Peaceful Pen Pals Project

Now more than ever, our youth need connection, kindness, and a sense of belonging. The Peaceful Pen Project brings kids together through the old-fashioned art of handwritten letters, helping them form friendships, explore new cultures, and foster compassion.

Since our launch in 2020, we’ve connected thousands of young people worldwide, creating friendships that transcend borders.

We’d love for your child to be part of this meaningful journey!

Sign Up (for individual youth)

About the Peaceful Pen Project

Our Mission

We are building a global community of kind, compassionate and empowered young people, who are uplifting the world through love and action. The Peaceful Pen Pal Project plays a vital role in fostering empathy, acceptance, and the pure joy of human connection.

Peaceful Pen Pal Project History

The Peaceful Pen Project was founded in September 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. At a time when children were isolated from their peers, we wanted to offer them a way to connect, communicate, and build friendships through old-fashioned letter-writing.

Since then, we have matched thousands of kids across the globe, fostering friendships that may have never been possible otherwise.

Would you like to be part of this global interconnected network of kind and caring young people?

Sign up now and start your child’s pen pal journey today!

How It Works

Joining the Peaceful Pen Project is easy! Here’s how the process works:

1. Register
 Parents or guardians sign up their child using our simple online form.

2. Wait for Match
 It typically takes 2 weeks for pen pal matches to be made, but can take less (or more) time depending on timing with our other programs. Our team carefully (and manually) pairs each child with a pen pal based on:

  • Age (same, +/- one year)
  • Gender (same, unless requested otherwise)
  • Location (guardians select preference of the location of their child’s pen pal – U.S., outside the U.S. or no preference; Kids for Peace is not able to guarantee location of a child’s pen pal, it is dependent on registrations received)

3. Receive Pen Pal Match Information
Once a match is found, Kids for Peace will send an email to you and the guardian of your child’s pen pal. In that email, we will introduce the guardians, and share each guardian’s name and email address. Additionally,  we will share each child’s first name, age, gender and postal mailing address. This email will also include instructions for who is to write the first letter. Once the match email is sent/received, guardians will communicate directly regarding the letter exchange.

4. Start the Exchange
Your child will either be the first to write a letter or the first to receive a letter. In their first letter, we encourage them to introduce themselves and ask questions to get to know their pen pal (and/or answer questions so their pen pal can get to know them!). Youth are welcome to use the provided letter template to get started, but it is not required to use the template. Letters may include:

  • Personal stories
  • Drawings
  • Pictures
  • Encouraging words
  • PeaceTogether Art (please see below)

5. Build a Lasting Friendship
 Over time, kids exchange letters, share experiences, and form genuine friendships! 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

  • Guardians register youth using our simple online form
  • Our Peaceful Pen Pal team makes matches based on age (+/- one year), gender (same unless requested otherwise) and location (see “CAN MY CHILD HAVE A PEN PAL FROM A SPECIFIC COUNTRY?)
  • Once a proper match is made, someone from our Peaceful Pen Pal team will send an email to both guardians at one time. They will send the email to the “Guardian Email Address” provided in the online form that each guardian completed.
  • The email to both youth guardians will include the names and email addresses of both guardians, as well as the first names, genders, ages and mailing addresses of the two youth being matched. It will give instructions for who is to send the first letter.

  • YES! We welcome youth from anywhere and everywhere to be part of this heartfelt letter exchange.
  • We do ask that if the child is not able to write in English that they receive help from someone who can translate for them.

  • Kids for Peace does not have the resources to provide this program in multiple languages. Because all information about this program is provided in English, we assume the letters exchanged will be written in English (it is possible for youth who do not understand English to participate with the help of a translator).
  • We welcome youth who are able to speak multiple languages to share/teach other languages in their letter exchanges.

