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| Experiment in International Living | |
|---|---|
| Name | Experiment in International Living |
| Founded | 1932 |
| Founder | Donald Watt |
| Headquarters | Brattleboro, Vermont |
| Area served | International |
| Focus | International exchange |
Experiment in International Living is a nonprofit organization that facilitates intercultural exchange programs for secondary and college students through homestays, service learning, and immersion experiences. Founded in 1932, the organization operates programs across multiple continents and collaborates with a wide array of institutions, ministries, and cultural organizations to advance cross-cultural understanding. Its work intersects with global initiatives, nongovernmental organizations, and educational networks focused on diplomacy and peacebuilding.
The organization's origins in the 1930s were contemporaneous with figures and institutions such as Franklin D. Roosevelt, League of Nations, John Dewey, Smith College, and Winthrop Rockefeller, reflecting interwar transatlantic exchange and liberal internationalism. Early programs attracted participants influenced by contemporaries like Eleanor Roosevelt, Hull House, Settlement movement, Yale University, and Oxford University, linking progressive education and international relief efforts after the World War I and leading into responses to World War II. During the Cold War era, the organization expanded programming amid initiatives associated with Fulbright Program, United States Information Agency, Peace Corps, NATO, and bilateral cultural agreements involving capitals such as Washington, D.C., Moscow, and Beijing. In the post-Cold War decades, collaborations involved actors like the United Nations, European Commission, UNESCO, African Union, and major foundations including the Ford Foundation and Carnegie Corporation.
Program models mirror approaches used by institutions such as Amnesty International, Habitat for Humanity, Save the Children, World Bank, and university study abroad centers like Columbia University and University of Oxford study abroad offices. Offerings include short-term summer programs, semester exchanges, service-learning projects akin to Doctors Without Borders field placements, and specialized thematic tracks comparable to Global Health Corps and Obama Foundation civic leadership initiatives. Activities often involve partnerships with local NGOs such as BRAC, cultural institutions like the British Museum and Louvre, and municipal bodies like the City of Paris and Tokyo Metropolitan Government to facilitate experiential learning and community engagement.
Pedagogical influences trace to thinkers and practices associated with John Dewey, Paulo Freire, Maria Montessori, Jean Piaget, and Lev Vygotsky, and to programmatic paradigms found in Rotary International exchanges and Fulbright Program fellowships. Methodologies emphasize immersion, homestays, language acquisition comparable to programs at the Alliance Française and Instituto Cervantes, and reflective practices used by institutions like Harvard University and Stanford University in study abroad pedagogy. Assessment and evaluation draw on frameworks promulgated by organizations such as OECD, UNESCO, and Council on Standards for International Educational Travel.
The organization’s global footprint involves collaborations with foreign ministries such as Ministry of Education (France), international agencies like the United Nations Development Programme, philanthropic partners such as the Gates Foundation, and academic partners including Harvard University, Yale University, University of Cambridge, and University of Tokyo. Programs have been implemented in countries involved in historic events like the Rwandan genocide, Bosnian War, Arab Spring, and Soviet dissolution, working with local actors such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and community-based organizations modeled on Oxfam. Impact assessments reference global initiatives like the Sustainable Development Goals, regional bodies such as the European Union and Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and funding mechanisms connected to the World Bank and multilateral development banks.
Governance has included boards and executives with ties to institutions like Harvard University, Princeton University, United Nations, U.S. Department of State, and philanthropic entities such as the Rockefeller Foundation. Oversight and accreditation processes align with standards from bodies like the Council on Standards for International Educational Travel, Better Business Bureau, and reporting practices similar to those used by Nonprofit Law Center entities and charitable regulators in jurisdictions such as Vermont and Massachusetts. Staffing and volunteer networks interact with alumni associations, Rotary clubs like Rotary International, and university career centers at places like Brown University and Dartmouth College.
Alumni and participants have gone on to roles within institutions such as the United Nations, United States Congress, European Parliament, World Health Organization, International Criminal Court, and major NGOs like Save the Children, CARE International, and Doctors Without Borders. Career pathways include diplomacy with postings at embassies such as United States Embassy in London and Embassy of France, Washington, D.C., leadership in corporations like Google, Microsoft, and Unilever, and academics at Harvard University, Columbia University, and University of Oxford. Public figures and civic leaders who participated in exchange programs have been associated with awards and recognitions such as the Nobel Peace Prize, MacArthur Fellowship, and Pulitzer Prize.
Critiques mirror debates faced by similar organizations such as Peace Corps, Mercy Corps, and study abroad providers, involving concerns raised by watchdogs like Human Rights Watch and policy analysts at think tanks such as the Brookings Institution, Council on Foreign Relations, and Center for Strategic and International Studies regarding cultural sensitivity, equity of access, and safety in regions affected by events like the Syrian civil war and Haiti earthquake. Other controversies relate to funding and accountability issues commonly examined by auditors and regulators including the United States Government Accountability Office and charitable review organizations analogous to the Charity Navigator.
Category:International exchange organizations