JBFC's Pen Pals

We are starting a new school year in Tanzania, and with it…our Pen Pal Exchange! It’s so exciting to see these cross-continental relationships forming during this time of year. Our JBFC students love receiving letters and pictures from their Pen Pals across the U.S.

JBFC’s Pen Pal program continues to grow. What started with just two 3rd grade classes in Bronxville, New York has grown to include four schools and more than 150 students. This year’s program includes veteran pen pal partners and some brand-new letter buddies.



Our Grade 1 students are so excited to join our Pen Pal program this year. They kicked off their exchange with our brand-new partners from Imagine Early Learning Centers in New York. Students from the Imagine classes sent pictures and asked our JBFC students questions about their school, favorite things, and everyday life. As you can see in the pictures, they were really interested in answering the questions that the Imagine students asked. They were able to provide answers to questions such as if there are bicycles in Tanzania, what’s their favorite food, and if they see wild animals on a daily basis. JBFC students also asked questions like: do you have domestic animals? How many people are in your families? And do you like mangoes and corn? Imagine classes and JBFC Grade 1 students will continue to share class letters and pictures and will even be discussing their thoughts on a book, The Lion and the Mouse.

Our older students are beginning their Pen Pal relationships as well, with The Wesley School (California), Holland Hall (Tulsa), and Bronxville (New York). To begin these relationships, all the students created “Me Cards” that share some of their favorite things and a picture. Each US student is matched with a JBFC student, and they’ll begin to share letters and class videos throughout the spring. JBFC students had lots of fun reading about their Pen Pal on the Me Card and then making their own card to share.

Through this project, JBFC hopes to foster global citizenship, cultural awareness and international cooperation. By exchanging letters, stories, and videos, JBFC hopes all students will sharpen their written and oral communication skills, literacy and reading comprehension, and global curiosity. We aspire to create a fun, challenging, inter-continental learning experience.

We’re so excited to have the opportunity to partner with all of these schools this year. It’s always such a fun and educational experience for all involved!

Paula Casamiro is JBFC's new Logistics Coordinator in Tanzania and Diana Booren is JBFC's Volunteer Coordinator in the Tulsa office.