In February 2005 a group of 20 high school students from the Middle East, Europe and America visited Stairway for a week as part of the Cairo American College's Week Without Walls.
The purpose was to build bridges and create mutual understanding and respect between youth from very different social and cultural backgrounds.

When kids meet on common ground, the magic soon starts to work: The initial shyness and embarrassment fades away, and is replaced by joking, laughing, playing and even friendship.

For the Stairway kids, meeting more privileged youth from other countries is an opportunity to learn other ways, share dreams and realize, that people are just people no matter their position in life.

For the Cairo kids, the view into a very different life is a forming experience that will promote better understanding and concern for the unprivileged street children both in the Philippines and in their own countries.

Both groups experienced that behind every face is a person with dreams and aspirations, and that an open mind and simple friendliness can build bridges over social, economic and cultural divides.

The Week Without Walls is to be an annual event as part of Stairway's youth to youth program. The project is inspired by the long running ICARE cooperation between Stairway and The International School in Manila.