Interchange

– Building intercultural competence

While based on the same educational principles as CISV’s camp based programmes, Interchange encourages a deeper encounter between two cultures by placing young people within families. Group activities such as a mini-camp are vital in complementing the intense in-depth family experience. Interchange takes place in two phases with one delegation visiting another country and then reciprocating by hosting the delegation from the country they visited. Not only is this a profound intercultural experience for the youth participant, but it also engages the whole family, and potentially the community in which they live, in the CISV experience.

Age	12 – 15
Duration	14 – 28 days per phase (phases can be consecutive or take place up to a year apart)
Size of group	Delegations come from 2 countries and comprise 6 – 12 youth accompanied by an adult leader (age 21+)

“My best memory is from my Interchange. I am afraid of heights, but I managed to go to the top of a mountain with all my friends, just because they all were there for me and supported me all the way to the top.”

CISV participant, Denmark