Xperitas held our annual Global Leaders Conference in Bloomington from January 26-28.
We were joined by about a hundred language teachers from across the United States, all of whom are leading immersion programs abroad in 2018. Many of our international vendors and partners also sent representatives to meet with us and share ideas about traveling abroad with students.
The weekend was focused on trip preparation for our langauge teachers. They had the opportunity to meet with Xperitas program managers to go over the details of their programs in one-on-one sessions, and they were also able to participate in interactive group sessions with other language instructors. We all discussed and brainstormed practical ways to prepare their students for their time abroad, while networking, role-playing and sharing ideas with our fellow language educators. Members of our Educator Advisory Council we also on-hand to lend their expertise and support.
We were also blessed to have an inspiring keynote speaker on Saturday. Christine Shulze, Executive Director of Concordia Language Villages, spoke to the group about the importance of language advocacy, and the practical need for a culturally competent and multilingual workforce. After the keynote address, our 2018 Xperitas Alumni Scholarship winner was announced!
Participants were also able to attend the Super Bowl Live activities on Saturday night, if they so chose, and a great time was had by all who braved the cold and ventured to downtown Minneapolis for this rare opportunity.
After the success of this year's conference, we can't wait until next year, and the opportunity to meet with our traveling language teachers and international partners again at the 2019 Xperitas Global Leaders Conference.
Let us assist in planning your next immersion experience and help make it accessible to all of your students! We have many destination options for Language Immersion programs worldwide. Necessary traveler protections for teachers and students are already integrated into our programs too! Contact us today!
Our Goal
At Xperitas, we work with teachers to provide their students with outstanding language and cultural immersion experiences. As a non-profit we are mission driven. We believe that when students have an authentic experience outside of the classroom, using their language skills in a different culture, they make a deeper cultural connection. Our programs are designed to inspire students to make personal connections with communities worldwide and gain greater cultural competency. The benefits of student language immersion travel abroad reported to us by teachers, parents and the students themselves are as follows:
- A better understanding of language and the nuance of dialect
- An understanding of language within the context of the culture
- A greater awareness of different perspectives
- A sense of increased independence, self-sufficiency, and cultural competence