Program Reviews

If you're looking for thrill and excitement everyday of 30 days, then look no further than the experiment. With years of experience in sending students into foreign countries, every day was more fun than the last. I met the most amazing people on my trip, from members of my group who became family, to my amazing leaders who supported me through every problem I had. All the amazing Japanese people we met were beyond sweet and kind. You won't meet a single bad boned person on this trip. Not to mention the amazing variety of food. We did a little bit of everything, from hiking up mountains in Kyoto to view monkeys in their natural habitat, to exploring the diverse and never ending wonders of Tokyo. Feel like getting a breath of fresh air? You'll be exposed to the pure air of Japanese farm lands and the breath taking views of oceans and more. But something that'll always and forever stay with you is the homestay, and how close you'll become with your families. I miss my host mother and sister more and more everyday. Don't look past this amazing experience, it'll truly change your life.

I really had a fun time in Japan. It was one of those trips that I will never forget and I have been on many trips in my life. The people were so nice to me and they were accepting towards me and they did not stare at me as I thought they would. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone and I am definitely going to do the experiment every year before I graduate in 2021. I had so much fun thank you for letting me go on this trip. I did a lot of things like climb three mountains and ate octopus. I went to a language school and I was in the intermediate class. I ate Japanese food almost every day the sushi there is fresh and so good. My host family was sooooooooo amazing I oved them and they loved me. I still keep in contact with them until this day.

Overall, this summer has been astonishing. The fears and hopes I had pulling into DC (for our pre-program orientation) were completely different from the fears and hopes I had pulling into SIT (post-program orientation), and even those differed from the ones I had pulling into the driveway of my home in New Jersey. I feared that I would create superficial relationships with my peers and that I would learn nothing applicable to my own community. Obviously, I was wrong. I consider the 28 other students I’ve met on this trip my most supportive and dependable friends and the 6 leaders my mentors. I’ve been so inspired by various community organizations and activist groups in South Africa and Mozambique and am extremely eager to implement the ideas and methodology they have equipped me with. At the end of the program, students create and present a yearlong capstone project to implement into their own communities, and it's an effective way to apply the learning from our trips. Expect to not only learn the culture and history of the countries you visit; expect to really engage in the sociopolitical climate of South Africa and Mozambique.
A big takeaway I have from this summer is that each country moves at its own pace; it has its own history and culture. Its political, economic, and social progress occurs in a different historical context, so, as outsiders and as Americans, we should respect that historical context.

I had such an amazing time abroad. Coming in, I was admittedly nervous, but I have never met a more supportive, kind group in my life. We were all so enthusiastic and willing to learn and explore, and the group leaders were so kind and really ensured that we had fun. The scheduled activities ensured that we found out the history and were showed some classic sites, while the freedom allowed for us to travel in small groups and live like locals, finding miradors around the cities, finding places to buy souvenirs, or just to buy snacks. I made new best friends, whether it be with spaniards or with americans in my group. I will forever have a group of people that shared this amazing experience with me, and i will forever keep them in my life. I can't wait to go back some time.

I had such a wonderful time abroad in Thailand. I was able to experience so much culture, whether it be through the food, walking through the street markets, or living with 3 different homestay families. The group I traveled with was so kind and supportive, and we still keep in contact to this day. The trip was filled with fun experiences such as an elephant sanctuary, many temples, and the beautiful beach in Hua Hin. There was something new to experience everyday. Staying with my homestay allowed for me to create bonds with so many people, even without a common language. It also allowed me to practice speaking Thai, even though it may not have been a lot, it was more than I began with. I talk with my homestay mother every day and I am so thankful that I got to met her. I would definitely recommend this trip to high school students!

Last summer, I traveled on an 11-hour flight to Amman, Jordan. After being accepted for a full scholarship to the Jordan program, I knew that my summer would be full of self-discovery. I am forever changed because of my experience with this program. I felt a different way about every part of my family; my host mother felt like my best friend, my host father gave me a sense of security, my host brother gave me happiness and comfort, and as a whole, including my host grandparents and aunts/uncles, I received nothing but warmth and love. The entire time I was there, I was treated like a sister, daughter, niece, granddaughter, and friend. I always visited and had dinners or spent all night with my host grandmother while she taught me different aspects of traditional Jordanian food. My host mom and I would watch soap operas in Arabic and she’d help me study or do schoolwork. My host father sat with me during breakfast to read my Arabic writing work and helped me to revise it. In the mornings, I took my baby brother to our balcony and held him while listening to music until I had to leave for class. I can’t imagine not having any of these memories now, I can’t see myself being someone who hasn’t experienced everything that I have. Though it was only one month compared to a lifetime, my Jordanian family will always be a part of me. I got to learn a new language, try new foods, dance to new music, sing new songs, and create more memories. So, to The Experiment, my counselors, group leaders, host family, and all of the friends that I’ve made on this trip, شكرا!

This trip is different than a regular vacation to Thailand because of the homestays. You are able to stay in two different villages that have completely different economies and practices within the Thai culture. The complete immersion allows you to view the many different aspects of Thai life and how in varies based on location and immediate resources, such as food and instruments. I am so grateful I was able to participate in the Experiment because I met amazing people and got to live not only as a tourist, but as a local. Over the trip, I developed a love for Thailand's people and customs, from the malls to the rice fields, I will never forget this month. I highly recommend going on this trip because you will never get an opportunity like this again in your life.

On my trip to Italy, I did many different activities and explored many ancient places. I started off in Rome and I explored the ancient city and New Rome. I ate my first pizza in Italy and had delicious pasta. I got to walk around and go shopping and see the beautiful sites. I ate many flavors of gelato throughout the month and never got tired of it. It was a nice snack to cool down on in the hot weather. When I got to my homestay I got to meet my family and connect with them. They took me to their beach house for the weekend and they also took me on their boat. That was a nice way to spend time with my family and also get to relax on the beach. This was one of my favorite moments because the water was so clear and I was relaxing while having fun. My homestay family cooked many delicious foods that I very much enjoyed and I had a blast with them. On this trip, I also took cooking classes which were really cool because I got to learn how to cook traditional Italian foods and it came out great. I was able to take back what I learned back home and share it with the people I know. This was a once in a lifetime trip that I will never forget and something everyone should experience first hand.

When I first arrived in South Africa I was terrified, but soon after I felt welcomed with open arms. I learned so much about the history of South Africa and learned how to appreciate everything that we have. I was able to build long loving friendships and make so many memories with amazing people. This trip was so enjoyable yet education. There were so many breathtaking views. The homestay was one of the best experience I had, it was the highlight of my trip. Getting to know and be apart of a Xhosa speaking family was an experience that words cannot describe. The activities were so amazing, the safari, zip gliding, and the boat rides. I was able to gain more confidence and love from myself and others on this trip. This trip has shaped the way I see the world because everyone can benefit from learning from another culture.

This program allowed me to have the most amazing summer of my life. The leaders were amazing people who were so helpful, fun, and loving. They wanted to make sure we had a great time and they really succeeded. The experience was shared with an awesome group of other teenagers. We all shared our memories together and we became close super quickly. Overall, The Experiment does everything they can to ensure we really enjoy our trip. I highly recommend. Spain is amazing and it is so great to be able to make memories with some of your new best friends. The experience was overall amazing and I would recommend it to anybody who has never traveled overseas. It was my first time travelling overseas and I'm so glad I did it with The Experiment. Nothing could have been better for first travellers.