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When photographer and educator Prof. Peter Glendinning of Michigan State University returned to South Africa this September, his goal went far beyond presenting artwork. Supported by the Alliance for African Partnership (AAP) Global Engagement Fund (GEF), Glendinning traveled to Johannesburg and Cape Town to advance a collaborative, arts-driven research initiative that is reshaping how youth experiences are documented and understood across Africa. For years, Glendinning has been developing Attached to the Soil, a project that pairs portrait photography with metaphor and narrative to explore young people’s aspirations, challenges, and identities. What began as a 2019 Fulbright project in South Africa has evolved—through sustained partnership—into a model for how the arts can generate meaningful social insight. This work aligns directly with AAP’s culture & society priority area, which supports projects that use cultural expression to address complex societal issues.  Strengthening a Continental Research Partnership  During his visit, Glendinning met with partners at University of Pretoria, one of AAP’s 12 member institutions, including Prof. Zitha Mokomane, a professor in the Department of Sociology and Deputy Dean for Teaching and Learning in the Faculty of Humanities, who has been conducting sociological analysis of the project’s original youth-created images and stories. The findings point to recurring themes: belonging, hope, fear, opportunity, and the persistence of socio-economic barriers.  With support from the Global Engagement Fund, the partners spent their time together outlining the next phase of the work—a potential 2027 pan-African expansion that could engage youth from multiple institutions and countries. The goal is to create one of the most comprehensive collections of narrative and visual data on African youth aspirations to date.  “The dataset we envision would allow us to compare experiences across countries, contexts, and cultures, using the arts as a bridge,” Glendinning explained. The in-person meetings made possible by the GEF award were essential for refining the research design, establishing a shared methodological framework, and preparing for future proposal development.   Cultural Institutions as Crucial Partners  Glendinning’s work emphasizes not only the creation of new cultural materials but also the preservation of Africa’s photographic heritage. While in Johannesburg, he met with leaders at the Bensusan Museum of Photography to advance efforts to secure funding for preserving its internationally significant collection of historic photographic equipment and images. He also held discussions at the Nelson Mandela Foundation, which held an 8-month exhibit of the project in 2023, exploring how youth-generated narratives from Attached to the Soil could contribute to public memory and civic learning through the foundation’s ongoing partnership. These engagements expand the project’s reach beyond academia and into community and heritage spaces—an approach deeply aligned with AAP’s focus on research for broader impact.  Festival Participation Amplifies Youth Perspectives  Glendinning’s work also reached public audiences during the inaugural Cape Town Photography Festival, where Attached to the Soil opened as an exhibition at the Simon’s Town Museum. The festival setting provided a platform for deeper conversation around the project’s themes. During a public dialogue, Glendinning and Malissa Louw, one of the original participants, spoke about the creative process and the realities behind the images—drawing attention to the power of youth storytelling as a form of social documentation.  He also led two workshops: a digital photography master-class for community members and a session for 40 students at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. Both emphasized photography as a tool for reflection, empowerment, and evidence-gathering—illustrating how artistic training can support community insight and youth leadership.   A Model for Arts-Driven, Partnership-Based Research  Following the festival, Glendinning continued planning with Prof. Mokomane during her September visit to Michigan State University, which was also supported by the GEF. Together, they are refining the concept for the multi-country expansion and identifying ways for AAP partners to contribute to the next phase.   For AAP, Glendinning’s and project and his partnership with Mokomane exemplify the role arts and culture can play in addressing societal challenges: by elevating local narratives, strengthening community connections, and deepening understanding across diverse contexts. The Global Engagement Fund is central to this impact—making it possible for faculty like Glendinning to build the relationships and shared vision that long-term, equitable partnerships require.  As plans move forward, Attached to the Soil will offer youth across the continent the chance to tell their stories—and help researchers, educators, and communities better understand the world through their eyes.