Our Xperitas planned school exchange has earned the accolades of students, families, administrations and communities, and the impact and connections reach well beyond the individuals traveling.

Over 20 years and 17 trips later, I can't imagine traveling with anyone else.

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.

Nicole Weaver, a high school French and Spanish teacher in Denver, is the author of several award-winning trilingual children's books.

We are pleased to announce the winner of our 2018 Xperitas Alumni Scholarship: Lily Hauptman of Ladue Horton Watkins High School in Saint Louis, Missouri.

Due to safety concerns in the aftermath of hurricanes Irma and Maria, we made the decision to cancel our Puerto Rican programs planned for 2018. The students from the canceled groups were disappointed, but many were determined to help. Read how they took action.

Cara Meyer was the recipient of our 2017 Alumni Scholarship. Cara traveled to France and Germany with Xperitas in 2016. Recently, we caught up with Cara, who reflected fondly upon what her Xperitas program, and the scholarship, has meant for her future.

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!

All 2017 language immersion program participants have returned home safely from their trips abroad. As we look forward to 2018 and begin planning next year’s programs, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on the past year, which was one of our best ever!

Our 2017 spring travelers have returned! As your child prepares to depart, read reviews of what these travelers had to say about their family stay experience abroad and the lifelong connections they made.

When we prepare to travel to a new place, it’s important to dig deep and think about our own home, too. Use this blog as tool to reflect on what it means to be American. 

At this year's Global Leaders Conference in January, Xperitas launched the Educator Advisory Council (EAC) to discuss items that will help Xperitas enhance its existing programs and processes. The long-term goal of the council is to partner with teachers on an ongoing basis to get a pulse on current issues and challenges facing the field of education.

Welcome to our Alumni Story Series, where we share what our alumni are doing post-travel and how their experience has influenced their lives.

As a parent, you want to ensure your child’s family stay abroad will be safe, fun and life-changing in all the right ways. Jackie, parent of Sophia, a past France program participant, told us how attitude made the biggest impact on her daughter’s experience.

As a parent, you want to ensure your child’s family stay abroad will be safe, fun and life-changing in all the right ways. Jackie, parent of Sophia, a past France program participant, told us how attitude made the biggest impact on her daughter’s experience.

Preparing for your trip this summer? Read about a past participant's experience to learn 10 travel tips to know before you go!

Today's advances in technology make it possible for travelers to stay connected nearly 24/7, but this can be detrimental to your student's learning experience. Learn how to help your teen prepare to disconnect and learn.

Xperitas Ambassador Edda P. shares her Spanish immersion experience and plans to incorporate her language skills into her goals for the future.

A message from Xperitas about the success of the transition to Xperitas and how we are truly better together.

This was to be my first Christmas away from home, and I was nervous. I was four-months into my first year in France, and though I was beginning to feel at home with my host family, I wasn’t sure I was ready to face their extended family yet. I discovered that this was an opportunity to learn and participate in new traditions.

We want to hear from our participants what the Xperitas experience has meant for you. If you're not sure where to begin, follow the guide below. When you're ready to share your story and photos, send to info@xperitas.org.

Each year, Xperitas holds a photo contest to provide an opportunity for our participants to share a snapshot of their travel experience. View the winners of the 2016 Xperitas Photo Contest!

Most Americans in the United States are familiar with the expression “as American as apple pie.” However, it wasn’t until I studied abroad in France (and later lived and worked in France and Belgium) that I realized just how deeply rooted pumpkin pie, and more importantly the Thanksgiving holiday, was in my American upbringing.

Participants and their families may need to figure out ways to fundraise money for their immersion program. Over the years, we find that students who engage with their local communities and spread awareness about their program enjoy the most fundraising success. Here are some fundraising tactics that have worked for our groups!