Xperitas Experience Archive

Xperitas publishes its 2023 Covid-19 protocols for travel for leaders, participants and parent review. Protocols ensure the safety of the individual traveler, the student group, host families and other individuals that travelers will come into contact with while abroad.  In addition, the protocol is in place so that the group completes the itinerary as designed without interruption, delay or cancellation.

At Xperitas, we aren’t in the business of sending students on “trips”.  Our mission is to transform lives through shared global experience and intercultural learning.   What does it take for travel abroad to be transformational?  It needs to be an experience that pushes students beyond their comfort zone, challenges them to confront their assumptions about the world and allows them to see themselves and others from a different perspective.

On May 31,1972, language teachers Jim Phelan and Bob and Edeltraud Green formed the nonprofit corporation that today, 50 years later, is known as Xperitas. This organization has faced many situations that have interrupted international travel over the past five decades.

Executive Director, Leslie Gale, discusses the “new normal” of a post-COVID language immersion experience. She provides important information on a still evolving international travel environment.

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.

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.

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!

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. 

Xperitas is dedicated to providing cultural and language immersion experiences that advance our mission, and for that reason we believe it is vital to show support for language programs and language teachers while advocating for study abroad programs. On February 19 and 20, Xperitas Executive Director Leslie Gale and Director of Language programs Jenny Behrens traveled to Washington, D.C., to join the Minnesota delegation at Language Advocacy Day, sponsored by the Joint National Committee for Language.

Xperitas was honored with the Pro Lingua Award, “in recognition of outstanding service to and support of education in world languages and cultures. It is bestowed “in recognition of outstanding service to and support of education in world languages and cultures." 

We are excited to announce that Leslie Gale became the new Executive Director of Xperitas on November 6. Learn more about her plans for Xperitas here!