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SPRING 2023 CULTURE KIT RESERVATIONS WILL OPEN AT 9 AM ON DECEMBER 6, 2022.
UPDATE: Each school may receive up to 3 kits during the Spring 2023 semester. Requests for more than 3 kits from an individual school will not be accepted.
Read our most recent newsletter for other updates to the Culture Kit reservation system in Spring 2023.
Welcome to the Carolina Navigators Global Resource finder! Here you can view many of the resources we offer free of charge. We welcome any educator to use our digital resources and we will ship, free of charge, both ways, our culture kits to any educator in North Carolina. Please consider making a donation to our program, so that it can remain free for educators.
For an overview of what we offer, please visit our page for educators.
To browse culture kits only, by availability, visit our online reservation system.
If it is your first time reserving our kit, check out these Culture kit FAQ and Tips
Photo Story
A Short Train Ride Through Japan
Asia, Japan
Hello and Konnichiwa! My name is Maura. When I was in high school, I lived on American military base in Japan. During that time, I experienced many cultural events and tried my fair share of Japanese food. In my three year stay, the thing that struck me the most were the people I met and the cultural traditions I got to see firsthand. Since you can get almost anywhere in Japan via the train system, you can experience some of this culture just by stepping off of a train and into a town. Let’s set…
Photo Story
An Ecuadorian Mother’s Slogan: Don’t Work, Don’t Eat
Ecuador, South America
Introduction This photo story takes place across Ecuador, located on the west coast of South America. I spent last summer working with Social Entrepreneur Corp, a program that supports women who sell products and services that improve the quality of lives in rural areas. Over the course the summer I noticed a theme. Children, regardless of their age, were actively involved in home life. They took on roles that I never even knew existed as a youngster. This photo story focuses on the participatio…
Photo Story
An Insight to Uzbek Culture Through a Wedding
Asia, Uzbekistan
Wedding plays a significant role in the lives of the Uzbeks and is celebrated with solemnity. From the birth of their first child, families save money throughout the lifetime for one big event- wedding and many of its pre and post rituals. Attending one Uzbek wedding, will reveal the insights of societal and family values, the lifestyle and the history of generations. If you look even deeper you will see how these rituals and customs are reflected in everyday lives of Uzbek people and their sig…
Photo Story
An Unexpected Treasure
Africa, South Africa
Introduction: My intent in sharing this story is to explore what happens when a person with negative ideas of a foreign country encounters that place for the first time. Upon completion of this photo story, students will be able to recognize the complexity of modern South Africa’s history and identify current issues facing Cape Town. This story is geared towards students in Grade 12. “I’m going to South Africa,” my wife said. “You should come with me.” That was more or less the whole disc…
Photo Story
Clothing– a Matter of Place and Time in Sudan
Africa, Sudan
Generally in the United States, a person’s outfit depends on many factors including what’s in fashion, personal morals and values, weather, resources, time, and place. You may not choose to wear the same outfit at school that you would wear at a wedding. Pajamas are most appropriate to be worn at home or at a sleepover. Some jobs require strict uniforms, while others simply require business attire. When we think of clothing people in other countries wear, we may assume that they always we…
Photo Story
German Families
Europe, Germany
“The family. We were a strange little band of characters trudging through life sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one another’s desserts, hiding shampoo, borrowing money, locking each other out of our rooms, inflicting pain and kissing to heal it in the same instant, loving, laughing, defending, and trying to figure out the common thread that bound us all together.” ~Erma Bombeck Families all over the world are varied and unique, and learning about them can tell us a lot about the culture…
Photo Story
Germans are Coconuts, Americans are Peaches
Europe, Germany
Have you ever heard the stereotype that Americans are shallow and Germans are cold? Well, this stereotype comes largely from the fact that Germans and Americans communicate very differently: with friends, family, coworkers, bosses, teachers, strangers, etc. During my year abroad in Germany, I noticed several key differences between the ways in which Germans and Americans relate to each other and make personal connections. In this photo story, we will identify the major differences between German…
Photo Story
Germany: A Fusion of Old and New
Europe, Germany
When learning about Germany, students often see Germany through one of two perspectives: a historical perspective focusing on traditions and historical events such as the holocaust or a modern perspective focusing on “marvels” such as fast cars and Potsdamer Platz. Through a more combined approach, one can see that Germany presents a fusion of both old and new things to see and learn about. From castles and concentration camps to modern sculptures and interesting sites, this post shows a glimps…
Photo Story
Growing Rice in Cambodia 101: From the Field to the Table
Asia, Cambodia
Introduction This photo story takes place in Cambodia in Phnom Penh, the capital city, Siem Reap, and nearby towns. I worked there during the summer of 2011 at a nonprofit called International Development Enterprises. As a communications intern, I got to learn about all of the different projects IDE was working in order to be able to write about them. One such project focused on helping farmers improve their farming techniques in order to be more productive. IDE trained local residents with the…
Photo Story
Hellooo Vietnam!
