A Brief History

In the fall of 1995, sixteen women from 12 different countries attended an inter-cultural training workshop in Zurich, Switzerland called Bridging Cultures. Most of these women were strangers to each other. Some were experiencing their first international move while others were multiple movers. Some were quite excited to live in Switzerland while others had moved very reluctantly to this foreign country. Each of these women had her own reason for attending this workshop. Some attended with hopes of gaining better cross-cultural skills while others came in search of new friendships. Led by two psychologists, this group of women worked on many topics related to international living. After the workshop, these women remained connected through friendships that had emerged during the program and a common interest in exploring the cultural facets of Switzerland. Many members of this first Bridging Cultures group have left Switzerland, either to return to their home countries or to move to another new country. However, the connections made at the workshop remain strong. Friendships have been sustained by the participants despite living in different countries, several have attended an annual reunion in Zurich, and many helped to support a fellow member during a prolonged illness.

The success of this inter-cultural training workshop led to the establishment in 1997 of a company called Bridging Cultures BC GmbH in Zurich, Switzerland to offer the Bridging Cultures workshop and other inter-cultural training programs and support services to globally mobile families to support them in their cultural transition. Candice Hughes, one of the psychologists who led the first workshop and a founding partner of the company, repatriated to the United States in 1999 and established Bridging Cultures Inc. in 2001

To date, many people have participated in the Bridging Cultures workshops in Switzerland and the United States. Workshop sessions are designed to help participants learn and think about key cross-cultural and personal topics related to international living. The content and activities have been designed to stimulate thinking and learning. Group discussions are generally quite intense with a wonderful blend of humor and pathos.

Several workshops are offered by Bridging Cultures Inc. to serve individuals and families living in new cultural settings. Participants include people who are moving between different regions of the United States and those who have moved between countries. Our programs are designed to bring together people from different cultures to address their common challenges and opportunities. Programs are designed around specific topics such as the dimensions of the cultural transition process, parenting issues, marriage and family dynamics, cultural learning experiences, and personal development opportunities.

Bridging Cultures Inc. has more recently expanded to develop training workshops for teachers and other school staff members to help them understand and work more effectively with culturally diverse families. We also offer coaching and consulting services to school administrators to help them analyze and design culturally responsive school communities for their increasingly multicultural school population.

Bridging Cultures Inc. is also working with business and community organizations to help them address how the changing demographics of USA society can be optimized to achieve their overall vision and strategy, and to deliver their products and services.