One Camp Can Change a Life
December 29, 2025
I didn’t have a conventional start to my CISV journey, as a child I didn’t even know it existed! I was 25 years old when I heard about CISV for the first time. One of my work colleagues, Giulia was sending her oldest son to a Village and the delegation from CISV Sheffield needed a leader. Giulia thought of me because I had done similar things with Scouts and Air Cadets. In fact, I had spent two previous summers at a Boy Scout Summer Camp in the United States. However, I didn’t end up taking my colleague’s son on his Village because after the interview CISV Sheffield decided I would be better as a Step Up leader. I think that, for my first camp, that was the right choice.
My first camp was in the Netherlands in 2022; I took a delegation of three young people from Sheffield. Having only 3 young people instead of the usual 4 was actually an advantage in this case, as it allowed me to experience camp as a leader and, in a way, as a participant too. In fact, one of my delegates wrote in my booklet at the end of camp: “thanks as well for being my other girl delegate.” So, although I only became part of CISV as an adult I don’t feel like I’ve missed out. And I must have had a good time in the end because I’ve done four more camps since then; two Step Ups and two Youth Meetings. I also have two more camps scheduled for 2026, including my first experience as a Camp Director!
I don’t mind admitting that I was very nervous in the lead-up to that first camp. CISV seemed at once very familiar but also completely different to the experiences I had had before. Every day on CISV camp we have “flag time,” just as we did on Scout Camp, though at CISV, flag time involves gathering at the beginning and end of the day to raise or lower the CISV flag, say good morning or goodnight in each of our languages, then sing the CISV song. For the first few days on camp I was wondering what I had let myself in for. I relied on my delegation more than I would like to admit, given that they were supposed to be relying on me! But I also made some absolutely incredible friends on that camp, that I am still in regular contact with today, despite them living in Canada and Colombia respectively.
CISV has made me so much more open to new opportunities and experiences. I’ve swum in Italian lakes, seen the new year in Chile, stargazed in Sweden, and grown as a global citizen, rather than just a citizen of the country I happened to be born into.
CISV has made me so much more open to new opportunities and experiences. I’ve swum in Italian lakes, seen the new year in Chile, stargazed in Sweden, and grown as a global citizen, rather than just a citizen of the country I happened to be born into.
The whole time I’ve been in CISV I have also been studying for a PhD in Creative Writing, and I think that having friends in pretty much every time zone is absolutely essential for a PhD student. It can be quite a lonely, isolating experience sometimes, but that is greatly lessened by having a global support network. When I’m awake in the middle of the night having a thesis-induced-crisis, there is usually someone for whom it is not the middle of the night, that can talk things through with me or at least just listen to me ramble and respond in a positive and soothing way (and often in their second language, which is just absolutely incredible).
And now I am exploring my passion for writing through CISV! I’ve been given the chance to bring together the two things I enjoy the most. I’m now a part of the CISV International Content Team. I’ve been working as a Copywriter, connecting with CISV alumni and telling their stories. I have met so many interesting people and listening to them talking about the impact CISV has had on their lives, and the lives of those around them is really inspiring.
I’m also starting to take the first steps into my career, and CISV is mentioned in every job interview I have because even though I’ve done comparatively few camps, the amount of experience I’ve gained cannot be understated. It has made me patient and resilient, especially when we missed our flights and lost our luggage on the way to camp. It has made me a better communicator, because sometimes communication is about more than just words. It has broadened my horizons and made me realise that I am capable of much more than I give myself credit for.
I couldn’t possibly pick a favourite CISV memory because there are so many to choose from that I would be here forever, and because I kept a journal on each of my camps, I can return to my favourite memories over and over again. I also make a scrapbook after each camp, partly because it gives me something to focus on when I get home and am inevitably quite sad that camp is over, but also as a visual reminder of the good times I had, and something I can share with my friends and family.
By far my favourite thing to come out of all my CISV camp experiences is the friendships I have made. I wouldn’t trade a single second of all the hours of sleep I sacrificed in order to stay up with the leaders and staff doing facemasks, playing “two truths and a lie,” sharing snacks and stories: then waking up again the next morning still feeling refreshed and full of energy, ready to provide the participants with another day full of thought-provoking activities.
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!
One thing I love about CISV is how easy it is to turn strangers into friends. We may have come from completely different backgrounds, cultures, and upbringings, but CISV taught me that I can find at least one thing in common with everyone, even if that thing is CISV itself! 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!
I’ll finish with some advice for those just beginning their CISV journey, and that is: you will get out of it what you put into it. If you are open to the possibilities, then the possibilities are endless. And if you go to camp with a positive attitude, thinking that you are going to have a good time, then I guarantee that you will. And CISV can surprise you, it could be an activity, something during delegation time, or even just a chat over dinner, but the little things can change your life.
