Gangs in the inner-city usually force kids to stay in their neighborhoods. If a strange car drives through their streets, the children become frightened and paranoid. They never know when a gun will go off, aimed in their direction. An assailant might sneak up and slash them with a hidden knife. By exposing these youths to other societies with diverse cultures, our children will realize that the world is a big place with many alternatives.
Every country has a unique artistic culture.
Through this exchange, at-risk youths would be invited at separate times to visit their host country. When small groups of at-risk youths are invited to experience a culture that is so different from their own, they'll realize that they don't have to continue on a negative path of destruction and violence. By sharing their unique forms of culture, such as rap music, poetry, short stories and art, they'll receive encouragement from people in other societies. They'll realize that their artistic expression is worthy of international recognition. And they'll experience other methods of communicating that are very diverse from their limited worlds.