Experiment in International Living

The Experiment in International Living Logo

The Experiment in International Living, EIL, or the Experiment, is a worldwide organization offering language, arts, community service, ecological adventure, and regional exploration programs of international cross-cultural education for high school students in the United States and people of all ages around the world.

The Experiment in International Living introduced the concept of a homestay to the world when it was founded in 1932, placing “Experimenters” in the homes of host families to enhance the intercultural and/or language study aspects of each program. Since the introduction of homestays, organizations including the People to People Student Ambassador Program and SYA have adopted this cultural immersion technique to facilitate understanding.

The Experiment in International Living's mission remains "to foster peace through understanding, communication, and cooperation" and "to share experiences, languages, and customs with those from different traditions, with the goals of broadening horizons, gaining lifelong friends, and advancing peace."

Homestays are the focus of every Experiment program. Participants from the US spend multiple weeks of the program living with a family in their home usually separated from an urban environment. All of its programs include at least one homestay, with programs in Turkey and China featuring two homestays--one in an urban setting and a second with a rural family. The principle of the homestay is based on World Learning's philosophy that the best way to understand another culture is to live as a member of one of its families."

In a single three- to five-week international program, US students spend time with a host family and participate in activities with their group of "Experimenters". Each Experiment program focuses on at least one of the following six themes: community service, ecology, language training, travel, arts, or peace/conflict studies. Programs are strengthened by professionally trained group leaders and in-country guides. As part of the application process, students must submit a letter to a prospective host family, (in either English, Spanish, or French depending on the location of the program); the letter and a profile filled out by the applicant are used by the local homestay representative to match students with a family. Students may apply either online or through the mail.

The Experiment is a 501(c)3 charity and provides financial aid to applicants based on family need.

Currently, the Experiment hosts 60 programs in 30 countries including Argentina, Australia, Belize, Botswana, Chile, People's Republic of China, Costa Rica, Ecuador, France, Germany, Ghana, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, New Zealand, Peru, Poland, Scotland, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States (Navajo Nation). Knowledge of a foreign language is expected on certain trips, thus experience in Spanish for at least a year is required for trips to Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, and Spain. Similarly students are expected to study French for at least a year prior to the program in Switzerland and some programs in France.

Some Experimenters of note: Ariana Huffington Julie Taymore R. Sargent Shriver

See also

• World Learning
• School for International Training
• SIT Study Abroad
• SIT Graduate Institute
• Federation EIL
• Congress Bundestag Youth Exchange

External links

• experimentinternational.org, US Official Website
• experiment.org, Federation EIL
• worldlearning.org, World Learning
• eilireland.org, EIL Intercultural Learning
• rehrig.net/eil Alumni site for EIL/CBIV (Experiment in Living, Congress-Bundestag IV), 1987-1988, administered by alumnus Paul Rehrig
• [1], Volunteer Abroad