Institute for Village Studies

The Institute for Village Studies is a non-profit educational organization that leads student and community trips to Asia. Our trips combine enriching cultural experiences, opportunities for exploration and adventure, and service work on local community development projects.

The Institute emerged as an outgrowth of international tours ... read more The Institute for Village Studies is a non-profit educational organization that leads student and community trips to Asia. Our trips combine enriching cultural experiences, opportunities for exploration and adventure, and service work on local community development projects.

The Institute emerged as an outgrowth of international tours with students from Spring Street School, in Friday Harbor, Washington. As we spent time traveling we moved inevitably towards villages because they created a more powerful experience for our students, giving them more of a flavor of the indigenous cultures we visited.

We made friends with villagers and were invited to participate in village life. They spoke; we listened. They asked us to help them; we worked side by side as they directed our involvement. Over the course of time, we went from being friendly visitors to becoming helpful friends. Less