, this resource is especially interesting, as all of their programs are either fully-funded by them or a third-party organization.

Ideal Fit TCLP (Teachers of Critical Languages Program) fosters relationships between various countries – so for this program, English teachers from the Egypt, China Morocco are eligible and encouraged to apply. U.S. elementary or secondary teachers are also welcome to apply, if they’re seriously interested in starting or strengthening a Chinese or Arabic program at their school. AFPR (Academic Fellowships Program in Russia) is a great opportunity for graduate students, doctoral candidates, university faculty and post-doctoral fellows who have some fluency in Russian to explore and study on a fellowship sponsored by the Carnegie Corporation of New York. EducationUSA provides support and guidance to students looking to study at American colleges and universities. International high school, college or graduate students are eligible to apply – so if you’re studying to become a teacher, or if you’re pursuing your graduate degree in education as a serving teacher, you’re eligible to apply for this one. Politics and Public Diplomacy in Contemporary Russia is an opportunity to undergraduates, graduates, working teachers and other professionals. This educational and intellectual 5-week program in Russia allows people to study the political, social and economic changes that have taken place in Russia since the dissolution of the USSR, Cold War, Soviet Union and even since Vladimir Putin’s rise to power. Note that this program is not fully-funded, but there are scholarships available if you’re interested in pursuing this one. Chinese Overseas Flagship allows U.S. undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in the language flagship program a chance to increase their proficiency in the Chinese language through focused stateside study, combined with an immersive language experience in China. These universities participate in this program: Arizona State University; Brigham Young University; Hunter College; Indiana University; San Francisco State University; University of Hawaii, Manoa; University of Minnesota; University of Mississippi; University of North Georgia; University of Oregon; University of Rhode Island; and Western Kentucky University. The Indonesian Overseas Program is an intensive semester or academic-year overseas immersion program open to all levels of language learners, of the Indonesian language. Note that this particular program is not fully funded like many of the other ones by this ACIE, but that scholarships are available. The Russian Overseas Program is open to U.S. undergraduates in the Language Flagship Program at these participating universities: Bryn Mawr College, Indiana University, Portland State University, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), University of Georgia, and the University of Wisconsin, Madison. This one is fully funded for those who meet their requirements and are selected! Overseas Professional and Intercultural Training is an 8-week internship coverings the fields of business, democracy-building, human rights, education, science, technology, gender issues, journalism, public health, environmental education and social services. Internships are available in over 20 countries, and would be a solid fit for any undergraduate or graduate students, as well as teachers and other professionals, interested in international education, international relations. The Balkan Language Initiative is open to undergraduates, graduates and professionals with two or more semesters of experience and/or study in Albanian, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Macedonian or Serbian languages. Participants will enjoy a full language immersion experience through home-stays, conversations and in-class instruction, with the goal of increasing language proficiency and confidence. Though this program is self-funded, there are scholarships available – so it’s always worth applying if you meet the requirements! Peace and Security in the South Caucasus participants spend five weeks in Tblisi, Georgia studying the politics, culture, and history of the South Caucasus. No language proficiency is required, as the whole program is conducted in English at Ilia University. Language instruction is also provided in Armenian, Azerbaijani, Chechen, Georgian, or Russian, and participants can earn 8-10 academic credits in political science and sociology from Bryn Mawr College. Note that this is definitely not an exhaustive list of all programs offered by them, and that I’ve endeavored to only include programs that current, prospective or future teachers would be interested in and eligible for. If you know high school students, or teachers, students and/or professionals from countries listed above who would be interested in these programs, please feel free to to send this info to them!

Qualifications As you can see from the individual programs listed above, eligibility requirements greatly vary from program to program.

Benefits Since each program offered provides such unique experiences in different places, it would take forever to articulate the benefits for each individual program, but they definitely share some common factors. They each provide interesting opportunities to explore, travel, learn and share immersive cultural and language experiences with people from all over the world. What really stands out about these programs to me is the fact that most of them are fully funded, and they explore areas of the world often forgotten by many teachers seeking sponsored travel (i.e. the middle East, eastern Europe and central Asia, for instance).

