Xperitas Experience Archive

We recently had the privilege of speaking with Ayumi Stockman, World Languages Education Specialist at the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), to learn more about what she does at MDE and about the Minnesota Bilingual and Multilingual Seals Program.

Executive Director, Leslie Gale, shares her perspective of world cuisine as part of the immersion experience and some of her favorite recipes from her time living abroad in Mexico.

The recent Xperitas special event with Rick Steves "Why We Travel," inspired participant educators to reflect on why they travel with students.

In 8th grade middle school, I had to pick a language to study, and being half Mexican, my mom wouldn’t let me take Spanish since I already used it in my everyday home life. So, my only other option was French. At that point, I never thought I’d take it with me after high school, but I was very wrong.  Read Mercedes story.

Board Member, Carolyn Vanous, shares her story about traveling abroad as a student and her perspective of its value with future employers.

My name is Erica Besser and I attend Carroll University in Waukesha, WI. I will be a senior this upcoming year and start my first year in the Doctorate of Physical Therapy Program. I went on my trip in January of 2019 and had an amazing time.

Interview with Sylvia Martin, one of our Family Stay coordinators in Germany.

Executive Director, Leslie Gale, discusses the decision to cancel all of our spring and summer 2020 programs, as the U.S. State Department issued historic global travel advisories due to COVID-19.

See how Chinese hand-pulled noodles are made like The Blake School students did when visiting Shiquan!

Flamenco is a genuine Spanish art, originating in Andalusia around the 18th century. It is comprised of three things: "Cante", the song, "Baile", the dance, and "Toque", the playing of the guitar. Learn more about this cultural dance tradition.

Emily, Xperitas Program Manager for Spain and Puerto Rico, shares one of her favorite Spanish breakfast treats.

Read this interview with Julie Rogers Bascom, a service-learning leader from Minneapolis, MN. She has been helping youth workers, teachers and young people to use service-learning as a strategy to solve problems in their communities for over 17 years.

Madisen Bell, the Xperitas Alumni Scholarship winner for the 2020 program year is currently a first-year student studying to be a French language teacher at the University of Nebraska Lincoln. She traveled to France with her classmates and her teacher, Madame Tangen, in spring 2019. It was a life changing experience for Madisen who said in her essay, “The France trip provided me with the experience I needed to decide what path to take in my life.”

Hunter is a recipient of the Bob & Edie Green Writing Scholarship. Read Hunter's essay.

Stephanie is a recipient of the Bob & Edie Green Writing Scholarship. Read Stephanie's essay.

Sam is a recipient of the Bob & Edie Green Writing Scholarship. Read Sam's essay.

Bethanne is a recipient of the Bob & Edie Green Writing Scholarship. Read Bethanne's essay.

At Xperitas, we strive to make our transformative language immersion programs available to students who might not otherwise have the means to participate. Now, we are excited to announce a new merit-based scholarship opportunity for our participants: The Bob & Edie Green Writing Scholarship!

That’s a wrap, folks! In 2019 French, German, Spanish and Mandarin Chinese language students traveled abroad with Xperitas to nine different countries to enjoy an intercultural immersion experience!

We recently talked to Beth Lillskau, a German teacher at Prairie Schools in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, about the wonderful exchange program she has with Gymnasium Ebingen, a high school located in Albstadt, Germany.

Xperitas announces a new merit-based scholarship opportunity for our participants: The Bob & Edie Green Writing Scholarship! These scholarships are in addition to need-based financial aid grants awarded to qualifying students every year. 

If your school’s German program has a GAPP exchange partner school, or if you are looking to establish one and start sending students aboard, partnering with Xperitas may be a great way to help you reach your program’s educational goals. 

The focus of the conference is on program planning and preparation. Teachers and Leaders meet individually with their Program Manager and international partners to review program details and finalize plans. Both teachers and Xperitas staff benefitted from having one-on-one face time, and the opportunity to discuss their itineraries and activities in detail.

One of the highlights of our annual Global Leaders Conference is announcing the recipient of our Xperitas Alumni Scholarship. This January, we were pleased to announce that we have selected Daniel Brand, of University Lake School in Hartland, Wisconsin, as the winner of the 2019 Xperitas Alumni Scholarship.