Bowie is an award-winning multimedia artist, writer and designer in Oklahoma, USA, and proudly neurodivergent. She has a BA in Creative Writing and Literature and an MFA in Creative Writing. Bowie has taught at both universities and arts programs and through virtual programs. She is a coach to private clients and a trip leader for an international series of writing workshops. She is currently supporting gap year students from around the world, helping them document their experiences through creative writing while processing and integrating their hopes for the future, being mindful and supportive of each of their cultural contexts. Creative writing is Bowie’s passion and she is energised by cross-cultural exchange and co-creation.
Svetlana Chigozie Onye is a writer, journalist, and educator whose work bridges storytelling and social transformation. Her poetry was shortlisted for the Heroica Prize, and she was selected for the Writers on the Rise Program supported by the Black British Book Festival and Pan Macmillan. Her journalism explores the lived realities of climate change in the Global South, featured in platforms such as Shado Mag, SCREENSHOT, Atwood Magazine, and Race Equality Matters, with internships at Carbon Brief and The Guardian. She leads The Eco-Anxiety Africa Project, focusing on the mental health impacts of climate change, and has spoken at international events including COP29, with her work highlighted by the BBC. She holds an MSc in Politics of Conflict, Rights and Justice, with a first-class dissertation published in Joys Journal.
Claudine is a TEDx Speaker and Harvard Graduate from Singapore. Her mission is to identify and harness the leadership potential in every child, especially in the area of mental wellness. To achieve this, she believes they must learn how to tell creative and powerful stories about themselves and the world around them. She has built an education company from scratch, serving more than a thousand children and youth in developing their leadership skills. Claudine has also self-published 5 books as well as trained more than a hundred teachers to facilitate the teaching of 21st-century skills such as creativity, critical thinking, effective communication and social-emotional skills to future generations.
Jawhar is from Tunisia and is a highly experienced Virtual Exchange Coach and Facilitator for Soliya. His journey began with a simple idea to bring people together and promote tolerance. He stumbled upon virtual exchange by chance, after which it turned into an amazing adventure where he discovered cultures, traditions, and even more about himself. He has written creative short stories in both his own dialect (Tunisian) and Standard Arabic. The impact these stories and characters have had on his community has been impressive!