Israel Picked For Tour By Study Group

The Experiment in International Living, Inc. has announced that this summer for the first time it will offer a seven-week trip to Israel for a group of ten students of college age, as well as its regular journeys to 19 English, French, Spanish, and German speaking nations.

Over a 17 year period the EIL has spent approximately 2600 American students abroad. Last summer 24 students now at Harvard made trips to England, France, Denmark, Norway, Holland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Italy.

Dual-Purpose

The aim of the Experiment is two-fold. The long-range aspect of the probram is to "create an atmosphere" of goodwill between nations in which the world's problems may be solved peacefully. The second aim, which is really a means toward the overall goal, is to promote friendship and understanding between American students and their foreign counterparts and to permit students to study the people and culture of one country each summer.

The formula used towards these aims is to place each American student in the home of a foreign family with a boy or girl his or her age. After one month of living with families, 10 American boys and girls invite their 10 hosts on a two-week walking, cycling, or camping trip. The final two weeks are spent doing something of particular interest, such as attending the Shakespeare Festival or the Salzburg concerts.

Six Requirements

Due to the difficulties posed by becoming a member of a foreign family, each student must satisfy six prerequisites: he must have had two years of the language he plans to use, a good academic record, participation in extra-curricular activities, experience in outdoor living, special interests such as photography or writing, and a sincere interest in working for international understanding.

The first Experiment group to Israel will fly to Jerusalem to live with families there for two weeks. The following two weeks will be spent working on a cooperative farm; then the group returns to its "families" for another week and concludes the second month with a tour of northern and southern Israel. Exceptionally good physical condition is a pre-requisite of this trip, and preference for membership will be given to non-Jewish students.

470 Going This Year

Students always travel in mixed groups of 10 under the direction of a leader who has lived in whatever country the group is bound for. This year there will be 47 such groups going abroad, with membership open to all individuals between the ages of 16 and 30. Some of these will be "Special Interest Groups" designed to bring together those interested in music, art and architecture, mountaineering, or social service.

Watt is Founder

The Experiment in International Living was founded 17 years ago by Mr. Donald B. Watt in the town of Putney, Vermont, which today has a population of only 300. Watt's wish was to change "a world of nations, caught in a web of hatred, suspicion, and mistrust, into a world in which people feel a community of spirit." He makes it clear that the Experiment is "not a language school, it is no joy ride, and it has no axe to grind.

". . . It is not so easy to make friends with people whose ideas are different, whose language we find easy to misunderstand. Sometimes they feel that we live up to our American reputation for being crude. Sometimes things happen which rub us very much the wrong way. It takes good will, patience and humilty to really make friends."

Mr. Watt's son, Donald B. Watt, Jr., '47 is also a member of the experiment and last year led a group into Czechoslovakia. The students spent three weeks in a Youth Brigade, made hiking trips into Southern Bohemia, and wound up the trip spending 10 days at Charles University in Prague. This journey will be repeated in 1950 if political conditions permit.

If this summer's transportation fees approximate those of last year, the cost of all European trips would range between $675 and $750. Excursions to Mexico, Colombia, and French Canada would be approximately $300 less expensive.

Additional information can be obtained by writing the Experiment in international Living, Inc., Patney, Vermont.