Student Programs

UPCOMING PROGRAMS

January 15

Venue
New York, NY

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sounds like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest.

February 15

Venue
New York, NY

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sounds like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest.

March 15

Venue
New York, NY

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sounds like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest.

Summer Internships

When: July 2024

Where: Casamance & Dakar Senegal

Our organization is hosting Gettysburg and UMBC interns in Casamance and Dakar, Senegal during the summer of 2024. Students have the opportunity to engage in their own scholarly research and artistic projects, with the aim of promoting a student publication, career advancement, preparation for doctoral programs, and curation of public exhibitions. This internship is a unique and intellectually rewarding opportunity to learn more about Senegal's rich cultural and socio-political landscape, while strengthening research methods and professional development.

Decolonizing Education!

When: January 2025; March 2025

Where: Dakar, Senegal; Accra, Ghana

Our Decolonizing Education Immersion Program welcomes undergraduate students to Senegal over winter term and Ghana over spring break, for eight days of service learning. Together we examine the specific ways that knowledge, education, and imagination have been impacted by colonization in the region—and the ways in which local communities have engaged with, resisted, reformed, and reimagined learning over the course of the 20th and 21st century. We will take lessons in Wolof or Twi and read about important figures and pedagogies in Senegalese and Ghanian history, while also participating in one education based community directed service project.

Introduction to African History

Where: Dakar, Senegal

Run in partnership with Rockland Community College, our immersive history course offers undergraduate students a rich journey through Senegal’s unique historical tapestry. From the ancient ruins of Sine Ngayene to the modern urban landscapes of Dakar, participants will trace the evolution of societies, governance structures, and the intertwining threads of cultural diversity. Guided tours of archaeological sites and visits to historical landmarks provide a deep dive into Senegal's pre and postcolonial past. The course also encompasses interactive sessions on the socio-political dynamics that shaped medieval West Africa, with a focus on the Ghana Empire, Mali Empire, and Songhai Empire. Language sessions in Wolof and encounters with local communities enrich the experience, fostering a holistic understanding of Senegal's historical narrative. Join us for an immersive historical exploration that transcends textbooks, where each step unveils layers of Senegal's captivating history.

Rose Learning Institute of the Arts

Where: Ndayane, Senegal

Rose School of the Arts is established to provide education for Senegalese youth residing on the petite coast—free of charge. This Waldorf-Montessori inspired school will provide nutritional breakfast and lunch from RPA’s community garden and is geared towards introducing children at a young age to global Black history, culture, and pedagogy. As a means of fostering sustained connections, student-teachers from the United States will have the opportunity to teach and service our primary school.

Mental Health and Wellness—Pedagogies, Practices, and African Futures

Where: Gambia and Casamance, Senegal

Our program is designed for mental health practitioners, academic faculty, and advanced students pursuing masters and doctoral degrees in counseling education, psychology, or related fields. RPA provides immersive instruction--to not only examine current mental health counseling and practices of healing in Senegal, but also learn cultural phenomena, including religious practices, gender roles, family composition, race/ethnicity, migration, etc. that impact mental health philosophies and healing practices in the region. We offer an entry point into the history of Senegalese mental health healing and turn to contemporary integrative, decolonial, and Africanist counseling frameworks, with the aim of introducing attendees to news ways of thinking and practicing in their own professional lives and networks.

Oral History Project Summer 2025

Kigali, Rwanda