Inspirational Moms: Amy Norman and Stella Ma of Little Passports

One of the ways to teach our children to be compassionate and thoughtful of others is to teach them about the world around them.  With knowledge and understanding of others comes an appreciation of the diversity that makes up our planet.  I recently discovered a wonderful company called Little Passports that provides a fun and educational tool for parents to use that gets children excited about learning.  I had a chance to interview the the two founders, Amy Norman and Stella Ma, both moms, and they talk about what inspired them to start Little Passports.

Tell us what inspired you both to start Little Passports?

• Amy: I moved around a lot as a kid, living in several different countries, as my father’s work required him to relocate frequently.  I think that’s where my love of travel and exploration began. I was also intrigued by geography when I was younger and amazed when kids in my classes couldn’t locate simple places like New York City.  Stella, my best friend, and I founded Little Passports to help give kids the excitement of travel and learn about different cultures without ever having to leave their home.

• Stella: Being Chinese-American and having grown up in Oakland, a very diverse and culturally rich city, I wanted to create an experience like Little Passports so that children could discover the wonders of different cultures.  Thinking about what types of experiences I would want for my own children motivated me to build an experience that is educational, fun and engaging.  I love that my five-year old is now able to enjoy the Little Passports adventures and is constantly asking me what our characters Sam and Sofia are traveling to next!

You’ve created a fun way for children to learn about the world around them – what is your hope that children will take away from their experiences with Little Passports?

• Amy & Stella: Mostly, we hope that kids will take away a love of exploring not only the world, but even their own neighborhoods. We want to inspire kids to take advantage of the world around them and get to know as many different cultures and people as they can. Mainly, a desire to never stop learning.

As busy moms, how do you find them time and energy to wear so many hats? What are some things that you find help you to stay on top of it all?

•  Amy: I think it really helps to be doing this with my best friend.  We’re able to really support each other, and it’s so        much fun to go to work every day!

• Stella: I honestly love what I do and the fact that I get to put together something that I truly believe in helps to make it not feel like “work.” I also have a great husband that is wonderful in helping me juggle the business and my two kids.

Any news you want to share with our dandelion moms?

• Amy & Stella: Little Passports has grown so much over the past three years. We’re so grateful to see it evolve into something that we always dreamed of. We are thrilled with the launch of our USA Edition this year, so kids can now explore the US in addition to the World.

Thank you Amy and Stella for providing this great resource for parents to use to help teach about the world!

To read more about Little Passports go to: www.littlepassports.com

What are some things you do to help teach your children about other cultures?