International experiences have the power to change lives.
They broaden perspectives, build confidence, challenge assumptions and create opportunities for personal growth. But perhaps their greatest value lies not in what happens while participants are abroad, but in what happens when they return home.
Each year, EIL Ireland’s Explore programme provides fully funded international learning opportunities for individuals from across Ireland, supporting participation in intercultural exchanges, volunteering projects, language programmes and cultural immersion experiences around the world. For many, it is a chance to experience something that may otherwise be beyond their reach. For all, it is an opportunity to learn, grow and connect with people and communities from different cultures and backgrounds.
In 2025, 32 scholarship recipients were selected to take part in Explore, with 31 participants successfully completing programmes across 13 destinations worldwide. From Austria and Japan to Ghana and Vietnam, participants immersed themselves in new environments, developed new skills and gained valuable insights into global issues and cultures.
However, international travel is only one part of the story.
Throughout their placements, participants contributed more than 2,000 hours of voluntary service to projects focused on education, community development, climate action, social justice and youth engagement. These experiences encouraged participants to become active contributors within their host communities while deepening their understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing societies around the world.
The impact of these experiences is reflected in participant feedback, which consistently highlights increased confidence, greater intercultural understanding, stronger leadership skills and a deeper sense of global citizenship. Participants return with new perspectives, practical skills and a greater appreciation of the connections that exist between local and global communities.
What makes the Explore programme particularly meaningful is its commitment to ensuring that learning continues long after participants return to Ireland.
Through Action at Home projects, participants are encouraged to share their experiences and apply their learning within their own communities. Whether through presentations in schools, awareness-raising campaigns, community initiatives or peer engagement activities, participants create opportunities for others to learn about global issues and intercultural understanding.
This approach helps ensure that the benefits of international learning extend far beyond the individual participant. A single scholarship can inspire conversations, encourage community involvement and influence schools, workplaces, youth organisations and local communities.
In 2025, participants represented communities across Antrim, Clare, Cork, Dublin, Mayo and Wicklow and came from a wide range of educational backgrounds, including secondary schools, universities and alternative education settings. Their experiences demonstrate how international learning can create positive outcomes regardless of age, background or life stage.
A significant milestone this year was the return of participants to Africa for the first time since before the pandemic. Three participants travelled to Ghana, where they engaged in meaningful intercultural learning experiences while building connections with local communities and partner organisations. The experience marked an important step in the continued growth of the programme and highlighted the value of international partnerships in creating transformative learning opportunities.
As Ireland continues to become more diverse and interconnected, the importance of intercultural understanding, inclusion and global awareness continues to grow. Programmes such as Explore help equip individuals with the knowledge, empathy and skills needed to navigate and contribute positively to an increasingly global society.
At its core, Explore demonstrates a simple but powerful idea: when people are given the opportunity to experience the world, they return better equipped to make a positive difference within it.
The real impact of international learning is not measured by the miles travelled, but by the actions people take when they come home.
