Thoughts on Experiential Education

This semester is entirely different from anything I’ve ever been a part of. For one thing, as of about 2 weeks ago, this is the longest I’ve ever been away from home. And I’ve been to places where English is not the primary language, but the immersion has certainly never been this intense, nor without a translator. And if I’m honest, I miss my home. It’s also a different group than I’ve ever been a part of before. I’m used to dorm life, to being surrounded by friends and brothers, dozens of them, all with different points of view and ideas of community. I’m used to “traditional” classes. I’m used to American food. I’m used to comfort.

Experiential Education. The title implies so much, as well as asking so many questions, like what’s the experience? What is education? What can you learn from an experience? Does every experience teach you something? Is there a teacher?

I am living with a Romanian family. Every day, I wake up in a Romanian home. I eat breakfast with Romanians, I go to the bathroom in a Romanian bathroom, I walk down a Romanian street, I am experiencing Romania.

Even in the absence of a teacher, a classroom, textbooks, and a proper desk, I am learning about Romanian culture just from living with a Romanian family. Even better, I’m learning things you couldn’t learn in a classroom. I’m learning what a typical family likes to eat, what time they like to eat, what they like to talk about, what they listen to on the radio, what books they read, how they treat foreigners, how they treat each other. You might say I’m learning about Romania by experiencing Romania.

Another one of our classes is called “Sustainable Development.” In it, we’re learning a lot of the academics behind many of the people and ideas that have changed/will change/are changing the world, for better or worse. We’re learning about what it takes to develop a community of people and encourage them to empower and believe in themselves so they can sustain that development.

And what’s more, we’re seeing it happen. We took part in groups at Viaţa camp, we’re involved with kids in the IMPACT clubs, we’re seeing empowerment spring up from even the darkest of places. I can learn all I want about how this development stuff works, but I wouldn’t really get it until I came here and saw it working for myself. I’m learning about sustainable development in Romania by experiencing it in Romania.

I guess you could say that having a class entitled, “Experiential Education” is a bit redundant. Every day is a new experience, and every day is a full semester’s education in itself.

The best part, I think, is that this education isn’t limited by Romania’s borders. It doesn’t end here. Yes, I miss my comfortable home, and my brothers in West (my dorm), and speaking the primary language, but what I’m learning here, what I’m experiencing, will go with me wherever I go, even to the ends of the earth.