Australian Connection
Grade: 5
Ongoing? No
Do you know what "vegemite" is? Neither did a group of Canadian fifth graders, that is, until they started corresponding with a group of enlightening peers in Tasmania, Australia. This simple Web page lists all sorts of amusing facts gleaned from a month of trans-oceanic e-mail exchanges.

Keypal Locator Services

Dave's ESL Cafe
Grades: K-12
Ongoing? Yes
Students can make friends and discuss topics that they find interesting (e.g., pets, cinema, hobbies).  In this example, the keypal relationship is built mostly through online threaded discussions.

ePals
Grades:  K-12
Ongoing?  Yes
ePals calls itself "the world's largest classroom keypal network," and from the looks of things, it probably is.  This attractive site makes it easy for teachers and students to search for keypals by region, language, grade level, and topic.  A particularly powerful aspect of this site is its availability in three languages--English, Spanish, and French--making it truly accessible to a wide audience.  (The site features information on non-European languages as well...a search for "Hindi" produced 4 potential keypal matches!)  In addition, you will find chat rooms and a well-annotated list of resources to help you as you plan your keypals project.