R esponsibilities Responsibilities vary according to the needs and qualifications of participants in each program – but the general idea is, be sure to read the materials carefully when applying to ensure you can meet what is required of selected candidates. If the program requires language proficiency, be sure that you are confident to use that language daily. If there are stateside requirements to be completed before international travel, schedule enough time for it considering your other obligations. 6 months seems like a long time – but considering everything filling our time in a week, 6 months can actually mean you only have 4 days to do a particular task. It seems like something that goes without saying, but it’s worth mentioning when applying for these types of programs – especially when donors are seeking out something specific to be done or produced by the end of a fellowship!

Costs Most of these programs are completely funded either by ACIE, or by a non-profit or university they work with. If the program states that it’s “self-funded,” note that this still means there are scholarships available, though there aren’t enough for every participant. Don’t let this put you off from applying, though! Just take extra care and time with your application, and have several people read it before it’s finally sent.

Dates and Deadlines Each program has it’s own application dates and deadlines. If you’re applying to multiple programs (either from this organization or multiple), I recommend creating a Google Sheet or Excel sheet outlining what is required when – then, line this up with your Gmail calendar to ensure everything is done and submitted when it needs to be.

I’ve done a fair amount of research and leg work to ensure that the information above is accurate and up to date – but if you see something amiss, I want to hear it. Let me know so I can correct it!

If you’ve applied for any of these, and/or if you’ve complete one of these programs or fellowships, we want to hear from you! Come share your experiences with us.

And if you’re just interested in learning more about opportunities for teachers to travel, join our community.

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About Author

I'm just another teacher who loves to travel! I currently live and teach on the White Mountain Apache Reservation, which is a destination in it's own right. I love discussing, sharing and creating opportunities for teachers to travel farther and more often.

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(1) comment.

hi brittany! one of the other teachers at my school referred me to your site. you have an awesome idea brewing here! i have been an international teacher for 11 years now, and was an expat business person for 20 years prior to that. i would like to offer my emerging permaculture farm and eco resort as a potential option for you to offer to teachers wanting to travel during school holidays for a unique experience. while i am still a full time teacher at the international school of panama, my husband and i have been building camaroncito ecoresort and permaculture farm since 2018. we are located on the Caribbean coast of panama and have a totally private beach front plus 16 acres of nearly virgin rainforest. we would offer a 10% discount off published ALL INCLUSIVE rates for anyone who is a teacher plus their travel partner. please check out http://www.camaroncito.net and let me know if you have an interest in including us in your offerings.

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• Our Mission

No-Cost Summer Travel for Teachers

As summer approaches, do you find yourself daydreaming about how you will spend your long summer months as a civilian? I enjoy enriching the minds of students for ten months, but as summer draws nearer, I yearn to act as the learner, preferably at someone else’s expense.

A plethora of travel opportunities await educators each summer. Fellowships, workshops, seminars and service travel can provide you with intellectually stimulating learning opportunities while on the road. If you plan to take advantage of the many travel options available to teachers, you'll need to explore your options and get started on your applications -- pronto. Deadlines are quickly approaching, and invitations are competitive.

What Experience is Right for You?

Are you new to the teacher workshop circuit? If so, peruse your options (see below for links to various opportunities). Are you interested in spending a week, month, or the entire summer abroad? Would you like to bring your family? Are you willing to pay your own way? Are you willing to share a room with another teacher? Do you have a passport? These are just a few questions to consider before determining which workshops best meet your needs.

The Application Adventure

I usually apply to a few workshops each summer in the hopes that I will be invited to at least one. I never take it personally if I am not invited. Many workshop leaders prefer very specific kinds of teachers, but don't always share this in the workshop description. For example, they may be looking solely for new teachers or solely for experienced teachers. However, if your application is incomplete or late, it will not be considered regardless of your awesomeness. Many teachers apply to the same workshop multiple times until they are accepted. So try and try again!

Although each travel opportunity is unique, most workshops have similar application requirements:

• Letters of recommendation
• A promise to teach what you learn

Do not be intimidated. I'm convinced that I see the same participants year after year because so few teachers are willing to jump through the application hoops.

Decisions, Decisions

If an international trip appeals to you, consider traveling with the following reputable organizations. I have either experienced each firsthand or heard colleagues praise them. While this list is certainly not comprehensive, it can provide a starting point for you to explore the perfect fit for your needs.

