“Welcome to the Intern Blog” – Kai Neander

June 6th, 2012

I grew up learning about different cultures, world views and outlooks through school, church and around my community. From a young age I understood that there were a diverse array of different lifestyles, cultures and communities around the world but I had yet to truly interact with them. Though over the past few years I have had the opportunity to travel and work with a bunch of different communities and peoples from around the world I will never be able to experience every custom or travel to every corner of this incredibly diverse and exciting planet. This, I believe, is why Bridge the Gap TV is so important to my generation.

Though we are isolated geographically by thousands of miles young people have the opportunity to connect in a more impersonal manner via the internet at any moment. However, internet communication does not provide the deep, rich cultural background that human interaction allows for, this is where Bridge the Gap comes and fills that space.

My name is Kai Neander. I am a junior at the George Washington University in Washington DC. I am currently majoring in International Affairs with a minor in EMS and have been working for BTG for about a year. I met Chris at the Roots & Shoots National Youth Leadership Retreat in New Orleans, Louisiana in the summer of 2010 where he was the keynote and I was presenting, I have been peripherally involved in Bridge the Gap since that time.

Aside from going to school and working with Bridge the Gap i work as a Volunteer EMT in Washington DC, am a member of the Beta Theta Pi Fraternity and spend my breaks trying to get as far from city life as possible. I spend my free time not at school or my summer job at a solar company but hiking, backpacking and bicycling around the Redwood Coast of California.

My self and the other Bridge the Gap Interns with some cameos by Pippa our Director of Community and Chris the host, Executive Producer and drive for this whole project will be posting on this blog regularly about topics that relate to the mission of Bridge the Gap-

“Bridge the Gap TV fosters intercultural dialogue by highlighting stories of everyday life from the around the world on film. We offer new, enriching perspectives on regions of the world normally portrayed in a negative light in the media, and empower viewers with concrete steps to move the world forward.”

I am looking forward to what this site will become and hope that you enjoy what we are working to create.

Until Next Time,

~Kai Neander

Editor-in-Chief, Intern Blog