Since the start in 1990, it has had hundreds of thousands of youth participants from well over 100 countries on all continents. By hearing a range of opinions and developing familiarity with different ideas, we can hope to overcome some communication barriers and solve some problems in a more co-operative manner. We also hope that their new personal networks will support them in their private lives and future careers. There are 81 public mailing lists for conferencing - half of them for adult coordinators and helpers. There are several online art exhibition sites, and a large number of volunteers living throughout the world.
Most volunteers are teachers and parents.
It runs from September to May for schools in the northern hemisphere, and from March through November for the southern hemisphere. It gives kids a reason to use their language in written communications with others, helps them build pride of their culture and language, build knowledge of themselves, their place, rights, families, friends, roots, and gives them an audience of youth around the world eager to learn about them. In the process, new educational contents in their language are being built. About their culture's history and elements. Contents that teachers can use with their next set of students.