Program Reviews

Overall, I feel like this program was very successful. The experienceI gained through the program helped me grow as a person. I feel like I have grown as a person and this experience has made me the way I am today. I learned about the amazing Brazilian culture and I developed my athletic and language skills which I plan to incorporate into my everyday life. The community service we did in Brazil was a wonderful experience as well. Being able to help others in need was such a rewarding experience in my opinion. Furthermore, I excelled as a leader, became more independent, and formed unforgettable bonds during my Experiment experience in Brazil.

Activities were very enjoyable and helped the group become closer and work together. The classes we took were pleasant and fun. The host family made me feel comfortable and included me in all of their activities and made me feel as if I was back in Florida. They made me feel comfortable. The group leaders made me feel safe and made sure I was feeling okay considering my dietary needs. My overall experience could not have gone any better than it did.

Going to Spain with the Experiment was the best decision of my life. Not only was I able to understand the Spanish culture and language but i was also immersed in courses where I learned Spanish, ceramics, and flamenco dancing. I was able to do tours of authentic places in Spain where the tourist population is minimal to none. I felt like doing this i was able to have a better experience and understanding of the Spanish culture and improved my Spanish because I was forced to communicate by speaking only Spanish. I was also able to make friends who are now like family to me and I consider like my brothers and siblings. There is nothing I would want to change about my experience and the program.

My Experiment Abroad experience in Argentina was truly amazing. It was a perfect blend of rewarding community service, experiencing the beauty and value of nature, overcoming challenges, cultural emersion, and cultivating life-long friendships. It is difficult to put into words just how grateful I am to have had this opportunity, and it is harder still to touch upon all of the aspects of my experience that made it so wonderful. I met so many incredible people both in the communities and within my group with whom I formed meaningful connections and inspired me to push towards my personal and academic goals. The many once-in-a-lifetime experiences built into the program including horseback riding and camping in the mountains, whitewater rafting, and visiting the sand dunes were definitely highlights of the trip, but what made them even more special were the people with whom I got to experience these moments. My group quickly became one big family, and together we made every moment of the experience fun and memorable. A large part of my group's success came from the love, respect, and support we all showed one another. I still keep in touch with my wonderful and loving host family and chat frequently with the members of my group. Upon returning home, I found that my Spanish language skills improved dramatically during my time in Argentina without me even realizing it, and my newfound ability to view the world through two distinct lenses has given me a heightened awareness of the word, “normal,” as I am reminded of how each person’s concept of “normal” is subjective. Thank you to The Experiment team, my fellow students, and my group leaders for making this one of the best experiences of my life.

I relentlessly worked on finishing my application hoping my dreams to go abroad would come true. After a month or two of waiting for a response, I finally received the email. I was in. I was overjoyed in the moment, but I was unaware of all that this experience entailed. My first day with other leaders had already informed me of so much because of the diversity in perspectives and background. I had been around intelligent young people before, but I had never been in a room full of intelligent young minds that were so similar and different from myself. Immediately, I started bonding with these once strangers- some bonds were even stronger than those with the friends I had at home. The strength of these bonds made challenges easier. With this family we created, my group and I had experienced and learned an abundance of things through each other and immersion. One of the many aspects of this program that I loved was being able to learn from the South African people. Through a series of workshops, visits with NGOs, visits to schools, and two homestays I had immersed myself in South African culture, and I was able to evaluate the true ethos of South Africa. Not to mention the leadership workshops that took place in D.C., were used throughout my stay in South Africa, and were strengthened in Vermont. These workshops prepared me for not only South Africa, but for returning to my home community. Because of this experience, I will only continue to advocate- even more than before. Additionally, each day I still utilize what I learned on my journey to approach a wide range of problems including personal, interpersonal, emotional, and even physical. My family noticed a change in me right away as joy was now more of a priority than perfectionism. Who knew a flower could grow so much in 6-weeks?

I had the most amazing experience, I made new friends and learned about a culture I never really thought about. I expanded my views of the world and how even people living in the same country can have different ideas, habits, and beliefs based of of where they live and what they have access to. We got to ride horses, stay in gers (yurts), ride camels, visit monasteries, help out at a school, and learn the language. I also made 15 new life long friends, we had our ups and downs like all groups do and came out stronger and more united because of the conflict we resolved. This program has changed my life and me in the best ways possible

Traveling to Tanzania was truly a memorable experience for me. The moment we arrived to Dar es Salaam I felt good about where I would be for the next days. The first week while we were there i can't express in words how much we were able to do. We went on a bike tour around the city where we visited different neighborhoods and got o learn about the people who live there. We went to Dar's beautiful beaches, we went to carving classes and learned about their detailed and hard work put into their art pieces. The food at each restaurant was so good, and taking Swahili classes really helped when we wanted to do some local shopping around the city. My home stay experience at Stahabu, a village near the coast of Tanzania was unspeakable. Spending time with my home stay family made me realize a lot of things about myself and my relationships with my own family back at home. Working with the children from the village for our community service project was o much fun, and a worthy experience to share a space with kids eager to learn. Working at a construction cite to help build a school made me realize the importance of having a space where everyone can have the opportunity to an education. When spending time with other members of the village and dancing along with them, I felt connected to their community and at home. In Arusha, I was surprised with how much history was behind the community center in which we stayed. I had the opportunity to paint a mural with other members of my group and I was amazed by how it turned out, we really went beyond our expectations. At the Massai, the complete different environment that i was exposed to caught my eye the moment we arrived. Meeting our mommas, dancing with them and beading them are of the many memories I will forever keep because of how kind and energetic they were. Learning about their daily lives, their chores, their traditions amazed me in so many ways because they lived such simple lived and yet they were so happy to share with one another without any problem. The safari in Kilimanjaro left me speechless, the view there was more than beautiful, the animals we got to see were very exciting and truly out there in their habitat, it was nice to be able to see them out in the wild instead of closed in in cages or glassed rooms. I fell in love with Tanzania as a whole. The landscapes were huge and different from another making each of them unique in their own ways. The sky was so clear sometimes, you could see so many stars and even shooting stars if you got lucky. The people were so warmhearted, full of energy and their happiness was easily contagious. Their culture was so interesting to learn about and to be a part of, I do hope and I know I will see myself going back in a few years.

I honestly didn't think I was going to change as much as I did. Not only getting to practice my Chinese, I was also getting to be myself on the trip. I matured, and embraced a love for learning new things. From learning about the culture, ancient culture and rural culture, as well as seeing the modern youth culture versus the American youth culture. It was amazing to see all of this, all while I matured as well! This trip, I will never forget. I highly recommend this trip. It was amazing.

Being able to study abroad with the experiment program was a great experience. You meet new people, try different food, and learn to be more independent. The leaders are fun and understanding, we all just became one big family. If there’s something you and some of your members want to see or do, all you have to do is talk to your leaders. They want you to have fun and will do all they can to make you comfortable.

Being able to study abroad with the experiment program was a great experience. You meet new people, try different food, and learn to be more independent. The leaders are fun and understanding, we all just became one big family. If there’s something you and some of your members want to see or do, all you have to do is talk to your leaders. They want you to have fun and will do all they can to make you comfortable.