Luethi-Peterson Camps

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Founded in 1949, by Natalie Luethi-Peterson, the Luethi-Peterson Camps (LPC) are non-profit co-ed summer camps in different countries that aim to foster international understanding by bringing together kids from a variety of cultural backgrounds. Officially, its stated purpose is to "be a project based upon the conviction that understanding is essential to peace and that such understanding can be best realized through personal friendship and mutual respect which such friendship engenders."

Using crafts, sports, music and language study as vehicles, LPC emphasizes self-government, guiding campers to take responsibility for themselves and their community. The campers do a lot of the cooking and cleaning and share in the decision-making. Accommodations and amenities are relatively simple. Attendees spend time trying to learn each others' languages and getting familiar with each other's cultures. Campers and counselors form friendships across all ages, genders, language, and nationalities. Counselors are not paid well, but love what they do.

What started out as a single camp in 1949 with campers from both sides of World War II grew as the number of campers wishing to attend increased. Today, there are usually between five to eight camp sites each summer mostly in Europe. With the exceptions of Freedom (located in New Hampshire), Birchpoint (located in Maine) and Heggnes (located in Norway), which are owned or administered directly by LPC, the sites are rented annually (e.g.: schoolhouses, farmhouses, holiday houses). Each camp is between 4-6 weeks with an average size of about 24 campers and 8 counselors. Camps are run for either younger children, ages 9-14 or older kids, ages 14-17.

The daily schedule varies from camp to camp, but they retain a similarity. An average camp's day goes something like this:

After wake-up, the camp comes together for a quick game or some easy exercises before getting dressed. Washing and bed-making follow while breakfast is being prepared. After breakfast comes a half-hour or so of singing, in which songs of many different languages are sung. "Putzpause" (a general cleaning period) follows, when the camp works together to put the house in order and to do the laundry and dishes. A twenty-minute language course is sometimes set between Putzpause and the first course hour. Between the first and the second course hours a snack will be provided and counsellors will have a short conference. Campers will choose between three or four different activities to attend for these course hours. Lunch follows the second course hour, and then a rest hour when the house is kept quiet, so that anyone who needs to sleep can do so. After rest hour the whole camp usually comes together for folkdancing, or some sort of outdoor game. A second snack is offered in the middle of the afternoon and a conference held to plan the following day. After dinner and dishes, there is an evening program, followed by showers, good night circle, and bedtime.

LPC's central office (and annual Christmas Conference) is in Goldern, Switzerland. Its Board of Governors is headquartered in Barrington, RI, USA.