EIL Intercultural Learning

On May 28, 2009 The Gorey Echo covers Gary Finnerty's story with the article "Garry wins the trip of a lifetime". Gary is one of the winners of EIL Travel Awards 2009 and he is going to Ecuador for five weeks.

Garry wins the trip of a lifetime

ONE YOUNG student in Carnew is preparing for the trip of a lifetime after won a prestigious competition.

Garry Finnerty of Coláiste Bhríde will be flying out to Equador this summer to volunteer and stay with a local family in Riobamba.

On his exciting journey, he will also spend four days in the heart of the Amazon jungle, go mountain trekking and horseback riding on Chimborazo and set foot on the equator. It might seem like a holiday, but it will no doubt be hard work, as Garry will be taking a number of Spanish classes and join a group of American teenagers and their leader to face a number of challenges.

Garry applied in March by filling in a lengthy application form along with a 700-word essay on why he wanted to go on the travel award he picked, in his case Ecuador.

Then from a few hundred applications, they short-listed five applicants which, to his delight, included him.

He attended a day-long course in Trinity College where he met the other applicants and those who had previously been to Equador.

“Later on there were interviews that lasted 20 minutes and they said they’d get in touch with a few weeks. But I got a call within a few days saying I had won the award,” said Garry.

He was awarded the prize by EIL Intercultural Learning which is an Irish “not for profit” organization that provides intercultural learning opportunities through study abroad, volunteering abroad, language training, travel awards, group educational programmes, and other cultural immersion activities for about 2,000 people each year.

Based on principles of experiential learning (learning by doing), EIL programmes are designed to provide tools to survive and thrive in another culture or in a different language, to foster personal development, to build communication and leadership skills, and to be active citizens in an interdependent world.

The aim of EIL Intercultural Learning is to enrich lives and to inspire global citizenship and EIL Travel Awards challenge young people to explore some of the most exciting cultures in the world in a responsible and meaningful way.