Greenheart Travel

What Greenheart Travel does

Greenheart Travel is a 501(c)(3) non-profit cultural exchange organization headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, founded in 1984 as part of the Greenheart Organization. The company delivers international immersion programs for three primary segments: high school students (ages 15-18) seeking semester, trimester, academic year, or summer study abroad; gap year travelers (ages 17-24) pursuing customizable programs from a few weeks to 12 months; and adults/young professionals participating in teach abroad, work abroad, TEFL certification, and volunteer programs. Programs are delivered across 19+ countries spanning Europe, Asia, Latin America, Oceania, and South Asia, with participants placed with vetted host families, enrolled in local schools, or assigned to language schools and volunteer projects.

The product portfolio includes nine core and supporting offerings: High School Abroad, Teen Language Camps, Gap Year Programs, Teach in a Homestay, Work Abroad, Volunteer Abroad, Summer Programs, School to School Exchange, and TEFL Certification. Supporting services comprise the Greenheart Travel Atlas (an interactive cultural training guidebook with five videos on personal/professional development, cultural understanding, and environmental awareness), Greenheart Grants and GIG Grants for community projects, First Time Traveler Scholarships exceeding $12,000 annually, and alumni programs including the Greenheart Club and annual Global Leaders Conference with full-ride scholarships to over 40 alumni.

The business operates on a direct-to-consumer model, generating revenue primarily through program fees that range from $1,140 to $15,410 depending on program type, duration, and destination. Application fees ($300-$1,500), commitment deposits, and optional add-ons supplement program fees, while donations and grants support scholarships and operations. Distribution is mediated by personalized program expert consultations, a digital application portal (greenheart.smapply.io), website inquiry forms, alumni referrals, and content marketing across blog, social media, and podcast channels. The organization holds memberships in WYSTC, WYSE Work Abroad Association, and Alliance for International Exchange, and is staffed by 11-50 employees.

Name

Greenheart Travel

Legal name

Greenheart Travel

Website

https://greenhearttravel.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Greenheart Travel is a 501(c)(3) non-profit cultural exchange organization offering high school abroad, gap year, language camp, teach abroad, work abroad, and volunteer programs across 19+ countries for teens, young adults, and their families, headquartered in Chicago.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Exchange Programs

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Student & Youth Educational Tours (THAKAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Study Abroad Provider Networks, Consortia & Membership Organizations (EDAIAAAK), School Group & Curriculum-Led Trips (THAKAGAB), Service Learning, Volunteer & Community Engagement Trips (THAKAGAF)

Keywords

• Cultural exchange programs
• Study abroad programs
• Language immersion
• Gap year programs
• International volunteer programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Program Fees: Greenheart Travel generates revenue through program fees charged to participants for study abroad, gap year, language camp, and teach abroad programs. Fees vary by program type, duration, and destination country. Additional revenue comes from application fees, commitment deposits, and optional add-ons. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit, program fees are kept as low as possible while covering tangible inclusions like insurance, orientations, airport pickup, support staff, and host family vetting.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Greenheart Travel is a 501(c)(3) non-profit cultural exchange organization that sells international participation programs — including High School Abroad, Gap Year, Teen Language Camps, Teach in a Homestay, Work Abroad, Volunteer Abroad, TEFL Certification, and School-to-School Exchange — in 30+ countries. Each program bundles host family accommodation, meals, in-country support, airport pickup, medical insurance, and pre-departure orientation into a single paid offering to individuals (teens, young adults, and their parents).

Product overview

Greenheart Travel is a 501(c)(3) non-profit cultural exchange organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of international travel programs. The core offerings include High School Abroad programs (semester, trimester, and academic year exchanges), Teen Language Camps, Gap Year Programs, Teach in a Homestay, Work Abroad, and Volunteer Abroad programs. These programs are available in 19+ countries across Europe, Asia, South America, and Oceania. Supporting services include the Greenheart Travel Atlas (interactive cultural training), Greenheart Grants and Global Impact Grants for community projects, First Time Traveler Scholarships exceeding $12,000 annually, and comprehensive Alumni Programs including the Greenheart Club and annual Global Leaders Conference. The organization emphasizes full cultural immersion through host family placements, comprehensive support services including 24/7 emergency assistance, medical insurance, and pre-departure orientation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Greenheart Travel Atlas: Interactive cultural training guidebook with videos covering Personal/Professional Development, Cultural Understanding, and Environmental Awareness
• Greenheart Grants
• Greenheart Alumni Program
• Greenheart Global Leaders Conference
• Junior Greenheart Global Leaders Conference
• Greenheart GIG Grants
• Greenheart Club

