EIL Intercultural Learning

An Irish based organisation

EIL Intercultural Learning is a well established, Irish based organisation. Over the years we have built strong links with various communities, not for profit organisations and youth groups all over the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. At a national level, EIL is also an active member of the National Youth Council of Ireland.

Child Safety

The safety and wellbeing of participants is paramount in all our programmes.  In particular child safety is the central tenet of all programmes where we are working with participants under 18 years of age. EIL in conjunction with Leargas and The Youth Council of Northern Ireland, has been at the centre of developing good practice guidelines for "Child Safety and Youth Exchange Programmes" in Ireland. This code of good practice has now been adopted by the Youth Programme of The European Union and is to be used in each of the 27 member states in the European Union. Copies of the guidelines are available upon request. As your organisation in Ireland, EIL provides 24 Hour 7 day emergency support, carefully recruited and trained language teachers and leaders by our partners schools and a local coordinator in all host communities.

Worldwide Recognition

EIL is the Irish national office of the Experiment in International Living (EIL) which was founded in the USA in 1932. We are part of the oldest educational exchange organisation in the world. In 1989 the EIL Network was designated as a Peace Messenger Organisation by The Secretary General of the United Nations. EIL also has consultative Status at the Council of Europe and at The Economic and Social Committee of The United Nations.

A Not for Profit organisation

EIL is a not for profit organisation and is not owned by anybody or any group of people. There are no shareholders or annual dividends or profits to be paid to any individual or group of individuals. EIL invests any surpluses back into its work through scholarships, subsidies and travel awards which allow young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to participate in intercultural programmes.. EIL is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. The Board monitors and supervises a full time staff based in Cork who are responsible for the day to day operations of the organisation.

Past Participant Testimony

Word of mouth promotion has been our most successful means of reaching new participants. We feel the best way to assure you is to talk to someone who has gone through it. At EIL we understand the concerns of Irish parents in sending their children abroad, be it for only 2 weeks or a full academic year. For many of you, this will be your child’s first significant trip away from home and another important step towards building their self-confidence, maturity and independence. We would be delighted to try and put you in touch with a past participant of the course you are considering so they can tell you about their experience on the programme.

Our Team

Fiona who coordinates the EIL Study Abroad programmes would be more than happy to discuss with you your individual requirements and enable you to pick the programme that is right for you. We look forward to talking to you.