Children's International Summer Villages, Inc. (CISV Pittsburgh)

CISV ( Children's International Summer Villages) is an independent, non-profit, non-political, volunteer organization that offers children, youth, and adults the opportunity to make new friendships worldwide and to understand and appreciate different cultures. The mission of CISV is to promote peace education, to learn about other cultures through close friendships and to accept others without prejudice or stereotypes.CISV prepares individuals to become active and contributing members of a peace

Every other year the CISV Pittsburgh Chapter hosts an international program: a village, a summer camp or a seminar camp. Hosting involves full financial responsibility for food and board, local transportation for participants (children and leaders), airfare and training costs for director and staff. Hosting programs provide the opportunity to involve the entire community as participants. Program leaders and delegations have one or two home stays, to allow them to come in direct contact with the local community. We have approximately forty families involved in hosting participants for a weekend or two, sharing with the participants our culture, traditions, way of life, ethnicity, etc. Families also attend Open Day, hosted by the delegations, at which they prepare activities (folk dances, songs, games, and the like) that reflect their cultures, wear their national clothing, and provide foods from their countries. This enables the local community to learn more about other cultur