This is not just a summer program, it is a path to global citizenship.

The Global Youth Village has welcomed over 5,000 teens from more than 102 countries since 1979.  The 15 to 21 day international youth leadership summit for ages 15-19 in the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia gathers youth leaders from across the globe to create a community of hope and action.

The Global Youth Village offers dynamic activities fostering cross-cultural understanding and helps young people tap into their potential as agents of change.

 

 Join friends in a beautiful rural setting to:

  • Tackle the world’s most pressing issues.
  • Learn from experts and champions in peace & conflict, human rights, and climate action.
  • Take action and mobilize others - create working groups to develop solutions.
  • Become a communicator, innovator, decision maker.
  • Develop your own youth advocacy toolkits to precipitate local community change.

Typical Day - Become a peace-builder and visionary

  • Wellness - Explore ways to  manage stress and build good mental health habits. Enjoy 45 minute activities each day such as meditation techniques, yoga, exercising, healthy eating, journaling ...
  • Community Projects - Discover our delightful nature and work as a team to build nature trails, paint camp structures, plant organic gardens, and many more activities for 10-12 hours during your stay
  • Living SidebySide®  - 20 hours of training  in our peace building and tolerance curriculum which teaches communication, cultural competency, leadership and problem solving skills.  This is the backbone of the Global Youth Village experience.
  • Vision 2030 - Addressing Environmental sustainability -  Discover ways you can practice environmental sustainability.  Plant and harvest organic vegetables, build nature trails and maintain forest ecosystems, learn from environmental experts and youth activists, design advocacy programs and peer education campaigns.  Look at environmental issues from a variety of lenses including environmental justice, eco-art, agricultural practices, climate change impacts, life choices...
  • Evening Fun - down time with friends, art nights, cultural sharing events, open-mike nights and more.

In- Person Programming at our site in Bedford Virginia is limited  to 50 students. Enjoy an escape to the country.  Contact us if you are interested in exploring opportunities.

 

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Gain these Peacebuilding skills  

  • Using Dialogue as a tool
  • Dialogue and Debate; Discussing difficult issues with grace
  • Social and Emotional Intelligence: Awareness of self; awareness of others
  • Communication skills: listening; communication styles; reducing misunderstanding
  • Cross-cultural and intercultural communication
  • Prejudice and prejudice reduction; strategies for how to respond
  • Conflict styles and responses; strategies for reducing and resolving conflict
  • Creating positive social change

Environmental Sustainability - Learn, Act and Lead 

 

Planet Earth - Water levels rising, unusual weather patterns, effects on crops, human behavioral changes and nature bouncing back

 

Impacts: Displaced people, forced migration, increased risk of human disease

 

Taking leadership: sustainable agriculture, preserving ecosystems, becoming eco-friendly, environmental justice, campaigns to raise awareness and inspire action.