SAME SKY

Same Sky / Mismo Cielo

THERE ARE STORIES WE INHERIT, AND THOSE WE WRITE OURSELVES.

A bilingual collection of original stories and poems by 20 young writers living at the Ciudad Juárez and El Paso borderplex exploring identity, shared space, and narrative change.
Download the Anthology
Explore the Pilot

ABOUT THE SAME SKY PILOT

Launched in Spring 2026, Same Sky (Mismo Cielo) is a 10-week virtual cross-border exchange program that explores the power of geographic and cultural proximity in global exchange and youth leadership development. Launched around the theme of narrative-changemaking, the pilot brought together young writers aged 18–24 from neighboring border cities of El Paso (US) and Ciudad Juárez (Mexico). Through cross-cultural dialogue and creative storytelling, participants engaged deeply with their own lived experiences and those of their peers across the border.

Guiding Principle 1

Localized exchange connecting youth in neighboring border communities—separated by only a few miles—is just as vital but often less formalized than traditional long-distance exchange.

Guiding Principle 2

Writing can be a form of leadership practice, especially when paired with continuous dialogue and close attention to social realities. At its best, literary storytelling can be a powerful vehicle for shaping thought and culture, creating upstream conditions necessary for positive social change.

Participants & Program Highlights

20
Writers Connected
Across Borders

10
Week of Cross-Border
Dialogue & Workshops

16
Original Works
Published


Special Guest

Juan Felipe Herrera

Former U.S. Poet Laureate

Juan Felipe Herrera joined the program’s concluding session, inspiring participants to discover their authentic voices and embrace their roles as cultural creators and agents of social change.

“

And remember, we’re not just writers. We are here to change, to bring about change. It’s not just a poem, ¿verdad? Es un cambio. We have to use this voice. It’ll change. It can change everything.

”

Partners & Support

Same Sky is a program of the Stevens Initiative at the Aspen Institute Center for Rising Generations, designed in partnership with Creative Writing for Social Change, and implemented with the support of University of Texas at El Paso and the Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez. It is supported by generous funding from the Bezos Family Foundation.