For 11-year-olds, a life-changing first step into global friendship

The Village programme is where it all began. Designed for 11-year-olds, it’s a four-week international camp that brings together children from around the world. Through fun, games, and guided educational activities, young participants build lifelong friendships and take their
first step toward becoming active global citizens.

Programme Highlights:

  • 4-week residential international camp
  • Delegations from 12 countries (4 children + 1 leader per delegation)
  • Supervised by trained adult leaders
  • Daily peace education activities, cultural sharing, games
  • Hosted in a local CISV chapter community

What Makes Village Special

  1. Builds confidence and independence in a safe, supportive setting
  2. Encourages cultural understanding at an early age
  3. Teaches communication, empathy, and teamwork
  4. Lifelong friendships across borders

Many participants stay involved with CISV for years after Village.

Who can participate:

  1. Children aged 11 years old
  2. Open to all backgrounds, no previous travel or language experience required
  3. Must be able to join a delegation from a participating country
village programme
  • “CISV has given me the patience to listen, and the skill to understand different perspectives.”
    Oil Taweepon
    CISV Thailand
  • “CISV has changed the way I see the world and the way I work. And I know it can do the same for others.”
    Analucia Moreno
    CISV Guatemala
  • “And when the last night arrives—when you’re singing lullabies and realizing your Village is ending—remember this: your lifelong CISV journey is not over. In fact, it has only just begun.”
    Desideria Toussaint-Utomo
    CISV Indonesia
  • “... we were all so different, there was no normal, and so being different became the new normal.”
    Karoline Klose
    CISV Germany
  • “CISV has pushed me to get out of my comfort zone, and it really isn’t an exaggeration to say that it has made me a better person!”
    Elizabeth Wright
    CISV Great Britain