Program Reviews

Even though it is an extremely lengthy application process, I can guarantee it is worth the effort. I don't have one regret about going with the Experiment Leadership Institute. I was able to bond with my two group leaders and the group while intensely learning about the Indian culture through a homestay and site visits. Another aspect I enjoyed was the focus on public health during our in-country portion of the program. If you're looking for a way to study abroad but are worried about paying for it, this is the program to apply to. This is an extremely amazing opportunity to get to have.

My experience in japan was beyond expected, it was an amazing experience and I believe that I grew a lot as an individual. Traveling all around tokyo was amazing especially eating all different types of traditional meals. The homestay experience was amazing and the leaders really care a lot about our safety. Through out the whole trip I felt included and never felt bored, the program made sure we always have something to do everyday of the trip. We never had a day off from experiencing something new in Japan, however we even had time to be independent and do our own thing in japan as well, which allowed us to do what interests us.

Most of my life I’ve always felt out of place. Going to China I felt like it wouldn’t be any different. I was very wrong, all my preconceived notions were debunked. Everyday there was a new adventure, I fell in love with China and everything it had to offer. My group, group leaders, and the student who traveled with us became my family. It was the best summer of my life and wouldn’t trade so memories for anything in the world. I urge everyone to travel far away and learn about new cultures.

Going abroad by itself can be lifechanging, but the ease of transitioning and the help of my group leaders is really what helped me be as open and excited as I was. Not only were leaders there to teach us life skills and skills for abroad, they also were emotionally there for us when the reality of situations hit. Being with The Experiment, I never felt unsafe or out of place wherever I went. The bonds I've made and people I've connected with exceeds any other group experience I've had domestic or abroad.

Where do I even begin? Every single moment of this trip was phenomenal. I met people who became my family during our four weeks in the UK, and I met people who exposed me to new things. I learned about cultures and communities I hadn't been immersed in before. I went on this trip knowing very little about journalism, and not necessarily wanting to be a journalist, just being interested. I left knowing so much more about what I want to do with my life (and I thought I had it pretty clear), and knowing more about myself. One of the biggest things I learned is that journalism isn't just for journalists, it's for anyone who wants to tell a story. I don't want to be a journalist, but I feel that much closer to being able to tell people's stories. This trip has made me want to travel so so much more, since I have never really had a chance to before. In fact, I'm hoping my next trip will be to see all of the incredible people I met on this trip! Do I recommend this? 100%. I don't think I've quite mastered how to talk about this trip, or put all my memories and experiences into words, but I can tell you that even if I could, it really is something you should experience yourself. I'd be happy to share the more logistical aspects of the trip (exactly where we went, what we did, where did we stay, group leaders, free time, and how it all went, etc.) with you if u want on instagram (@anna.ees). There's some shameless self promotion lol, feel free to ask me any questions about the trip!

