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Cultural and Language Immersion - International Volunteer Work - Overseas Teaching Help
Explore the world, expand your horizons, and take part in an intercultural experience you'll never forget.
Dive into cultural immersion.
Volunteer overseas
with Cultural Extremes. Make a difference in your life and the lives of others..
Welcome to Cultural Extremes!
Hello! My name is Sean Bienert. I am the program manager for Cultural
Extremes, and I'd like to tell you about our organization. However,
before I do that, let me tell you some stories that might sound all too
familiar.
Right now, there are thousands of college graduates who, despite winning
accolades in college, end up answering phones and living with their
parents. Many college graduations are short lived celebrations as the
average college graduate is 20,000 dollars in debt at graduation. This
causes many graduates to worry about their finances and compromise any
chance at an exciting career for the stability of having a paycheck. For
a lot of people, this is the "real world."
There are also armies of people in the IT and finance industries whose
glowing screens and cubicle walls define nine-tenths of their waking
world. Some of the largest, fastest-growing, and lucrative fields in the
western world are also, sadly, some of the most boring and soulless.
Unless, of course, your idea of a good time is commuting, spreadsheets,
and the endless pursuit of making more and more money for a corporation
where you can be bought and sold as easily as the all but imaginary
commodities that appear on a computer screen. To a lot of people, this
is the "real world."
Instead, imagine an exotic world full of new smells and experiences
every day. You could be anywhere from the heights of Nepal to the
jungles of Costa Rica. Imagine your friends' faces when you tell them
the stories about the personalities of Khmer children or how you used to
go for runs along the beach as the sun came up every morning in
Thailand. Imagine your resume when you can put down that you were able
to manage a classroom in a foreign country, or that you know how to read
Hangul? How about that for a "real world?"
Don't believe me? I am not a salesman - I tried that and wasn't any good
at it. This is my true story, and it can easily be your story:
In 2004, I graduated from the University of Iowa with a BA in English, a
sterling academic record, recommendations from professors, and the vague
knowledge that the job market in the "real world" wasn't very good. I
didn't understand what that meant until I found myself in a terrible
double bind. I was unable to find a "good" job because everywhere I
looked seemed to require experience. In spite of the fact that I had
gotten my first job at twelve years old and worked a plethora of
different places from eyeglass repair to road construction, I had no experience
that was pertinant to the "real world". At the same time, menial jobs ignored my applications because
they knew I would quit as soon as I found something better. The "real
world" wanted nothing to do with anything I had learned as an English
major.
My first job post-graduation was as a contract temp at a multi-national
energy conglomerate. The pay wasn't bad, but I felt sick to my stomach
nearly every day because everyone around me was totally obsessed with
money. All I wanted to do was quit, but then I remembered the endless
stacks of applications, the unreturned phone calls, and the resumes
that, I presume, went directly into the "circular file." It wasn't long
before I began to see that control of my life was being taken from my
hands and placed on a track. Any experience I earned in that field,
could only benefit me in getting jobs that were similar. I needed a
change, and I needed it soon. The "real world" was beginning to look
really depressing.
Soon, I began looking abroad...
Fast-forward to the present day. I live, usually, in Ban Phe, Thailand.
I have seen things that I wouldn't have dared to imagine before and have
made an impact on the lives of people I never would have even heard of,
had I stayed where I was. I help people who need teachers, travel, learn
languages, and constantly hear from my friends in the United States that
they wish they could do what I do. (Curious to see what that is? Check
out my
Photo Blog ! )
I tell them what I tell everyone. YOU CAN.
I would like to invite you to the world beyond an office. I would like
to invite you to rewards beyond money. I would like to invite you to a
real world beyond the "real world."
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Your Skills + Our Support = A Better World ...
Cultural Extremes
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Mission Statement:
We encourage meaningful international travel by offering free volunteer
placements and paid training opportunities in TESOL, languages, and
other intercultural activities.
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