A LOCAL SOLUTION for:

Youth have

“open minds”

• Diversity in our communities• Isolation and separation• Desire to learn American

culture• Americans not learning other

cultures• NH as a model

WITH OPEN MINDS"If you approach each new person you meet in a spirit of adventure, you will find yourself endlessly fascinated by the new channels of thought and experience and personality that you encounter". Eleanor Roosevelt 

Education and Tolerance Building at Diversity Camps

• Multicultural customs, arts, cuisines, music

• Tolerance dialogs

• Unity circles

• Service projects

Purpose• Prevent acts of hate

and violence• Teach positive

methods of dealing with conflict, such as racism and religious persecution

• Facilitate meaningful, intercultural friendships, and tie its link to valuing nature (all living things)

Growth of A ProjectPilot 2008 – Camps for Diversity

• YMCA Camp Lincoln• 28 boys

• 3 days• 18 countries

“Friendship: The Route to Peace”Mission: To provide a route to respect and mutual understanding across cultures, compassion for all, and world peace by facilitating meaningful, intercultural friendships, and tie its link to valuing nature (all living things) using a residential camp experience. 

Core Values• Caring, Honest Communication  • Respect and Affirmation• Understanding through Connections• Discovery through Fun• Leaders as Role Models for Diversity• Peace and Harmony

Two Essential Questions for Daily Interactions used

1. Will the communication or action I am about to do build community and mutual understanding?

2. Are my communications or actions honest, caring and respectful? 

“Friendship: The Route to Peace” Goals

• Cultivate mutual understanding and compassion of others’ life experiences and cultural backgrounds

• Build respect, trust and intercultural friendships among local refugee, immigrant and American youth and significant adults in their lives

• Give all participants equal footing to form bonds and develop modes of cooperative endeavor

• Live together and share in a common, safe environment

Objectives1) to understand self and others2) to develop trust, cooperation

and the value of teambuilding3) to learn communication skills to

better manage conflict and understand oppression

4) to gain leadership skills to apply towards service to one's community

5) to develop multicultural awareness and sensitivity through shared dialog, cooking, music, crafts, arts, dress, customs and traditions with others

6) to respect all living things using a camp Peace Park and natural setting 

Camp Structure• Cabins combine

youth American-born and from different countries

• Cabins each staffed by one American and one foreign-born counselor and junior counselors

• Everyone a minority

Camp Activities• Swimming • Boating• Archery• Ropes Courses• Recreational games• Bonfires nicknamed

“Marshmallow Fire”

Dialog SessionsColor – Culture - Class

Character - Context

Service Learning

Peace Park Clean Up YMCA Camp Lincoln

Kingston, NH

Peace Day Celebration

Exeter, NH

Camps for Diversity “Friendship: The Route to Peace”

Year 2

• YMCA Camp Lincoln• 28 boys for weekend• 43 girls for one day• 24 countries total

represented• Buddhist, Hindu,

Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim

Service Learning

Teamwork - Repairing a fence

YMCA Camp Lincoln

Kingston, NH

Name change to WITH OPEN MINDS Fall 2009

MISSION: To foster a spirit of understanding peace and harmony that embraces our diversity and honors all living things

GOAL: Develop leaders for world-wide peace and nurturance of our planet through greater human compassion across cultures

WITH OPEN MINDS

Central Manchester Students- Meet at YMCA

West Side Students- Meet at West HS

and Westside Library

After School Programs

Activities

• Diversity Camps

• Year-round Service Learning projects

Exploring a World of Human Greatness

• WITH OPEN MINDS, St. Anselm’s College, New African Americans, Women for Women

• NH Humanities Council Grant• High school students as service learners research

and present “Portraits of Human Greatness” of countries and cultures living in NH.

• Sensitivity & Cultural Awareness training with all.• 2009 Planning Grant - Sudan as pilot• 2010 - 2012 Implementation grant – 35 students• Ongoing– Portraits of Human Greatness”

research formal community presentations

WITH OPEN MINDS Ongoing

“Friendship: The Route To Peace”

•Camps for Diversity summer camps

•Winter Adventure Days at camp

•After-school Programs:

•Humanities “Portraits of Human Greatness”

•College & Career Exploration and Preparation

Make a difference

Contact With Open Minds at withopenminds@gmail.com

to find out what you can do to make

a better future.

In the words of the campers…

Nice people,Good food,

Burgers and pickles.Where everybody is one.

Where we solve problems by words,not by gun.

Where everybody is family.Where nobody tries to show off

or act so manly.

Where when trouble comes aroundthe counselors cancel it down.

Where we are our own little town.

Everybody smiles.Nobody frowns.Camp Lincoln,

It's all about love, fun, and family.