Location: Cologne, Germany
Cost: $3,400 + airfare
Age Rule
Participants must have been born between Sept. 1, 2011, and Aug. 31, 2013.
How does it work?
Youth Meetings bring small groups of young people (ages 12 and 13) together from different countries. Youth Meetings are for 32 delegates, coordinated by adult staff. Young people travel in delegations with an adult leader. Generally, eight country delegations consisting of four youth and a leader attend.
The Youth Meeting evolved from the minicamps arranged by many Chapters as local activities for their junior branches. These proved so successful that their duration was increased during major school holidays. They first became national and then international, and their program content has been developed accordingly.
This type of short-term theme camp is organized to provide an opportunity for young people to explore important intercultural issues and promote continued CISV participation. It reinforces values presented in the Village program and builds skills in leadership and program organization. The participants attend the camp for 8 or 15 days.
Join a Youth Meeting and explore aspects of a theme that affects us all, such as democracy, and share your perspectives and learn from each other. You will also think about how you can use what you gain from your experience – a new understanding of planning and communication skills – beyond the camp in your school or community. As with all of our programs, you will find there is an emphasis on friendship and fun!
Quality of staff training
Host Staff members and Adult Leaders must complete an application process (including background checks) and an internationally mandated training course before serving in a Youth Meeting. The training materials are constantly being revised and updated to provide the necessary tools and skills to serve in this unique camp situation.
Traveling the world
It’s important to note that, no matter the location of the Youth Meeting program (whether hosted domestically or internationally), the actual experience will be the same. The Youth Meeting participants spend the majority of their time at the program site (which might be a school, college, or camp facility), just like they would at a local summer camp. However, the participants do have several exciting opportunities to explore their camp’s host country. The Youth Meeting staff arranges a few sightseeing excursions into the local community as well as a shopping day where the kids can purchase souvenirs to take home to their families if they wish.