Culture Kids

All aboard the Culture Train. This week, Kristen and Asher travel to sunny South Africa to meet some very special coastal residents, African penguins. On this adventure, Culture Kids learn that not all penguins live in icy places. African penguins live along warm, sandy beaches and rocky coastlines in southern Africa. We visit SANCCOB, the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds, where we meet Lisa Faith, an education supervisor and real life penguin protector. SANCCOB is like a hospital for seabirds, rescuing injured and orphaned African penguins, helping them heal, and preparing them to return safely to the ocean. Along the way, Culture Kids discover why African penguins are critically endangered and what that means for their future. We learn how SANCCOB began over 50 years ago when a woman named Althea turned her own bathroom into a penguin wash station after an oil spill, and how today the organization has helped more than 100,000 seabirds. Asher even gets to help feed real African penguins, meeting penguins named Sammy and Batman, and learning how each penguin’s belly spots are as unique as fingerprints. This episode is full of fun facts and meaningful learning. Culture Kids hear how African penguins eat sardines and anchovies, why they sneeze out extra salt from the ocean, how humans help replace lost nesting spaces, and how people and animals depend on one another. Most of all, this journey shows how care, teamwork, and learning can help protect animals and the planet we all share. ABOUT SANCCOB: Visit: www.sanccob.co.za. You can also follow them on Instagram at @sanccob and on Facebook by searching SANCCOB. Families can even adopt a penguin to help support their ongoing care and conservation efforts! Please support Culture Kids! Culture Kids is a volunteer supported nonprofit creating immersive, screen free stories that help children and families explore the world together through curiosity, respect, and imagination. If you would like to support our mission of creating a more connected world for our children, please consider making a donation of any amount to help keep the Culture Train chugging along! http://culturekidsproductions.org Click on "Support" Check out our instagram and send us a DM! @culturekidsproductions 🎧 Credits Host & Producer: Kristen Kim & Asher Kim Guest & Collaborator: Lisa Faith, Education Supervisor at SANCCOB Sound Design/Music/Edit: Culture Kids Productions Music: Envato Elements Audio Engineer: Robin Lai Academic Consultant: Elisha Li

Today, the Culture Train rolls back in time to explore the incredible story of Dalmatians, the spotted dogs you might recognize right away but whose history might surprise you. With Mom, Asher, and special guest Arden, we travel to England in the late 1700s, where Dalmatians worked as carriage dogs, running alongside horses on busy cobblestone streets. We then journey forward to an early 1800s firehouse, where these hardworking dogs became trusted companions to firefighters and the horses that pulled fire wagons through growing cities. Along the way, we learn what makes Dalmatians unique, how their strong bodies and steady focus were shaped by life on the road, and why they became such an important symbol in firehouse history. We also explore how their role changed as technology evolved and what families should know about Dalmatians as pets today. This episode reminds us that animals, just like people and places, are shaped by where they come from and what they experience over time. Every journey leaves a story behind. 💙 A Note for Families Today’s adventure reminds us that everything around us has a story. When we take time to listen and learn, our curiosity grows and we feel more connected to the world around us. So next time you meet someone new, notice an animal, or discover something unfamiliar, try asking yourself, “What’s their story?” If you enjoy Culture Kids, a five star rating or review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify helps more families discover the show. Culture Kids is a volunteer run nonprofit, and your support helps keep our Culture Train moving. Grab your imaginary passport and join us again soon for another adventure around the world. CREDITS Host and Produced By: Kristen Kim Co-Hosts: Asher & Arden Kim Post Production & Audio Engineer: Robin Lai Academic Consultant: Elisha Li Nonprofit Consultant:  Ami Awad, Emil Kang STAY CONNECTED WITH US! Instagram: @culturekidsproductions Website: http://culturekidsproductions.com Email / Voicemail: available through our site, we love hearing from you!

This episode is lovingly dedicated to our forever family dog, Sammy. The pawprints you left on our hearts will stay with us always. As a beautiful white Jindo, brave, loyal, and full of curious energy , you always found your way back home to us. We love you Sammy. Today, the Culture Train travels to Jindo Island in South Korea, the enchanting home of Korea’s national treasure, the extraordinary Jindo dog. With Mom and Asher leading the way, we explore a peaceful island filled with pine trees, fishing villages, ocean breezes, and deep connections between people, land, and animals. Along the shore, we meet a friendly white Jindo dog named Miso and begin to discover what makes this breed so special. In this episode, we learn how Jindo dogs have lived alongside families on Jindo Island for hundreds of years, helping guard homes, move through forests and mountains, and build strong bonds with the people they love. We discover why Jindos are known for their loyalty, why they rarely bark unless there is a reason, how they groom themselves like cats, and how the island itself helped shape their courage, intelligence, and calm nature. Through sights, sounds, and stories from the island, this adventure reminds us that just like dog breeds, cultures and communities are shaped by the places they grow from and the people who care for them. Jindo Island shows us how land and living beings can shape each other over time. This episode invites Culture Kids and families to reflect on their own communities, the places that feel like home, and the experiences that help shape who they are becoming. As always, we end with a reminder that here at Culture Kids, you and your family are welcomed, included, and celebrated for exactly who you are. CREDITS Host and Produced By: Kristen Kim Co-Hosts: Asher Kim Post Production & Audio Engineer: Robin Lai Academic Consultant: Elisha Li Nonprofit Consultant: Ami Awad & Emil Kang STAY CONNECTED WITH US! Instagram: @culturekidsproductions Website: http://culturekidsproductions.com Email / Voicemail: available through our site, we love hearing from you! Sources: https://www.thekkf.or.kr/new_home/en/koreanbreeds.php https://www.royalkennelclub.com/search/breeds-a-to-z/breeds/utility/korean-jindo-imp/ https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/svc/contents/contentsView.do?vcontsId=93802 http://www.jindos.org/breed-info.htm https://korelimited.com

