Program Reviews

I spent the entire month of July participating in The Experiment's K-Culture and Peacebuilding program. I hadn't been on a plane since I was a toddler, and I'd never traveled without family before. Despite my tremendous excitement for the opportunity, I was also extremely anxious. It ended up being one of the best experiences of my life. Every participant and group leader was easy to connect with, and I feel I've formed incredible bonds. I was also able to achieve my goal of reconnecting with my language and culture, and I returned home feeling more worldly, knowledgeable, and sociable. With the help of The Experiment, I was able to take a trip I never would have been able to take on my own, experience incredible moments, and learn invaluable lessons. I will treasure the memories from this trip for a lifetime.

My experience during the Jordan: Arabic Language and the Middle East program was unforgettable. Jordan is such a magnificent country, full of beautiful wildlife, kind people, and lots of fun activities. I had an amazing time exploring the country, from hanging out at the malls and souks in Amman, to walking through the ruins of Jerash and Ajloun, swimming in the Red Sea and the Dead Sea, and wandering through Wadi Rum. All the while, I was able to practice the Arabic that I learned in Arabic class. We had classes around five times per week, and each class was full of engaging activities and games. We also had the opportunity to attend lectures relating to geopolitics, refugees, Islam, women's rights, and more. Each of these lectures helped us to learn more about our host country and its culture. However, I learned the most about culture through my wonderful host family! They really welcomed me like a true member of their family, and some of my best memories from the program are spending time with them - shopping, attending a wedding, and getting to know the extended family. I grew so much individually during this program and met many new friends from all around the world. I would recommend it to everyone as a chance to step outside of your comfort zone and try something new!

My experience during the Jordan: Arabic Language and the Middle East program was unforgettable. Jordan is such a magnificent country, full of beautiful wildlife, kind people, and lots of fun activities. I had an amazing time exploring the country, from hanging out at the malls and souks in Amman, to walking through the ruins of Jerash and Ajloun, swimming in the Red Sea and the Dead Sea, and wandering through Wadi Rum. All the while, I was able to practice the Arabic that I learned in Arabic class. We had classes around five times per week, and each class was full of engaging activities and games. We also had the opportunity to attend lectures relating to geopolitics, refugees, Islam, women's rights, and more. Each of these lectures helped us to learn more about our host country and its culture. However, I learned the most about culture through my wonderful host family! They really welcomed me like a true member of their family, and some of my best memories from the program are spending time with them - shopping, attending a wedding, and getting to know the extended family. I grew so much individually during this program and met many new friends from all around the world. I would recommend it to everyone as a chance to step outside of your comfort zone and try something new!

Upon beginning the program, there are many resources available for my family and I to get all the information I needed. Along with this, we had a personal online helper, which we could email about any questions – I definitely used that to my advantage. Applying for the program was fairly easy through their website. The in country staff was amazing and cooperative with the students along with my personal leaders who were very caring. I made many friendships with a variety of American and Spanish people. The immersion of culture was a quick paced environment, but enjoyable nonetheless. I was able to meet many residents of the village I stayed in, this helped me further my Spanish and push me out of my bubble. I was able to learn many new words and try a variety of different foods. I am so happy to have had this experience!

I recently participated in The Experiments "France: Cultural Discovery" program for 22 days (July 2 to July 24), and it was one of the best experiences I've had. I got to experience how much more there is to the world and experience different countries norms. It was a little confusing at first but I eventually learned to adapt. I got to learn how to be independent in a foreign country and got to experience living with a French family for a week. Meeting other students on the trip was also nice, because we had each other to depend on. My personal favorite experience was when we went kayaking because it helped develop bonds in our group. During the trip, we also got to visit Freiburg, Germany and go swimming near the Black Forest. The only thing I could wish for was if the trip lasted a little longer.

I attended this program last summer (2022) The in-country staff were great and the content was amazing. However the program was contracted to SIT which is not the Experiment directly. The trip started rough because the US based people didn't communicate to the in-country staff on what was promised to us. Tours, cultural experiences, etc. The in-country staff only knew about the need for housing/school. We also had problems with food money, being way to little for Switzerlands economy, and general support. Highly recommend SIT (school of international training) for programs, they were fantastic. You can also do this exact program in college! The promised program was so vastly unlike what I got, even my parents got upset. Just avoid the Experiment. I imagine its not all bad but I had such a bad experience I can't endorse the company.

I’ll never forget the four weeks I spent in Ghana while on this program and the experiences I was able to have! As a group, we traveled to Kumasi, the Volta region, and Cape Coast which gave us the chance to truly explore the country. While on program, I was also able to intern with Untamed Empire, an incubator for young artists in Ghana, where I learned more about artistry and the mechanics of a business. I enjoyed every second of my trip, down to driving through Accra’s heavy traffic and visiting multiple museums. It was a great way to spend my summer!

I loved the time I spent in Ghana over the summer! I learned a lot about the art scene in Ghana and the culture. During the month, I interned at Dikan Center, a non-profit organization committed to visual education through the advancement of visual storytelling in Africa. Through the internship and the projects and discussions had there, I was able to gain a deeper understanding of Ghanaian culture and history. It was nice to go on different excursions throughout the month like Kumasi, Cape Coast, and the Volta Region because of the different people we got to interact with and how the lifestyles differed from place to place.

This trip was one of the most amazing things I have ever taken part of and I would highly recommend for students who want to get out in the world. It is a good safe environment to be in and to still have fun! With the home stay in the south I was able to truly see what everyday life was like and I felt fully immersed in the culture. We also spent a lot of time with the group and got to create our own itineraries giving us more confidence in leader and planning skills. I hope many more kids get to have this experience and that they enjoy it as much as I did.

The Experiment in international Livings South Korea program was an amazing trip and experience. I was born in South Korea but at a very young age, I move to the United States of America. This trip was a great way to learn about the people and culture of the place I was born. During the trip I visited many incredible places for example we visited the Gyeongbokgung Palace, The Korean War Museum, the Han River, the DMZ, and many more incredible places. My personal favorite places we visited was the Gyeongbokgung Palace, Han River, and Seoul. I learned so much about the old and new traditions and culture of South Korea. It was amazing to see how technologically advanced Korea was. There were robot servers at restaurants and robotic guides in the airport. The food was another highlight of the trip. Korean cuisine was very different compared to America. The seasonings as well as the food ingredients themselves were different. I’ve had a good amount of Korean food growing up but there was a difference between having it in the USA vs having it in Korea. At the end of our trip, we met with a group of Korean high school students and did many activities with them. We visited Cheongju and learned about the Korean presidents, we attended a student lead fair and toured through an art museum. It was a lot of fun to learn about their lives as students in Korea and what their plans for the future were. At the very end of the trip, we were allowed to explore the city of Seoul and I was able to meet with a friend from America that was there as an exchange student. They gave me a tour of the surrounding area and we did some shopping. My biggest takeaway from the trip would have to be the culture of South Korea. Korea is so different than the US in so many ways. There are definitely cultural mannerisms I’ve taken back to the US and that I’ve implemented into my daily life. I would love to go back to visit again.