From Kiribati to Seattle: A Month of Learning, Leadership, and Connection
What happens when 50 high school students from Kiribati arrive in Seattle for a month?
There are English classes, of course. There are new places to explore, new foods to try, new people to meet—and plenty of new experiences that initially feel a little outside the comfort zone.
But over four weeks, the 2026 UUTI Kiribati program became much more than a study program. It became an opportunity for students to discover new possibilities, share their culture, build confidence, and experience what it means to be part of a community far from home.
Each week brought a combination of English instruction, leadership development, cultural exchange, and hands-on experiences.
Students practiced English through public speaking, presentations, decision-making, time management, and collaborative projects. They worked alongside American teachers, while their Kiribati teachers also participated in professional development and co-taught with U.S. educators—creating a genuine exchange of ideas and teaching practices.
And then there was Seattle.
Students explored Bainbridge Island, Pike Place Market, the Seattle Aquarium, MoPOP, and Woodland Park Zoo. They experienced a Mariners game and celebrated the Fourth of July with the community. Each outing became another classroom—one where students could practice English, navigate unfamiliar environments, ask questions, and simply experience life in a new place.
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One of the most meaningful parts of the program was the opportunity to connect with Seattle's Pacific Islander community thanks to the partnership with Oceania Northwest, students met Pacific Islander professionals who shared their experiences of education, careers, leadership, and life in the United States.
Cultural exchange also went in the other direction.
During Cultural Night, students became ambassadors for Kiribati, sharing traditional songs, dances, stories, and presentations with the people around them. Their pride and enthusiasm transformed the evening into a celebration of Kiribati culture—and a reminder that cultural exchange is not simply about learning about someone else. It is also about having the confidence to share who you are.
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In true FIUTS fashion, students were encouraged not just to participate throughout the program, but to lead.
They practiced public speaking, developed leadership skills, worked on community-oriented projects, and learned to collaborate with people from different backgrounds.
By the final week, students were developing projects through the Leadership Academy and reflecting on how they could take what they had learned back home.
The growth was visible not only in their English skills, but in their confidence, independence, and willingness to speak up, try something new, and take responsibility.
A community away from home
Perhaps the most special part of the program happened outside the classroom.
Through homestays, students became part of Seattle families. FIUTS students ambassadors helped them navigate their new surroundings and introduced them to their communities. Students formed friendships with people they might never otherwise have met.
There were also the small moments that don't appear on a program schedule: conversations over meals, laughter during activities, helping one another through a new experience, writing thank-you cards, and gradually becoming comfortable in a place that had felt unfamiliar just weeks earlier.
By the end of the program, Seattle was no longer simply a destination on a map.
It had become a collection of people, memories, and relationships.
Looking ahead to 2027
The 2026 cohort left Seattle with new English and leadership skills, greater confidence, new friendships, and ideas they could carry back to their communities in Kiribati.
And now, as FIUTS begins preparing for the next Kiribati cohort arriving in January 2027, we have the opportunity to build on everything we learned together.
The next group will bring their own personalities, questions, talents, traditions, and dreams. There will be new challenges and new discoveries—and, we hope, many of the same moments that made the 2026 program so meaningful.
Because ultimately, the heart of the Kiribati program is not one particular class, field trip, or activity.
It is the connection.
It is a young person finding their voice in a new environment. It is a Seattle family welcoming someone from across the Pacific into their home. It is a student proudly teaching others a song or dance from Kiribati. It is a conversation between Pacific Islander professionals and young people imagining their own futures.
And it is the realization that even when we come from places thousands of miles apart, we have much more in common than we might expect.
We can't wait to welcome the next cohort to Seattle. Contact Olena at olena@fiuts.org if you would like to become a part of this new program in January-February, 2027.
