We have hosted 150 teens from Northern Ireland during the last 15 years! During July, the American and Northern Irish teens participate in a whirlwind of activities. The program’s core is centered on conflict resolution (called Times of Discovery), service projects, leadership skill building, team and trust building activities, religious services, and FUN! Almost every day in the month is schedule
d and the teens fill every open moment with more time spent together bowling or swimming or going to movies, etc. The teens are chaperoned by 4 adult counselors - 2 from Northern Ireland and 2 from the US. The relationships built between the American and Northern Irish teens can last a lifetime, resulting in many American teens visiting Northern Ireland. More importantly, the relationships built between the Catholic and Protestant Northern Irish teens last beyond their time in Madison. Once home, they introduce their UP friends to their school friends, their families become friends and the boundaries between “our side” and “their side” are dropping. Our teens tell of changing attitudes; how it’s more common to see “mixed groups” out in town and how it’s more acceptable. (It was common to be called a traitor or other names if people of your “group” saw you out with people of the other “group”.) But we’ve found that it’s not just about being an agent for change in another country. The American teens have been challenged to think about how they treat people who are different and we have success stories of Ulster alumni standing up to bullies or making efforts to be more inclusive.
