The Experiment in International Living Launches Netherlands Program on LGBTQ+ Issues

Publication Date: January 14, 2015
Publication Location: BRATTLEBORO, VT
Contact: Kathryn Schoenberger   |   [email protected]

This summer, The Experiment in International Living will launch a new program for high school students on LGBTQ+ and gender issues in the Netherlands. The ground-breaking program will provide an immersive experience while building an understanding of how the Dutch approach issues of gender, sexuality, and LGBTQ+ rights.

“Inclusion and LGBTQ rights continue to be critical discussions around the globe,” said Aaron Morehouse, executive director of The Experiment. “At the same time that we see states making progress on LGBT rights around the U.S., we see the impacts of draconian laws that target LGBT communities as a harsh reality in other places around the world. Engaging youth in an international dialogue around inclusion, human rights, gender, sexuality and social justice in our communities is an absolutely essential endeavor in today’s world.”

The four-week program will give students the opportunity to discover the Netherlands’ longstanding history of upholding and fighting for human rights and social justice while being immersed in Dutch culture. Students will learn about Dutch life by participating in two homestays, one in Amsterdam and one with an LGBT+ family in Friesland, as well as community service projects, such as assisting at an urban farm in Amsterdam, participating in a fundraiser for Dance4Life or volunteering at a counseling and free HIV-testing center. They will also attend workshops on gender and transgender issues, marriage equality and other social justice topics.

SIT Study Abroad currently runs a program in the Netherlands on issues of gender and sexuality for undergraduates, however this new program is unique in that it is specifically for high school students.

The Experiment has been implementing international exchange programs to improve cross-cultural understanding for over than 80 years. Today, more than 500 students participate in Experiment programs to more than 20 countries each year. The Experiment is committed to helping students from a diversity of backgrounds experience immersive cross-cultural programs through a variety of need-based scholarships, including ones based on geographic diversity and thematic focus. Scholarships may also be available through partnerships with more than 60 organizations across the country. Watch the new Experiment video and visit www.experiment.org for more information about programs and how to apply.