global TALK
Hi! We’re Zoey (8th grade) and Austin (6th grade) from Foothill Middle School, and we’re starting this nonprofit because of what we’ve seen and experienced growing up.
We’re kids of the digital age. We had Zoom school during COVID (kindergarten and 2nd grade for us), so connecting through screens has always been normal. We’ve taken Chinese lessons online for years and do all our schoolwork on Chromebooks. To us, learning and talking to people online is just part of life.
We’ve also grown up in a time that feels really divided, with conversations about racism, wars, refugees, immigration, and politics everywhere. At the same time, we know we’re lucky—we have access to strong schools, technology, and even private one-on-one language lessons, which are extremely expensive and not something most kids can afford. Since we also live in a place where English is the main language, we don’t face the same barriers many kids do.
Millions of children around the world are refugees, immigrants, or new to a country where they need English just to speak in class, make friends, or feel included. That can be really hard and isolating.
That’s why we wanted to start this.
We’re not professional teachers, but we are kids who can talk, listen, and help other kids practice English in a relaxed, friendly way. This is a completely free program, because we believe no one should have to pay the high cost of private language lessons to learn and connect. And we also believe something really important: learning a language isn’t just about memorizing words or grammar—it’s about practicing it, hearing it spoken naturally, and experiencing a bit of the culture that makes it fun, real, and meaningful.
That’s what we’re trying to create: real conversations where kids can practice speaking, hear how English is actually used, and feel more comfortable using it in everyday life. It’s a kid-to-kid space where it’s okay to make mistakes, try again, and just talk.
As we grow, we hope to teach more—like grammar and writing—but right now it’s about helping kids feel confident speaking and being heard.
We’re inspired by our parents, who have worked with people around the world in government, nonprofits, and business. They’ve shown us how powerful it is to connect across cultures and languages, and through them we’ve met people who are supporting and guiding us.
Our mission:
To provide free, kid-to-kid English conversation support that helps children around the world practice real communication, experience language in a natural and cultural way, and build the confidence to find their voice, speak up, and make friends—no matter where they are.
