The Culture Connection Project

What The Culture Connection Project does

The Culture Connection Project (The CCP) is a US-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2018 by Joshua Sims and Deion James with a stated mission of building appreciation among people of diverse cultures. The organization designs and delivers immersive, in-person cultural exchange programs rather than technology products, operating experiential journeys in Uganda and India for US participants—primarily middle-school, high-school, and college students—along with individual adult travelers. Headcount is small (a lean US staff supplemented by an in-country Ugandan team), and there is no proprietary technology stack; program delivery is built around direct field operations and a partner-led network of sites.

The core product portfolio consists of a 17-day Uganda Trip (priced at $3,000 per individual / $2,750 per person for groups, with travel scheduled November 7–23, 2025), a 14-day India Trip, and a Uganda Interim Program offered to US schools for academic credit across an 18-day itinerary through Entebbe, Kampala, Jinja, and Bududa. Adjacent offerings include a Sponsor-a-Participant program (full sponsorship $5,000; partial sponsorships $1,000–$4,000), a storytelling podcast, and school partnership packages. Program delivery relies on local change-agents as "professors," contracted lodging (Banana Village in Entebbe, Forest Cottages in Kampala, Nile River Explorers in Jinja), and grassroots NGO partners including Feed The Streets, Faces Up Uganda, Home of Hope Orphanage, Arlington Academy of Hope, and Happy Land Primary School, with parallel Indian partnerships at Bastar Tribal Homestay, Suruj Foundation, Rural Yatra, and Kanker Palace.

Revenue is generated entirely from program fees, tiered sponsorships, and donations (presets of $10, $20, $30, $40, or custom amounts, billed one-time, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annually, with an optional 3% fee-coverage add-on). Distribution is direct-to-consumer via website applications, supplemented by institutional school partnerships for interim programs and a sponsorship channel linking donors with underserved participants. As of 2025, the organization reports having raised over $200,000 cumulatively for Ugandan partners since founding and a perfect safety record across its operating history.

Name

The Culture Connection Project

Legal name

The Culture Connection Project

Website

https://theculturecp.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Culture Connection Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs 17-day Uganda and 14-day India immersive cultural exchange trips for US students and individual travelers, alongside academic-credit interim programs, school partnerships, and a sponsorship program for underserved youth.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Exchange Programs

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Language Immersion & Cultural Exchange Programs (THAKAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Short-Term Secondary Immersion & Cultural Exchange Trips (EDAIAHAD), Cultural Immersion Add-Ons (Culture + Language) (EDAIAEAL), Cultural Adjustment & Intercultural Training Programs (EDAIAKAB)

Keywords

• Cultural exchange programs
• International immersion trips
• Educational interim programs
• Nonprofit travel services
• Community-based learning

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Trip Fees: Individual participants pay $3,000 for the 17-day Uganda trip, with a group rate of $2,750 per person for groups. All transportation and accommodations included in the trip price.
2. Sponsorships: Full sponsorship covers all program and flight costs for one participant ($5,000). Partial sponsorships range from $1,000-$4,000, contributing to participant program costs, flights, meals, activities, and Ugandan partner donations.
3. Donations: General donations accepted at various levels ($10, $20, $30, $40, or custom amounts). Donation frequencies include one-time, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual options. Donations support organizational growth and partner support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Culture Connection Project delivers immersive, reciprocal cultural exchange trips to Uganda and India that connect U.S. participants with host communities for cross-cultural learning. It also operates academic interim-term programs through school partnerships, a student sponsorship initiative that funds education for children in partner communities, and a podcast platform that extends its cross-cultural dialogue to a broader audience.

Product overview

The Culture Connection Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit offering immersive cultural exchange programs centered on building appreciation across cultures. The core portfolio consists of two flagship trip programs—the 17-day Uganda Trip and 14-day India Trip—alongside the Uganda Interim Program designed for academic credit. Supporting offerings include a Sponsorship Program to enable participation from underserved communities, a Podcast for global storytelling, and School Partnership Programs that bring custom interim experiences to educational institutions. All programs are designed as reciprocal exchanges where participants listen, learn, and connect rather than volunteer, supporting grassroots partners in Uganda and India through donations and platform visibility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Uganda Cultural Exchange Trip

