Connecting Together

for Bigger Development Impact.

SEESALT+1, Sometimes bigger than ♾️. 

SeeSALT+ : A Cooperation Mechanism for Cross-Sector Development Programs

SeeSALT+ is not a program—it's a mechanism that enables diverse organizations to co-create and co-implement high-impact development initiatives that no single actor can achieve alone.

The Problem:

  • Complex social challenges require expertise from multiple sectors

  • Organizations work in silos, duplicating efforts and limiting impact

  • Elite institutions lack local context; local organizations lack global resources

  • Traditional "partnership" models often remain top-down and extractive

  • Sustainable solutions require shared ownership, not one-off interventions

The SeeSALT+ Solution: A structured cooperation framework that:

  • Brings together international institutions, local organizations, government, and communities

  • Ensures genuine co-design (not consultation after decisions are made)

  • Creates shared investment and shared ownership models

  • Builds sustainable partnerships through mutual benefit

  • Centers local leadership while leveraging global expertise

  • Enables replication and scaling across contexts

Core Principle: Cooperation > Coordination > Isolated Action

First Application: Wheat Ear 2030 Summer Camp validated this mechanism by connecting international schools, urban families, local schools, and NGOs to co-create transformative youth leadership programs.

Embrace · Unite · With Terra Firma

Five-Step Cooperation Framework

    • Identify shared challenge requiring diverse expertise

    • Map stakeholders with complementary assets (not competition)

    • Establish cooperation principles and mutual accountability

    • Define roles based on comparative advantage, not hierarchy

    • All partners participate in program design from inception

    • Local partners identify needs and priorities

    • International partners contribute frameworks and resources

    • Communities and beneficiaries shape delivery approach

    • Result: Jointly owned program theory and implementation plan

    • Financial investment shared across multiple actors

    • In-kind contributions valued and integrated

    • Cost-sharing models ensure sustainability (not donor dependency)

    • Example: Urban participants subsidize local participants 1:1

    • Clear roles and responsibilities for each partner

    • SeeSALT+ provides platform coordination and quality assurance

    • Regular communication protocols and joint decision-making

    • Shared monitoring and real-time adaptation

    • Conflict resolution mechanisms built-in

    • Joint evaluation and documentation

    • Transparent sharing of results (successes and failures)

    • Replication support for other contexts

    • Network effects as more partners join

    • Continuous improvement through peer learning

Key Success Factors:

  • Genuine power-sharing, not tokenism

  • Long-term commitment (3-5 years minimum)

  • Trust built through consistent action

  • Flexibility to adapt while maintaining core principles

Successful Example - Wheat Ear 2030

  • How SeeSALT+ Mechanism Enabled Cross-Cultural Youth Leadership

    The Challenge: Urban-rural fringe areas in China face educational resource gaps, talent drain, and identity confusion—requiring both local knowledge and global expertise to address.

    • SeeSALT Institute (global frameworks, program design)

    • Wheat Field Foundation (local relationships, 18-year presence)

    • International schools (student mentors from Harrow, Winchester, UCL, UVA)

    • Bada Middle School (facilities, local students, teachers)

    • Urban families (funding, demand, advocacy)

    • 6-month process involving all partners

    • Local students helped shape curriculum priorities

    • International students contributed cross-cultural learning modules

    • Teachers integrated with ongoing school programming

    • Result: 7-day intensive combining critical pedagogy, asset-based community development, and UN SDGs

    • Urban families: 5,300 RMB each (covers self + one local student)

    • International schools: Student mentor preparation and training

    • Local school: Facilities and staff time

    • Wheat Field Foundation: Community mobilization and follow-up

    • SeeSALT: Coordination, quality assurance, evaluation

    • 30 students (urban + rural + international mentors)

    • 0% dropout, 95% satisfaction

    • 87% improved critical thinking, 100% cross-boundary friendships

    • 23 students launched fundraising campaigns (47,000 RMB raised)

    • Model now scaling to 3 provinces

  • Each partner contributed unique value; no single actor could replicate the full impact.

Apply SeeSALT+

to Your Context

SeeSALT+ Can Enable:

    • Cross-cultural youth exchanges

    • Teacher training and capacity building

    • School-to-school partnerships

    • Curriculum innovation projects

    • Participatory budgeting initiatives

    • Local economic development

    • Environmental sustainability projects

    • Cultural preservation programs

    • Action research collaborations

    • Social innovation labs

    • Policy pilot programs

    • Impact evaluation studies

  • Educational Institutions

    • Bring: Student access, facilities, curriculum integration

    • Need: Global frameworks, funding, cross-cultural partnerships

    • SeeSALT+ provides: Mechanism design, partner matching, quality assurance

    NGOs & Foundations

    • Bring: Local presence, community trust, implementation capacity

    • Need: Scaling frameworks, international partnerships, sustainability models

    • SeeSALT+ provides: Replication toolkit, network access, technical support

    Government Agencies

    • Bring: Policy mandate, public resources, systemic reach

    • Need: Innovation models, civil society partnerships, implementation expertise

    • SeeSALT+ provides: Evidence-based frameworks, multi-stakeholder facilitation

    Private Sector

    • Bring: Resources, technology, networks

    • Need: Social impact expertise, community connections, credibility

    • SeeSALT+ provides: Partnership brokering, impact measurement, CSR strategy

    Getting Started:

    • Identify your challenge requiring multi-sector collaboration

    • Map potential partners with complementary assets

    • Contact SeeSALT+ for mechanism adaptation support

    • Co-design with stakeholders using our framework

    • Implement with ongoing coordination support