Peace Corps Response

Peace Corps Response provides the opportunity to serve a much shorter term than the traditional two-year Peace Corps commitment. Stints can span from a few months to a year. Teachers are frequently recruited for Peace Corps Response placements because many limited-term positions focus on education. Applicants need not have served in the Peace Corps, but are required to have extensive teaching experience. The Peace Corps pays for your travel and provides a modest living allowance. The application process is lengthy, so hop to it!

Keizai Koho Fellowship Tour

Sponsored by the Japan-America Society of Pennsylvania, Keizai Koho offers two-week summer study tours in Japan with a focus on economics, business, and education. Fellows participate in lectures and visit cultural sites throughout the two weeks. A requirement of the program is to create a lesson plan using what has been learned during the study tour -- a small price to pay for a rich educational experience.

The Korea Society

The Korea Society offers study tours in Korea throughout the year. Most mornings consist of lectures, followed by afternoon cultural outings to temples, palaces, schools and restaurants. Be forewarned: the program requires extensive walking in hot and humid temperatures. Also, the Korea Society will expect you to create a unit on Korean culture or history upon your return to the U.S.A.

Fulbright Programs

The Institute of International Education is one of the world's largest and most experienced international education and training organizations. Through its Fulbright Programs , it offers a variety of teaching exchanges. Program lengths and locations vary.

Teacher at Sea

The NOAA Teacher at Sea program provides hands-on learning experiences throughout the year. Teachers join a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration research and survey ship to obtain "clearer insight into our ocean planet, a greater understanding of maritime work and studies, and to increase their level of environmental literacy by fostering an interdisciplinary research experience."

Gilder Lehrman

A nonprofit organization devoted to the improvement of history education, Gilder Lehrman has developed an array of programs for schools, teachers and students that operate in all 50 states. Their workshops focus on American and world history. Private school teachers are expected to contribute to the cost of their workshops.

National Endowment for the Humanities

NEH is one of the largest funders of humanities programs in the United States, providing dozens of workshops and seminars during the summer months. They range from 1-6 weeks and are offered in the U.S.A. and abroad. Longer programs provide meatier stipends.

Fine print: expect to receive a 1099 tax form for the amount the organization spends on your travel. You are required to report these "earnings."

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Are you interested in learning what to do now that you have an invite? I would be happy to share thoughts on pre-travel preparation and in-country travel. Let's talk shop!

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9 Benefits of Travel That Improve Teaching

• Posted by - Alyssa Weisenstein
• on - June 9, 2019

Your students are so lucky to have a teacher interested in traveling! The benefits of travel for teachers aren’t limited to the classroom (for students and teachers). Check out how your classroom instruction and resources can benefit from teacher travel.

Vacation vs. Travel

I first want to clarify the difference between vacation and travel before digging into the benefits of travel for teachers. One is not necessarily better than the other, but there are distinct differences between a vacation and travel.

When I picture a vacation, I imagine walking out of a pristine resort room down to the picturesque private beach, lounging on a comfortable chair, sipping on a fancy drink, and later eating to my heart’s content from the expansive buffet. I may only leave the resort if I’m on an all-inclusive, guided tour. It doesn’t sound too bad, but it sounds expensive.

Travel is more of my style and fits my budget. To travel takes planning, a willingness to try new things, overcoming challenges, and stepping out of your comfort zone. While vacationing tends to be stationary, traveling provides opportunities to move around, see different areas of a country, and really explore the culture.

Instead of a pricey buffet, you can spend less than $10 on local cuisine. Exchange the expensive balcony room, for a $20 bed in a hostel where you meet fellow travelers who share excursion ideas. Following their advice, you spend the next day hiking, seeking out a lesser-known waterfall, and eating your picnic lunch while watching the sun peek through the tree canopy.

Vacation and travel are both great options for recharging your batteries, but you and your students will benefit more if you get out and really experience the world.

Read on to see the benefits of travel that will help develop you into a better teacher!

9 Benefits of Travel for Teachers

How many nights and weekends have you sacrificed your personal time to grade papers, search Pinterest for the perfect bulletin board, worry about why your meticulously planned lesson flopped? You have survived no-show subs, homecoming week, and flu season. When it is time for a school holiday, take a break, you earned time for relaxing teacher travel! Teachers work really hard during the school year and our jobs are physically and emotionally exhausting. There are many benefits of teacher travel and school breaks provide ideal opportunities to try new activities, expand your content, and recharge your batteries.