  • We are happy to offer this pen pal program to the public for free and thanks to the help of our college internship program, we have help to manage it. We are unable to guarantee a time frame, but our goal is to match youth within 2 weeks of their registration date.
  • The time it takes to find a match for your child will vary based on the age/gender/location of children requesting a pen pal at the time of your request.
  • Please check your SPAM folder prior to contacting Kids for Peace
  • If more than 2 weeks have passed and you do not have an email from us in our SPAM folder, you may reach out to penpals@kidsforpeaceglobal.org to follow up

  • There are so many reasons why a pen pal may not respond. Please consider them all and share these considerations with your child so that they do not assume it is anything personal:
    • The other guardian never received the original match email (e.g. went to spam folder)
    • The postal service was delayed or accidentally misplaced the letter
    • The other pen pal has sent a letter, but their letter has been delayed or lost
    • There was a typo on the envelope and it is being re-routed
    • There was not enough postage
    • Something unfortunate has happened within the family that is preventing them from being able to focus on letter writing right now

  • We do not recommend your child to send the first letter if the other child was instructed to send the first letter. If both pen pals end up sending letters at the same time, then the questions asked in those letters will not get answered. It is best to allow one pen pal to write first and ask questions of their new friend, then allow the other child to receive that letter, answer the questions and ask their own questions in their response.
  • Guardians may follow up with each other directly via email to ask about the status of the letter exchange.

  • You may email the guardian of your child’s pen pal directly to make sure you received the correct mailing address information, ask if they received the letter and if they have had a chance to write and mail a response yet.
  • You may register your child for another pen pal.

  • When you sign up for a Peaceful Pen Pal, you will see on the online form that you have 3 choices for the preferred location of your child’s pen pal:
    • My child would prefer a pen pal from the US: If you choose this option, your child will receive a pen pal from inside the United States. Guardians of US youth who choose this option will receive a pen pal for their child from a different US state than the one they are from.
    • My child would prefer a pen pal from outside the US: If you choose this option, we prioritize the request for a pen pal from outside the US if one is available. However, because the number of requests that come from inside the US is far greater than the number of requests that come from outside the US, we need to match your child with whomever is available at the time of your registration.
    • My child does not have a preference where the pen pal is from: If you choose this option, we will match your child with a child from either inside the US or outside the US, depending on the pen pal options available at the time of your registration. (Again, guardians of U.S. youth who choose this option and end up matched with another U.S. youth will receive a pen pal from a different US state).

  • Kids for Peace does not have the resources to vet every registration, but we do process every registration manually. This is not an automated pen pal program. It is run by humans, not robots and we only ask for information necessary to make the pen pal matches.
  • We recommend that guardians read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy prior to participating.
  • Once connected to a pen pal, we recommend guardians monitor the content that their child sends to and receives from their pen pal.

  • Yes – your child may draw a self-portrait or include pictures of themselves and/or their family (with guardian permission).

  • Yes – small, inexpensive / handmade gifts are welcome, but not necessary
  • No unsolicited political, religious or sales material may be sent

  • Yes! We only match one pen pal at a time, but once your child has been matched, you are welcome to register them for a 2nd (or 3rd, 4th, or 5th) pen pal.

*** As a participant, please understand ***

Your child is making a commitment to write to another child; not doing so will result in the disappointment of the other child. 

If something comes up where your child is no longer able to participate, please let the other guardian know right away via email so that they may register for a new pen pal.

We are so happy you are part of this meaningful project and are excited to make friendship connections between youth all over the world!

PeaceTogether: A Peaceful Pen Pals Art Project

In addition to old-fashioned letter writing, youth pen pals are invited to co-create a symbol of peace by decorating halves of a peace sign. Connected peace symbols will illustrate how collaboration, art and creativity can transcend barriers, fostering a deeper sense of connection.

How It Works

Please note: Your child must first be matched with a pen pal before taking the steps below. 

STEP 1:

Both pen pals download and decorate both the LEFT half  and the RIGHT half of the peace symbol.

STEP 2:

On the LEFT half, write their name/age/city/state/country in the left corner. On the RIGHT half, write their name/age/city/state/country in the right corner.

STEP 3:

Each pen pal sends the RIGHT half to their pen pal.

STEP 4:

Each pen pal keeps the LEFT half that they decorated and receives the RIGHT half from their pen pal so that they can connect their halves and create a whole symbol to illustrate how they have become friends united in peace.

STEP 5: Take a picture using these guidelines and upload it to this link. Kids for Peace will post it to the gallery on this page.

Upload Your PeaceTogether Photo
Download Flyer

Peaceful Pen Pals Terms & Conditions

Peaceful Pen Pals Class to Class Project