StoryBridge Nepal
Located in the hills of Central Nepal, StoryBridge Nepal brings university students and local communities together through agricultural learning, school partnerships, and place-based cultural engagement.
Programs are based in partnership with New Araniko Coffee Resort and local secondary schools in the Chautara region, creating immersive experiences grounded in daily life, shared work, and sustained collaboration.
How Nepal Became StoryBridge’s Foundation
In May 2025, founder Kristina Applegate spent time in Nepal while teaching with EF Education First, working with students and educators in and around Chautara in the Sindhupalchok District.
This experience marked the beginning of what would become StoryBridge Nepal. During that time, a simplified version of the organization’s storytelling-based learning model was introduced in a local school setting, demonstrating strong potential for place-based, creative engagement rooted in collaboration rather than short-term intervention.
What emerged was not a temporary program, but a long-term commitment to partnership.
Rooted in Local Partnership
StoryBridge Nepal is shaped through ongoing collaboration with Nepali educators and community partners whose leadership helps guide the institute’s ethical framework, local relationships, and long-term direction.
Binu Majhi
Binu Majhi is an educator and community leader originally based in Bahunipati near the Indrawati River in Sindhupalchok District. She serves as Community Liaison and Program Coordinator for StoryBridge Nepal and will be relocating with her family to Chautara to support the institute’s long-term presence in the region.
Working closely with Mr. Punya Prasad Gajurel and the leadership team at Shree Gyan Mandir Model Secondary School, Binu helps coordinate service learning engagement between visiting participants, local students, educators, and community leaders.
Her cultural insight, educational experience, and deep local relationships are central to shaping StoryBridge Nepal’s ethical framework and community-based approach. Through her leadership, the institute remains grounded in mutual respect, local guidance, and sustained collaboration.
Dikshant Bhattarai
Dikshant Bhattarai is an agricultural educator based in Kathmandu whose work centers on land-based learning, sustainability, and environmental awareness. He serves as Director of Field Programs & Agriculture at StoryBridge Nepal, leading the design and implementation of the institute’s agricultural and service learning components.
Dikshant guides university groups through the Kathmandu cultural immersion days and oversees the agricultural and school-based service learning experiences in Sindhupalchok. His leadership ensures that participants engage meaningfully with seasonal farming practices, farm-to-table coffee cultivation, and collaborative educational programming.
He is currently continuing his professional education in agriculture and environmental studies, strengthening the academic and seasonal framework that informs StoryBridge Nepal’s programming. He is developing a comprehensive agricultural calendar aligned with Nepal’s winter, spring, and fall cycles to guide seasonal learning for both participants and local partners.
In addition to program leadership, Dikshant coordinates transportation logistics between Kathmandu and Sindhupalchok and supports community engagement across the region. He also represents StoryBridge Nepal in cultural exchanges, university environments, and public-speaking engagements both within Nepal and internationally.
With experience guiding cultural and trekking groups in and around the Kathmandu Valley, Dikshant brings regional knowledge, safety awareness, and a deep respect for Nepal’s landscapes and heritage to the institute’s field-based learning approach.
From Pilot to Field Institute
What began as a pilot collaboration has evolved into the foundation of a Nepal-rooted field institute — grounded not in rapid expansion, but in steady partnership and shared vision.
Founded in 2008 as Kids Share Workshops, StoryBridge Nepal represents an evolution toward sustained, place-based collaboration in Nepal — integrating agricultural learning, school partnership, and cultural exchange within a long-term framework of ethical engagement.
— Kristina Applegate, Founder & Program Director
Students Identifying and Sharing Local Fruit
Place-based learning through agriculture and exploration, where students observe, document, and share local knowledge through storytelling, language, and creative practice.
Program Locations & Learning Environment
StoryBridge Nepal’s service learning experience unfolds across two primary regions, offering participants both cultural immersion and rural field-based learning.
Kathmandu Cultural Immersion
Participants stay at Pashupati Boutique Hotel & Spa and engage with Nepal’s cultural and historical landscape through visits to UNESCO World Heritage Sites, ancient Hindu and Buddhist temples, the Chandragiri cable car overlooking the Kathmandu Valley, the National Botanical Gardens, and guided exploration of New Road markets.
These experiences provide cultural, spiritual, and historical grounding before entering the rural field environment.
Sindhupalchok Field Experience
Based at New Araniko Coffee Resort, participants engage in agricultural learning, farm-to-table coffee cultivation, and collaboration with Shree Gyan Mandir Model Secondary School.
The rural program also includes regional ecological excursions such as waterfall hikes, seasonal agricultural participation, and experiential learning opportunities along the Sunkoshi River corridor, including rafting and reflective outdoor engagement near Sukute.
“Through relationships with Binu and Dikshant, my time in Nepal evolved from a short teaching experience into a long-term vision for place-based learning grounded in community, culture, and trust.”
— Kristina Applegate, Founder & Program DirectorUniversity & Faculty Partnerships
StoryBridge Nepal collaborates with universities and faculty leaders to design immersive 14- and 22-day field learning programs rooted in agricultural engagement, school partnership, and cultural immersion in Nepal.
Programs are structured in collaboration with academic departments and tailored to institutional goals, cohort size, and seasonal learning opportunities. Airfare is arranged independently through the participant’s home institution.
To receive a detailed program overview, sample itinerary, academic framework, and pricing structure, please inquire directly.
Request Program GuideStay Connected
Learn more about upcoming service learning programs in Nepal or inquire about institutional partnerships.
Email:
info@kidsshareworkshops.com
Instagram:
@storybridge.nepal
StoryBridge Nepal
Established 2008 (Founded as Kids Share Workshops)
A cross-cultural field institute rooted in agricultural learning, school partnership, and place-based education in Nepal.