The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Gilmour Academy partners hosts children’s group
Back in 1951, in the aftermath of World War II, American psychologist Doris Allen founded Children’s International Summer Villages in Cincinnati.
It started with delegates from eight countries and now the organization called CISV International has more than 215 chapters in more than 60 countries around the world. More than 190,000 people have participated in more than 5,000 international activities.
Gilmour Academy in Gates Mills recently hosted CISV International, a monthlong camp where children from 11 countries spent time immersed in an “unparalleled cultural experience.”
Northeast Ohio CISV International Co-president Marie Rodstrom said Village activities are designed to foster self-awareness and openness to other peoples and cultures through four main components of its peace education programs: diversity, human rights, conflict and resolution, and sustainable development. In addition, the programs are aligned with CISV International’s core values of friendship, inclusiveness, enthusiasm, engagement and cooperation.
“Examples of activities during the monthlong program hosted in July at Gilmour included having delegates ‘live for the day’ with a physical handicap, such as blindness or not being to use one arm, to help that youth truly understand the impact such a handicap may have on others’ lives,” Rodstrom said. “Another activity may involve setting up a community of varying socioeconomic levels for the day, giving the youth a real view into the challenges a similar, realworld society might face in building true understanding, a real community and governance. Delegates also participated in sports and leisure activities on Gilmour’s campus, experienced two weekends with local families and had three local excursions.”
From June 30 through July 27, Gilmour welcomed 11 international delegations of 11-year-olds, generally two boys and two girls, with a total of 45 children from Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, El Salvador, Mexico, the Philippines, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States (Philadelphia).
Each delegation traveled to Cleveland with an adult leader. The Village also had six teenage junior counselors from various countries, and a staff of local leadership. An adult Village director also came from Norway.
“Participants pay for travel, a prorated share of leader’s expenses and an administrative fee,” said Denise Shade, past president and longtime leader of CISV International’s Northeast Ohio Chapter. “The hosting chapter covers all expenses related to room, board and programming for all participants. This arrangement keeps the program affordable for participants, and there are (some) need-based scholarships available for those who need assistance with travel costs.”
The local chapter does its own fundraising to support the Village, and it receives private donations as well as support from foundations.
Rodstrom believes today’s youth need positive interaction with peers from diverse ethnic, cultural, racial and economic backgrounds.
“In an increasingly crosscultural world, misunderstandings can lead to conflict, instability and a growing sense of isolation,” she said. “In order to positively impact the world, they need to know how to explore and value both differences and similarities. Exposure to different cultures and international collaboration during preadolescence results in individuals with broader worldviews, and it encourages them to see things from different perspectives, helping them to make informed decisions and assume leadership roles. Children who participate in a Village acquire valuable skills that stay with them for life.”
CJ Sheppard said she became involved with the organization last year when her daughter, Julia, traveled to Austria on a different CISV International program called Interchange.
“It was a fabulous experience,” she said. “Interchange, though, is a monthlong program for 12- and 13-year-olds where they host an international group for two weeks in their own homes, then travel to the other country to stay in the homes of their new friends. The youth in these programs, as they grow older, become progressively more independent and involved in the planning and implementation of the activities.
“It’s an organization that fosters tremendous leadership skills and spurs lifelong friendships,” she said. “This past month, we were delighted to serve as a weekend host family for Carin from Sweden and Maria Pia from Costa Rica during the midmonth home stay, just as we welcomed Johanna from Austria last summer. And Gilmour has been a generous partner.”