Initially, Lisle offered six-week programs created by volunteers to promote global understanding. Its model focused on intercultural education and work experience, emphasizing community involvement, reflective group experiences, and cultural sensitivity. Lisle advocates for a just social order where individuals of all backgrounds participate fully. It believes in understanding diverse perspectives while balancing idealism with practicality. Lisle aims to develop emotional maturity, social awareness, and cultural appreciation among future global leaders.
Today, Lisle continues its mission of fostering peace and understanding between cultures. Founded by the Baldwins, Lisle pioneered international exchange and inspired various educational initiatives. More about its history can be found in “Tiger By the Tail” by Dr. Dewitt Baldwin, and its archives are at the University of Toledo.
The Lisle Fellowship, named after a rural town in upstate New York, it pioneered intercultural education. Founded by Dr. DeWitt and Edna Baldwin, “Uncle Si” and “Aunt Edna, former Methodist missionaries in Burma, it aimed to foster multicultural, interracial, and interfaith interaction among United States and international students, a radical idea at the time. Lisle’s unique model focused on group interaction, communal living, reflection, and community service.
Lisle sponsored summer programs for students only, and solely within the United States. The first international group was conducted in Denmark in 1952 and since that time, programs have been held in 21 nations.
Lisle offered inter-generational programs in many developing areas of the world.
Lisle has focused on providing small “seed grants” to support programs fostering intercultural understanding.
Lisle Founders
Dr. DeWitt C. Baldwin with his wife Edna Aiken Baldwin founded, nurtured and guided Lisle for almost 60 years, until his death in the early 1990’s. Their creative understanding of the isolation of the United States in the 1930’s led to the development of Lisle’s six week summer camp programs, called “Units”. Their idea of inviting both international and U.S. college students to come, live and learn together in a sharing and serving atmosphere was at the cutting edge of the educational practice of the time.
