The Friendship Project
A Week to Change the World

International Projects Week USA
September 23-30, 2006

Convening For The Greater Good.
In case you haven’t noticed, our world needs healing. Barriers must be removed, prejudices vanquished and peace embraced. The most appropriate places to begin these efforts are in the hearts and minds of children.

International Projects Week was conceived six decades ago in the shadow of some our world’s darkest days. The Headmaster of a German school reached out to the leaders of schools in a few countries impacted by the recent war. Fully aware that the social and political landscape of the planet had been permanently altered, it was this Headmaster’s way of planting the seeds of peace, friendship and forgiveness for the coming generations.

International Projects Week, known as The Friendship Project in 2006, is a weeklong event in which students from seven disparate countries and cultures gather to learn, discover and, most importantly, celebrate their differences and similarities. In September 2006, children from Germany, Russia, Hungary, The Netherlands, France and Poland will be hosted by the students, families and faculty of Nativity School in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.

During the week, the children will study each country’s history, culture and customs. Art, music, discussion, drama and athletics are the activities in which the students will participate, creating a learning environment that fosters trust, cooperation, understanding and fun.

Getting To Know Others. And Themselves.
The Friendship Project affords students a learning experience of a lifetime. So often, children are insulated from the world outside of their hometown, state or country, and are unable to gain a respect or appreciation for the innumerable lifestyles, cultures and languages that exist beyond their boundaries. The Friendship Project is a forum that opens eyes, hearts and minds to the different ways things are done around the world. Exposing young people to these differences predisposes them to be more accepting and understanding of others’ opinions and traditions as they progress through life.

While they learn about their differences, they discover their similarities, too. In the end, they’re all kids who like to laugh, play and desire acceptance. Interacting with those from different nations teaches the invaluable lesson that we are mostly all the same at heart, thereby creating a more highly developed sense of respect for others upon which to build for a lifetime. It’s our hope that all the children who attend The Friendship Project will leave with the belief that the only barriers that remain between them are merely geographic.

They Won’t Be Teenagers Forever.
While you may not see any direct benefits immediately, you can be assured that the positive impact you have on young lives will be taken out into the world for a lifetime. When a young person is taught stewardship, peace and unity, we all benefit enormously. Ultimately, these participants will be their country’s civic and business leaders, wielding influence locally and globally. The more well rounded and open-minded they are, the better it is for all of us. After all, the current state of our world bears witness to what provincial, close-minded thinking gets us.

Nativity School Welcomes The World.
We consider it a privilege to host The Friendship Project in 2006. We’re looking forward to using that week to change the world. Learn more by clicking on the links above.