Get ready for giggles as Culture Kids from around the world share their silliest, funniest, laugh-out-loud jokes. From animal jokes to classic kid humor, this segment is all about having fun, using your imagination, and laughing together. Thank you to every Culture Kid who sent in a joke. We loved reading them, we loved sharing them, and most of all, we love YOU. Your jokes make our Culture Train even more joyful. As we look ahead to a brand new year, we want to pause for a moment and say thank you to our amazing Culture Kid...YOU! We hope you remember that there is nobody else in the world like you. Your curiosity, imagination, and sense of adventure help make our world brighter, and we cannot wait to keep exploring our beautiful, diverse planet with you. And to the grown ups listening, thank you for helping create a more connected and welcoming world for children everywhere. It’s because of you that our Culture Train can keep chugging along. We hope you’ll continue leaning into the magic, wonder, and meaning of these shared adventures. Here’s to a year filled with joy, connection, and exciting new journeys and we’re so glad you’re riding the Culture Train with us!!! ABOUT CULTURE KIDS Culture Kids is a grassroots 501(c)(3) nonprofit powered by families and volunteers, creating free, world-class cultural education for children everywhere. We rely on your support to keep the Culture Train chugging along. Here’s how you can help: Donate: https://www.culturekidsmedia.com/support/ Leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts; it really helps new families discover our show. CREDITS Host and Produced By: Kristen Kim Co-Hosts: Asher & Arden Kimt Post Production & Audio Engineer: Robin Lai Academic Consultant: Elisha Li Nonprofit Consultant: Ami Awad & Emil Kang STAY CONNECTED WITH US! Instagram: @culturekidsproductions Website: http://culturekidsproductions.com Email / Voicemail: available through our site, we love hearing from you!

Please note this episode was originally produced last year and has been thoughtfully recreated this year with updated storytelling and sound design. Grab your imaginary passports and hop aboard the Culture Train, because today we are traveling to the Sahara Desert in Morocco, located in North Africa, where golden sand dunes stretch as far as the eye can see. On this immersive adventure, Kristen and Asher meet Mohammed, a local Amazigh (Berber) tour guide who grew up in the Sahara Desert and speaks seven languages. With Mohammed as our guide, we learn what daily life is like in the desert and what it means to grow up in a nomadic community. What the word “Sahara” means in Arabic Where Morocco is located and why it’s known for colorful cities and vast deserts Who the Amazigh (Berber) people are and why they are the Indigenous people of North Africa The languages spoken in Morocco, including Arabic, Amazigh, French, and more Moroccan mint tea traditions, including why bubbles matter Riding dromedary camels and learning why they have one hump How desert homes are built using mud, clay, and hay to stay cool and warm Why soccer is loved by kids all over the world Desert adventures like sandboarding and watching the sunset over the dunes Through gentle conversation, sound-rich storytelling, and lots of imagination, this episode helps kids picture life in the Sahara while learning how environment, culture, and history shape the way people live. This episode features Mohammed, a local Amazigh guide who grew up in the Sahara Desert and now shares Moroccan culture, language, and desert life with families from around the world. If your family is planning a trip to Morocco and would like to experience the Sahara Desert with a local guide, you can learn more through: Positively Morocco Tours (ask for Mohammed from Culture Kids) https://positivelymoroccotours.com/ https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g293732-d16734409-Reviews-Positively_Morocco_Tours-Casablanca_Casablanca_Settat.html CREDITS Host and Produced By: Kristen Kim Co-Hosts: Asher & Arden Kim Guest: Mohammed from Positively Tours Morocco Post Production & Audio Engineer: Robin Lai Academic Consultant: Elisha Li Nonprofit Consultant:  Ami Awad, Emil Kang STAY CONNECTED WITH US! Instagram: @culturekidsproductions Website: http://culturekidsproductions.com Email / Voicemail: available through our site, we love hearing from you!