Our history
Building Bridges, Building Understanding
Mission: Promoting International Understanding Through Professional Development and Cross-Cultural Exchange
At CIP, we deliver top-tier professional training and cultural immersion, believing authentic exchange fosters understanding and tolerance. We aim to create lasting positive change in communities globally through cross-cultural experiences and professional development.
Cultivating Change, Empowering Communities
Cultivating Change, Empowering Communities
Our programs go beyond exchanges, offering supportive training to empower individuals as catalysts for change. We promote respect, understanding, and collaboration to build a more cohesive and compassionate world.
The roots of CIP trace back to 1956, when twenty-five youth leaders from the Federal Republic of Germany embarked on a transformative journey through the German Youth Leaders Exchange Program of Cleveland, later evolving into CIP.
The primary objective was to aid in the reconstruction of Germany's democratic social fabric by training German social workers following the defeat of Nazism.
Under the leadership of Dr. Henry Ollendorff, this initiative marked numerous pioneering achievements:
- Trailblazing Cooperation: It was the inaugural cooperative effort sponsored jointly by the United States government and a foreign nation.
- Financial Support and Leadership: Securing the first financial grant from a foreign government and having the leadership of private American citizens underscored the significance and uniqueness of this endeavor.
- Cleveland’s Historic Role: Cleveland stood at the forefront, pioneering this experiment in international understanding, setting a precedent for global cooperation and cultural exchange initiatives.