Hundreds of Florida Keys high school students have participated in the esteemed Experiment in International Living (EIL) summer study abroad program and another 50 students were planning similar global learning adventures this summer.
The current health crisis has deferred travel plans until summer 2021, but there’s still an opportunity for a free, virtual version called the Experiment in International Living Digital this summer.
The deadline to apply is Wednesday, April 15 and the program is available to all students aged 14 to 19. The program requires at least four hours each week participation from June 22 through Aug. 16. Local students who are scheduled to return to school on Aug. 13 will be accommodated.
“The Experiment is well known in Monroe County, as hundreds of local students have traveled the globe on EIL programs over the last decade,” said John Padget, founder of Golden Fleece Foundation, which provides scholarships and other educational opportunities for thousands of local students. “This program is FREE for students with a real curiosity and interest in connecting with peers abroad.”
We are eager to keep our strong connections to the Monroe County schools,” said Aaron Morehouse, executive director of the award-winning Experiment, which is based in Maine. “In 88 years, The Experiment has weathered numerous global crises while still building intercultural relationships. The Experiment Digital allows us to continue to build mutual understanding amidst our current global situation. We welcome all eligible students from Monroe County who wish to participate.”
Here’s what The Experiment Digital says about its virtual summer program:
Learning with The Experiment Digital is challenging and fun. Activities center around bringing students together to navigate scenarios that test their abilities and reflect on lessons learned through collaborative dialogue.
The participant to expert facilitator ratio is 5:1. This allows for small group conversations with authentic engagement. Students share their hopes, fears, and discuss gender norms and stereotypes.
Our facilitators are program alumni with experience in cultural exchanges. They undergo an intensive 30-day training program for online facilitation.
Through interactions with international peers, students practice collaborative problem solving, intercultural communication, and digital etiquette—all of which are important in our increasingly globalized world.
The program involves global communication and collaboration as well as local community service projects that ask students to define a local problem and answer the question, “How might we…?”
“Participants …will also engage in a collaborative problem-solving activity, where together as a group they will have to reach an agreement within a given timeframe while practicing leadership skills,” the Experiment Digital website states. “Participants will take the problem statements and collaboratively brainstorm solutions together. Sometimes, it is helpful to learn how trash is recycled in Erbil, Iraq, and brainstorm how that may be applied to Washington, DC. In this module, participants will also share in small group dialogues how gender norms and societal expectations affect their lives.”
The program ends with an action plan for participants.
“Many of our program alumni implement their action plans in their communities after the Experiment and have received grant funding to sustain their initiatives,” the website states. “Participants will also learn the public narrative framework on how to tell a story about themselves — why they came to this exchange program, and what their responsibilities are, as alumni of The Experiment Digital.”
Apply for the free, virtual version of The Experiment in International Living by Wednesday, April 15 at: Experiment.org/digital/.
