By: URGENT TEAM

February 26, 2023

In our increasingly interconnected world, fostering cross-cultural understanding and communication skills from an early age is more important than ever. Open Dialogue™ is an innovative educational platform that aims to do just that by virtually connecting classrooms across the globe.

Through partnerships with schools worldwide and leveraging tools like Google Classroom, Open Dialogue™ facilitates ongoing dialogue and collaboration between students from diverse backgrounds. The program takes a professional, structured approach while maintaining its roots as a volunteer-driven initiative.

One of the core philosophies of Open Dialogue™ is that cultural exchange and open communication can help address potential future divides and misunderstandings before they take root. By exposing students to other cultures, customs, and perspectives from a young age, the program hopes to instill values of empathy, respect, and global citizenship. A core aspect of this program, is bridging the cultural and language barrier created by different sentence structures across languages.

A recent highlight was an incredible "educational week" in February 2024, where Open Dialogue™ coordinated a special "Valentine's Day" virtual session connecting Bila Tserkva Collegium in Ukraine with Caruso Middle School in Deerfield, Illinois, USA. Students discussed cultural traditions around the holiday while practicing language skills.

The platform has also facilitated dialogues between other partner schools such as Lyceum #16 and Lyceum of Foreign Languages #9 in Bila Tserkva, Ukraine and Orange Middle School in Orange, Ohio, USA - one of the first American schools to join in early 2023. Beyond scheduled events, the Google Classroom environment allows for ongoing written exchanges where students can ask questions, share perspectives, and forge personal connections with peers from around the world. Professional educators from both schools provide guidance and ensure productive discourse.

As a non-profit initiative, Open Dialogue™ relies on passionate volunteers and institutional partners to continue expanding its reach. The long-term goal is to create a vast network of globally-conscious students and educators committed to breaking down cultural and language barriers.

In a world that is both deeply interconnected yet prone to miscommunication and division, platforms like Open Dialogue™ play a vital role. Through embracing diversity and open exchange at a key developmental stage, today's students can pave the way for a more understanding, cooperative future.