REVIEWS &
TESTIMONIALS
The Best Reviewed Organization in Latin America!
At Maximo Nivel, we think our programs are awesome, but don’t take our word for it. You can easily connect with other program participants and read about their experiences. Check out program reviews for Maximo Nivel below:
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“We didn’t come to change the world. We didn’t come to change Peru. We came for the one child whom we cooled his fever for hours. We came for the one single mom whom we were giving English lessons to in order that she might have a better chance at a job. We came to lighten the load on those individuals who were building a preschool. We came to have that extra time to love on an old blind warthog at the zoo. We came for the individual. Then the medical, the teacher’s, the builder’s, the zoo volunteers, the sponsors of children came together and climbed yet one more mountain. Literally this time.” – @wendy_and_thelostboys
GO ABROAD
“I came to Maximo Antigua knowing no Spanish at all. I am in college and I want to work in immigration in the United States so Spanish is a necessity. I wanted a program where I could learn really quickly, and Maximo Nivel delivered! I have four hours a day of direct Spanish classes, and Maximo provides free tandem partners who are learning English at the school so you can practice your Spanish while they practice their English. There is also free salsa classes, tours of the city, and more activities to keep you busy and exploring Antigua.” – Sarah Whipple
GO OVERSEAS
“GREAT EXPERIENCE! I have been to many Spanish immersion classes and this school has a lot to offer. The teachers are very professional and well prepared. The staff is very friendly and always available to offer support and answer questions. The school environment is very positive and upbeat. Everyone at the front desk was always friendly and had a smile. Overall it was a great experience. Also the location is excellent, very close to many amenities: restaurants, shopping, bars, cafes: you can walk everywhere. I stayed in an apartment which was a good fit for me, but others told me that the home-stay program was a good experience. Thank you Maximo Nivel.” – Frank
VOLUNTEER FOREVER
“FABULOUS summarizes my experience with Máximo Nivel in Costa Rica. It’s an organization that meets absolutely all conditions required for a volunteer to do their jobs optimally. I highlight the infrastructure and equipment, additional services such as English classes (in my case), cafeteria, among others, but above all, emphasized the team in each of the strata composing Máximo is a high level professional and human, commitment to their work, empathy, warmth, the resolvent in the large and in detail to, among other things. I’m very grateful to each of the people with whom I interacted during my three weeks with Máximo, because I did feel family and thereby facilitated children draw smiles on Pequeño Pueblito Project. Also thank the founders Ken and Giovanna, who with a very wise look they created an organization that lives up to its name “Máximo Nivel” and providing a service invaluable. Today, I can say that I go back to my country happy by this fabulous experience and because I have great friends from Costa Rica! I love them!!” – Vita Paz Saldias Santana
TEFL COURSE REVIEW
“I can’t say enough great things about my experience with Maximo Nivel in Costa Rica’s TEFL course. The amount of learning in the course was pretty intense – I would tell people to expect to need to do plenty of reading and homework. Through all the intensity of the course, I had a great teacher, Audra, who pushed me, and cheered me on. Audra was engaging and so full of knowledge. I finished the course, and am now using what I learned at Maximo Nivel Costa Rica in my own TEFL classroom. I also loved the atmosphere of Maximo Nivel Manuel Antonio. It was beautiful – from mountains, to the national park, to the ocean. And the people were kind and made it feel like home.” – Abigail Armstrong
HUFF POST
“Taking the first step towards even understanding what TEFL (teaching English as a foreign language) is all about can be intimidating, let alone actually figuring out the step by step process. Maximo Nivel, a program specializing in training and placing ESL teachers, works to guide prospective teachers through the process. Not only do they provide a detailed guide of why teaching TEFL is beneficial, but they also lay out the answers to questions that have probably been on your mind.”
ELITE DAILY
“What makes Maximo Nivel especially unique is its ability to provide volunteers with real and useful growth. Volunteers can gain college credits, do study abroad programs and complete internships. Plus, volunteers have the ability to specifically choose what they are interested in and pursue it with a low program fee starting at $595.”
WASHINGTON POST
“My wife, Evelyne, our 14-year-old daughter, Rebecca, and I were visiting our 18-year-old daughter, Rachel, who is spending a chunk of her “gap year” before college as a volunteer English teacher. We thought that this trip would be mostly about reuniting as a family. Instead, it quickly became something more like Family in Adventureland. We immersed ourselves as best we could in a daring culture that sent us on catamaran rides, snorkeling, white-water rafting, banana-boating, even parasailing.”
MATADOR NETWORK
“I learned quite a few things about being an entrepreneur while teaching abroad. There were many opportunities for me to find and take on private students outside of my actual job. I learned how to negotiate fees, gather resources and plan out lessons without any help from my employers.”
VERGE MAGAZINE
“I felt accomplished having stepped out of my comfort zone, and overcoming the awkwardness and stage fright that comes with learning a language. The friends I made, and the experiences that came with it were more than enough of a reward. However, I wasn’t aware until recently of how I was benefiting cognitively by constantly using two languages. Research has demonstrated that individuals who are bilingual develop more abstract thinking strategies, allowing them to become better problem solvers, stronger decision makers, and develop greater memory capacity. This is all thanks to the ability of bilingual brains to be more active and flexible.”
THE CULTURE TRIP
“While Peru is famous for its beautiful landscape and ancient ruins, it’s also well known for its volunteer opportunities. Many local communities and leaders, as well as NGOs, have set up programs where people can work with and in communities in Peru, helping with teaching, education, after-school care and construction. These programs allow volunteers to become a part of a community and even offer live-ins, which is when a Peruvian family opens its doors to a volunteer. Somewhere in Peru is the perfect volunteer program for you.”
USA TODAY
Help troubled children in Costa Rica: Work with kids from abusive or troubled families with programs based in this Central American country usually associated with eco-tourism. “(The children) have horrible home situations. Volunteers may play games with them and do art projects. It’s a way to interact with them,” Lee says.
