The Experiment Digital: An interview with Aria
FIUTS is currently partnering with World Learning to recruit students ages 14-19 from the state of Washington to participate in World Learning’s summer virtual exchange program, The Experiment Digital Youth Leadership & Community Service. Aria Kischner, who has been a member of the FIUTS community through her family for most of her life, participated in this program a few years ago. We interviewed her to find out what she took away from the experience and what she’d say to high school students who are thinking about applying.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Aria Kischner
My name is Aria Kischner and I am in my freshman year at Carleton College in Minnesota. My biggest connection to FIUTS is that for almost my entire life, we hosted international students through FIUTS in the fall. My family and I have also travelled around the world and have visited past homestays in their home countries!
What made you want to apply to the program?
Originally my mom really encouraged me to apply, but I was eager to see what it was like, as the idea of connecting with students my age in countries across the globe that I knew very little about sounded very exciting.
What was your favorite thing about your experience?
My favorite aspect of the program, besides being able to call and talk to students in Iraq, were the weekly Facebook post prompts. Each week, we had to post a picture and some writing that had to do with a certain prompt, mostly about our home and day to day life, and it was super interesting to scroll through and learn about all these lives that were so different from my own.
How has it impacted you?
I think the biggest way it has impacted me in the years since I did the program is just giving me a wider sense of the world around me. It allowed me to have a connection to a country so far away that I otherwise would not have been able to connect to, and get a chance to learn what life is like there for students just like me.
What would you tell someone who is thinking about applying?
I encourage people to apply because they will meet some amazing people and get a unique view into the lives of students the same age as you. I didn't realize how many similarities I would find between our lives, and that is super cool! I also found the leaders incredibly welcoming.
More about The Experiment Digital:
U.S. youth between the ages of 14-19 are invited to apply for this 8-week fully-funded program (summer 2021) on Youth Leadership and Community Service. Participants will collaborate in a virtual cultural exchange with youth from the Middle East and North Africa. The time commitment is approximately four hours per week from June 21-August 15, 2021.
Upon successful completion of the program, experimenters receive a Certificate of Completion in Leadership & Global Issues Analysis, unique project funding opportunities, and a $400 scholarship towards participation in one of The Experiment in International Living’s Summer 2022 programs around the world.
Learn more and apply at experiment.org/digital-leadership. Applications are open now, and the final deadline is April 20, 2021.
The Experiment Digital is a program of World Learning and is supported by the Stevens Initiative, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, with funding provided by the U.S. Government, and is administered by the Aspen Institute.