Argentina: Photojournalism and Social Change

It sounds cliche, but this trip made my summer the best I've ever experienced. The friends I made both within the program and in Argentina are ones that I'm still in contact with and are some of the coolest people I know. The leaders were incredibly competent and always made me feel safe, understood, and interested in what we were doing. The program itself taught me a lot and gave me constant opportunities to practice many kinds of photography. The homestay experience taught me so much about a different culture and independence, and introduced me to a second family. I highly recommend this program to anyone and everyone looking to go abroad and has an interest in photography and experiencing new things!

During my time here I was able to practice my Spanish to full extent and become more independent because of our leaders letting us be a little free. They would ask for our opinions and tried to accommodate to that. I really loved my host experience I was able to meet many Argentinian teens my age and younger and interact with them while learning how to use a pin hole camera. I really learned how to be grateful for what I have and to be open to anything because you never know whats the next obstacle you might face. During this trip we did two projects and presented them to our host families at the end of our course. I couldn't have asked for more I really loved the experience I had this summer. I would recommend anyone to not come with expectations because that way you will be able to have more fun and soak everything in rather than already coming in with an opinion. Lastly I would like to say to be yourself.

My trip in Argentina was truly fantastic. I loved the places we saw, the people we met, the food we ate, and even the weather and climate we lived in. I was also one of the lucky ones; I had a host family so amazing that I didn't necessarily want to return home to my own. (A very odd emotional dilemma, but it's true.) I do think I learned a lot about photography, but not exactly much about photojournalism. We were taught camera angles, depth of field, lighting, and a lot of good qualities that I as someone who sees photography as a serious endeavor hadn't yet learned. But, it goes without saying that the program description leads one to believe they will be studying photojournalism, and to me that meant going into scenes of the world and snapping what we could for that perfect shot. Instead, we talked to subjects we found in the street and were encouraged to pose them how we needed. The program was truly one of the best I've come across, but I believe a little tweaking of the program's title and description could go a long way to be truer to form.

My time in Argentina was an experience I will never forget. This is mostly thanks to The Experiment and everyone involved in making it happen. From the moment I landed in Miami and met my group I had already created a new family. It was absolutely amazing to see how fast everyone became so close so fast. Not only did we become close but we stayed close throughout the entire trip and still keep in touch with each other today.
Alongside the other Experimenters our group leaders were also phenomenal. I truly couldn't have asked for a better pair. The way they carried themselves and the group was beautiful and made this entire trip so much better. They were easy to talk to and always made sure everyone was involved in every activity. Not only were they engaging but they also were highly talented at their jobs. This made myself and everyone in the group feel safe wherever we went-- even if we weren't with the leaders.
I went into this trip expecting to be exposed to more photography subjects and I was. There were so many incredible things and people to capture and I made sure that I did that. I was so overwhelmed that I rarely put my camera down. If you're looking for a relaxed environment to photograph or a challenging one, Argentina is the right one for you. Whether we were in Buenos Aires or with our homestay families in Rafaela, the chances to capture amazing moments were abundant. (Photos from the trip can be viewed here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/153032666@N06/albums/72157683556108262)
I’ll finish with a few words about our homestay. Staying with the Rafaelino families was one of the best parts of this trip. We literally did everything together. We ate, laughed, and shared knowledge with each other and that’s an experience that can't be put into words. Everyone in our group had an incredible time with their families and the same goes the other way around. Overall, this trip was ineffable and one for the ages. I learned a lot about myself and about the world around me and for that I will be forever indebted to The Experiment and those who made all of it possible.

My month long trip to Argentina was the most amazing cultural immersion I could have ever wished to experience. With a three week home stay, the cross cultural opportunities were immense. I was able to experience everything from a school day to the family and community traditions. Everyone was friendly and kind, and the program matched up students and home stay families really well. Although I got sick during a small portion of the trip, everyone made sure to help me out and got me the care I needed to get back up and running as quickly as possible. The leaders made sure everyone was comfortable and safe throughout the trip, and the language immersion really helped enhance my minimal Spanish skills. We learned so much about the history of Argentina and got to explore multiple cities within Argentina. Overall, the trip was a wonderful experience that I would recommend to any high school student!