Asia, Vietnam
“All I know of you is all the sights of war. A film by Coppola, the helicopter’s roar. One day I’ll touch your soil. One day I’ll finally know my soul. One day I’ll come to you. To say hello… Vietnam.” Through these images, I hope” Vietnam” will become more than just the name of a famous war to you. Through these personal stories, I hope to be able to give you a better understanding of the culture and way of life in Vietnam. Most of all, through these re-visited reflections, I hope to be ablle…
Photo Story
History is Alive!
Europe, Greece
For many of us, it is hard to study history in school because we do not see how or why it relates to our everyday lives. During my time in Greece and Turkey, I came to see history everywhere and witnessed how integral it is to who we are and where we come from. Almost every time I set out for a stroll around the city of Athens, I would happen upon some new structure or site that has been around for thousands and thousands of years! Even when they were digging to build the underground metro syste…
Photo Story
How do Spaniards spend time?
Europe, Spain
The featured photo above is a picture of me and the class of 15-16 year old students in an English class that I assisted with while studying abroad in Spain. I was able to share a little bit about the U.S. with them through my lessons and am excited to put together a picture file of Spain for American students interested in learning more about the country and it’s culture. Below you can find a few pictures I’ve decided to start with in order to better depict how Spaniards tend to spend their ti…
Photo Story
how Korean lives in traditional and modern way
Asia, South Korea
This photo story is going to discuss about how Korean lives in traditional and modern way. Most foreigners usually misunderstand that Korea is one of countries, which follows East Asian traditional way because Korean war was occurred only 60 years ago. If you have researched about Korea on google, you could see lots of North Korean pictures and Korean traditional life. However, Korea is one of countries that has preserved their own traditional life while developing the country. Th…
Photo Story
How People Celebrate New Year in China
Asia, China
It is Not Jan.1st, but Spring Festival that is considered the real New Year’s Day in China. The celebration of Spring Festival used to consists of a series of rituals that lasted for more than a month. Modern Chinese people have tailored the tradition by packing the most important celebration activities into a 7-day schedule. Spring Festival is a milestone where people farewell to the old year to embrace a new one. Most importantly, it’s the time of a year for family gathering. Family members,…
Photo Story
Indian Bazaars: A Snapshot of Local Culture
Asia, India
Being in an Indian bazaar or street market gives one a glimpse of what is important to that community in India. Every bazaar is different: the goods sold in one bazaar cater to the needs of a particular community at a particular time. As the needs of the community change, the goods sold change in response to the change in demand. The diversity and evolution of bazaars mirrors the diversity and evolution of India as a country. This picture file will give some examples of the diverse goods sold…
Photo Story
Jamaican Tourism vs. Tradition
Caribbean, Jamaica
The resort experience is often the only experience of the island that visitors get. While beautiful, this is not what life in the Jamaica is like. This Caribbean nation is dynamic in both geography and traditions. Thankfully, my experience was much more true to the experience of life on the island and instead I am able to experience the diversity of the island in a ways more similar to my parent’s upbringing. As a strong remnant of links to Great Britain, Jamaicans still drive on the left side o…
Photo Story
Lebanon, a religious salad bowl
Lebanon, Middle East
The Middle East is known for its religious diversity. We know it as the birthplace of the three Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Although the most widely practiced faith in the region today is Islam, many other religions call the Middle East their home. Lebanon is a unique country in the region; it is home to over 17 major religions and religious sects. By the end of this Photo Story, you will be able to identify Lebanon’s most prominent religions and explain why coexist…
Photo Story
London: Ever Present Past
While spending time studying abroad at King’s College London from January to June 2012, I had the opportunity to live the life of a student, participating in everything my new environment had to offer. Although I fully experienced the “young” aspects of London including the festivals, concerts, and exhibits, I couldn’t help but also experience the city’s past during my everyday adventures. London’s history of former events, people, and customs acts as a structural backbone for the city, thus inf…
Photo Story
My First Week in Dublin: City, Culture, Landscape
Europe, Ireland
Dublin Through the Eyes of a First Time Traveler This picture file tells the story of my first week living in Dublin, Ireland. In only a few days, I explored Dublin as a city, as a cultural center and as a beautifully landscaped destination. As my first experience abroad, this city opened my eyes to the complex ways in which history, culture and beauty relate to one another within the context of a large urban city. After viewing this slide show, the viewer will be able to recognize the complexi…
Photo Story
My Path to Understanding the Spirit of Granada
Europe, Spain
Granada. It takes just a short visit to recognize that Granada boasts a charm unique to that of other Spanish cities. In living and experiencing Granada this past year, I have had the opportunity to explore what elements interact to generate this sentiment. I have never before lived in a place with such a dimensional blend of relationships—a city with a thrilling, dynamic history as well as a current living, breathing environment of diverse interactions (a place alive with the constant co…