Celestially it’s almost over. But, ask any member of the JB and they will say it ends the moment they step foot in school. To help bring back some of those good memories, here’s a pictorial recap of a BV CISV Summer of ’17 along with some member’s first hand accounts of their experiences.
Emily Doris, former BV JB President and a junior staff member at our Step Up wanted to memorialize the experience in a way participants could enjoy forever. So she recorded and created this video showing snippets from each day of camp! Click here to watch it. It gives you a real flavor of the enthusiasm and happiness experienced at camp. Thanks Emily! Very well done!
Step Up Norway
I’m so thankful for my opportunity to participate in this year’s Step Up to Norway! I had never done a Step Up before, so I didn’t really have any expectations but it was all I could’ve hoped for.
We started with a great homestay, where we were able to meet the Barcelona delegation and some local families at a cookout in Bergen. I was definitely nervous about camp, but the moment I got there I bonded with a Jordanian boy over brown cheese.* He came up to me and (almost yelling) asked “Do you like brown cheese?” (*Brown cheese is a Norwegian specialty.) I was a little taken aback, but eagerly replied, “Of course!” He then said, “We’re going to be best friends.”
As camp progressed, I made so many new friends who made camp the amazing experience that it was. What really struck me was how easy it was to talk to people and how similar we really are despite our differences in nationality. By the end of camp, we truly were a family, and it broke my heart to say goodbye to some of the greatest friends, mentors, roommates, cleaning buddies, and CISVers I’ll ever meet.
~Isabel Shepherd
Village in Sweden
Village was the best experience of my life. I loved making friends from all over the world. Something important I learned is everyone is equal and that we are very lucky. The activities taught me that all of us have basic human rights and that a small group of people can spread peace.
~Wesley Clinton
Village in Northeast Ohio
I hope I’ve encouraged you to go to Village next summer. You’ll make memories of your own, while making friends and having fun.
~Aiden Tilery
Interchange Memory
