CHILDREN’S INTERCULTURAL PROGRAMS (CHIPs)
Helping kids prepare for cross-cultural life
Cross-cultural transition affects every member of the family—including children and teens. Compass CHIPs equips kids with the language, tools, and support they need to understand what is ahead and step into a new culture with confidence.
THE CHIPS EXPERIENCE
Preparation for the whole family
Your entire family is stepping into cross-cultural life. Children and teens will experience many of the same transitions as their parents, often with questions of their own.
Why are we going? What will life be like? Will I make friends? What if I do not want to go?
CHIPs gives kids a place to ask those questions, understand what they are experiencing, and prepare for the changes ahead. Our goal is to equip the whole family to enter cross-cultural life with greater confidence, resilience, and connection.
BUILT FOR CROSS-CULTURAL KIDS
Helping children & teens grow, connect, & thrive
Every child experiences cross-cultural life differently. CHIPs provides a place where children and teens can build the skills and confidence they need to navigate transitions, engage well across cultures, and grow together as a family.
Learning to navigate change
Kids learn to understand transition, name emotions, and respond to change in healthy ways.
Building cross-cultural confidence
Children develop tools for curiosity, adaptability, and meaningful connection in a new culture.
Growing as a family
Shared language helps families process challenges together and strengthen relationships before departure.
THE CHIPS APPROACH
Learning Together.
While parents attend Compass, CHIPs objectives parallel the Compass adult objectives through age-appropriate activities, conversations, and learning. Kids connect with others preparing for similar experiences. CHIPs facilitators help them put words to their questions, expectations, and emotions.
This shared learning gives families natural opportunities to continue the conversation together—helping parents better understand their children while preparing for cross-cultural life as a family.
“CHIPs is helping mission families equip their children to thrive in the midst of transition, change, and cross-cultural life.”
Mission Training International • Palmer Lake, Colorado
AGE GROUPS
Thoughtfully designed for each child
Our CHIPs teachers facilitate the program in five age-based groups, creating meaningful, developmentally appropriate experiences for each child. Groupings may be adjusted each session based on the needs of the children attending.
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Nursery aged children are cared for in a safe and loving environment. It is important for them to learn to trust parents and other caregivers and continue to work towards developmental milestones. This age group receives daily opportunities for free play, naps, and activities to stimulate their growth in communication and relationships with others.
For the health and welfare of infants, we request that they be at least 6-weeks-old before attending a program.
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Toddlers will be equipped for transitioning to their new home through age-appropriate play and activities. Books, crafts and lessons are used to help them name their feelings, learn healthy interactions with others, and become more open to new things. They practice sharing, kind words, manners, and obedience. Their daily learning occurs with times for free play, recess and afternoon naps.
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This age group will gain key skills for thriving and connecting in their new culture. Activities, crafts, and interactive play assist in training, helping them to see and listen to others with kindness and an open attitude. This class develops and practices skills in communicating their emotions. It will dive into how to communicate them safely with adults and others, and prayerfully with God. Children in this class also take field trips and have a daily quiet time.
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Breakthrough kids are experiencing mixed feelings in preparation for leaving the home, life, relationships, and culture they have always known. The program will both prepare them to navigate transition by looking at communication, perspectives, conflict, and values. This class offers opportunities for processing alone, with others, and with God. Varied activities, including field trips, allow them to have hands-on experiences that will solidify their learning.
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Teenagers moving overseas need to have a safe space to discuss and process the challenges they will face in moving to a new culture. While this primarily takes place with their peers and trainers, they will periodically join the adult language and culture classes. By the end of their program, teens will dig deep into exploring their identity, values and relationships, allowing them to transition more smoothly.
We encourage families with teens to attend the Compass sessions starting in June or August. These months often draw a higher number of participants between 13 and 18 years old, creating a richer setting for positive peer connection and overall experience. Our aim focuses on bringing as many teens as possible into the same program to provide the strongest support for that age group.
A note for families with young adults:
MTI does not have a specialized program for young adults who are in transition. If your family has children who have graduated from high school, please contact info@mti.org for information about alternative programs designed specifically for young adults.
Prepare your whole family for the journey ahead.
Cross-cultural transition impacts every member of the family, including your children. CHIPs helps kids process change, build resilience, and develop tools to thrive alongside you in the calling God has placed on your family.