• About World Learning
• Our Global Reach
• A Letter From the President
• History
• Executive Team
• Board of Trustees
• Contact Us
• World Learning Staff Directory
• Overseas Travel Clinic

About World Learning

World Learning began in 1932 with a simple idea: that people could build friendships across cultures and learn to walk across their differences. Those students who left the US for Germany 75 years ago on the first Experiment in International Living program were trailblazers for tens of thousands of young people who have since had the chance to view the world through different eyes.

Over the years, as we sent more young people to more parts of the world, many of our students witnessed the impact of poverty, refugee crises, and conflict. We realized then that our organization could and should do more to help ease human suffering and build local self-reliance in communities we encountered. So we added a "doing" arm to our learning organization and today are on the ground in almost 20 developing countries.

It's remarkable what happens when people leave behind the known and familiar and come recognize their capacity to care and act for change. Take, for example, Peter Quaranto who went on our study abroad program to Uganda and saw first-hand the devastating effects of that country's 21-year civil war. Peter returned frustrated that no one at home seemed aware of what was happening in Uganda. So he worked to raise awareness and encourage action toward solutions. His work may change lives in Uganda, but it's also changing lives closer to home by making others more aware of and concerned about the world beyond their backyards and borders.

World Learning opens the eyes of thousands of people like Peter and helps them step outside their comfort zones. They return home inspired with newfound urgency and energy that ripples through their lives and communities. And that’s exactly our philosophy as an organization. At first glance, the big issues of our time -- poverty, sectarian conflict, climate change, the ravages of infectious diseases -- seem huge and unsolvable. But when people get out of their bubbles and into one-on-one relationships that make a difference, they develop a greater understanding of the issues facing the world today and they seek out the skills and knowledge to bring about change.