Bloomberg representatives visit Wales to learn from Taith, Wales’ international learning exchange programme
New York-based Bloomberg representatives Rose Gill and Rachel Pollan recently visited Wales for a two-day immersive trip with Taith, ahead of their meetings with the London Mayor’s Office. The visit highlights Bloomberg’s growing interest in Taith’s innovative approach to international learning, its focus on inclusion and accessibility, and its impact across Wales.
A year ago, Bloomberg identified Taith while researching global best practices in international exchange. So impressed by the programme’s inclusive and innovative approach, they chose to extend their time in the UK to meet the team at Taith and hear directly from participants.
During the first day of their visit, Rose and Rachel engaged with three learners from Cardiff and Vale College who had recently returned from an exchange visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The exchange offered learners from the college a profound opportunity to witness the enduring social and economic consequences of the genocide that occurred at the close of the 20th century. Through powerful first-hand testimonies from survivors and visits to forensic laboratories that scientifically examined the aftermath of the atrocities, students gained a deeper understanding of the human cost of conflict. The students spoke of the impact of the exchange, with many reconsidering their future plans and career aspirations as a result. The experience left a lasting impression —transformative, sobering, and truly life-changing.
The pair also met with Inside Out, a community organisation supporting prison leavers, which is preparing to take twelve participants to Costa Rica. The project will explore Costa Rica’s unique approach to rehabilitation and justice, with participants visiting prisons and organisations that work on reintegration. By learning from global models, Inside Out aims to bring best practices back to Wales to influence local services. They spoke powerfully about how Taith was providing opportunities which they could never have considered possible, and how impactful they believed this experience would be. Their personal experiences of incarceration and incredible passion to support other incarcerated people to develop and grow clearly made a huge impact on the Bloomberg team.
Another standout meeting was with a young participant with additional learning needs from Scouts Cymru. The Welsh Scouts group travelled to Germany to complete the Welsh Culture Explorer Belt and participate in an exchange with German Scouts. The trip clearly had a profound impact, with the participant explaining how the exchange helped him to develop confidence and independence and foster understanding between all the young people involved.
These conversations provided Rose and Rachel with powerful, firsthand insight into how Taith is changing lives and breaking down barriers, such as accessibility and financial constraints, to ensure international learning experiences are open to everyone.
On day two, the Bloomberg team met with Sian Holleran from ColegauCymru and Anne-Marie Lawrence from Our Voice Our Journey, a community interest company born out of the Plan International youth project. Both shared how their respective Taith-funded projects are working to tackle misogyny and gender-based violence, and how cross-sector collaboration is creating space for shared learning and sustainable impact.
“Without Taith funding, none of this would be possible,” said one of the project leads. “It’s enabling us to do work that genuinely changes lives.”
Bloomberg’s Rose Gill reflected on the visit:
It’s been amazing to pull back the curtain and see everybody behind this incredible production. I think everybody can look in the mirror and say to themselves, ‘We’re really helping people.’
We’ve met some of the individuals who are the beneficiaries of the work that this organisation [Taith] does, and it’s real, and it’s amazing. You’re making the world a better place.
Inspired by what they’ve seen, Bloomberg is now supporting a pilot version of the Taith model in Detroit from January 2026, bringing Welsh-born best practice across the Atlantic.
What began as a vision to take Wales to the world and bring the world to Wales is now shaping international education on a global scale. Already being used as best practice in Europe and now in Detroit, Taith is becoming a blueprint for how nations can connect, learn, and grow together – proof that a small country can spark a movement with worldwide impact.
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