• greenheart
  • programs in U.S.
  • programs abroad
  • fair trade
  • Donate
  • greenheart
  • programs in U.S.
  • programs abroad
  • fair trade
  • Donate
  • greenheart
  • programs in U.S.
  • programs abroad
  • fair trade
  • Donate
  • Settings
  • Privacy

Cookie Consent Settings

Greenheart uses cookies to let you interact with our services, and for marketing and advertising purposes. Some of these cookies are strictly necessary for our sites to function and by using this site you agree that you have read and understand our use of cookies.

Our marketing and advertising cookies are non-essential and you can opt out of using them with this tool. Blocking cookies may impact your experience on our website.

Functional Cookies

These cookies are necessary for our sites to function properly. These cookies secure our forms, support login sessions and remember user dialogue. Because the site does not function without these cookies, opt-out is not available. They are not used for marketing or analytics.

Marketing Cookies

These cookies are used to enhance the relevance of our advertising on social media and to tailor messages relevant to your interests.

Analytical Cookies

These cookies collect anonymous data on how visitors use our site and how our pages perform. We use this information to make the best site possible for our users.

SAVE

Privacy Notice

Greenheart International

Effective Date: 1/9/2019

This privacy notice describes how Greenheart International collects, uses, and discloses Personally Identifying Information (also known as “PII”) or Personal Data (collectively “Personal Information”) from and about users of Greenheart International websites. This privacy notice also applies to any associated paper forms. Please read this privacy notice before using Greenheart International websites or submitting any personal information.

These practices may be changed at any time. Changes will be posted along with the date of the change. You should review this privacy notice when you visit Greenheart International websites to make sure that you understand how Personal Information is collected, used, and disclosed.

Why We Collect Information

The Personal Information you provide to us is only used to:

  • Fulfill your specific request or provide the service or information you requested
  • Comply with legal requirements and to protect our legal rights
  • Improve our programs and services
  • In any other way, if you have provided us with express permission to do so

We may use non-Personal Information for additional reasons described in the remainder of this privacy notice.

If you identify yourself to us by sending us an email with questions or comments, we may retain your comments for future reference.

What Information We Collect

Greenheart collects Personal Information, which is information that on its own or in combination with other information may be used to identify, contact, or locate an individual. Examples include:

  • Name
  • Address
  • Email address
  • Username and password for our websites
  • Credit card, other payment information and financial and economic information
  • Social Security number or other government-issued identification number
  • IP addresses
  • Telephone number
  • Social media account names
  • Passport number or other similar travel-related information, such as a visa
  • Personal interests, activities, hobbies, etc.
  • Health-related information
  • Family history
  • Religious and philosophical affiliation
  • Gender and/or sex
  • Ethnicity
  • Date of birth and/or birthday
  • Country of citizenship
  • Work and volunteer History
  • Family information (e.g. names, email, phone numbers)
  • Photographs and videos
  • Education information (e.g. school attended, diplomas, transcripts)
  • Extra-curricular Activities

Greenheart International collects other information that relates to you but does not identify you. Examples include clickstream data and web-browsing information (such as the date and time you visit a website, whether you click on various advertisements or links and the search terms you enter when using a website), and information about your computer, device and internet connection, and geographic location.

How We Collect Personal Information

We collect Personal Information from you in the following ways:

  • When you register for one of our websites or submit an inquiry through one of our websites;
  • When you complete and submit a paper or electronic form associated with Greenheart International;
  • When you send us an email or use other features of one of our websites to contact or interact with us;
  • When you contact us by telephone regarding Greenheart International; or
  • Automatically when you visit Greenheart International websites (n.b., the only Personal Information we automatically collect is your IP address, which is only considered Personal Information in certain circumstances).

Distribution of Information

We may share information gathered by us from Greenheart International websites with governmental agencies or other companies assisting us in providing services to you. We may do so when:

  • Permitted or required by law;
  • We apply for or assist you in applying for a visa or other documentation necessary for you to participate in one of our programs;
  • Interacting with third parties who are involved in, assist in the provision of or are otherwise involved with our programs, products, and services (e.g., host families, travel agencies, schools, U.S. Department of State); or
  • Trying to protect against, prevent or investigate actual or potential fraud or unauthorized transactions.

Information provided under one of the four preceding bullet points will not be used by those receiving it for marketing purposes, unless specifically authorized by the user.

Third parties who provide webhosting services or other services that make possible the operation of Greenheart International websites and the services you request through the websites may have access to information that you provide us to the extent that those third parties require access to our databases to service the websites.

In connection with the sale or transfer of all or part of our assets, we reserve the right to transfer information we have obtained from or about you.

We are not responsible for any breach of security or for any actions of any third parties that receive information from us.

Transfer of Information

Greenheart International websites are hosted and maintained in the United States of America. Your Personal Information may be transmitted to countries outside of the European Economic Area, including the United States of America. You can obtain details of the mechanism under which your personal data is transferred outside the EU by contacting privacy@greenheart.org. If your Personal Information is transferred outside the European Economic Area to third party service providers, we will take steps to ensure that your Personal Information receives the same level of protection as if it remained within the European Economic Area, including by entering into data transfer agreements using the European Commission approved Standard Contractual Clauses, or by relying on certification schemes such as the EU–US Privacy Shield.

