The Experiment in International Living

The Experiment in International Living
Name	The Experiment in International Living
Founded	1932
Founder	Grenville Clark; others
Type	Nonprofit; exchange organization
Headquarters	Brattleboro, Vermont
Area served	Global

The Experiment in International Living is an international cultural exchange organization founded in 1932 that arranges immersive homestay and study abroad programs for secondary and university students, educators, and professionals. It has been associated with pioneering experiential exchange models tied to interwar internationalism, postwar reconstruction, and Cold War cultural diplomacy. Over decades it has intersected with figures and institutions across North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East.

History

Founded during the interwar era amid advocacy by Grenville Clark, the organization emerged alongside movements such as the League of Nations, the Council on Foreign Relations, and the internationalist projects led by individuals like Eleanor Roosevelt and Rabbi Stephen S. Wise. Early programs reflected contemporary concerns after the World War I settlement and during the lead-up to World War II, overlapping with initiatives run by the Y.M.C.A., the American Friends Service Committee, and the Fulbright Program. In the postwar period its expansion paralleled institutions such as the Marshall Plan, the United Nations, and cultural diplomacy efforts involving the U.S. State Department and the British Council. During the Cold War it operated in the same cultural space as the Peace Corps, Soviet exchange programs, and nonprofit actors such as the International Rescue Committee and the Asia Society. Later decades saw ties to foundations like the Carnegie Corporation, the Ford Foundation, and the Rockefeller Foundation, and collaborations with universities including Yale University, Harvard University, Columbia University, and University of Chicago. Its timeline overlaps with global events such as decolonization in India, Algeria, and Ghana, the Suez Crisis, the Vietnam War, and the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Programs and Activities

Programs have included summer homestays, semester exchanges, teacher training, and community-based service learning, often organized in regions such as France, Spain, Morocco, Turkey, Ghana, India, Japan, China, Brazil, and Mexico. Activities combine language immersion with cultural modules referencing local heritage sites like the Eiffel Tower, the Alhambra, the Taj Mahal, and the Great Wall of China, and civic engagement with NGOs such as Amnesty International and Doctors Without Borders. The organization has run thematic seminars on topics related to human rights landmarks such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and heritage preservation at sites like Machu Picchu and the Acropolis of Athens. Program alumni have connected with institutions like the UNESCO, the International Criminal Court, and the World Bank.

Educational Philosophy and Methodology

Rooted in experiential education traditions associated with thinkers and institutions such as John Dewey, the Progressive Education Association, and the experiential practices modeled at Dartmouth College and the University of Oxford, the methodology stresses intercultural competence through homestays, language use, and participant reflection. Pedagogical approaches reference models used by Outward Bound, Peace Corps training, and study-abroad frameworks developed at institutions like Tufts University and Middlebury College. Curriculum design has incorporated assessment practices from organizations such as the American Council on Education and international frameworks promoted by UNESCO and the OECD.

Impact and Alumni

Alumni networks include individuals who later pursued careers with institutions such as the United Nations, World Health Organization, U.S. Department of State, European Commission, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and within media organizations like the New York Times, BBC, CNN, and Al Jazeera. Notable alumni and associated figures have gone on to roles in politics, diplomacy, scholarship, and the arts, intersecting with names connected to Nobel Prize laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners, and heads of state. Alumni have engaged in initiatives alongside organizations like Habitat for Humanity, Save the Children, and the Carter Center.

Organizational Structure and Funding

The organization operates as a nonprofit with a board of directors, program staff, regional coordinators, and in-country partners. Governance practices mirror those of peer organizations such as the Council on International Educational Exchange and the Institute of International Education, while compliance and accreditation have been shaped by standards used by the U.S. Department of Education and accrediting bodies like the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. Funding historically combined participant fees, philanthropic grants from entities like the Gates Foundation and the Soros Foundation, contracts with government agencies including the USAID, and donations from private benefactors.

Partnerships and Global Presence

The organization has partnered with universities, schools, community groups, and cultural institutions such as the Smithsonian Institution, the British Museum, the Louvre, and regional ministries of culture and education in countries including Italy, Germany, Kenya, South Africa, Argentina, and Chile. Collaborations have involved international NGOs like CARE International, Oxfam, and Mercy Corps, and multilateral institutions including the World Bank Group and regional development banks. Regional offices and field partners have maintained program sites across continents, often coordinating with host families, local schools, and municipal authorities in cities such as Paris, Madrid, Istanbul, Accra, Mumbai, Beijing, Tokyo, and São Paulo.

Criticism and Controversies

Critiques mirror broader debates about short-term exchanges, cultural tourism, and power asymmetries noted in literature addressing programs run by organizations like the Fulbright Program and private study-abroad providers. Specific controversies have included concerns over cultural appropriation raised in dialogues alongside institutions such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, risk management and participant safety issues comparable to cases involving the Peace Corps, and debates over access and socioeconomic diversity similar to critiques leveled at elite institutions like Ivy League universities. Discussions about program evaluation, impact measurement, and ethical engagement align with scholarly critiques published in journals associated with Harvard University, Oxford University, and the London School of Economics.

Category:International exchange organizations