Global INTERLINK Language Centers (ILC) was founded in 1979 in Princeton, New Jersey. Originally incorporated under the name of INTERLINK Associates (ILA), the organization provided academic placement of international students, and cross-cultural training and orientation for mid-level professionals moving for the first time to another culture. However, in response to demand and organizational expertise, priority soon shifted to the teaching of English as a second language. The objective was to make learning in a cross-cultural setting a successful experience for those coming to the USA for study or work. To reflect this change in emphasis, INTERLINK Associates was renamed INTERLINK Language Centers, Inc.
From inception, INTERLINK's philosophy and style were shaped by the US Peace Corps experience of INTERLINK's founders Robert L. Steiner (now Chairman), John Bing, and first Center Director, Ahad Shahbaz (now President). Steiner served as Peace Corps' first country Director in Afghanistan, and later Regional Director for North Africa, Near East, and South Asia; Bing had been an early Peace Corps volunteer and subsequently conducted Peace Corps training programs for Afghanistan; Shahbaz coordinated Peace Corps training in Afghanistan as well as at SUNY/College in Buffalo and Afghanistan. The Peace Corps mystique continues to define and instruct organizational purpose and practice.
INTERLINK's first Language and Training Center was opened in 1980 at Guilford College in Greensboro, NC. The initial staff of 3, with 9 students, found Guilford College's Quaker environment a hospitable host in which to test INTERLINK's training strategies. A spreading reputation for quality instruction and academic preparation, student-centered curriculum, rich faculty/student ratio (average 1:8), serious students, and a safe, supportive environment led to a steady but remarkable growth in enrollment. Additional INTERLINK centers were opened at Indiana State University in Terre Haute (1987), Colorado School of Mines (1990), Valparaiso University (1992), and The University of North Carolina/Greensboro (1997). This institutional diversity gave qualified student applicants a wide selection from which to choose.
With the home office now in Golden, Colorado, INTERLINK is a unified organization in which curriculum is being constantly researched and improved, quality regularly monitored and evaluated, to make certain that the highest standards are met. At the same time, enough diversity is encouraged to let students and teachers achieve a challenging learning environment tailored to the needs of the student.