06/16/2026
When CIP was founded 70 years ago, our focus was on bringing together youth workers, social workers, professionals in community development and public administration from around the world to learn from one another and strengthen their communities.
As the world changed, so did we.
Beginning in the 2000s, CIP expanded beyond its social work roots to welcome professionals from a growing range of fields from architecture and engineering to nonprofit management, education, public policy, and more.
What hasn't changed is our belief in the power of international exchange. Whether participants are sharing professional expertise, building cross-cultural understanding, or developing lasting global connections, the goal remains the same: learning from one another to create positive change.
Today, we continue to honor our social work foundation through programs like Building Bridges and International Professional Exchange Programs (IPEPs), while creating opportunities for professionals across countless sectors to gain hands-on experience and broaden their perspectives.
70 years later, CIP's story is still being written by the professionals, communities, and partnerships that prove meaningful exchange can make a difference anywhere in the world.
