It's always exciting to receive a letter in the mail. Even today, when the world is digitally connected, receiving an actual letter in your mailbox from a distant land is a great way for children to make new friends.
The Peaceful Pen Pals Project is a beautiful project that blends together global connection and self-expression. The project is part of the nonprofit Kids for Peace, founded by Jill McManigal and Danielle Gram in California in 2006. It is open to all children, ages two through seventeen. To date, there are 1,500 children from 17 countries participating in the program according to the organization. Currently, all letters are written in English. When children sign up, they can select if they would rather be matched with a USA Peaceful Pen Pal or an international one.
Each child is then matched to a pen pal of similar age. This establishes a point of connection quickly for the children and facilitates a stronger bond. If the letter writers are in the same grade, they can chat about school, their teachers, and what they are studying. They can also compare what different states or countries learn about and how the atmosphere of the classroom is, whether socially or academically. Children may also be more likely to write about problems they are having if they feel like they are speaking to a peer in a similar situation. Although pen pals may live in different countries, they may find common ground. The writer lists their favorite activities to do outside, plus what they like best and least about school. This gives the writer an opportunity to express and receive advice or feedback from the pen pal.
"Hearing first-hand stories from an international pen pal can encourage teens to take someone else's viewpoint and to think outside of themselves," writes Rebecca Fraser-Thill on Very Well Family. "Having a foreign pen pal can also encourage interest in geography, history and culture."
