Ann and her Italian host sisters in 2009
Ann Friedman, World Learning former Trustee, recently traveled to the shores of the Adriatic Sea for a family reunion, an Experiment host family reunion. When Ann was just a teenager, she participated on an Experiment in International Living trip to Italy where she took intensive Italian language courses and lived with an Italian host family on a small farm. “As an Experimenter I was emboldened to live far from home and learn to live in a very different culture and community,” says Ann. “I had to learn how to be flexible and adjust – important attributes for anyone to carry throughout life.”
Ann's Italian host sisters during her Experiment days
The recent reunion with her Italian host sisters was just another small way in which Ann has helped to spread the spirit and values of the Experiment and World Learning. After college, Ann was inspired to be an Experiment group leader to France, which eventually led her into the fields of education and international relations. “I wanted to make sure that the kids in my group learned about their host country and appreciated its history and beauty as much as I did,” she says. “I would say that the experience ultimately led to my developing a world cultures extracurricular program and then eventually becoming a classroom teacher.”
Ann’s passion for travel and experiential education has certainly rubbed off – not only on her students, but on her daughter Natalie as well. Natalie participated on the SIT Study Abroad Senegal: Lens on West Africa program in the summer of 2007. Though Ann has always believed in the importance of global citizenship and cross-cultural understanding, her daughter’s experiences have highlighted the growing need for young students to have authentic intercultural interactions.
Ann and her Experiment host family in Italy
“I think that because we’re all connected now to whomever we want to be connected, we face the very real danger of believing that those somewhat superficial connections are the equivalent of real connections – connections which you forge in homestays and by living or studying abroad,” says Ann. As a trustee Ann has donated substantially to the World Learning capital campaign, and has even started an Experiment scholarship program at the Iowa high school where she was a student. “It’s important to support World Learning.” She adds, “Only through the hands-on, lived programs provided by World Learning do young people gain intimate knowledge of other cultures and their own capabilities, interests and strengths.”
This belief, in the importance of real-world intercultural experiences, motivates Ann to continue to support World Learning. She has not only made the World Learning experience a reality for her own daughter, but has also provided many high school students with an opportunity they would otherwise not have.
I too went on an Experiment in International Living to Italy. It was in college in the 60’s and changed my life for the better in so many ways. I have been back many times to see my family in Italy who are so dar to me.
My daughter did an SIT program to India two years ago
and loved that as well. Thanks World Learning!