Founded in 1948 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 other's languages and getting familiar with each other's cultures. Campers and counselors form friendships across all ages, genders, language, and nationalities.
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.
Read more about Luethi-Peterson Camps: History of The Organization, Mission, Structure, Core Activities (Program of Camp), LPC-sites, Example of The Daily Schedule, LPC's Future