What do youth from Niger or the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire have in common with Franklin Gateway youth who enroll on the YELLS Community Action Café program? They each want to live happy, healthy lives.
YELLS teens were lucky to welcome our guests from across the ocean traveling with the SportsUnited program! Thanks to the U.S. Department of State’s SportsUnited division, youth from around the world tap into the positive global power of sports diplomacy to bridge differences between people of different backgrounds. Through sports exchanges, SportsUnited aims to create opportunities for young people and marginalized communities in every corner of the world.
When our guests from the Ivory Coast arrived, YELLS youth gave them the opportunity to experience an afternoon in America. Despite the language barrier, within less than an hour, all youth were having fun and communicating. Everyone learned the power of relationships, as well as the power of nonverbal communication. The time spent together was filled with memorable moments that broke out in laughter and even dance. Even with language differences, there were no barriers to communicating love and friendship.
