By Taylor Kay, Senior Director for Work and Travel, with contributions from Greenheart staff
Isn’t it funny: if you’re a student and it’s May or June, you say “ahhh summer is finally here!” If you run a seasonal business, you earn a similar sense of relief in September or October. All of a sudden, you can breathe again, you can take more than one day off in a row and apply self-care.
We understand this and that’s why we are so grateful to host organizations that make time for a sponsor visit. This summer Greenheart visited participants and hosts in 20 states – what we call Going Greenheart Tours (GGHTs). These allow us to see the Greenheart mission – to connect people and planet, prepare tomorrow’s leaders and of course allow cultural exchange – in action, and to connect with our stakeholders in local communities. What follows are snippets from five trips this summer – events or interactions that were meaningful to our staff.
Story 1: Turtle Town in Keystone, South Dakota visited by Tom Stillwell
Visiting Turtle Town was a highlight during my long road trip around South Dakota this Summer. Turtle Town has three candy/ice cream shops situated around the Keystone/Black Hills area serving up a seemingly endless variety of sweet treats. I was greeted by big smiles whenever I walked in the door with our exchange visitors being very happy working at Turtle Town. The real treat for me was watching the participants interact with customers, with genuine warmth shining through each conversation!
Story 2: Water Country in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, visited by Taylor Kay, Senior Director for Work and Travel
As a parent, I have been to a lot of amusement parks and water parks over the years. Often by late August, it’s clear it’s been a long summer, and the staff are burned out and itching to move on to whatever they do when the park closes for the year. That was not the case at Water Country waterpark, located on the New Hampshire Seacoast. Though it was one of the last operating days of the year, I found a team that was relaxed yet attentive. They were enjoying each other’s company as they conducted their duties in aquatics, park services and guest relations. I saw the GM spring into action when a toddler left a trail of napkins across a plaza – and a Work and Travel participant jumped in right next to him to help.
Two additional things impressed me as I toured the park:
- Three Work and Travel participants had been promoted to Team Leads in their first summer at Water Country. For clear reasons: I quickly sensed in Milena, Ronel and Yeudy a sense of ownership. This was their park. Another employee from Jamaica, George, was busy doing extra maintenance tasks (he sprang up to fix a picnic table that we sat on to talk).
- The easy rapport between the HR Manager and employees. Though in her first summer at the park, Kara’s candy bowl invites employees to stop by for a few words in the morning. Similarly, she has discovered “Free food is key” to boost turnout for educational events.
It was August 20 and the water slides were to remain open for the annual employee celebration, along with pizza, a huge amount of cupcakes and a raffle of gift baskets. The same employees who I encountered just a couple hours earlier turned into kids again, set loose go on the slides with no lines and able to let their hair down without guests around.
Story 3: Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk in Santa Cruz, California, visited by Nick Berry, Host Relations Manager, Work and Travel
Arriving to Santa Cruz as a first-time visitor in May, the California sun was shining, and the Boardwalk was abuzz with excitement for Memorial Day weekend and the official kick-off to summer. Participants from the spring were wrapping up, looking like experienced veterans, while others, like me, were checking in for their first experience at Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. The staff was so welcoming – providing a real hands-on approach to navigating those first moments for those of us, who just hours earlier, disembarked our flights after arriving in California. A great day touring the Boardwalk, and seeing the participant experience, culminated with an invite to the arrival day pizza party and mixer – what a cool, casual way to settle into a California summer adventure.
While I couldn’t have been more impressed by the welcoming nature of the staff, supportive approach of managers, and organized process for newbies like me, the opportunity to meet participants and hear about their experience first-hand is what reminded me of the importance of such exchange opportunities. It was also a reminder that we each take away something different from these experiences. Estefany had built lifelong friendships with her coworkers in the kitchen, including her head chef, highlighting the personal impact of exchange. Tanatad, AKA Captain, showed off the new skills he’d learned making and serving food to Boardwalk guests during his stay. A clear rockstar, his manager beamed at what a welcome addition he had been. And, Ricardo, the epitome of California cool. He immersed himself in the local culture and had adopted a true American vibe rooted in his many experiences during his three months in Santa Cruz.
Story 4: Canobie Lake Park visited by Lydia Belden, Host Relations Account Manager, Work and Travel, and Matt Smith, CEO
It’s truly a family affair at Canobie Lake Park. These participants from Jamaica are returning for their second or third season on the program, and each year they’ve welcomed another family member to join them at the park.
Throughout the summer, participants were grateful for the support provided by Canobie Lake Park. From enjoying park attractions to connecting with coworkers and participating in employee events and outings, they had many opportunities to make lasting memories during their cultural exchange experience.
Story 5: Hershey Entertainment & Resorts, visited by Joe Burns and Matt Smith
They call Hershey, Pennsylvania, “The Sweetest Place on Earth,” and after spending several days there with Greenheart CEO Matt Smith, I came away thinking the name fits for reasons that have very little to do with chocolate.
Matt and I traveled to Hershey to spend time with the team at Hershey Entertainment & Resorts (HE&R), one of Greenheart’s Work and Travel host organizations, and to visit participants across their properties. We were impressed by what HE&R has built around the program. Their support extends far beyond the workplace, from orientation and onboarding to housing, transportation, cultural activities, volunteering, and ongoing participant support. That commitment is reflected in the participants we met.
Many had returned for multiple summers, some growing into leadership roles along the way. Among them was Vanesta Mullings, who first came to Hershey as a Greenheart Ambassador Scholar. Meeting Vanesta was a highlight of my visit. With her hat decorated with flag pins representing the countries of friends she has made, her enthusiasm for cultural exchange was unmistakable. She embodies so much of what we hope participants take away from Work and Travel: new friendships, greater confidence, and curiosity about people and cultures from around the world.
Another highlight was joining participants for a volunteer project at Ronald McDonald House. For many, it was their first time volunteering. One participant arrived expecting simply to help tidy the facility. Instead, he met a family from his home country staying at the house and learned about their situation. He left with a heartfelt connection that none of us could have planned.
We ended our visit with a behind the scenes tour of Milton Hershey School. After seeing the scale and efficiency of an operation supporting more than 2,000 students, we stepped inside one of the student homes and met a house family preparing for the new school year. That contrast stuck with me. Behind an extraordinary operation are families making an extraordinary commitment, helping students with the everyday experiences and life skills that prepare them for independence and success.
Learning more about Milton Hershey School also helped connect the dots from our entire visit. HE&R is part of the legacy created to support the school, and the emphasis on service, opportunity, and helping people reach their potential is evident throughout the Hershey community. Those values align closely with Greenheart’s own mission and are part of what makes our relationship with HE&R so special. They also gave “The Sweetest Place on Earth” a little more meaning for me.
Thank you, Taylor and colleagues, for such a positive update on GGHTs! We also thank and appreciate our host organizations for hosting our Work and Travel participants and offering them incredible opportunities for cultural enrichment and growth.
If you are a business who would like to host international seasonal staff for a cultural exchange, please visit HirewithGreenheart.org to learn more.
To learn more about Greenheart’s Work and Travel program visit GreenheartExchange.org.