Products and services

• High School Abroad Cultural exchange program for high school students (ages 15-18) to study abroad while living with a host family and attending a local high school. Offered as trimester, semester, or academic year programs in 19 countries. Includes orientation, airport pickup, host family accommodation, meals, school placement, medical insurance, and 24/7 in-country support.
• Gap Year Programs Customizable programs ranging from a few weeks to 12 months for recent high school graduates or young adults seeking personal and professional growth through travel, volunteering, working abroad, or language learning. Available in 15+ countries across Europe, Asia, and South America. Includes travel medical insurance, arrival orientations, airport pickup, support staff, and host family search and vetting.
• Teen Language Camps Full immersion language programs where teens live with local host families and attend language schools abroad, improving language skills through classroom instruction and cultural activities.
• Teach in a Homestay Language exchange program where tutors teach 15 hours of English per week to host families in exchange for accommodation and meals, allowing participants to learn the local language during free time. Available in countries including France, Italy, Thailand, South Korea, China, and Myanmar.
• Work Abroad Programs allowing travelers to work abroad in countries like Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, and Argentina, helping fund travel while experiencing new cultures through jobs in hostels, pubs, farms, and other establishments.
• Volunteer Abroad Volunteer programs allowing participants to give back to communities abroad through service projects in locations like Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
• TEFL Certification Teaching English as a Foreign Language certification course, including a 4-week Prague course that provides legal work permit opportunities in Europe (Czech Republic).
• Summer Programs Short-term summer programs including High School Summer Study Abroad (e.g., 1-month in Costa Rica at $4,190; 2-month at $4,730) and Teen Summer Language Camps for students wanting to travel during summer break.
• School to School Exchange Reciprocal classroom exchange program partnering schools in the US with Spanish schools for academic enrichment and cultural immersion for teachers and students.

Quantifiable outcome

• 94% positive rating on GoAbroad (251 reviews), 92% on Facebook (58 reviews), 95% on Go Overseas (454 reviews)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• World Youth Student and Educational Travel Confederation (WYSTC)coreOthersGreenheart Travel is a member of WYSTC, a leading organization in the youth, student, and educational travel industry. Membership demonstrates commitment to industry standards and best practices in cultural exchange programs.
• WYSE: Work Abroad AssociationcoreOthersGreenheart Travel is a member of the WYSE Work Abroad Association, providing credibility and industry recognition for work abroad and cultural exchange programs.
• Alliance for International ExchangecoreOthersGreenheart Travel is a member of the Alliance for International Exchange, demonstrating adherence to ethical standards and best practices in international exchange programs.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• WorldStrides: WorldStrides is a large established student educational travel operator offering international student travel and curriculum-led trips for school groups, overlapping with Greenheart's School-to-School Exchange and teen travel categories.
• EF Education First (Gap Year / High School Abroad): EF's high school abroad and language year programs operate in many of the same destination countries as Greenheart with similar host-family and language immersion models, though EF is a much larger for-profit incumbent with deeper marketing budgets.

Direct peers

• Rustic Pathways: Rustic Pathways designs teen and young adult service-learning and cultural immersion travel across Latin America, Asia, and Africa, overlapping Greenheart's Volunteer Abroad and teen offerings with similar community-project and host-family models.
• Projects Abroad: Projects Abroad operates volunteer, teach abroad, and gap year placements for teens and adults in dozens of countries, directly comparable to Greenheart's Volunteer Abroad, Teach in a Homestay, and Gap Year portfolios.
• AFS Intercultural Programs: AFS is a long-established international exchange nonprofit offering high school semester/year programs, gap year, and hosted homestay experiences, directly overlapping with Greenheart's High School Abroad and Gap Year core programs across dozens of countries.
• CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange): CIEE is one of the largest U.S.-based nonprofit study abroad and cultural exchange organizations, directly competing with Greenheart Travel in high school, gap year, and language immersion programs across multiple countries. Both run host-family placements and operate as mission-driven organizations.
• International Studies Abroad (ISA): ISA provides study abroad and gap year experiences primarily for U.S. college students, overlapping with Greenheart's adult/college-age segments and language immersion offerings in Europe and Latin America.
• Volunteering Solutions: Volunteering Solutions offers paid volunteer abroad and travel-with-purpose programs across 30+ countries, directly competing for Greenheart's Volunteer Abroad and gap-year volunteer participants.

Others

• Go Overseas: Go Overseas is a third-party review and program directory platform where Greenheart holds a 95% rating (454 reviews); it is a marketing channel and indirect competitor for participant attention rather than a direct program provider.
• Greenheart Exchange (sister program): Greenheart Exchange is the domestic U.S. counterpart organization under the parent Greenheart Organization, providing inbound exchange participant placements; it shares branding and mission but operates domestically rather than competing for the same customer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/GoGreenheartTravel
• Facebookfacebook.com/GreenheartTravel
• Instagraminstagram.com/greenheart_travel
• Pinterestpinterest.com/greenhrttravel
• Xx.com/greenhrttravel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/greenheart-travel

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Greenheart Travel