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Opening Doors, Opening Minds
"I learned that when you try to judge someone by how they
look and where they come from, you are usually wrong."
- Kim Knowlton, International Exchange Program participant,
from her ODOM reflection essay, Lessons from Verdun
Increasingly, young people around the world are expressing concern about political and cultural tensions and are looking for ways to influence change. Opening Doors, Opening Minds is a new HI-USA program that empowers our youth to initiate change.
ODOM provides unique travel opportunities and programs to young people so they have the tools to become better global citizens and influence international understanding through dialogue.
HI-USA’s long-term goal is for ODOM participants — and everyone they inspire — to create a world where acceptance flourishes.
ODOM and similar programs around the world were triggered by HI’s Youth Hostelling for Peace and International Understanding initiative. The initiative’s goal is to unite the global community through HI’s network of 4,000 hostels. HI-USA jumped on the opportunity because its network of more than 100 hostels provided the leverage to deliver a consistent message in the United States.
The International Exchange Program educates people and promotes peace concepts in support of the United Nations Decade for a Culture of Peace. IEP provides a means for young people of different cultures, backgrounds and experiences to utilize each other as a rich resource for learning and for building a better, more peaceful world.
HI member countries, including HI-USA, collaborated to offer the inaugural opportunities, which addressed global citizenship, service work, regional travel, cultural meals and workshops with local representatives:
- Read an inspiring reflection paper by Kim Knowlton, one of two IEP participants who represented the United States: Lessons from Verdun
- German/American Intercultural Student Exchange
(Bielefeld, Germany, 08/11/04-08/24/04).
- Youth Hostelling for Peace and International Understanding
(Menzel Jemil, Tunisia, 06/13/03-06/23/03)
- Learning Centers for Peace, the most-recent IEP opportunity, includes a three-month volunteer placement at one of 11 participating HI member countries to implement programs focused on cross-cultural exchange.
(the U.S. intern is in residence in Assisi, Italy)
If you are interested in participating in the International Exchange Program, visit HI-USA’s Web site for future program information.
Travel Scholars Program offers youth and school groups in communities across the country the chance to travel and participate in education-based hostel stays. This is a fantastic opportunity for young people ages 13-18 to travel and learn what it means to be a true global citizen. Program content focuses on promoting the values of intercultural exchange, responsible travel, humanitarianism and community service.
HI-Sacramento is one of six HI-USA hostels selected to host these special overnight experiences and programs. Currently, after-school and school groups as well as Girl Scout troops and other community youth organizations are participating. Grants are available to groups demonstrating compelling social, cultural or economic needs.
Interested in Travel Scholars? Complete the HI-USA Interest Form.
Community walls are displays created by youth groups that want to tell the world what it is like to live in their hometown. This project is creative and fun yet still helps young people learn about their own cultural community identity.
Completed Community Wall projects will eventually be shared within HI-USA hostels nationwide and in virtual form on the HI-USA Web site.
If you want to know how your group can participate, contact us.
Visit the HI-USA Web site for more information about ODOM.
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