experiment

Partnerships

Federation EIL is a nonprofit organization with over 20 autonomous offices worldwide offering programs of cultural exchange, including individual homestays, foreign language training, educational group travel, voluntary community service, work exchange and au pairs. While our first priority is service to our current members, we are interested in expanding our representation to new countries. We welcome information about your organization and would be happy to discuss cooperation with our offices around the world.

Why join Federation EIL

Contacts. Plug in to the network of organizations active in cultural exchange, language training, high school or university abroad, au pair homestays, international community service, and more. Enroll your participants in programs overseas and get new sources of participants for programs in your own country.

Access to Partnerships Work with confidence with colleagues around the world whose organizations have also met the criteria for membership in and standards of the Federation. Each member organization is an active not-for-profit association, carrying out its programs. Expand your circle of valuable business contacts by meeting and collaborating with colleagues from all over the globe.

Centralized Information Quickly get answers to questions concerning other member organizations within the Federation plus many outside contact organizations. The International Office is the headquarters for the international network and puts computerized data at your fingertips.

Code of Conduct Be part of a network that publicly states its professional code of conduct applying standards to participant selection, orientation, placement, insurance, financial responsibility, and more.

Education and Professional Development Improve your professional skills and expertise at workshop sessions sponsored by the Federation at its annual meeting. Recent workshops have included crisis management, keeping the quality in orientation, advanced information technology, media relations, insurance coverage, partner marketing, direct mail, and gaining access to foundation support.

Recognition Get noticed for the important work you and your organization do. Awards are given out for outstanding service, commitment to ideals, special achievement, and excellence in educating.

Resources. Subscribe to the quarterly newsletter, get directories of information on member organizations and other contacts. Receive the portfolio of international programs, statistical analyses, and professional development news. Be on our private electronic mail listserve and gain access to our password-protected files on a secure website.

Credentials Share in the honors bestowed on the whole network. The Federation is an international nongovernmental organization affiliated with the Department of Public Information at the United Nations. It has consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the Council of Europe. As such, it can accredit delegates to key meetings and conferences of these important bodies. In 1989 the Experiment Federation was recognized as a Peace Messenger by the Secretary-General of the UN. It partnered with UNESCO in the celebration of the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non Violence (2000-2010) and as such organized four Flagship Events. The Federation's administrative headquarters, the international office, administers these affiliations for the benefit of all members.

Admission Be invited to the annual General Assembly meeting and have voting rights in that governing body. The conference includes program-specific meetings, bilateral appointments, new program presentations, workshops, and round-table discussions for board members of each national organization.

Enhanced Image Count yourself among the highly regarded first family of homestay organizations, active since 1932, in, cultural exchange and educational travel. Become an official member of this international network.

A new EIL member organization in your country would have the following obligations:

fully endorse our mission, educational principles, and code of conduct
select and orient host families willing to receive participants from abroad
have sufficient marketing and public relations capabilities to promote programs
recruit, select, and orient participants who are interested in programs
form or maintain a group of persons in your country who bring diverse personal backgrounds to a national committee or board of directors that oversees activities on a voluntary basis, obtains the necessary clearance with local, regional, and national authorities, and ensures the continuity of representation in-country
have sufficient capital to make the necessary investments to produce materials for promotion, conduct the necessary domestic and international travel, and maintain appropriate office space and equipment to administer activities.
be totally independent of any government, religious, ethnic, or other affiliation, and create or maintain a nonprofit corporation according to your laws.

Our General Assembly, which meets once a year, is the body which gives the final vote of approval for a new organization to join our ranks. Associate member status allows organizations to join easily, as an interim step toward full membership. To qualify for associate member status, an organization must be working with at least two of our full members who are free to work with organizations outside of our network and welcome hearing from you.

For more information, contact the Federation EIL International Office: federation@experiment.org