2011 Experiment in International Living Recepients!

Over the past 8 years the UCCP has partnered with the Experiment in International Living to provide a unique opportunity for students to travel & study abroad. We have supported 27 students over the years. They can choose from 52 programs in 29 different countries around the world! The program couples rural home-stay experiences with tailored intensive arts, language, or community service exposure. This summer:

Johntel Ogden (High School Junior/ Youth Action Scholar) will spend 4 weeks between Guadix, Preiego de Cordoba with his host family near the Mediterranean. The second half of his trip will be spent in Adelucia, Spain studying at a Spanish language school testing out his new vocabulary navigating the plaza and markets while participating in an annual celebrations including a festival and parade.

Angela Hagins (High School Sophomore/ VOICES after school program Participant) will be on a Costa Rican ecological adventure! Her 5 week trips starts with studying nature reserves and bio-parks in San Jose. She wraps up her trip with a 12 day homestay in Pejivalle/Sante Maria surrounded by sugar cane fields and green mountains (untouched by industrialization)

The students were assisted by a wonderful Political Sceince intern Atusa Shirasb!

Five Youth Receive Experiment in International Living Scholarships

clockwise from left: EIL scholarship winners receive recognition at the VOICES Final event; Fred Shields holds up a China-themed cake made for him by a UCCP intern Jordan; Temple student Ava Burns hosts an EIL fundraising raffle at the Final Showcase.

The UCCP is proud to announce this year's Experiment in International Living Scholarship Winners:

• Fred Shields (China)
• Alexis Duprey (Japan)
• Alexa Benjamin (France)
• Isaiah Smith (Italy)
• Ameera Young (Belize)

These outstanding 10th and 11th grader students were chosen based on the quality of their application and interview, as well as their track record of commitment to community engagement. Each will have an opportunity to spend between four and six weeks in a foreign country over the summer.

This year the scholarships ranged in value from $5,300 to $6,900. The UCCP is required to contribute $500 per scholarship. We would like to thank the following friends and partners for helping us raise this money:

• Friends of Students Run Philly Style who raised $500 for Isaiah Smith (who, in addition to participating in VOICES, is in training for his 4th marathon!).
• The National Pan-Hellenic Council for donating $1,000 in support of Ameera Young and Alexa Benjamin.
• Marianna Bracetti Academy Charter High School for contributing $500 for Alexis Duprey.
• UCCP Intern Ava Burns and EIL Alumni from the Temple Youth VOICES Project for sponsoring a raffle to support Fred Shields.

Be sure to check back in late August to see pictures from everyone's trips!

VOICES from the Experiment in International Living

“My first venture outside of the country's border was fantastic,” says Saeed Briscoe of his summer in Chile. Saeed is one of four Temple Youth VOICES participants to earn a scholarship last summer from the Experiment in International Living (EIL). Over the past five years, through a strong and growing partnership with EIL, VOICES participants have traveled to Italy, Spain, Japan, Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, Chile, Argentina, France and England. Rather than visit these countries as a tourist, the Experiment challenges young people to become part of the families and communities that host them, and provides opportunities for them to take part in a wide range of challenging activities, including community service, language instruction, outdoor education, and film and media arts production.

Although each of our scholarship winners has had a unique experience, they all come back with the same underlying message: Living in another country is life changing. Like her peers, Wyneisha Barrett was profoundly impacted by the weeks she spent in Spain this summer, “I've learned to live life to the fullest,” she reflects. “Whether it was in taking my first airplane flight, or speaking out to my group when I felt like something wasn't done properly, I've learned how to be more confident in myself, because what I have to say is important. I'm so grateful that I was chosen to travel abroad this summer. It truly helped me evolve as a person.”

Each year, 10th and 11th grade VOICES participants are eligible to apply for a scholarship with the Experiment in International Living. For more information about the program, see http://www.usexperiment.org or contact Tony Allen at 1-800-345-2929.