• Step out of your comfort zone
• Go on adventures
• Collect resources for your classroom
• Show students the world through your travels
• Exposure to different languages
• Eat local food
• Explore the world’s diverse ecosystems
• Meet new people
• Enjoy your time off

1. Step out of your comfort zone

According to Merriam-Webster , a comfort zone is “the level at which one functions with ease and familiarity.” For many of us, our comfort zones are where we remain during our day-to-day lives, but travel pushes you into unfamiliar settings. Each successful experience just beyond your comfort zone will build your strength and confidence in your independence and sense of adventure. Your students will see your push beyond your comfort zone and be inspired to create their own adventures.

After you navigate an international flight, public transportation in an unfamiliar setting, and/or eating something that you can’t quite identify, the challenges you face in your classroom suddenly don’t seem so overwhelming. Having confidence in managing complicated and uncomfortable situations will develop you into a better traveler and teacher.

Following your break-time adventures, implementing a new activity or learning strategy in your classroom will feel like a breeze.

2. Go on adventures

New places present new, exciting opportunities! You can plan your trip around any desired activity or find an affordable flight and be spontaneous. Interested in going snorkeling? Hawaii, the Caribbean, and Central America are perfect for that! Did you know the second largest reef is in Belize (after the Great Barrier Reef in Australia)? For more adventure travel inspiration around the world, check out Adventure in You .

You don’t even need to leave the United States to have an adventure. Plan a road trip to see the diverse nature and cultures throughout the United States. I highly recommend a National Parks Tour in the United States. Check out these can’t miss National Parks road trips by Jetsetter.

3. Collect Resources for Your Classroom

I love bringing home artifacts from other states and countries to share with my students. Until I found this cup, I never had a real-life example of centiliters.

Coins and paper bills are fun for students to observe. Even if it doesn’t connect directly with your curriculum, we have used Colombian coins instead of quarters to call “heads or tails.”

My favorite resources to collect are FREE pamphlets and maps. They are informational with attractive pictures and fit easily in your luggage. In order to keep the pamphlets from bending and ripping, store them in a pencil pouch and lay it flat in your luggage.

Pictures from your travels make excellent classroom resources. When I first began traveling I wanted to be “in the moment” and avoided having my phone out. Now, I wish I had more pictures from some of those early destinations. My advice to myself and you is to find a balance between snapping pictures and taking in the views. I’m currently on a mission to use solely my own pictures for class notes.

Decorate your classroom with FREE travel prints.

4. Show Students the World Through Travel

Many students have never had the chance to explore far beyond their communities, which presents a barrier when teaching content that reaches outside of your region. Through teacher travel, you can maximize content connections to real-life situations that motivate and engage your students. When teachers explore, we can expand our curriculum beyond the textbook and inspire students to become lifelong learners.

Do only my students struggle with geography? Surely and unfortunately, this problem extends beyond Southern Illinois. This 2014 report from the local CBS station in Chicago points out that less than half of the 12 million people who played an online game could name all 50 states. A National Geographic article highlights the problem of geographic illiteracy on an international level too. How can we expect students to connect to content if they can’t visualize the locations or even find them on a map?

To combat the geography struggles, I’ve added maps around my room, maps to our notes, and maps to students’ Exploration Passports. We find the locations we’re discussing on the map and students mark the National Parks we “visit” while learning about geology on their maps. It’s a natural way of talking about locations, making a connection to a place, and hopefully getting some of the geography to stick in the minds of teenagers.

5. Exposure to different languages

You don’t have to be fluent in a second language to travel, although it is helpful to learn a few key phrases before you leave. Look up and practice some niceties such as hello, please, and thank you in the language of your destination; politeness goes a long way in any country.  

Heading towards the train station we accidentally got off the bus at the wrong stop in a small neighborhood in Pisa, Italy. Asking for directions was complicated by the fact that we don’t speak Italian and the people we encountered didn’t speak English. Some quick thinking got us to, “choo, choo?” with a shrug and quizzical look. It worked! She pointed us in the right direction and we made it to the train on time.

A helpful hint for international travel, download the Google Translate App for Apple or Android before you go. The versatility of this app is remarkable. Trying to translate text from a sign or menu? Hold your phone camera towards the text and the translation will appear on the screen. It’s that easy! There are also options for translating handwritten text, voice, and information you type into the app.

