Border Youth Tennis Exchange (BYTE) is a bi-national initiative that provides afterschool tennis training and a specialized National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL) educational curriculum that enhances opportunities for low-income youth on both sides of the US/Mexico border. Operating in the twin cities Nogales, AZ and Nogales, Sonora, BYTE programming highlights the shared characteristics between the children of ‘Ambos Nogales’—meaning ‘both’ or ‘together.’ NJTL life skills activities are taught both in the classroom and on the tennis court and cross-border projects and exchanges are used to promote international trust and bi-cultural immersion. The BYTE Core Development Program invites visiting artists, scholars, and community figures to act as inspirational role models who can also draw attention to regional interests that span across the wall. BYTE bridges the gap between historically similar communities to reclaim prejudiced and destructive border narratives from divisive politics. By empowering traditionally overlooked communities as global youth ambassadors, BYTE offers a new model for geopolitical interaction and bi-national grassroots cooperation.
