At AlphaBEST, we are dedicated to providing enriching afterschool programming, and our partnership with Little Global Citizens brings a vital cultural element to our after-school curriculum, educating students on the amazing, welcoming, and kind people around the world.
Read below to find a conversation with co-founder Akeelah Kuraishi, as she describes how the activities she creates contribute to an after-school curriculum that makes AlphaBEST the gold standard for extended-day enrichment.
Little Global Citizens was born 7 years ago from a desire for deep cultural immersion. After leaving their corporate jobs, the husband-and-wife founders, Akeelah Kuraishi and Timothy Minnick, spent 13 months backpacking the world, intentionally going off the beaten path, living with local families. These travels showed them that people worldwide share similar basic needs, like wanting a great life for their families. When they finally settled home in the United States, they wanted a way to introduce their young children to these cultural experiences. From that need, Little Global Citizens was born.
Kuraishi and Minnick initially created Little Global Citizens as a subscription box service to amplify education about other cultures. Now, they partner with AlphaBEST and other educational providers to embed the activities into the curriculum.
Little Global Citizens takes students on a deep, immersive journey through the world’s cultures, one country at a time, across a 9-session program. At AlphaBEST, students will explore the cultures of Nigeria, India, and Iceland, with more experiences in development.
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The curriculum is designed for students from kindergarten through eighth grade, accommodating diverse needs and abilities. Students engage in hands-on projects, meaningful conversations, and real cultural discovery that makes the learning genuinely stick.
What makes Little Global Citizens special is the depth it offers, providing districts with content that is ready to teach but never generic. This unique global learning nurtures major skills such as global awareness, empathy, curiosity, communication, collaboration, and open-minded thinking.
“Students discover how different life can look elsewhere,” Kuraishi said. “Elves living in Icelandic rocks, sacred cows crossing Indian streets, the deep history behind Nigerian weaving and cowrie shells.”
Through these experiences, students realize that kids everywhere share the same love of family, food, celebration, and connection.
“This is such a valuable world view for the next generation as they grow up in a truly global world,” she said. “That balance is where real perspective-building happens.”
Kuraishi shared that her personal favorite activity is the Country Round-Up at the close of each 9-session journey. It is the moment students revisit their projects, discuss what surprised them, and “connect the dots between their own lives and lives halfway around the world. They’re not just recalling information at that point. They’re thinking differently. That’s what makes it feel worth it every time.”
Want to learn more about Little Global Citizens and all of the curated content in AlphaBEST programs? Click here to contact us.