Cookie/Tracking Technology – Use of Non-Personal Information

Greenheart International websites use cookie and tracking technology to collect non-Personal Information. Our system also automatically gathers information about areas you visit on our websites, and about the links you select from within one of our websites to the other areas of the World Wide Web or elsewhere online. We use such information in the aggregate to understand how our users as a group use the services and resources provided on our websites. This way we know which areas of our websites are preferred by our users, which areas need improvement, and what technologies are being used so that we may continually improve our websites. Personal Information cannot be collected via cookies and other tracking technology, however, if you previously provided us with your Personal Information, cookies may be tied to such information. Aggregate cookie and tracking information may be shared with third parties but that aggregate information does not identify individual website users. Our web servers do not record visitor email addresses unless that information is submitted by the visitor. We may determine what technology is available through your browser to provide you with the most appropriate version of a web page. Greenheart International uses Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, Gravity Forms, Yoast, Formstack, Calendly, GoOverseas, and other web traffic tracking tools.

Links to Other Websites

Greenheart International websites contain links to other websites. These links are for your convenience. We do not control, endorse or review the privacy notices of other websites, which may be different than this privacy notice. You should review the privacy notice of other websites before choosing to disclose Personal Information.

Data Security

Greenheart takes steps to secure your Personal Information. We exercise care in providing secure transmissions when we need to transfer your Personal Information from our servers. Our websites use secure server software encryption, which is indicated by https in the url of the website. Encryption is a common method of ensuring that information remains private. Greenheart International cannot guarantee or warrant that the information that you transmit to us, or any communications is completely secure.

Retention of Personal Information

Greenheart International only retains data for as long as necessary for the purposes indicated in this privacy notice or for such other period as may be permitted or required by law.

Children’s Privacy

For children age 14-16, Greenheart International takes additional steps to protect their Personal Information. We do not intend to collect Personal Information from children aged 13 or younger. These additional steps include:

  • Notifying parents about our privacy practices, including the types of Personal Information we may collect, how the Personal Information is used, and with whom (and how) it is disclosed;
  • Obtaining consent from the parent for the collection of Personal Information, which may be done in a paper format;
  • Collecting and storing only the Personal Information reasonably necessary for the purpose we for which we are receiving it; and
  • Providing parents with the right to request access to or a copy of their children’s Personal Information.

Your Rights

Certain jurisdictions provide their residents or citizens with certain rights about their Personal Information. These may include the right to request access to the data we hold about you, to obtain a copy of your Personal Information, to request that your Personal Information be erased, to correct inaccurate information, to ask us to restrict how we process your Personal Information, or to withdraw your consent to our processing of your Personal Information. Your individual rights will depend on your residency and citizenship.

Please contact us using the following information for more information about this privacy notice, to notify us of a concern or complaint, or to exercise any of the individual rights you may have.

Data Protection Officer

By mail: 712 N Wells St. Chicago, IL 60654, USA

By email: privacy@greenheart.org

By phone: +1 312-944-2544

Additionally, all marketing emails and newsletters from Greenheart International allow you to opt out of further correspondence. You can do so by clicking the link within the emails, which will guide you on how to opt-out.

  • Search
  • About
    • Our Mission
    • Staff
    • Join the Team
    • Become a Partner
    • Alumni
  • Teens
    • High School Abroad
    • Language Camps
    • Volunteer Abroad
  • Adults
    • Homestay Abroad
    • Teach English Abroad
    • TEFL Certification
    • Volunteer Abroad
    • Work Abroad
    • Summer Programs
  • Resources
    • 2019 Giveaway!
    • First Time Travelers
    • Fundraising Guide
    • Greenheart Grants
    • Greenheart Travel Atlas
    • For Schools
    • Scholarships
    • Webinars & Events
  • Blog
  • Contact

Find Your Adventure

Use the options below to search all of the available programs - you can filter them to reduce the results.

Tips for Writing the Perfect “Dear Family Letter”

Share on Facebook
1 year ago by Allison Yates in High School Abroad, Language Camps, Teach in a Homestay#Host Family #Travel Tips | Comment
A Greenheart Traveler bonding with his host family.

Because Greenheart Travel programs focus on language and cultural immersion, many programs – like our Teen Summer Language Camps, Teach English in a Homestay, and High School Abroad programs – travelers stay with host families.

Whether you teach in a homestay in Thailand, study Italian in Florence or go to high school in Spain, living with a host family is one of the best parts. They may be strangers at first, but sooner than you know you’ll be eating breakfast in your pajamas, going to the supermarket and watching movies with them.

Living with a new family is often an adjustment, but every day you’ll learn more about each other’s quirks and personalities. Even before you arrive, you’ll show them a taste of your personality  through a “Dear Family Letter.” If you’re not sure what this means or what to write – don’t worry!

Here’s everything you wanted to know but didn’t want to ask about writing a letter to your host family:

Greenheart Traveler abroad with host family.