Not planning to use data abroad? No worries because Google Translate works offline for over 50 languages. Simply download the desired language to your phone while connected to the Internet and you’re good to go.

6. Eat local food

What’s my favorite cultural experience? Eating! I love trying local cuisine and seek out restaurants where the locals eat wherever I go. You can typically find these just a few blocks away from the touristy restaurants and they tend to be cheaper too!

How does this help your teaching? Unless you are a foods teacher, allow me to get creative here. A well-nourished teacher is a happy teacher. That works, right?

7. Explore the world’s diverse ecosystems

Guided hikes or going out on your own hikes are fantastic opportunities to explore the biodiversity and ecosystems of a region. My greatest benefits of travel come from experiencing the diverse ecosystems of the world. Guided hikes and tours can range from free to whatever you’re willing to pay for an experience. Many cities and National Parks offer free walking tours. At the end of the tour, you tip the guide what you think the tour was worth (typically $5-10).

Here are some of my favorites guided hikes/tours:

• ATM Cave in San Ignacio, Belize
• White water rafting in La Fortuna, Costa Rica
• Crystal Cave in Sequoia National Park, California
• Snorkeling in Caye Caulker, Belize
• Free tours with a Park Ranger at National Parks across USA

Airbnb Experiences is an up and coming platform to find opportunities to engage with local people and learn something about their culture. According to their website, Airbnb Experiences is an opportunity for people to share their hobbies, skills, or expertise with the world.

8. Meet new people

The final benefit of travel for teachers is the opportunity to learn about and from people who have fascinating and unique stories. Not to mention the network of people you can build from around the world.

While traveling in New Orleans , I lucked into meeting a group of physicists from the Netherlands, Poland, and Austria who were attending a conference. They agreed to let me record them talking about their research so I could share it with my students. How great of a classroom resource is it to know people from various states and different continents?

9. Enjoy your time off

One of the best perks of teaching is the schedule. With so much time off, why wouldn’t you get out and explore?! The process of planning a trip builds anticipation for a grand adventure as you research where to go and what to do. Then, you have something exciting to look forward to during your next break.

Even a long-weekend trip can work wonders for your soul. As nice as a vacation can be for recharging your batteries, you and your students will benefit more if you get out and travel.

Teachers work hard and commit a lot of hours to their students’ needs; you earn your breaks, so take advantage of this time off. Enjoying your time off while gaining new experiences is one of the best benefits of travel.

Ready to Plan Your Travel?

Now that you’ve read the benefits of travel to develop better teachers, you’re ready to begin planning your trip! Where will your adventures take you and your students?

Teachers Take a Trip

I love travel so much! I love learning so much! Seriously, if someone paid me to be a life-long student I’d go for it. My teacher friends asked me to plan affordable travel for them and I couldn’t say no. In fact, I said, let’s opening it up to all teachers! Teachers Take a Trip is a way for teachers to travel and participate in professional development. Check out the current travel plans and join teachers for epic on-location professional development!

Alyssa Weisenstein

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How to Become an Online Teacher (and Travel Indefinitely)

Want to travel the world but still need to work? Here’s how to become an online teacher – and where to find online jobs for teachers. In this post by Quincy Smith ( bio ) you’ll also learn about requirements, earnings, and the pros/cons of teaching online abroad.

Working remotely has always been a way to fund your travels indefinitely, but it wasn’t until the emergence of the online teaching industry that the option was available to the masses.

Before online teaching heavyweights like Dada and MagicEars started raising millions of dollars ( or even billions ), remote work was typically reserved for those with technical skills like programming or graphic design.

Now, any native speaker with a laptop and internet connection and indulge their fantasy to teach and travel and hit the road while still making a livable wage.

In this guide, we’ll look at what it takes to teach from your computer and how you can get started if this lifestyle appeals to you!

The State of Online Teaching

Over the past 5 years teaching online has migrated from the fringes to a well-known option for everyone from college graduates to perpetual travelers.

While the glory days of getting a top job without a degree have mostly passed, there are still countless opportunities for native and non-native speakers to make a living from their computers.

Where to Find Online Jobs for Teachers

The industry is broken into 3 main parts:

• Well-known companies like  MagicEars , Dada, and  VIPKid  – they are the most established, employ the most teachers, and have the strictest requirements.
• Up-and-coming platforms like  Bibo  and  Preply  – aren’t as well known and typically have more relaxed hiring standards.
• Small and usually app-based companies like Zanys are very niche and less reliable when it comes to being able to earn enough money to teach and travel.

