Screen Pals

Break the Divide connects teens worldwide to build empathy—and change

- Richard Johnson

FIVE YEARS AGO, Abhay Singh Sachal and a group of his Grade 10 classmates at Seaquam Secondary School in Canada's Delta, British Columbia, made their first video call to the Arctic. On the other end of the line: Abhay's 23-year-old brother, Sukhmeet, a volunteer teaching assistant, and his class at East Three Secondary in Inuvik, Northwest Territories. The conversation started with typical teen small talk-asking each other about TV shows, music, and school life. But as the teens grew more comfortable, the chat turned serious. Students in Inuvik detailed the legacy of residential schools on their families, including stories of alcohol abuse and suicide. Seaquam kids shared how they felt helpless to do anything about the threat posed by the climate crisis.

Soon after both groups said their goodbyes, the brothers had an idea: what if the conversation, meant to expand the students' perspectives about life outside their hometowns, didn't have to end? Students across the country, they figured, could continue to benefit from bridging geographical and cultural differences. They called their organization Break the Divide. Today, it facilitates conversations and coordinates community action between youth all over the world. “It all starts with empathy," Abhay says.