Experiment in International Living

Knowing that an understanding of the place we call home is often enhanced by experiences we have when we spend time away from home, Llano Grande works to create opportunities for our students to travel. We recognize that being able to see the world beyond South Texas becomes a powerful way to broaden students’ perspective, provides new insights into the assets of our own community, and allows students to learn different ways of thinking, doing and sharing.

For this reason, our relationship with the Experiment in International Living (EIL) has become an important one. Since we began this relationship in 2003, more than a dozen students have had the opportunity to travel abroad on multi-week learning journeys that have taken our youth to places including Spain, Turkey, Japan and Chile.

The EIL is an American-based organization whose goal is to engage individuals in intercultural living and learning by placing “Experimenters” in the homes of host families to study other languages and cultures firsthand.

Through Llano Grande’s relationship with EIL, students are able to apply for the chance to immerse themselves in geographically relevant explorations of culture, such as learning how to cook in France, or studying natural environment in Brazil, usually at little cost to them. Over the last five years, students have received very generous financial assistance from EIL to support their trips abroad.

We have seen the transformative power of these trips, as students return with a renewed sense of motivation, a newfound appreciation of their community and a willingness to engage in learning that is considerate of global implications.