As these companies have grown and more have entered the industry, the number of online teachers has skyrocketed. VIPKid boasts more than 60,000 teachers and a quick search on LinkedIn reveals there are 40,000 members with the “online teacher” job title.

In short, online teaching isn’t going anywhere and while it’s not as easy to get one of the top jobs as it was a year ago, there are still plenty of opportunities out there for people looking to give it a try.

Becoming an Online Teacher

Starting your online teaching career is quite painless – most established companies will allow you to apply on their website and navigate an online process to verify your credentials and potentially do a demo class.

What Are the Most Common Requirements?

While every company is different, there are 3 core requirements you should expect to meet when considering jobs from the well-known companies listed above:

• Native speaker: yes, you can get a job as a non-native speaker but the pay won’t be as good and the company won’t be as reputable.
• Degree: again, some companies don’t care and MagicEars even hired non-degree holders last year, but if you want to land a top job you will need at least a 2-year degree.
• Good equipment & internet: this should be obvious but you’re not going to be able to teach a class with dial-up internet and a laptop from 2005 – every respectable company out there will have technical requirements and they are often the biggest impediment for those looking to teach and travel.

What Can Online Teachers Expect to Earn?

The going rate for online teachers is between $14-$22/hr but before you go popping champagne and counting your unearned money it’s important to know:

• To get to $22/hr you need to hit all your bonuses and often get a promotion or two
• Classes are typically 30min and it’s difficult to teach full time at first as you need to prove both your skills and reliability

Still, it’s quite easy for established teachers to pull in at least $1k a month and there are even some super hardcore educators making $75k a year teaching online.

What is Teaching Online Like?

Working online is heavily romanticized but it’s often not as easy as some bloggers and influencers make it out to be.  When it comes to teaching online, the general schedule and your sanity are dependant on a few things:

• Waking up super early or staying up late to teach students in Asia (the biggest market).  If you’re already in Asia then this is a bit easier, but you’ll still be doing most of your work in the evening as most students take these classes after their normal school day.
• Filling out class and student reviews after every lesson, often with only 5 minutes to complete before your next class.  These reviews are super important as they can influence your teaching reviews but it can get stressful trying to fit them in.
• Opening up your teaching schedule (so you can be given classes) only to find out you don’t have any classes booked – this is a big issue for new teachers as you have to prove yourself before you can teach (and earn money) regularly.

Here’s a great interview with Jason, who has been teaching online and traveling for two years. Sorry, but you’ll have to turn up the volume on this one – it’s a little muffled.

Teaching and Traveling: The Good, The Bad, and Where to Start

Now that you have a better understanding of the online teaching industry as a whole and what it takes to become a teacher, let’s explore the ins and outs of teaching online while traveling.

An obvious caveat is that this lifestyle is not for everyone – it’s still awesome to be able to work from home and there can be serious challenges (and rewards) for people looking to pursue this from the road.

Let’s start with the good:

• Unlimited flexibility:  as long as you have reliable internet, you can teach and make money.  Cynthia & Niko have been teaching while traveling for over 5 years!
• Geo Arbitrage:  being able to live in lower cost of living cities can help  you save more and retire earlier .
• Escape from the rat race:  there is nothing traditional about teaching from the road and there are plenty of teachers out there who started their online teaching career as a way to break free of their 9-5.
• Inconsistent income:  there is no guarantee that your schedule will fill up and this can create pressure and anxiety if you’re traveling on a set budget.
• Variable working conditions: online teaching makes you become very picky about where you travel and where you stay.  Good internet is your north star and having the connection drop or not be as strong as advertised can impact both how much you earn and how long you stay in one place.
• A young and changing industry: the online teaching industry is new and there are always new rules and regulations popping up.  Changes like needing a degree to Chinese companies requiring a TEFL can impact where you can work or even jobs you already have.