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of participants report the experience to be 'life changing'
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Feed The Streets FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded by Grace Nakimera, this youth-led organization provides food, support, and dignity to unhoused individuals in Kampala. Feed The Streets has built Uganda's first and only Soup Kitchen, where underprivileged Ugandans can get a free meal. The CCP supports through donations, volunteers, and platform visibility.
• Faces Up UgandacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded by Ssekitto Emmanuel, Faces Up is an arts-based nonprofit empowering refugee and underprivileged youth through creative expression and entrepreneurship. The CCP provides ongoing donations, awareness, and support.
• Arlington Academy of HopecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded by John and Joyce Wanda, AAH is a high-achieving rural school committed to educational equity in eastern Uganda. Serves as a model for how quality education can transform entire communities. CCP volunteers assist at the school.
• Happy Land Primary SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocated in Bumwalukani, Bududa, Happy Land Primary educates 300 students from ages 5-14. CCP participants volunteer and support the school's activities.
• Home of Hope OrphanagecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded by Series Denis, Home of Hope houses and supports many Ugandan children in the community. The CCP saved the orphanage during COVID by raising money for food and ongoing support.
• Running RebelsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBased in Milwaukee, Running Rebels supports at-risk youth through mentorship, education, and athletic programming. Their sponsorship helps ensure students from underserved communities have access to global experiences.
• Brewster AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAn independent boarding school in New Hampshire committed to experiential learning and global citizenship. They have partnered with The CCP to explore how international cultural exchange can deepen student growth.
• Banana VillageminorOthersPartner hotel in Entebbe where participants stay upon arrival in Uganda. Accommodations allow for rest and preparation for the journey ahead.
• Forest CottagesminorOthersPartner hotel in Kampala where participants stay while in the capital city during the program.
• Nile River ExplorersminorOthersHotel partner in Jinja located on the edge of The Nile River where participants stay during the Jinja portion of the program.
• Bastar Tribal HomestayminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded by Shakeel Rizvi, Bastar Tribal Homestay is an Indian partner collaborating on the India program for cultural immersion experiences.
• Suruj FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded by Dipti Ogre, Suruj Foundation is a grassroots Indian organization collaborating on the India program.
• Rural YatraminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded by Rizvan Khan, Rural Yatra is an Indian partner for the cultural exchange program.
• Kanker PalaceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded by Jai Pratap Dev, Kanker Palace is an Indian partner collaborating on the India program.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Projects Abroad: Large international volunteer abroad operator with placements across many countries — overlapping volunteer/cultural exposure offerings though serving a broader and more volunteer-tourism-oriented audience.
• International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ): Large-scale, low-cost volunteer abroad programs in dozens of countries — overlaps on cross-cultural travel experience for youth/young adults, though positioned as affordable volunteering rather than premium cultural exchange.
• ISEP (International Student Exchange Programs): Network facilitating study-abroad exchange at US universities — overlaps on international cultural exposure for college students, though anchored to academic-year study rather than short immersive trips.
• EF Education First (Cultural Care): Major cultural exchange organization (au pair program) connecting Americans with host families abroad — comparable in cultural exchange category though targeting a longer-duration, work-based format.

Direct peers

• Global Citizen Year: Gap-year fellowship placing US students in immersive cross-cultural experiences abroad — comparable in mission (building cross-cultural appreciation) and demographic (US students seeking transformative travel), though structured as a fellowship rather than a trip.
• Where There Be Dragons: Offers gap-year and student cultural immersion programs in Asia, Africa, and Latin America — closely comparable target market (US high school/college students), experiential learning model, and grassroots community engagement.
• GoBeyond (formerly Carpe Mundi): International volunteer and cultural exchange programs for high school students — similar student travel/exchange positioning and target demographic, though historically more voluntourism-oriented.
• Rustic Pathways: Student-focused cultural immersion and service travel programs for high schoolers across multiple countries — directly comparable product, target demographic (US teens), and trip-based revenue model.

Emerging players

• MEET (Middle East Education Through Technology): Brings together US, Israeli, and Palestinian young people for intercultural dialogue and exchange — comparable mission of building mutual understanding across cultures with comparable youth target demographic.
• Soliya: Intercultural virtual exchange programs connecting US and Middle Eastern/North African students — comparable in mission of building cross-cultural understanding, though delivery is digital rather than travel-based.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/theculturecp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Culture Connection Project