Gezi Cultural Center’s mission is to promote and enhance the knowledge and appreciation of Georgia and Georgian culture, to increase the knowledge of the Georgian language, and to encourage interaction among Georgian and Georgophiles through programs in education and the arts. Founded in 1996 by Maya and Ilya Baramidze, Gezi Cultural Center operates as a learning community for children. It is a project that started out of a need felt by many immigrant families. The kids were having a difficult time assimilating to American culture and language, but also honoring their backgrounds in Georgia. We provided puppets for the children and marveled at how quickly they found confidence in their abilities. The original office, located at 511 Brighton Beach in New York City has since become the Youth and Cultural Learning Center and now provides a theater, language arts class, math class, and music class for the students. We started with four students and now fifty children learn at Gezi Cultural Center. The teachers are renowned professionals from Georgia who also guide and mentor the children. Over the years, Caucasus Express has provided the funds for our establishment and our program for the youth, such as trips to the Big Apple Circus, a New York City Tour Bus, and Museum Trips.