Where to Start: Becoming an Online Teacher

If you’re still interested in pursuing a life of teaching and traveling, here are a few tips to help you get started as easily as possible:

• Don’t quit your job before trying it:  I understand the appeal of the phrase “burn the boats” but it’s just not worth quitting your job without trying a few classes first.  Instead, try and do a test run of a few weeks where you teach while also doing your main job – then decide if you can do it for longer.
• Don’t start traveling immediately: build a routine in the comfort of your own home before you decide to go on the road.  It’s much easier to build good habits in a familiar environment than to try and piece it together when you’re abroad.
• Have an emergency fund: plan for the times when you can’t teach as often as you like by having some extra money, I suggest at least 3 months of savings for peace of mind.
• Pick digital nomad friendly locations for your first few trips: Use a site like  Nomad List  to find and evaluate potential cities from which to work.
• Embrace slow travel:  Remember, you’re not on vacation now – this is your life and there is no need to hop to a new city every 3 days.  Learn to love slow travel and don’t hesitate to extend stays when you find a place you love!

In the end, there are plenty of appealing reasons to give this a try and as long as you are smart with your approach the worst that can happen is that you’re able to make some extra money from your home! Have fun!

Bio: Quincy Smith is the founder of  ESL Authority  and currently lives in Shanghai. He’s passionate about strong coffee, solo travel, and IPAs.

Hi, I'm Bryan Haines . And I'm a co-founder of Storyteller.Travel . I'm a traveler and photographer.

I also blog about photography on Storyteller Tech .

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More From Forbes

10 perfect jobs for people who love to travel.

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With many jobs requiring frequent travel, some professionals purposely seek out these opportunities ... [+] that afford them the chance to see the world.

My parents and extended family were almost all teachers and educators. With two months of summer off from work, along with plenty of vacation days, they had the privilege of enjoying both their work and traveling around the world.

They were bitten by the wanderlust bug. At family events, everyone would share their most recent exciting trip. My family seamlessly blended their love of travel, exploring new and different sites, with their occupation of teaching elementary, middle and high school students.

Is Frequent Traveling Compatible With Your Lifestyle?

With many jobs requiring frequent travel, some professionals purposely seek out these opportunities that afford them the chance to see the world. During the job search process, it is critical for professionals to consider how much travel is required to perform a specific role successfully. By carefully evaluating the travel requirements, candidates can make informed decisions about jobs that are a compatible fit for their circumstances, preferences and career aspirations.

Extensive travel can disrupt personal and family life, making it challenging to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Professionals with caregiving obligations may find frequent travel particularly burdensome or impossible.

However, for those who have wanderlust, a career that offers the opportunity to get paid to explore new places may be a dream come true. In these roles, accommodations and travel expenses are often covered, while you get to immerse yourself in different cultures.

The Best Romantic Comedy Of The Last Year Just Hit Netflix

Apple iphone 16: unique all-new design promised in new report, rudy giuliani and mark meadows indicted in arizona fake electors case, jobs for travel lovers.

If you have been bitten by the travel bug, here are 10 occupations you should consider that will earn you a paycheck for traveling.

Traveling for work and meeting new people can strengthen your professional network and lead to potential clients and customers. Moreover, demonstrating that you can adapt to new environments can be a valuable soft skill in your career.

1. Flight Attendant

Average Base Salary: $39,077

Job Summary: A flight attendant is a trained individual who ensures the safety and comfort of passengers on an aircraft. They provide customer service, conduct safety demonstrations and respond to emergencies during flights.

Qualifications: Applicants are usually required to be at least 18 years old and have a high school diploma or GED. Successful completion of an airline-specific training program or orientation is necessary. This training is provided by the airline and covers aspects such as safety procedures, emergency protocols and customer service. Flight attendants must also be certified by the Federal Aviation Administration to work on each type of aircraft they serve on.

2. Airline Pilot

Average Base Salary: $108,544

Job Summary: An airline pilot is a professional responsible for flying and navigating airplanes, helicopters and other aircraft. Their duties include conducting pre-flight checks, developing flight plans, ensuring the safety and integrity of the aircraft and maintaining communication with the flight crew and air traffic controllers.

Qualifications: Airline pilots typically need a bachelor's degree, experience as a commercial or military pilot and must meet FAA requirements, including completing 250 flight hours with a pilot ground school. After you have passed your written ground school test and logged your hours, you will need to pass a check-ride with the FAA.

3. Management Consultant

Average Base Salary: $92,345

Job Summary: Management consultants work closely with domestic or international clients to provide business solutions to organizational issues involving maximizing business performance, business processes and revenue streams. A management consultant can offer expertise in a range of fields, such as business management, marketing, business strategy, supply chain and employee productivity.

