About Bridging Cultural Gaps
EarthCorps and Bridging Cultural Gaps partner to empower East African and Muslim youth through environmental justice to overcome barriers to green careers.
Seattle is a diverse city with a rich tapestry of cultures, languages, and traditions. However, this diversity can also lead to cultural gaps and misunderstandings, creating barriers to communication and collaboration. That is where Bridging Cultural Gaps (BCG) comes in – a Seattle-based non-profit organization that focuses on bringing together communities from different cultural backgrounds to promote understanding and mutual respect.
In 2018, a group of Seattle residents who recognized the need for more cross-cultural dialogue and collaboration created BCG. Over the years, BCG has worked on various projects and initiatives to build bridges between different communities. They have organized cultural events, language exchanges, and community service projects that bring together people from diverse backgrounds.
One of BCG’s recent partnerships is with EarthCorps. BCG and EarthCorps are working on increasing the engagement and participation of the North African and Muslim communities in environmental restoration and green job opportunities. Lack of information and limited access to resources have been identified as the main obstacles facing North African and Muslim youth in pursuing career paths in the environment. BCG aims to expand their environmental work by incorporating it into its existing programs while also developing an environmental wing of the organization with a part-time position focused on building and growing an environmental program.
This partnership with EarthCorps is crucial in leading the way and building their environmental commitment and focus. BCG hopes to recruit more people from different backgrounds and communities, including returning members, to become teachers to ensure longevity and sustainability. They also aim to build contacts with the alum community and merge communities. By working together with EarthCorps, BCG hopes to see where this environmental commitment can take them and the people they support.
The Inspiring Story of Iqra Mohamed
Overcoming Obstacles and Finding Success
Iqra Mohamed is an intern at Building Cultural Gaps (BCG), where she is involved in the Coding and Mentorship Program, working to understand the career goals of community members and how they have achieved them. She is also part of the team that recently planted over 200 trees with the Duwamish community in Seattle. A driven student, she is currently studying Biology at Seattle Central College and plans to transfer to the University of Washington’s biology program in 2025.
Iqra’s journey with BCG began when her brother joined the program and introduced it to her. She was impressed by BCG’s focus on the community and its invaluable opportunities in coding and other diverse programs. There are many programs like BCG, but she was attracted to BCG because the organization’s leadership and representation reflected her culture and identity.
Iqra was one of the students who benefited from BCG, joining multiple programs and developing leadership skills. Eventually, she became an intern, and her primary goal is to ensure that all students know that BCG is the spot for them. She is involved in the coding summer program, helping high school and summer school students to sign up and register for it. She is also part of the Franklin High School’s Black Student Union (BSU) and BCG partnership, where she helps BSU students connect to opportunities, workshops, and events that BCG puts together.
Iqra Mohamed is an intern at Bridging Cultural Gaps.
One of the earliest things BCG offered Iqra was mentorship, which helped her network with people in the career she wanted to pursue. As someone who wants to pursue a career in the medical field, BCG connected her with a mentor who has been guiding her. She believes that BCG will always be in her life because she can connect with one of the BCG mentors for guidance in her career field in whatever capacity she needs. Iqra is impressed by the number of opportunities that BCG has created. As a student interested in green initiatives, she is excited about the new partnership between BCG and EarthCorps. She believes that green initiatives can significantly benefit the medical field, and BCG and EarthCorps will offer more opportunities to students unaware of them. Iqra hopes to see more youth in BCG grow to be more environmentally conscious and understand how to be more impactful with how they interact with their environment.
Iqra Mohamed is an excellent example of a youth empowered by BCG’s programs, and she has grown to become an intern and an advocate for the organization. Her story highlights the need for programs that focus on creating opportunities, reducing community barriers, helping students develop leadership skills, and creating a support network to guide them. BCG is making a lasting impact on the Seattle community, and Iqra is a testament to that.
Iqra is impressed by the number of opportunities that BCG has created. As a student interested in green initiatives, she is excited about the new partnership between BCG and EarthCorps. She believes that green initiatives can significantly benefit the medical field, and BCG and EarthCorps will offer more opportunities to students unaware of them. Iqra hopes to see more youth in BCG grow to be more environmentally conscious and understand how to be more impactful with how they interact with their environment.
Iqra Mohamed is an excellent example of a youth empowered by BCG’s programs, and she has grown to become an intern and an advocate for the organization. Her story highlights the need for programs that focus on creating opportunities, reducing community barriers, helping students develop leadership skills, and creating a support network to guide them. BCG is making a lasting impact on the Seattle community, and Iqra is a testament to that.
Partner with EarthCorps
More than 10,000 youth, business leaders, and community members join us annually as we work to restore and sustain the region’s natural ecosystems and green spaces for future generations to enjoy. Our community partners invest in a healthy and sustainable world and provide the next generation of youth with the knowledge, skills, and experience to deal with pressing global environmental challenges.
Want to learn more? Connect with EarthCorps’ Director of Partnerships.