Culturewise Youth

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Our Mission

Connecting youth in communities entering the digital landscape with global peers through digital access, cross-cultural collaboration, and co-creation through:

Digital, cross-cultural project-based exchanges for youth
Educational products & resources (children's books, videos and lessons for educators)
Immersive intercultural experiences

We address two interconnected problems:

Young people most impacted by global challenges are often the least connected to opportunity and global networks
Young people with more access often lack:
- understanding of these challenges
- true ideas of lived realities of these global peers
- skills to interact collaboratively and sensitively

Impact

Our Impact So Far (as Dogon Dreams, founded 2023)

Supported 250 displaced or vulnerable children in accessing education
Equipped 5 schools with desks, chalkboards, and essential supplies
Supported women’s small businesses, strengthening family income and child nutrition

We are continuing this work while integrating a broader model of global youth collaboration.

Current Initiatives

Our Current Partner Community

We are partnered with Dogon villages living along the UNESCO World Heritage site of The Cliffs of Bandiagara.

Our programs share their culture in culturally sensitive, community lead ways; connect their youth to others around the globe, and support their educational and development initiatives.

There is a significant lag in global youth's preparedness to interact cross-culturally

Citation: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). (2018). Global Competence for an Inclusive World: Preparing our Youth for an Inclusive World. OECD Publishing.

Research shows our model delivers proven educational and social benefits:

Builds intercultural competence: Student exchange and virtual programs strengthen communication, cultural awareness, and reflective thinking. (Syam et al., 2024; Kelly et al., 2023)
Fills gaps in access and understanding: Only ~4% of students receive consistent, positive messages about other cultures; without support, many develop simplistic or pity-based views. (UC Davis; Harvard School of Education; Li et al., 2025)
Reduces prejudice and fosters cooperation: Positive, equal-status, goal-oriented contact—especially through remote collaboration—improves cross-cultural interactions. (Pettigrew & Tropp, 2006, p. 763; Kelly et al., 2023)
Enhances critical thinking and problem-solving: Collaborative intercultural projects significantly boost students’ analytical and reflective skills. (Liang et al. & Liu et al., 2023)
Addresses inequity in global competence: Students without access to exchanges, collaboration, and cultural learning opportunities are at a measurable disadvantage. (Zhang et al., 2025)

Get Merch!

All profits go towards youth programming and supporting sustainable development in our partner communities.

*For now, if you want to order anything, please send an e-mail to hello@culturewiseyouth.org with your order, and we will send you a link to order. (The website integration is not fully functional yet so ordering from your cart will not work.)

Board of Directors

JACQUELINE KING-PRESANT, President, Alternative Education, Team Leadership. USA

ESTELLE BRACK, Secretary. Humanitarian NGO Leadership & Banking in the Global South, France

RODRIGO CRESPO, Vice Chair. International Business Leadership. USA

SOUBA GIRIDHARN, Treasurer. Climate Risk, Sustainable Finance. India

JOSEPH BENKIRAN, Trustee. Business Leadership/Entrepreneur. France

NAOMI MUCHIRI, Trustee. International Marketing. Kenya/USA

Calling All Changemakers

Interested in applying to our Board of Directors or Advisory Board? Reach out to hello@culturewiseyouth.org!

Please join our mailing list and check out any events below!

We are aligned with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals...

“We commit to ensuring that all people, especially young people, have access to quality education that fosters critical thinking, intercultural understanding, and respect for human rights, in order to contribute to a more just, equitable, and peaceful world.”— UN Summit of the Future, 2023 Declaration

Our Partners

Unis Vers Terre