Qualifications: Most employers require applicants to have completed, at minimum, a bachelor's degree in a business-related field, such as business administration, economics or finance.

Average Base Salary: $77,965

Job Summary: An auditor examines an organization's records, accounts and finances to ensure accuracy and compliance, as well as identify and mitigate risks. There are several disciplines within auditing, including financial; environmental, health and safety; external; internal; forensic and information technology. Because auditors attend frequent client meetings, they travel extensively to company sites, including internationally.

Qualifications: Similar to the education path of an accountant, aspiring auditors are required to hold a bachelor’s degree in accounting or a related field, like finance or business.

5. Tour Guide

Average Base Salary: $35,290

Job Summary: A tour guide leads visitors through historical sites, museums, geographic destinations or outdoor excursions, extolling relevant cultural, historical and practical knowledge.

Qualifications: Most tour guide jobs require at least the completion of a high school diploma, while some employers desire a four-year degree to lead a museum tour. Additionally, some states require you to obtain a tour guide license.

6. Pharmaceutical Sales Representative

Average Base Salary: $75,806

Job Summary: A pharmaceutical sales representative travels to different locations to sell pharmaceutical products and devices to healthcare professionals, such as doctors and nurses.

Qualifications: To become a pharmaceutical sales representative, most employers require at least a high school diploma or GED. Your qualifications will lie in your ability to build relationships and be persuasive.

7. Travel Nurse

Average Base Salary: $114,279

Job Summary: A travel nurse is a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse who works short-term contracts in various locations where healthcare facilities are understaffed. When contracts end, travel nurses either extend their stay at the same hospital or move on to a new location and opportunity.

Qualifications: Travel nurses must complete a state-approved nursing program, an associate degree in nursing or a B.S. in nursing to pursue licensure where they permanently reside. They must then pass the National Council Licensure Examination.

Typically, you cannot become a travel nurse right out of college, as clinical experience is generally required.

The Nurse Licensure Compact allows licensed RNs to practice legally in 39 participating states. If your location does not fall under the NLC, you must apply for state-specific licensure before you begin employment. Some states may fast track temporary licenses.

8. Construction Manager

Average Base Salary: $91,022

Job Summary: Construction managers oversee the development of buildings and infrastructure, managing tasks onsite, scheduling, budgeting and supervising projects from start to finish. Although they have a main office, construction managers travel to field offices on-site.

Qualifications: When hiring construction managers, most employers prefer they have a bachelor’s degree in construction science, construction management, architecture or civil engineering. However, it is possible to get hired with an associate degree in construction management or technology combined with relevant work experience in the field.

9. Professional Interpreter

Average Base Salary: $53,543

Job Summary: A professional interpreter enables communication between two or more parties who speak different languages. Interpreters can only render oral language, while translators specialize in written text. The most common areas of specialization include: conference, guide, media, public sector, medical and legal. Interpreters, especially liaison or escort interpreters, travel frequently to provide language support.

Qualifications: Professional interpreters are generally required to hold a bachelor's degree, while organizations like the United Nations recommend a master's degree. They should be highly proficient in at least two languages, including the source language (the language spoken by the interpreter) and the target language (the language in which they are interpreting).

10. Diplomat (Foreign Service Officer)

Average Base Salary: $97,246

Job Summary: The mission of a U.S. diplomat in the Foreign Service is to promote peace, support prosperity and protect American citizens while advancing U.S. interests abroad. American diplomats can be employed at any of the more than 270 international embassies or consulates.

Qualifications: While there is no specific academic degree or professional experience required to become an FSO, all applicants must undergo a rigorous hiring process. This consists of a written Foreign Service Officer test, a written personal narrative, an oral interview combined with role-playing exercises and a medical and security clearance review.

Diplomats are generally skilled negotiators with outstanding interpersonal skills who possess knowledge of foreign policy and languages.

Digital Nomad

Alternatively, the digital nomad lifestyle offers a unique work experience that comes with the autonomy of not being chained to an office. Like the name implies, it affords professionals with the opportunity to work remotely while traveling freely.

If you are looking for a job change that will be more suitable to your desire to travel, consider freelance projects or finding companies that offer remote positions. A downside to the digital nomad lifestyle is that you will be responsible to cover your own travel expenses, such as transportation, lodging and meals.

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