Executive Director, Leslie Gale, discusses the human drive to survive and thrive despite difficult circumstances.

Recently, we profiled Xperitas Board member and retired French Teacher, Jane Ditewig. Jane was and is a much beloved teacher at R.A. Long High School in Longview Washington. This summer Jane heard from Brad Carnine, one of her students from more than 20 years ago. He said we could share his letter with you. We hope every teacher who reads this letter is reminded of what an important job you do and how you all are changing the lives of your students.

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.

Board Member, Jan Ditewig, grew up in a small town in Washington and was always drawn to languages. When the family across the street hosted a French exchange student, she seemed exotic and fascinating to Jane. Read about her language immersion experiences and journey to becoming a language teacher.

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.

Xperitas has long-standing relationships with its partners. We want you to get to know the amazing people that we work with. Meet Rocio Madrigal, a guide for us in Costa Rica. Rocio has a passion for sharing the culture and history of her country, and is always there there to help with the nuances of Spanish language dialects spoken in this beautiful Latin American country.

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.

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.