WHAT IS ISSE?
The International School-to-School Experience (ISSE) is a unique international program for schools that provides for the exchange of thoughts and ideas through face-to-face contact with children from other countries around the world. It is non-profit, non-political, and non-religious in nature. The program gives all ten to twelve year old children the opportunity to experience and understand other cultures on a first-hand basis. It is an innovative approach for schools that realize the importance of international experience in modern student education.
WHY TEN TO TWELVE YEAR OLDS?
The ten, eleven or twelve year old is mature enough to benefit from international experience, yet young enough to be relatively free from prejudice. The full power of the young “ambassador” should not be under-estimated. Children of this age are not trying to “find themselves”. They know who they are and can be good representatives of their country. These children are young enough to need adults but old enough to build their own relationships. There is no generation gap as children of this age are friendly with both children and adults.
HOW DOES ISSE WORK?
Children of all backgrounds participate in the ISSE program. A partnership between a school in one country is formed with a school in another country. A small team of ten, eleven or twelve year old children and one to two adults from another country visits a school for approximately three weeks. Each child lives with a family with a child of similar age and goes to school with their host.
The accompanying adult(s) is also hosted by another family or teacher. At a mutually agreeable time the school sends a similar team to the school from which the visitors came, to live under the same arrangements. The visiting delegation share their culture with each grade level.
The selection of children should be based upon factors other than ability to pay travel expenses, such as:
- Interest in learning about new cultures and becoming friends with children of other cultures
- Willingness to communicate their experiences with their school when they return
- Sufficient independence and emotional maturity
- Minimum age of ten and maximum age of twelve at departure time is expected
All living expenses of the visiting children and adult(s) are paid by their host families. Travel expenses of the visitors are paid, when possible, by their family, school, community, and/or their local ISSE organization. Parents of the visiting children provide passports, clothing, and spending money. ISSE is both an enriching and attainable opportunity.
WORLD WIDE INVOLVEMENT OF ISSE
The roots of the ISSE program extended back to 1951 when Dr. Doris T. Allen founded the Children’s International Summer Villages (CISV). ISSE, an extension and companion organization of CISV, has grown since 1971 to include a large number of participating countries which currently include: Australia, China, Costa Rica, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Ecuador, El Salvador, Japan, U.S.A., Cambodia, Peru