Stay tuned for 2012 program dates! Or contact us to arrange a Travel 98118 for your school or group.

How much do you know about the international residents who share this city with us? We readily hop in airplanes and fly thousands of miles to discover the world’s cultural treasures. Yet within 30 minutes of most Seattleites’ doorsteps exists a uniquely diverse place, where 59 languages are spoken, dozens of religions are practiced, and the smells wafting from kitchens represent the cuisines of many nations.

Welcome to the 98118 zip code, comprised of Seattle’s Rainier Valley and Columbia City neighborhoods, which has been cited by the U.S. Census as the most diverse zip code in the country.

Crooked Trails and Horn of Africa Services have teamed up around a shared vision of exchange and community building. Together we will host the 98118 Program, a cross-cultural journey connecting Seattle residents with immigrants and refugees from Eritrea, Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Somalia to meet, share and learn.

We will dance Somali style, learn new words in each others languages, prepare Ethiopian injera bread, work together on service projects such as repairing bikes for local residents, and much more. The experience will culminate with an inspiring concert to unite all the cultures represented and to celebrate the lasting relationships being forged. The program is built on the belief that everyone benefits from the opportunity to connect and share with neighbors, and to learn a bit about yourself and the world in the process.

98118 will start as a day-program in the summer of 2011, with the commitment to build a long-term, sustainable program connecting communities for mutually beneficial partnerships. It is a perfect extension to both Horn of Africa Services’ work building support networks for African refugees in Seattle as well as Crooked Trails’ mission to help people broaden their understanding of the planet and its diverse cultures. Let’s put the adage “think globally, act locally” into action! Join us a founding member of this united community.