Village Leader Selection Process

The Jacksonville Chapter of Children's International Summer Villages is indeed fortunate to have the opportunity to send delegations to represent our community and the United States at CISV Villages in different parts of the world. The Chapter Village Delegation Selection Committee is responsible for determining which children and adult leaders will represent our community and our nation.

Our task is to select delegates and leaders who (1) are representative of a cross-section of our community, (2) will be cohesive, and (3) have personalities and strengths which are complementary. The selection process is designed to be fun for the children, with numerous games and activities typical of the CISV Village environment.

Seminar Camp delegates do not participate as a delegation from a single chapter. No more than 4 delegates from any one nation may attend a single Seminar Camp, thus ensuring a wide diversity of cultures and points of view.

The primary qualifications and attributes of leaders considered by the Selection Committee are that the candidate:

• Must be 21 years old prior to travel
• Is physically and emotionally healthy, and demonstrates self-discipline
• Makes friends easily and is readily accepted by others
• Communicates effectively with adults and youth
• Assumes responsibility and work within a group
• Has a positive, flexible personality - able to adjust to differences in schedules, activities, cultures, foods, etc.
• Enjoys playing games, singing, dancing, etc.
• Accepts others without prejudice, regardless of race, religion, language or culture
• Is able to commit significant time (March-June) in preparation for the Village experience

The Selection Committee consists of active members of the Chapter who bring various perspectives and a wealth of expertise to the task. The committee includes past Village delegation leaders, recent Village parents, Village staff members, and members with prior Selection Committee experience. Both men and women are included, representing teachers, counselors, and parents actively involved with youth.

The strength of the selection process lies in the strength of the dedicated members of the Selection Committee. Their experience, expertise and variety of perspectives assure us that the delegations selected will represent our community, Chapter and nation well.

The selection process involves several important factors. No single factor is necessarily more important than the others, but all are considered together in the committee's decisions:

• Application and References — found under Application section.


• Two "Play Days" — Three hours on a Saturday, involving games and other activities similar to those experienced in the Village. The Play Days give the committee opportunities to observe the children and the adult leader - and junior counselor - applicants at play and interacting with each other. See Calendar of Upcoming Events for dates.


• Overnight — A carefully-structured and supervised "mock" Village environment during which children relate to their peers and adult leaders in CISV games, songs and activities. See Calendar of Events for dates.


• Leader Candidate Interview — An opportunity for the applicant to express his/her feelings about the CISV experience and to ask any questions he/she may have.

Adult Leaders in CISV are volunteers, age 21 or older. The participating families pay the leader's airfare, but they receive no monetary payment for their time. Leader applicants are screened carefully, including a criminal background check, through a selection process designed to ensure they are well-qualified and well-suited to lead the CISV Village Delegation during the preparation phase as well as during the four week Village. CISV selects leaders who will be responsible, caring and whose top priority is always the children's safety and well-being. Volunteer leaders may be parents, teachers, counselors or others who have the willingness and ability to work well with children and who will carry out their responsibilities in accordance with CISV policy. Many leaders were CISV Village participants when they were eleven, and want to participate in the Village experience again as leaders.

Using the preceding selection criteria and selection process, delegations are formed based on the best judgment of the Selection Committee. Leaders are informed of selection results by mail, with a follow-up phone call, within a few days of the Selection Overnight.

All CISV leaders undergo a thorough training process, starting at the local Chapter level and continuing through a mandatory CISV-USA regional training seminar. Training includes the basics of CISV philosophy, program content, potential problem recognition, cultural awareness, risk management and conflict resolution.

The number of applicants varies from year to year, but there are frequently more highly qualified applicants than there are leader positions to fill. For this reason, we hope applicants realize that CISV offers much more than just the Village Leader Position. There is a very active Junior Branch youth group that plans CISV-related activities throughout the year, and this group always benefits from adult participants in an advisory role. Other programs are available for adult leaders, such as Interchange Leader. Adults also become involved in many CISV local activities that further the ideals of CISV. We encourage all applicants to get involved and experience the many positive aspects of CISV.

Application Deadline

The application deadline is December 10, 2009. If you are past the deadline, please contact Kerry McClure (halkerry@bellsouth.net), to see if applications are still being accepted.

2010 VILLAGE SELECTION PLAY DAYS- Village youth, Junior Counselors and Village leader applicants should plan to attend

Saturday, January 9, 2010, 9 AM – 12 noon
Saturday, January 23, 2010, 9 AM – 12 noon
Friday, February 5, 20010, 8 PM to Saturday, February 6 , 2010 (9AM) - overnight

South Jacksonville Presbyterian Church
Family Life Center
2137 Hendricks Ave 32207

*Parents will participate in “Welcome to CISV” Orientation and interviews for a few hours on one of these dates.