Cross-Cultural Kids (CCKs) (Van Reken, 2002) is not a new concept when it comes to the effects of migration upon youth development, including some well-recognised, life-long lasting side effects (Crossman & Wells, 2022). Yet, only since 2017 have Lithuanian schools have experienced a sustained increase in the enrolment of, including returning Lithuanian students following Brexit or the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as refugee children arriving amid recent political conflicts in the neighbouring European political landscape. Despite the growing presence of these students, whose educational pathways and personal lives have been profoundly shaped by transnational mobility, the Lithuanian education system has yet to establish a coherent framework to support their integration. Existing institutional responses remain fragmented and tend to prioritise linguistic assimilation over broader psychosocial, cultural, and identity-related dimensions of schooling. Urgency to conceptualise cross-cultural diversity as an educational asset rather than a deficit in the Lithuanian context not only goes along Culturally Responsive Teaching (Gay, 2018), but emphasis the need to adopt a humanistic and ethical pedagogical approach (Forrester et al., 2020) to promote inclusive education for all students. As school populations become increasingly diverse, there is an urgent need to develop and examine forms of cross-cultural transitional care (CCTC) that address the complex linguistic, cultural, and identity-related challenges faced by CCKs (Mahoney & Barron, 2020).  

As part of a wider research project, this paper presents results from observations and informal conversations recorded during the process of conducting interventions with the narrative tool of “TARMAC” at school with CCKs of Lithuania. While not being the original intention of the research design, and is seen as serendipitous findings, "happy accidents" or chance discoveries (Robson & McCartan, 2016) where unexpected but beneficial discoveries that occur while searching for something else.

Set in a public gymnasium which was established after Lithuania’s regaining of independence in 1990 with the specific mission to accelerate Lithuanian language learning and integrate students of Lithuanian descent back into the national social and cultural life (Ruškus, 2008). Observations were conducted over a semester alongside the intervention part of the wider study. Twenty-five episodes of storied fieldnotes were documented using redesigned fieldnote template (Hoey, 2014) which emphases separation between description and analysis, and embeds reflexivity and methodological flexibility, balances insider insight with outsider analysis (Darling, 2016). The recorded critical moments were presented as storied ‘episodes’ of interactions between CCKs and their counterpart non-CCK classmates within both formal and non-informal learning situations, as means to contextualise the investigation of identity curation and a sense of belonging in school. Aligning with the overall narrative inquiring nature of the project, knowledge is not seen as objective ‘facts’ to be captured during data collection, but are seen as constructed, situated, and interpreted during the research process (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000). Therefore, observations in narrative inquiry are not passive seeing and recording but are a selective and interpretive process that is heavily dependent and shaped by the researcher's positionality.

Results revealed how everyday encounters—whether in classrooms, corridors, playgrounds, or public spaces—become critical sites for identity negotiation, belonging, and intercultural dialogue. The findings affirm that CCKs’ identity narratives are deeply entangled with the social, linguistic, and cultural ecologies of their schools. Regarding CCKs’ identity narratives on self, belonging, and place in the context of Lithuania, the observed episodes highlighted that CCKs narrate identity through both disclosure and concealment, often using humour, selective explanation, or coded performance to negotiate how much of themselves to reveal (Riessman, 2008). Challenges of living “in-between” were highlighted, alongside the resources mobilised by CCKs to adapt, resist, and create belonging on their own terms. Tensions persist due to a lack of careful consideration of sociopolitical contexts when addressing school inclusion, especially when it concerns diversity in consideration of the sociopolitical contexts in addressing school inclusion, especially when concerning diversity relating to language, religion, and student well-being, in creating identity-safe learning environments (Cohn-Vargas & Steele, 2016). Implications demonstrate that when everyday exchanges are taken seriously as pedagogical moments, they can scaffold intercultural understanding and support identity curation. Noticing and framing “small stories” opens gateways to broader discussions on identity and belonging in personal, institutional, and societal spheres. This leaves space for discussions within the scope of teacher training, especially during the current ongoing educational reform, which is moving Lithuania from a multi-track system to an inclusive system. When school diversity moves beyond focusing on differences within the student body, the advancement of cross-cultural transitional care can naturally be considered alongside overall inclusive practices in Lithuanian classrooms.

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