Program Reviews

I was very excited to start the trip just from exploring and getting threw the airports by myself. When I first met everyone i was not sure what to expect but my group became family to me by the end. My home stay went very smoothly it was a amazing experience in it of itself being able to learn the day to day of a average family. My host family also became actual family to me in just 10 days they would take me to do things from basketball to exploring parts of the town and the outskirts. My group leaders where vary knowledgeable to they already had some understanding of the culture. The leaders also would help us with most anything from us needing help with our Spanish to writing post cards and if one of us would scrape our knee or roll our ankle.

The 6 weeks I spent traveling this summer to Washington D.C, South Africa, (Swaziland), Mozambique, and Vermont were like anything that I have experienced or will ever experience in my life. Our program was very educational but also allowed a lot of time for freedom. We stayed with 2 host families, met with Gandhi's grand-daughter, and many more!! From doing a game drive to shopping at the mall to hanging out on the many beaches to hanging out with the younger kids of our home stay families, there was never a dull moment. We also got to meet with a lot of non-profits and activists within South Africa and Mozambique. The biggest highlight for me, though, is the 28 friends I made across the country and even abroad. We have gone through things together that most people cannot relate to and that makes our bond unbreakable.

This program is such an immersive and amazing experience! I would recommend this program to anyone looking to culturally immersed, build connections and communication skills, and/or looking for a great time. Every day is packed with something new. There are so many interesting and exciting things about this trip. My homestay experience was extremely eye-opening. I have learned how to be more accepting and open to new people and new experiences. A family who has never met me accepted me in their home, fed me, trusted me, and boosted me up to help me grow as an individual. My homestay mother even reminded me of my own mother. Before I knew it, I was calling her mom in Thai as familiarly as I would my own mom. It felt a little weird at first. Then I realized that you don’t have to be related by blood to have a “family connection.” After all, she looked after me like her own son--- so why not? Every day I woke up with breakfast, smiling faces, and knowing that each day would be different from the last. The positivity that each experience gave me is difficult to fully describe. Even though we were foreign and could barely speak their language, they were so warm and welcoming.

I applied to the Experiment in hopes of going abroad to learn a new culture and further my Arabic language. However, I not only achieved my goal but I gained much more from the experience. From the first day in the airport to the last day in Rabat, my group has stuck together. The group went from a group of strangers to family that stuck together through thick and thin. We helped each other when we were feeling homesick, ill, or upset. We made every moment in Morocco count with our jokes, memories, and amazing conversations. The team leaders were a part of our family; they made sure we were always safe, comfortable, and enjoying our time. Orientation made the adjustment to an unfamiliar country easy. Orientation was about a week long and it made our trip very clear, while addressing our concerns and goals from the trip.

My goal in The Experiment was to step out of my comfort zone. I was always scared of farm animals, but staying in the village allowed me to familiarize myself with sheep, goats, donkeys, and chickens. I also was able to go hiking, a sport I never thought I would feel comfortable enough to try. I don’t know how to swim, but I learned how to float and swim with a floatie. I believe that everyone in the group was able to accomplish this, especially during the homestay. We all learned how to communicate without being fluent in a language. We also had to use bathrooms completely different than the ones in America. The program definitely made me feel safe while I was stepping outside of my comfort zone and trying new things. The leaders checked in with all the students and made sure everyone knew the difference between unsafe and uncomfortable.

My favorite part of the Experiment was the host family stay. Each person was given a family in a small village. My family was very friendly and tried to learn about me. They would ask me about life in New York and my visits to Egypt. My family took me out to the main part of the village to shop and visit their friends. We also got to go to a different part of town for the weekly souq (market) day. It was amazing to see how culture plays a role in the groceries that buy and in the relationships between the seller and buyer. I also enjoyed going out with my group and their host siblings. We went out to the cafe to watch the African Cup games. We raced in the field, we went for small walks, and we visited each other for tea time.

The Experiment has opened me up to taking study abroad courses in college. After learning Darija and talking to my group leaders, who are fluent in multiple languages, I have decided to minor in Arabic. The Experiment has also allowed me to work in a group, showing me that I am a team player and a leader. The four week study abroad program, Morocco: From the Medittereanean to the Sahra, was the best summer abroad I have ever spent.

