YONKERS, NY — October 14, 2026 — Their languages, clothing and customs are different, but their smiles are the same. Schoolchildren in Yonkers and the Ecuadorian Amazon bridged a distance of nearly 3,000 miles and connected through a digital exchange of cultural exploration and goodwill.
“What an incredible journey for all involved, most especially the kids,” said Casimir Pulaski School fifth grade teacher Tara O’Gorman.
Through the National Geographic Explorer Education Exchange, O’Gorman collaborated with Explorer Liz Bonnin to connect fifth grade students from the previous school year with Indigenous students from the A’i Cofán nation in the foothills of the Andes mountains.
Through an exchange of video messages, students asked questions and offered glimpses into their daily lives.
“The project created a space for students to exchange stories, learn from community elders the importance of Indigenous knowledge, and explore our shared responsibility to care for people and our planet,” O’Gorman said. “Our experience culminated in a short educational film celebrating cross-cultural connection, learning, and the power of young storytellers to inspire positive change.”
Far from the hustle and bustle of city life in Yonkers, the Cofán children live in the lush, green Amazon rainforest. Although development, deforestation and cattle ranching encroach on their world, the Cofán are fiercely protective of their ancestral customs and the teachings of their elders. When Yonkers students asked about science lessons, the video response featured a girl in Ecuador walking through a garden and pointing out different plants and their medicinal qualities.
Although life in Yonkers is starkly different from daily existence in a remote corner of Ecuador, the children bonded and found common ground in their concern for the environment.
One Pulaski student concluded, “I realize that we need to care more for our environment.” Another student noted the Cofán’s desire to live in harmony and peace.
The project organizers hope this long-distance dialogue serves as a launchpad for future exchanges between disparate communities.