"Por favor ayudame"- A piece of cardboard held between tired hands grabbed my eye. A woman, maybe late 30's, held out this cry for help, asking pedestrians for spare change. Her sign then continued to describe how she has 2 children in need of food. Unfortunately, during my time in Spain, I saw this too often. "How are they allowed to beg?" I asked. Arturo, our in-country advisor, had a solemn look on his face and explained how homelessness is a big issue in Spain. It seemed to me that asking for change was legal and often ignored. As well as sleeping on benches, ledges, or anywhere you can lay your belongings down. I had never seen something like this before. I knew homelessness was a problem, but I have never realized it was to this extent.
In my hometown of Key West, begging is not tolerated. So this situation was something extremely odd and foreign, but to Arturo, it was something sad and typical. In Granda, as we took our hike to where we would have our language classes, we stopped at "La Mirador de San Nicholas" A viewpoint overlooking La Alhambra. There sat an older woman, next to her, boxes of castantes. Shell-shaped clappers connected with string. As people passed by she looked longingly. As if praying for someone to look at her product. As someone would walk by, she would play the castantes.
This woman stayed in my mind throughout the day, as we began to leave the school, I saw her again still playing her castantes. Then almost every day on our way to school I would see her. It bothered me so much I began to not even look at her. But as we pass more and more people without homes, I saw others do the same. Too ashamed to watch and to distracted to care. I then saw how instead of becoming the solution, I was ignoring the problem.
Over 40,000 people in Spain are homeless,1.5 million families are living in shelters, and over 100 million people are homeless worldwide. As these statistics continue to rise, so does the rate of unemployment. These events have unexpectedly made me realize that because of my actions I might have affected someone's life. I was feeding into these statistics without even realizing it. Although I might not be able to help them financially, I could help with my body expression and what I say. Sometimes just being kind to someone can change an attitude. Or perspective.
Too many times have I seen mothers with their children hold just a little bit tighter while passing by someone less fortunate than them, or see someone looking down at them because of their situation. Unfortunately, people are put in that position of being homeless because of being laid off at work, addiction, etc.…
Since my Experiment in Spain, I've found myself being kinder. Saying hello instead of silently judging, or offering a warm smile while passing by instead of moving away. I believe that people follow by example. I am now a senior in high school and have learned that what I do is seen by others. Therefore what I do or say can influence people positively or negatively. I want to be that change that people see in the world. I am a leader and a role model to the younger generation. I believe that educating people on the statistics of homelessness and showing how to be kind to people can help better the future and help create a more peaceful world. This program has enlightened me in so many ways that I could go on forever about my experience. I've chosen this story to talk about to show that actually experiencing the country does not always mean rainbows and butterflies. This has opened my eyes to an issue that I otherwise would have never thought about and has made me realize that I can influence change from the knowledge I've learned in my experiment abroad.

I must say that my trip to Spain was all that I expected and more. Throughout the trip, I was taught the Spanish language through complete immersion, and I learned more than I thought possible. I think it's important that future participants realize that this trip is a learning experience designed so that any Spanish language background is fine. This was most emphasized by my lack of in-depth knowledge because of the few language classes I had taken prior. However, it is essential that I state, that this lack of knowledge, though troublesome, was efficacious in altering the experiences I had. Through my struggles with the language barrier, my trip was made unique. I forced myself out of the so called 'comfort zone' and into the unique country of Spain. I learned the names of foods in Spanish by simply eating them and figuring out what I ate after, and I learned subjunctives through the explanations of kids my age in Spain. Overall, I must say that this trip was a learning experience, and any future experimenter should know that the best way to learn in Spain is full immersion. No matter how little Spanish you know, it's good to meet locals and just talk to them.

The reason why I signed up for this program was to experience the European culture and change as a person, the experiment succeed in both categories. Both of my counselors were amazing and would give ample amounts of freedom to walk around on our own, while we would partake in group activities and would allow us to choose what to do for the day. This program allowed me to step out of my comfort zone and change from a quiet kid with low-self esteem to an outspoken kid who suggests ideas and is not afraid to give their opinion to the topic at hand. I experienced a lot of French culture throughout my experience in my homestay. While there, I bonded with my host family with the World Cup and the many lake visits I went on. While I did not learn much french, I bonded well with my family and talk to them daily. Cooking at Paul Bocuse Institute was a amazing experience. Before the experiment, I did not know how to cook, but I believe I learned how to prepare, cook, and decorate meals at a high level. The most important advice I have for future experperimenters is to watch your surroundings and to get off your phone, the reason why is because you have a amazing opportunity to travel abroad and experience the beauty of France.