A Greenheart Traveler spending quality time with his host family in Spain.

What’s a ‘Dear Family Letter’?

A ‘Dear Family Letter’ is a short introduction to who you are, and why you want to live abroad. When you are matched with a family, they’ll receive this letter just as you’ll receive a letter from them. This is the first way they learn about you and it’s your chance to show them you’re ready to be part of their family.

Kathy Clancy, Teach in a Homestay in Italy, France, and Argentina alum, says one of the most important things for her to demonstrate in the letter is her desire to be make the family a priority and develop strong bonds with them.

The families I stayed with wanted a ‘friend’ and someone they believed would follow the flow of the family (make them a priority), and not someone who was in the program just for their own experience.

Pro-tips:

  • Make it original! Avoid copying and pasting from a previous homestay letter or other applications.
  • Letters usually run about a page in length.
  • Write them as best you can in the language of the host country. If you’re linguistic skills are a bit rusty, no worries! You can always provide an English version to accompany your letter.
A Greenheart Traveler exploring Russia with his host family.

A Greenheart Traveler sightseeing with his host family in Russia.

There are four main parts to the host family letter:

1. Background on You

Think of this section as an elevator pitch about your life.

Some ideas:

  • Where did you study?
  • What did you study?
  • Where are you from?
  • What’s your family like, and how do you spend your free time?
  • What is your personality like?
  • What do you like about other people?
  • What are you most passionate about?
  • How do you incorporate that in your life?
  • What’s something amazing you’ve done in your life?
  • What do you hope to do in the future?

Pro-tips:

  • Write things that would make great conversation starters. For example, Clancy loves to cook, so she wrote about it. “This made it easy to talk about the types of cuisines the host family would serve and American foods they would like me to make,” she says.
  • Keep it positive unless you’re discussing a negative situation you overcame.

2. Why You Want to Go Abroad

Have you traveled before? Did you have a great host family experience before, and that’s why you’d like to do it again? What inspired you? What about their country intrigues you?

Pro-tip:

• If you’ve read, watched movies or listened to music from their country, let them know! They’ll be happy you’ve already taken an interest in their culture.

A Greenheart Traveler ice skating in Germany.

A Greenheart Traveler ice skating with her host mother in Germany.

3. What You Hope to Gain During Your Program

Maybe you hope to share your love of the English language. Maybe you’re a history buff who wants to learn about Argentina or you’d like to climb mountains in Chile. Perhaps you’d also love to become conversational in French, train for a marathon or learn photography. Whatever it is, let them know!

Pro-tips:

  • The more specific, the better! It’s good to say, “I’m interested in learning about the culture,” but it’s even better to explain that you’ve loved French cooking ever since you first watched Julia Child, or you’re an avid exerciser and want to see what group fitness classes are like in a different country.
  • Include an activity you’d enjoy doing with them, or a favorite hobby you’d like to share with the family.

4. Show You’re Excited to Meet Them

Let them know how much it means that they want to welcome you into their family! Remember that it will be just as much an adjustment for them as it is for you. Showing your appreciation and excitement early will set the tone for your stay.

Pro-tip:

  • If you’re doing the Teach English in a Homestay program, tell them some fun ideas you’d like to incorporate into a lesson.
A Greenheart Traveler getting picked up at the airport by her host family.

A Greenheart Traveler meets her host family for the first time in Sweden.

Why is a ‘Dear Family Letter’ Important?

Through your letter, your family gets a better sense of why you’re a great fit for their home. It gives them a way to plan for your visit. For example, if you mention you love to play violin, they might have a family friend who also plays the instrument and they’ll connect you with a local (and you can make friends while on your program).

Plus, it’s a great ice breaker! You’ll Skype with your family before you depart. Already having that letter helps the family dive right into getting to know you.

The host families are thrilled to meet and get to know Greenheart Travelers, so a ‘Dear Family Letter’ is a great opportunity to make a good first impression and get them excited for you to join their home.

 

Need an example? Elaina Tenter, Teach English in a Homestay in Italy alum, shares the letter she wrote.

There are no comments

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Follow This Blog

    Enter your email below to signup for notifications about new posts.

    Email address

Related Programs

  • Italy

    18 - 55+ Years -
  • France

    18 - 55+ Years -
  • About
    • Our Mission
    • Staff
    • Alumni
    • Join the Team
    • Become a Partner
    • Privacy Policy
  • Teen Programs
    • High School Abroad
    • Language Camps
    • Volunteer Abroad
  • Adult Programs
    • Homestay Abroad
    • TEFL Certification
    • Volunteer Abroad
    • Work Abroad
    • Summer Programs

Contact

200 W. Superior Street, Suite 300, Chicago, IL 60654, United States
1-888-ABROAD-1

    OUR MONTHLY NEWSLETTER:

  • Follow Us

    • facebook
    • youtube
    • instagram
    • snapchat
    • CCI Greenheart
    • Greenheart Travel
    • Greenheart Shop
    • Greenheart Transforms
    • Greenheart Ibiza
    • Greenheart Music
    • Donate
    • © 2019 Greenheart Travel