It's not everyday you're given the opportunity to go study abroad in a whole other country with 14 other people who have similar goals. I was given the chance to visit different kinds of schools and discuss with other teenagers about their experiences as students in South Africa. From visiting NGO’S to lectures about the South African and Mozambique culture , I was able to learn a lot of valuable information. There are a lot of things that I didn’t learn in my past history classes and being given the opportunity to dig deeper into South Africa’s history and Mozambique’s is something that I am grateful for. I was able to grow as a leader and was exposed to different situations that allowed me to learn about the kind of person I am. I strongly recommend this program to anyone who wants to learn and grow as a leader! This has been by far one of the best summers and would do it all over again if I could. Coming back home, my mindset and goals for the future are more clear.

I was lucky enough to go to South Africa with fourteen other students and two group leaders. I talked to two girls who had gone on the program a year prior and they told me that I was going to make close friendships but I was not expecting this. I could go on and on about the food or the language or how nice the local people are but that cannot compare to the friendships forged between your group members and leaders. Our group chat and group instagram page are still bumpin’ and I’m constantly facetiming friends from both the South Africa and India trips. I have grown so much as an individual; I am more caring, kind, confident, and eager to put myself out there. I cannot recommend this program enough. I have a new direction in life that I cannot wait to explore all thanks to the Leadership Institute.

This program is special because there are two weeks in the United States- one before and one after your in country experience. The week before is in D.C, and during this week you get to know everyone in the leadership institute while learning about today's biggest issues and how to be a leader in them. The week after is in Vermont where you have a chance to readjust to the United States while still being in the bubble of your group and getting to work on your project and having enough time to say goodbye to all of the amazing friends you will make. This program is for someone who wants to get out of their comfort zone, learn about another country in the best way possible, and meet other people who are going to change the world. It was an amazing experience, and I am so much better for it.

I truly enjoyed this experience in Spain and the wonderful people with the Experiment. Even weeks after, I don't go a day without thinking about my host family or my group and of the fun things we did everyday. This experience has truly changed my life for the better and I hope that it will do the same for anyone who decides to partake in this program.

As a group we traveled to 4 different regions in Spain: the first location we traveled to was Madrid, the second was Valencia, the third was Málaga, and the fourth was Barcelona. Each location has such cultural beauty that is indescribable with word alone.

In Madrid, we participated in the program Urban Democracy to remodel the parking lot of a local school in Villaverde. The experience of collaborating with US residents and establishing long lasting bonds with the residents of Spain truly enriches my day to day life by improving my ability to form interpersonal relationships.

At first, Thailand was not one of my first trip choices. Just like a lot of people, I've wanted to go to all the big places like France, Italy, and Spain. I've always heard people talk about how great those places was and I was starting to base my choice off of other people's experiences, but I have no regrets. In my opinion, Thailand was better than any other trip could have been. Starting off, our trip didn't go as planned. We were originally supposed to fly out of San Francisco to Taipei on July 1st but because the airline (EVA Air) was experiencing a worker strike, we had to stay at a hotel in San Francisco and fly out the next day. While it may have been a slight inconvenience, this allowed me to meet all of my fellow experimenters. Before our trip even started, we had created a group chat so it was a bit easier to loosen up around each other, and by the time we arrived in Thailand, we all seemed to have been well-acquainted. For our first few days, we stayed in a hotel in Chiang Mai. While we were in Chiang Mai, we took "survival Thai" lessons at Chiang Mai University. That was pretty cool because we got to work with teachers from the university, as well as sharpen up our Thai skills. Obviously, we were in no way fluent. We had just been taught the bare essentials, like foods, how to ask for directions, and my favorite: how to ask for a discount. Later on, I'd say about a week in, we began going out to the night markets. These markets are gigantic! They take up about at least a couple blocks and it's all bustling with activity. You could buy snacks, meals, clothes, gifts, pretty much anything you could think of. I remember I would always try to bargain and most times it'd work. All you need is a smile! Overall, this trip has given me the chance to dip into a whole new world. A lot of times I was given the independence and freedom to try things I wanted to try, and this has fostered my curiosity and desire to continue exploring the world, one country at a time.

This trip is so much more than what the title says it is. Yes, we learned about politics, peace, and human rights, but we also learned a lot about ourselves and who we are. I don't think any of us expected to have a personal character arc throughout this trip, but for many of us, this trip gave us more than we can express. I went to South Africa with a bunch of questions in my head and came back with maybe just as many questions, but also so many answers. On this trip I learned so much about social advocacy and leadership, but I also met some of my closest friends. We have been back in our home states for a month and are all in touch at least once a day. I wouldn't trade this opportunity for anything and recommend it for anyone interested in organizing and leadership.