This summer I went to The Netherlands for LGBTQ+ rights, human rights, and dutch culture. Although most of the trip was exciting, it was during the most challenging parts that I found out what my strengths and weaknesses are. I already knew that I wasn’t a perfect person coming into this trip, but coming out, I knew how I wanted to improve as a person, although the goal is now not to be perfect. Interculturally, coming into Amsterdam, I thought I was going to be disrespected because of my race, but I learned how to immerse myself into their culture. I needed them to know about my culture and it’s difficulties concerning my race before I learned how dutch people act. Yes, Amsterdam did inspire me to become more active, politically, in my community, but it also changed things about me that I thought were going to be permanent.
When I went to Amsterdam, I knew that the only strength about me was hiding my emotions from other people so that they felt safe. I immediately showed this strength on the plane ride over there. During the flight, there was an extreme amount of turbulence. My partner on my flight was nervous, as was I, but asked to hold my hand during the “scary parts.” Reluctantly, I gave her my hand so that she could feel better, even if it made me feel worse. I wanted her to feel comfortable and relaxed as we went there so that she could start off the trip strong. I consider this a strength of mine because it gives other people the chance to see a warm face when they’re feeling down, like a sense of calmness. I always want the best for people and if a smile could make them feel more welcome to the new country, then I knew I was doing my best to keep them feeling like home. I know that this strength makes it seem like I didn’t pay attention to my own well being, but in the times that I couldn’t hide it, I looked for the first smile in the room to make me feel like I was okay. This is part of the reason I decided to develop this strength. With my own struggles, I personally knew how it felt to be alone from home, and seeing people be okay with it, made me feel like I could also be home without actually being there. I wanted to be that person for someone else. With this strength, I practiced leadership because I knew that people could look up to me and rely on me to tell me how their day was going. Part of being a leader is guiding them to a place where they felt safe. I always wanted to make sure that they comfortable in my bubble. I knew that I’d try my best to cheer them up as best as I could.
Although people could open up to me, I would never be so open with them in return. During the trip, we got asked to share our viewpoints on topics varying from race to sexual harassment. Because my life has been surrounded, heavily, by these subjects, it took a lot of out me. I didn’t want to share out because I thought letting people in would make me look weak and that all my life experiences would categorize me in a different way. However, as the weeks progressed, I was almost forced to come out of my shell. When I did, it felt relieving to tell someone my story. My story had consisted of sexual harassment, emotional manipulation, mentally abusive relationships, and racists encounters. To everyone who heard my story, they made me feel empowered because of the experiences that I went through and to overcome the current fears I have. Even when one of my fears was showing my shoulders again, they encouraged me to have pride in what my body means and to not see myself as a sexual object anymore. Thanks to them, I am currently working on my realistic self appraisal. I know that in the past I haven’t had much confidence and before school ended last year, I hit my lowest point. Amsterdam was a time where I was able to explore how confident I was with myself, with strangers, and then my family. I cannot overcome these intense battles within a couple months, but I know that with the strong support system I developed in Amsterdam, I can always have people cheering me on.
Before I left to the Netherlands, my dad told me one thing. “Be careful about your surroundings because you’re Mexican.” Until then, I had never cautiously been aware of the position I was in because I was brown. I’ve grown up in Houston, Texas, all my life, so diversity was always around me. When I arrived in the Netherlands, I had never felt so much like an outcast. I could never relate to the stories of those around me because they weren’t as stigmatized as I was. However, that’s not to say I never had a racist experience in the past. My defense was to guard up and protect myself regarding the possibility of someone trying to harm me. This caused me to become a very worrisome traveler. As time progressed, I learned to relax myself by talking to my host mom. Through our conversations, I saw how much we had the same political and social understandings. From topics of race to sexual harrasment to education, we were able to see how alike we were, rather than how different we were. In the end, I was able to come to the understanding that everyone is human. This sounds very obvious, but it has become a super complex issue in America. I have learned to see myself only as brown through our current political situation, and nothing else. I had forgotten my value as a human and that I was worth just as much as a white person. Soon after recognizing this, I comfortably went walking in Amsterdam. I stopped comparing myself to other people thinking that they were better than me because of the color of their skin.
Coming back to America after learning my lesson was disappointing. The way people treated others with disrespect showed the complete contrast between American culture and Dutch culture. Although the dutch have Zwarte Piet, they are generally concerned with the well being of others, and most importantly their acceptances. American people, on the other hand, focus more on the differences between people and tend to pay more attention to race than the person as a whole. The dutch experience made me realize the impact stereotypes had on my life and how prominent they were in the american culture. Since then, I have tried to decipher opinions between facts and prejudices to make sure I’m getting the most accurate information about another person/party.

I did this program this past summer and learned so much about queer activism and about myself as a person. I learned how to navigate Amsterdam and it's complex transportation system very easily. I actually came out as transgender non-binary for the first time on this trip because I realized what gender meant to me. Also the Netherlands is beautiful, and people are very nice. And the bond you will form with your group mates will last you for a very long time. YOU WILL NOT REGRET THIS.